One rule of dirt cheap audio is to start with the least expensive option first. The cheapest earbuds that I could find were at my local Dollar Tree. They were only $1.00 and there was no pretense or mumbo jumbo about their capabilities.
Function. Since all earbuds are made in China, I really wondered if they might all be the same.
At this low price point, I was surprised that they worked. I shouldn't have been. The basics of earbuds have been around since long before Apple made them trendy. The packaging claimed a frequency response of 20hz to 20khz and the music seemed to be reproduced accurately, but the music was not particularly loud.
Fit and Comfort. These earbuds were made to fit into the ear canal. They fit fine and were fairly comfortable.
Style. The earbuds at Dollar Tree come in a variety of styles. However, that is almost a drawback. As a man, I'd be happier with either plain white or basic black. What looked like blue in the store is more of a lavender color at home.
Comparison. When I compared the Dollar Tree earbuds to more expensive Skullcandy JIB earbuds (normally $10-$15), I was pleasantly surprised to find that the more expensive earbuds had more presence at the same sound volume. The music was louder. The more expensive earbuds also had more comfortable padding, extra pad sets, and higher quality construction where the wires enter the earbud body. Even though all earbuds may be made in China, they aren't all constructed equally.
Overall, I was satisfied with the performance of my Dollar Tree earbuds. They are worth a dollar. I should note that at this low price point, Dollar Tree doesn't sell any earbuds with microphones.
If you are constantly forgetting, losing, or damaging earbuds, getting cheap ones from Dollar Tree isn't a bad strategy. You can have a pair for work, for the gym, for your home office, etc. Earbuds from Dollar Tree make for lots of inexpensive backup pairs. However, if you opt to pay a little more, you may get better sound quality. The fun lies in finding the sweet spot that balances sound quality and expense.
Yes, they work well. When they actually work. O bought earbuds from the dollar store once, for $1, and literally after only and hour of using them,they stopped working. I'm not buying them again.
ReplyDeleteThey actually do have a pair with a mic and button. There are more pairs than your store has. Some aren't listed online,but the mic ones are.
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