UPDATED 16/04/14: Fancy a new pair of earphones? We review the best in-ear headphones available, from cheap-as-chips offerings to high-end models. Whatever the budget, there's something for everyone.
The headphone market has exploded in recent years, driven first by theiPod and then by the rise of smartphones as the portable music player of choice. But it's no good having the best smartphone for music if you don't have a decent pair of earphones.
MORE: Awards 2013: See our 99 award-winning products for 2013!
In-ear headphones (or cans, buds, earphones, earbuds) are compact and portable, with the advantage of decent noise isolation from outside interference (so long as you get the fit right). Some earbuds also offer an in-line mic and remote controls for smartphones, though check compatibity and also note that these controls tend to have an adverse effect on sound quality.
Ready to ditch the freebie 'phones and Apple Earpods? Read on...
MORE: Best tech products 2014
Best in-ear headphones under £50
Soundmagic E10
Tested at £35
Five stars
SoundMagic E10
These multi-Award winners just keep giving, and year after year we're surprised how good they are. Delivering a punchy and agile sound, these budget SoundMagic headphones deliver plenty of detail and weight for a steal of a price.
The E10s look, feel and sound like they’re worth way more than £35 and are a no-brainer to replace the cheap freebie buds with any smartphone. They're an absolute bargain, and now available under £30.
MORE: Soundmagic E10 review
Also consider: RHA MA-350
Best in-ear headphones under £70
Beyerdynamic DTX 101 iE
Tested at £64
Five stars
Beyerdynamic DTX 101 iE
The Beyerdynamic DTX 101 iE earphones are a smart but otherwise fairly unspectacular-looking pair of in-ears (you can choose a red finish if you want something a little more eye-catching).
More importantly, your money buys you a beautifully balanced performance with sparkly, controlled treble and solid bass that adds power when needed.
The three supplied pairs of tips makes it easy to find a comfortable, noise-isolating fit, meaning our only issue is the occasional cable noise, though this can be cured by running the wires over your ears before putting them in your ears. Another solid pair of in-ear headphones at a good price.
MORE: Beyerdynamic DTX 101 iE review
Also consider: Sennheiser MM70s
Best in-ear headphones under £100
Beyerdynamic MMX 101 iE
Tested at £95
Five stars
Beyerdynamic MMX 101 iE
Another multi-Award winner that just refuses to be beaten. It would be easy to dismiss the Beyerdynamic MMX 101 iE in-ear headphones as a mic-enabled version of the less-expensive DTX 101 iEs.
These are, though, superior-sounding earphones that add weight and greater dynamics to the already impressive delivery. There’s a smidge more detail and drive to these earphones, too. It's unusual, because we'd usually expect headphones with mic units to sound a little worse.
While the lack of volume controls on the mic/remote unit might be annoying, the one-button system works with non-Apple smartphones – so more users can also enjoy the brilliant sound.
Also consider: Grado iGi
Best in-ear headphones under £150
Sony XBA-2iP
Tested at £130 Compare Prices
Five stars
The Sony XBA-2iP in-ear headphones come from the company’s Prestige range of headphones, and are also available without the in-line mic and remote (the XBA-2) for around £20 less.
Sound quality is great: agile, exciting and precise, with a spacious delivery that allows for plenty of detail all the way up the frequency range.
We can’t fault these buds – even call quality is good. Well worth a listen.
Also consider: Klipsch Image X7i
Also consider: Etymotic Research hf3
Best in-ear headphones under £200
Shure SE425
Tested at £200
Five stars
The Shure SE425 in-ear headphones are superb. Incredibly detailed and immersive, the level of finesse on offer is astonishing, even at this price: you’ll hear things you never thought were there even on recordings you know inside out.
The looks might not appeal to everyone – Shure has gone for the pro-style in-ear monitor configuration, where the cable passes up your back and splits behind your head before passing over the top of your ears – and they can be a bit annoying to put in, but the results are worth it.
The SE425s have detachable enclosures – which means if the cable breaks, you can replace it for less money than buying a new set of earphones – and there's also the option of custom buds and adding a separate mic and remote unit. However you have them, you'll be happy with the sound quality.
MORE: Shure SE425 review
Also consider: Sony XBA-3iP
Also consider: Klipsch Image X10i
Best in-ear headphones under £300
Sennheiser iE80
Tested at £270 Compare Prices
Five stars
These headphones have a premium price, but they're presented in a manner which suits. Build quality is first rate, with the solid, brushed-metal housings catching the eye, and there's a carry case, too.
The iE80s have excellent separation and clarity, dig out a serious amount of detail, boast punchy drums and natural-sounding vocals. Interestingly, you can adjust the amount of bass by adjusting a small screw on the earphone. We got the best balance with a quarter-turn clockwise – see the review for full details.
If you're looking for a cut above entry-level heaphones and are keen to give your MP3 player or phone the right tools to make the most of your digital music, the iE80s will help. They're really impressive earbuds.
MORE: Sennheiser iE80 review
Also consider: Sony XBA-4iP
Best in-ear headphones under £500
Grado GR10
Tested at £355 Compare Prices
Five stars
Grado GR10
Now we get into luxury in-ear territory, where a smartphone alone won’t be enough to get the most out of the headphones. Get an external DAC and headphone amp to get the best out of these – and get seriously impressive results.
Tested at £355, the Grado GR10 in-ears are now just shy of £400 but get them fitted in your ears correctly – vital to getting a proper tonal balance – and you'll enjoy decent bass weight, incredible transparency and one of the most engaging sounds we've heard from a pair of earphones.
Delivering bags of insight with breathtaking agility, without ever seeming clinical, is a fine balance that very few rivals can match.
MORE: Grado GR10
Best in-ear headphones under £700
Sennheiser IE 800
Tested at £600 Compare Prices
Five stars
The headphone market has exploded in recent years, driven first by theiPod and then by the rise of smartphones as the portable music player of choice. But it's no good having the best smartphone for music if you don't have a decent pair of earphones.
MORE: Awards 2013: See our 99 award-winning products for 2013!
In-ear headphones (or cans, buds, earphones, earbuds) are compact and portable, with the advantage of decent noise isolation from outside interference (so long as you get the fit right). Some earbuds also offer an in-line mic and remote controls for smartphones, though check compatibity and also note that these controls tend to have an adverse effect on sound quality.
Ready to ditch the freebie 'phones and Apple Earpods? Read on...
MORE: Best tech products 2014
Best in-ear headphones under £50
Soundmagic E10
Tested at £35
Five stars
SoundMagic E10
These multi-Award winners just keep giving, and year after year we're surprised how good they are. Delivering a punchy and agile sound, these budget SoundMagic headphones deliver plenty of detail and weight for a steal of a price.
The E10s look, feel and sound like they’re worth way more than £35 and are a no-brainer to replace the cheap freebie buds with any smartphone. They're an absolute bargain, and now available under £30.
MORE: Soundmagic E10 review
Also consider: RHA MA-350
Best in-ear headphones under £70
Beyerdynamic DTX 101 iE
Tested at £64
Five stars
Beyerdynamic DTX 101 iE
The Beyerdynamic DTX 101 iE earphones are a smart but otherwise fairly unspectacular-looking pair of in-ears (you can choose a red finish if you want something a little more eye-catching).
More importantly, your money buys you a beautifully balanced performance with sparkly, controlled treble and solid bass that adds power when needed.
The three supplied pairs of tips makes it easy to find a comfortable, noise-isolating fit, meaning our only issue is the occasional cable noise, though this can be cured by running the wires over your ears before putting them in your ears. Another solid pair of in-ear headphones at a good price.
MORE: Beyerdynamic DTX 101 iE review
Also consider: Sennheiser MM70s
Best in-ear headphones under £100
Beyerdynamic MMX 101 iE
Tested at £95
Five stars
Beyerdynamic MMX 101 iE
Another multi-Award winner that just refuses to be beaten. It would be easy to dismiss the Beyerdynamic MMX 101 iE in-ear headphones as a mic-enabled version of the less-expensive DTX 101 iEs.
These are, though, superior-sounding earphones that add weight and greater dynamics to the already impressive delivery. There’s a smidge more detail and drive to these earphones, too. It's unusual, because we'd usually expect headphones with mic units to sound a little worse.
While the lack of volume controls on the mic/remote unit might be annoying, the one-button system works with non-Apple smartphones – so more users can also enjoy the brilliant sound.
Also consider: Grado iGi
Best in-ear headphones under £150
Sony XBA-2iP
Tested at £130 Compare Prices
Five stars
The Sony XBA-2iP in-ear headphones come from the company’s Prestige range of headphones, and are also available without the in-line mic and remote (the XBA-2) for around £20 less.
Sound quality is great: agile, exciting and precise, with a spacious delivery that allows for plenty of detail all the way up the frequency range.
We can’t fault these buds – even call quality is good. Well worth a listen.
Also consider: Klipsch Image X7i
Also consider: Etymotic Research hf3
Best in-ear headphones under £200
Shure SE425
Tested at £200
Five stars
The Shure SE425 in-ear headphones are superb. Incredibly detailed and immersive, the level of finesse on offer is astonishing, even at this price: you’ll hear things you never thought were there even on recordings you know inside out.
The looks might not appeal to everyone – Shure has gone for the pro-style in-ear monitor configuration, where the cable passes up your back and splits behind your head before passing over the top of your ears – and they can be a bit annoying to put in, but the results are worth it.
The SE425s have detachable enclosures – which means if the cable breaks, you can replace it for less money than buying a new set of earphones – and there's also the option of custom buds and adding a separate mic and remote unit. However you have them, you'll be happy with the sound quality.
MORE: Shure SE425 review
Also consider: Sony XBA-3iP
Also consider: Klipsch Image X10i
Best in-ear headphones under £300
Sennheiser iE80
Tested at £270 Compare Prices
Five stars
These headphones have a premium price, but they're presented in a manner which suits. Build quality is first rate, with the solid, brushed-metal housings catching the eye, and there's a carry case, too.
The iE80s have excellent separation and clarity, dig out a serious amount of detail, boast punchy drums and natural-sounding vocals. Interestingly, you can adjust the amount of bass by adjusting a small screw on the earphone. We got the best balance with a quarter-turn clockwise – see the review for full details.
If you're looking for a cut above entry-level heaphones and are keen to give your MP3 player or phone the right tools to make the most of your digital music, the iE80s will help. They're really impressive earbuds.
MORE: Sennheiser iE80 review
Also consider: Sony XBA-4iP
Best in-ear headphones under £500
Grado GR10
Tested at £355 Compare Prices
Five stars
Grado GR10
Now we get into luxury in-ear territory, where a smartphone alone won’t be enough to get the most out of the headphones. Get an external DAC and headphone amp to get the best out of these – and get seriously impressive results.
Tested at £355, the Grado GR10 in-ears are now just shy of £400 but get them fitted in your ears correctly – vital to getting a proper tonal balance – and you'll enjoy decent bass weight, incredible transparency and one of the most engaging sounds we've heard from a pair of earphones.
Delivering bags of insight with breathtaking agility, without ever seeming clinical, is a fine balance that very few rivals can match.
MORE: Grado GR10
Best in-ear headphones under £700
Sennheiser IE 800
Tested at £600 Compare Prices
Five stars
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