The best vacuum headphones – from budget products to wireless monsters

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Earplugs have become very popular. And if in the first years of their existence they did not give out the highest quality sound, now everything has changed. Now there are many varieties of such devices. In this article, we are going to talk about all the best vacuum headphones. Our rating will consist of both budget models and top-end products, including wireless ones.

Rating of the best vacuum headphones

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
The best inexpensive vacuum headphones (under 1000 rubles)	1	Panasonic RP-HJE125	359 r
	2	Creative EP-630	870 RUB
	3	Philips SHE3590	399 RUB
The best wired vacuum headphones in terms of price-performance ratio	1	Sony XBA-N1	RUB 11,990
	2	Bowers & Wilkins C5 S2	RUB 8,990
	3	Marshall Mode EQ	RUB 3,589
	4	Sennheiser IE 4	RUB 2,950
Best Wireless Vacuum Headphones	1	Sony WI-1000X	RUB 17,990
	2	Bose SoundSport	RUB 13,990
	3	Sony MDR-XB80BS	RUB 8,690

The best inexpensive vacuum headphones (under 1000 rubles)

Panasonic RP-HJE125

Rating: 4.7

One of the simplest earplugs available in several colors. The cost of this product in Russian shopping centers does not exceed 500 rubles. It is clear that for this money there is no point in expecting a gorgeous sound quality. Nevertheless, it cannot be called lousy either – otherwise the device would not have made it into our rating.

The headphones weigh almost nothing. Their wire has the usual rubber sheath, because of which the buyer will have to prepare for regular untangling of knots. The cable length is 1.1 m – this is a typical parameter for budget earplugs. The box contains three pairs of interchangeable ear cushions with different diameters. In short, Panasonic RP-HJE125 is the best choice for those who are concerned about buying vacuum headphones right before boarding a bus, train or plane. They are also used by many students who are not able to spend any tangible money on such a product.

Advantages

• The minimum price tag by modern standards;

• Sound relatively good for the price;

• Three pairs of interchangeable ear pads included;

• Convenient L-shaped plug;

• Weight is hardly felt;

• At least eight color options;

disadvantages

• There are questions about reliability;

• The amount of bass seems excessive to some people;

• The wire cannot be called long;

Creative EP-630

Rating: 4.7

Already slightly more expensive vacuum headphones. Nevertheless, their cost in most Russian stores does not exceed 900 rubles. This price tag guarantees solid build quality. Here, even the wire is thick enough so that it does not twist into a knot too often. It is also impossible not to pay attention to the metal mesh – it is under it that the 9 mm membrane is hidden.

The manufacturer decided to gild the connector used here. The length of the wire has been increased to 1.2 m. But the most pleasing is the fact that it is made of oxygen-free copper. All this allows you to hope for a minimum amount of interference when listening to music. However, you shouldn't count on perfect sounding – no unique technologies were noticed in the design of these headphones. However, this model could not fail to get into our rating.

Advantages

• Low weight;

• The wire was created from oxygen-free copper;

• Applied neodymium magnets;

• A gold plated connector is used;

• Nice appearance;

• There are three pairs of interchangeable ear pads;

disadvantages

• Only one color option;

• Unreliable plug;

• The ear cushions are made of overly dense material;

Philips SHE3590

Rating: 4.7

The rating of budget in-ear headphones could not do without products under the Philips brand. In the assortment of this manufacturer, there have long been models that produce very good sound, despite their low price tag. And the Philips SHE3590 Vacuum Headphones also offer a multitude of color options.

In terms of its construction, this product is incredibly simple. The ear pads are here attached to plastic parts, from which the rubber cable follows directly. If you choose the right size of the ear cushions, then the sound insulation will be perfect. Also, one cannot fail to note the length of the cable, which is 1.2 m. Only the straight shape of the plug strains a little – it is more difficult to get it out of the connector, and it is easier to damage the wire here. However, you immediately forget about this drawback when you see the price tag, which is only 450 rubles.

Advantages

• At least five color options;

• Very decent sound quality;

• Widespread prevalence;

• Three pairs of interchangeable ear pads included;

• Not a bad range of reproducible frequencies;

• Very low cost;

disadvantages

• Straight plug with poor solder wire;

• In the cold, the cable dubs strongly.

The best wired vacuum headphones in terms of price-performance ratio

Sony XBA-N1

Rating: 4.7

Remarkable vacuum headphones combining reinforcing and dynamic types. They can please with both high sensitivity and perfectly felt stereo effect. When listening to music with these headphones, almost every instrument can be distinguished. And the product is also capable of producing a very wide range of reproducible frequencies, starting at 4 Hz and ending at 40,000 Hz. All this allows us to conclude that it is better not to listen to traditional MP3 music in such headphones – instead, you should opt for uncompressed material.

Sony XBA-N1 also made it to our rating due to its design. These are one of the few 'plugs' supplied with a detachable wire. It turns out that in case of damage it can be easily replaced. It should also be noted that in fact it is a headset, since the product includes a microphone and an answer button.

Advantages

• Detachable cable;

• Sound quality is close to ideal;

• There is a microphone;

• Very wide range of reproducible frequencies;

• Valve-dynamic type;

• Gold plated connectors are used;

disadvantages

• The cost reaches an impressive 12 thousand rubles

Bowers & Wilkins C5 S2

Rating: 4.7

Most often, vacuum headphones are simply inserted into the ears. But in some people, the shape of the ears is irregular, which causes the 'earplugs' to fall out regularly. The purchase of Bowers & Wilkins C5 S2 solves this problem. This product has movable loops that are properly adjusted to secure the device in your ears. Roughly speaking, these loops rest against the inside of the ears, preventing the earbuds from falling out.

This model is able to please with a very good sound. One gets the impression that the manufacturer squeezed absolutely everything out of the dynamic type. It is recommended to buy such headphones only in the store. The fact is that some people have problems with their left or right ear over time. In this case, the guarantee helps – all stores exchange goods for a new one without any problems.

Advantages

• Interesting in-ear attachment system;

• Have a microphone;

• Sufficiently wide range of reproducible frequencies;

• Three pairs of interchangeable ear pads included;

• Good sound quality;

disadvantages

• The design cannot be called reliable;

• The cost reaches 9 thousand rubles;

• Inconvenient carrying case;

Marshall Mode EQ

Rating: 4.7

Marshall-branded products usually cost prohibitive money. But vacuum Mode EQ headphones do not suffer from such trouble. This product is sold in Russian stores for about 5 thousand rubles. The device turned out to be in our rating thanks to very good sound and four pairs of interchangeable ear pads included. There is a chance that such headphones will fit snugly in any ears.

On the wire, you can find the usual L-shaped plug, which is also gold-plated. Well, the most important feature of the headphones is the button to switch between the two equalizer modes. Clicking on it adds more bass to the music. Also, the accessory has a microphone, thanks to which you can communicate with the interlocutor.

Advantages

• The presence of a button for switching between equalizer modes;

• There is a microphone;

• Good sound quality;

• The set includes four pairs of interchangeable ear pads;

• A gold plated connector is used;

disadvantages

• Breakdowns happen;

• The design is not sophisticated.

Sennheiser IE 4

Rating: 4.7

These vacuum headphones cost only 3 thousand rubles. Therefore, do not expect great designs from them. If you do not know that, then you might think that you are holding some Chinese 'plugs' that are sold for a penny. Nevertheless, this model would not have made it into our rating if it had not collected a lot of positive reviews on the Internet. People love the sound quality that only music lovers with good hearing can claim. Also, without exception, everyone notes the wire length increased to 1.4 m. And if on the street this does not play a big role, then at home a long cable is an undoubted plus.

Otherwise, these are typical headphones, devoid of a microphone, but having a fairly wide range of reproducible frequencies. They are also very lightweight. The product is sold only in black color.

Advantages

• Long wire;

• Reliable design – some customers have three years of service;

• Moderately wide range of output frequencies;

• Three pairs of interchangeable ear pads;

disadvantages

• No microphone;

• There is a microphone effect;

• There is nothing unusual about the design;

• Budget packaging;

Best Wireless Vacuum Headphones

Sony WI-1000X

Rating: 4.7

In many cases Bluetooth – headphones suffer from not the best sound quality. Only expensive models endowed with support for special digital codecs are freed from this drawback. For example, the Sony WI-1000X headset supports the AptX HD profile. According to the Japanese themselves, the sound according to this standard is transmitted almost in CD quality. Of course, support for such a profile is also necessary on the side of the smartphone, otherwise perfect sound cannot be achieved. Fortunately, Google promises that AptX HD will soon become the standard for all devices based on Android.

These vacuum headphones, estimated at 18 thousand rubles, have a flexible neck arch, which contains the battery and all the electronics. The product also has a microphone, thanks to which an active noise reduction system is implemented. You can use it to talk to your interlocutor. It should be noted also the impressive battery life, reaching ten hours in certain conditions. This is almost the limit for wireless earplugs! This model also got into our rating due to the presence of an NFC chip, which speeds up synchronization with a smartphone.

Advantages

• The set includes a convenient case;

• There is an NFC chip;

• Smart sound setting;

• There is an active noise cancellation system;

• There is a microphone;

• The wires are made of oxygen-free copper;

• Long working time;

• There is support for AptX and AptX HD profiles;

disadvantages

• Very high cost;

• Charges up to 2.5 hours;

• There is no warning about an imminent discharge;

• The headphones are quite bulky;

Bose SoundSport

Rating: 4.7

These vacuum headphones are specially designed for athletes. They got a fairly short but flexible cable. They also include a special loop, thanks to which the device keeps well in the ears. But there could be no question of any sports activities if the product did not receive water resistance. During training and jogging, a person actively sweats, which can disable absolutely any headset – there is no such problem here.

There are three Bose SoundSport color options available in stores. The device has a microphone, so you can talk to a friend or family member while exercising. The headphones also delight with NFC support, thanks to which synchronization takes a matter of seconds. Unfortunately, despite the cost of up to 14 thousand rubles, the product did not receive support for the most advanced digital codecs. In this regard, music lovers can still find fault with the sound quality.

Advantages

• There is an NFC chip;

• A clear proprietary application;

• Bright colors;

• There is water protection;

• Charging takes no more than two hours;

• Flexible and comfortable neck lanyard;

• There is a microphone;

disadvantages

• High price;

• To some, the headphones will seem too big;

• Noise isolation cannot be called ideal;

Sony MDR-XB80BS

Rating: 4.7

Our rating couldn't do without some of Sony's most popular wireless headphones. This model also has water protection. But most of all we liked it due to the very thin neck cord – it is almost not felt on the neck. The product holds very well in the ears – thanks to the soft attachments. Included with the headset, you can find not only the charging cable, but also the case.

The device produces very good sound, and this is despite the lack of support for any serious digital profiles here. Also, the buyer will appreciate the variety of colors – four options are available in total. But the operating time, which does not exceed 7 hours, can be disappointing. Nevertheless, this is the standard for Bluetooth – headphones sold for 9-10 thousand rubles.

Advantages

• Several color options to choose from;

• Charging takes two hours;

• Have a microphone;

• Four pairs of interchangeable ear pads included;

• Comfortable wearing;

• There is protection against water;

• Loud and high quality sound;

disadvantages

• Not the longest running time;

Conclusion

These are the best earplugs out there at the time of writing. We tried to talk about both top-end models and budget ones. Hopefully, the online magazine helped you make your choice!

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.