PORTABLE AUDIO UNDER £100
Get audio satisfaction on the go without breaking the bank by checking out our pick of affordable headphones and speakers
Words: Simon Lucas
EARBUDS UNDER £10 0
CAMBRIDGE AUDIO MELOMANIA 1+
Once you get past the rather utilitarian design (which is nevertheless comfortable enough to wear) the Melomania 1+ news is basically all good. Sound is balanced, confident and enjoyable, battery life is flat-out epic, the touch-controls are responsive and the charging case is a manageable size. As far as downsides go, well, we’ll have to get back to you.
£79,
cambridgeaudio.com
EARFUN AIR PRO 2
Proving you can get a reliable pair of earbuds for under £40, the FlyBuds 3 offer solid audio performance and deep bass. You’ve got 100 hours of playback time with the charging case, which also doubles as a power bank for juicing up your phone. With an IPX7 rating they’re also sport-, gym- and splash-friendly.
£69,
myearfun.com
SONY WF-C500
Sony hasn’t forgotten those of us who like a bargain. The WF-C500 look and feel built down to a price, it’s true – but that’s because they are. And besides, they have it where it counts: they’re properly constructed, battery life is impressive, control options are numerous. And they sound direct, detailed and full of energy.
£59,
sony.com
LYPERTEK PUREPLAY Z3 2.0
The charging case for the PurePlay Z3 2.0 is a bit big. And that’s it for criticism – in every other respect, these Lypertek are approaching ‘genius’ status. Build quality is great, battery life is enormous, waterproofing (of the earbuds only) makes them a great all-weather option, and the sound they make is a brilliant combination of ‘precise’ and ‘enthusiastic’.