PORTABLE
HEADPHONES
BIN THE BUNDLED BUDS AND INVEST IN BETTER SOUND
BUYER’S GUIDE
BE ST BUYS
The only products worth considering
SoundMagic E11C £50
Best wired in-ear headphones under £100, Awards 2024
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
The latest version of Soundmagic’s budget in-ears continues to impress with a full-bodied, energetic and informative sound.
In-line controls
Yes
Cable length
1.2m
Beyerdynamic Soul Byrd £69
April 2019
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
You’ll struggle to find a better pair of in-ear headphones costing less than £70 than these Beyerdynamics.
In-line controls
Yes
Cable length
1.2m
Klipsch T5M Wired £70
Best wired in-ear headphones £50-£100, Awards 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Not only do they have some of the most comfortable tips around, but these T5M Wireds also show a maturity that’s rare at this price.
In-line controls
Yes
Cable length
1.3m
Shure Aonic 3 £179
Best wired in-ear headphones over £100, Awards 2024
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Breathtakingly musical and comfy to wear, the Shure Aonic 3s set a new benchmark for in-ear headphones at this level.
In-line controls
Yes
Cable length
1.2m
Austrian Audio Hi-X15 £99
Best wired on-ear headphones under £100, Awards 2024
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
An analytical pair of headphones, but they still manage to make music entertaining – they extract bags of detail but keep the soul of your music intact.
Type
Closed
Connection
3.5mm
Weight
255g
Grado SR80x £130
Best wired on-ear headphones £100-£200, Awards 2022
★ ★ ★ ★ ★