The Best Earbuds

Wired earbuds are for the audio fan who is always on the move. Because extra features tack on extra money, generally you can get better sound in wired earbuds than in similarly priced wireless designs. If you want your dollars to pay for great sound rather than features like Bluetooth and noise cancelling, these models are for you. Wired earbuds should sound great, be comfortable, and be easy to pop in a pocket (in a way that you just can’t do with over-ear headphones). Ideally, they should isolate external noise so that you can listen on a noisy plane or street and not have to crank up the volume, yet still be comfortable in your ears so that you can listen for a few hours and not have your ear canals ache. One important point: Although you technically can exercise with these headphones on, they are not water or sweat resistant. You should have a separate pair of earbuds to take to the gym or out for a jog. It's also worth noting, most flagship phones nowadays do not have a headphone jack. This means, no current Apple phones, and most of the major Android smartphone brands. There are exceptions, with low to mid tier smartphones retaining the audio port; otherwise you will need a dongle to be able to use your earbuds with phone. If you don't care about dongles, and want a great wired audio experience, this list is for you!