These are the best wired earbuds for the basics (2024)

Ear tip sizes: Small, Medium | In-line mic: Yes | Cable length: 1.3m

For a good balance of quality materials and decent audio, we'd recommend looking at these House of Marley earbuds. We've had this pair for a few years and they're still going strong, so we can confirm that the fabric cable and the wood around the aluminium housing hold up well after a lot of use.

They don't come with that many ear tips or much in terms of in-line controls, but they've got a built-in mic that works well for calls, and the sound quality is surprisingly well-balanced and clear. They're a solid option when it comes to long-lasting and well-built wired earbuds.

Ear tip sizes: Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large | In-line mic: Yes | Cable length: 1.2m

Need earbuds for your next Call of Duty session and not interested in the wireless options? Many of the buds on this list will work, but Final Audio designed the VR2000 with gamers in mind.

The soundstage is made to be spacious and will enable you to hear in-game sound effects in a more realistic environment so that you can react if you hear slightly quiet footsteps, rustling and movement around you. This makes these buds ideal for first-person shooter (FPS) games where being able to hear those sounds can be crucial.

Beyond that, they sound terrific, have a built-in microphone, and will also work brilliantly if you like to listen to live music and electronic tracks in particular. At this price, though, you won't find anything better getting you immersed in video games.

Ear tip sizes: Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large | In-line mic: Yes | Cable length: 1.2m

For anybody hunting for decent sound, it's worth knowing that Sennheiser is a safe bet. These buds include a wide range of ear tips so you'll get a good fit. They also have a handy in-line mic, and we like their pocketable protective pouch.

They have a straightforward and uncomplicated design, and they're available in white, black or red. The sound is good enough for most listeners, with decent imaging, an accurate and clean presentation and a bit of thump to the bass.

Ear tip sizes: Five different sizes of silicone; three sizes of foam | In-line mic: Yes | Cable length: 1.2m

If you were to ask us to recommend a pair of buds that deliver on sound, call quality, value and comfort, these are the ones we'd tell you to check out. Their audio is competitive with buds three times their price, and they come with a convenient hard carrying case and a range of foam and silicone ear tips that offer far more fit options than you'll need.

We've owned ours for over a year and can guarantee they've got excellent build quality. We also love the convenient in-line remote that houses the microphone, call controls, playback and volume adjustments. Overall, if you're after a sound upgrade over your wireless buds and want something that sounds crystal-clear over your Teams calls, this is the one all-rounder we'd suggest.

Ear tip sizes: Small, Medium, Large | In-line mic: Yes | Cable length: 1.2m

We know what you’re looking for, a simple pair of wired earbuds that connects straight to the USB-C port on your smartphone without you having to fuss around with any dongles or adapters. If you’re not keen on Apple’s EarPods, you can get high-quality at a low price by going with the Moondrop Quarks DSP.

Picking a pair like this is an especially good choice if you’re worried about Bluetooth eating up your battery life, and while you can grab an option like the 7HZ Salnotes Zero with a USB-C connector, these are some of the most affordable and straightforward buds for the job.

You’re getting in-line volume control, and a play/pause button too, as well as a decent microphone that we find reliable for calls. The plastic headphones don’t feel the sturdiest but we still reckon they’re great for the price, especially as they sound lovely for vocal-heavy music. If your taste is more bass-heavy, electronic or you need a wider soundstage, though, you may want to look at other pairs with USB-C, like the aforementioned Salnotes Zero, or the official Google, Apple or Samsung buds.

Ear tip sizes: Small, medium, large | In-line mic: Yes | Cable length: 1.2m

There's not much difference between these and the Panasonics, but they're yet another lightweight, affordable and decent-sounding pair that will deliver all the basics— including a customisable fit and solid call quality.

As with the Panasonic model, the thin cable may not be the most robust, but it'll be more than good enough for keeping in your pocket as a backup pair if you're worried about your wireless buds running out of juice.

Ear tip sizes: Small, Medium, Large | In-line mic: Yes | Cable length: 1.2m

We get it, sometimes you just need a pair of budget buds that are going to survive being crammed in your jeans pocket but will still deliver comfort, call quality and adequate sound. You can't go wrong with this Panasonic pair that goes for under a tenner, fits well and gives you a fine (albeit unexciting) reproduction of your music.

We've happily squished a pair of these into our Nintendo Switch carry case and found they did well for our gaming needs. It's possible to nitpick about the little details, but we've got no major complaints at this super affordable price.

Ear tip sizes: Small, Medium and Large (silicone); Small, Medium, Large (foam), one pair of double flange ear tips too | In-line mic: No | Cable length: 1.2m

We've got a bit more quality here. These deliver more than just the basics, with a focus on several different custom ear tip sizes and a slick kevlar-reinforced cable that Soundmagic says is robust enough for some serious abuse but won't tangle when in use.

We like how these earbuds come with handy accessories like a hard carrying case and a cable clip. They've also got a focus on accurate and well-balanced, rather than overly bassy, audio. The only downside is that they don't have a built-in mic – although Soundmagic makes an E50C that includes a mic and all the same accessories, for £56.99.

• Ear tip sizes: Small, medium and large (silicone); small, medium, large (foam), one pair of double flange ear tips too
• In-line mic: No
• Cable length: 1.2m

Ear tip sizes: Small, Medium, Large | In-line mic: Yes | Cable length: 1.1m

After something small and convenient that delivers a thumpy and energetic bass on a budget? These are the buds you're after. We're not about to promise that these deliver a lot of detail or clarity, but what they will do is enhance and boost the bass in a way that can be a lot of fun depending on the music you prefer.

Another affordable pair, these often go for under £8 if you pick the white or black versions, and they have a built-in mic and a single in-line button for play/pause and call control.

Ear tip sizes: Six pairs of varying depths and sizes | In-line mic: No | Cable length: 1.2m

It's no exaggeration to say that the Zero is one of the most hyped-up in-ear monitors available at the moment, especially given its low cost and audiophile-friendly tuning. In fact, this pair is actually a collaboration between Linsoul and Crinacle, one of the most respected audio reviewers around.

If you're looking for a superb and balanced sound profile at a low price, this is a terrific option. Like a lot of audiophile buds, they fit with the cable bending behind the ear, and the cord is detachable if you want to switch it out for an upgrade or replacement in the future. Those looking for audiophile quality at a low cost won't be disappointed.

And, if you're after a great-sounding competitor that comes with a built-in mic on the cable, you could always either change the cable on these or consider the Moondrop Chu for £22.

Ear tip sizes: n/a | In-line mic: Yes | Cable length: 1.2m

If you don't get along with silicone or foam ear tips (not everyone does), then you'll want to look at the basic Apple EarPods, which are a far better product than you'd expect for earphones that used to come bundled in with new iPhones.

They're well-built and engineered for a reasonably balanced sound while delivering an excellent mic performance that will make them ideal if you want earbuds for calls from your phone. They're not for everyone, though. Personally, we can't really use these without feeling a bit of discomfort after a couple of minutes.

Sadly, it's unlikely you'll find a flagship phone in 2023 with a headphone jack – although a number of mid-range contenders still have the port. It's rare to find a jack on some of the top tablets too, like most of Apple's iPad range. Thus, you're going to have to invest in a dongle or two, or a USB-C hub if you're hooking up loads of accessories to your tablet.

The good news here is that these adapters are often cheap and excellent. Whether you've got a USB-C connector or a Lightning port on your phone, we recommend going with Apple's own-brand adapters. They're consistently rated as some of the best value audio adapters around, besting Google's rival dongles in tests and proving just as capable as bigger and more expensive audiophile gear.