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After testing a few top choices, here are the winners.

Shure SE425 wired earbuds.

Photo:Lifewire / Jason Schneider

Note: Prices are subject to change.

The SE425 balance performance and price with a truly impressive all-around package.

1MOREs focus on multi-driver earphones, in this case five dedicated drivers, comes to life nicely this pair.

Shure SE425-CL wired earbuds with Lifewire Editor’s Choice badge

PHOTO: Lifewire / Jason Schneider

The main is a diamond-like carbon dynamic driver alongside four distinct planar units.

This means they can all work together to produce the soundeach focusing on a different part of the spectrum.

But why multiple drivers?

Shure SE425 wired earbuds.

Lifewire / Jason Schneider

I was continuously impressed with the earphones' power.

But if bass and power are your target, these will do the job nicely.

However, it’s quite sturdy.

1MORE Penta Driver P50 wired in-ear headphones

PHOTO: Amazon

Even the rubbery storage pouch feels sturdy and resilient to the stress Id likely put on it in transit.

While not quite budget-level, the P50 headphones are worth the included features.

Each earphone features a 10-millimeter dual-magnetic dynamic driver that covers most of the low-end bass frequencies of your mix.

1MORE P50 wired earbuds.

Lifewire / Jason Schneider

This dual-driver setup allows for a good balance of oomph and clarity.

I really love how these earphones sound for listening to Top 40 radio as well TV and movies.

The rest of the offering also feels more premium than youd expect for the price point.

KZ ZSN Pro wired earbuds.

PHOTO: Lifewire / Jason Schneider

ZSN includes a solid 100-core silver-plated braided cable that connects via 2-pin connectors.

So, what are the trade-offs for the drop-shipped price point?

Well, the build qualitythough itappearspremiumis certainly not the best Ive seen.

KZ ZSN Pro wired earbuds.

Lifewire / Jason Schneider

But the price is hard to beat!

As a result, Ive heard many earbuds in many circumstances over the years.

I also bring a lifelong musicians perspective, and with this review, thats pretty prevalent.

But my testing approach is really why you should trust me.

When shopping for earbuds, you should first and foremost figure out the use case youre after.

For more advice, see ourearbud buying guide.

Most smartphones have done away with this wired port, forcing you to use an adapter dongle.

However, even many larger devices like tablets and some laptops have stripped away the 3.5mm input.

Its best to check your specific gear before investing.

You may see the terms wired earbud and in-ear monitor used interchangeably.

However, this isnt always the case, so be sure to read the specifications.