Gone are the days of donning clunky Walkman headphones during your run, looking for the volume control on your CD player, or taking off your earbuds just to be able to talk on the phone. Headphones with inbuilt microphones and volume control are convenient, affordable, and here to stay.
And when it comes to headphones, the ability to customize to your exact specifications is essential for ensuring your satisfaction. Before breaking in a new pair of earphones, however, we want to make sure you know the different types of headphones by size and structure before entering what can be an overwhelming market. Let’s briefly review some of the different kinds of headphones vs earbuds:
Over-ear headphones: These auditory beasts are the bulkiest model, but deliver the best quality of sound of any structural type of headphone. Admittedly, the over-ear headphone normally rates low in portability. If you’re willing to sacrifice portability for a clean booming sound, then this may be the best style to purchase.
On-ear headphones: On-ear headphones rate highly in noise-canceling ability and sound quality. Many brands offer portable versions as well. Be advised — given their tendency to sit and push on your outer ears, they’re not nearly as comfortable as over-ear headphones.
In-ear headphones: While the in-ear headphone (or earbud) is the most durable and portable of the three major headphone structures, it often loses to its two cousins (see above) in ensuring pristine sound quality. However, as already mentioned, the earbuds’ lightweight frame and long-lasting material make these gadgets a must-buy for any audiophile on a budget.
For this search, we operated under the theory that in-ear headphones are the optimal model for a customer who desires a microphone and complimentary volume control with their device. Simply put, the following recommendations are all in-ear headphones designed to be used in the widest range of daily activities of any headphone model.
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Cheap Earbuds with Volume Control and Mic
For those of you who felt put off by the prospect of looking at dozens of headsets just to make a purchase, don’t worry! We’re here to save you time. We’ve scanned the market for your convenience, perused through dozens of earbud brands, and weighed the pros and cons of the myriad of technical specifications that manufacturers like to flood online marketplaces with.
As a side note, we’ve conducted this research with the premise that volume control and an inbuilt mic must be regarded as accessories to an excellent product. In other words, if a manufacturing company advertises their item based on a microphone being a defining feature, we probably didn’t include that item in our list.
We want to make sure the products you consider are rated highly in portability, impedance, durability, drivers, and frequency. Check out our recommendations below and let us know what you think:
Sennheiser MM30i
The Sennheiser MM30i is intelligently crafted, not least because it’s in-line remote masks an inbuilt microphone directed towards your voice. An incredibly durable model with symmetrical wiring, the MM30i also includes a neat voice control feature that allows you to answer or end calls as well as scroll through your music options. Included adapters complement the bass-producing sound quality of these earbuds, and their noise-canceling gear enhances your convenience. Finally, these buds arrive with customizable sleeve sizes (S/M/L) that enable your ear to enjoy prime levels of comfort while listening to your favorite songs.
PROS:
- Extremely durable
- Sennheiser Quality
- Noise-cancelling
- Volume control and mic can be voice-controlled
- Customizable earbud sizes for ear canal comfort
CONS:
- Average bass quality
- Thin wires, not great for users who wear their headphones hard
Brainwavz Delta Silver IEM
These in-ear headphones are a little on the heavy side of the price spectrum for consumers on a budget, but a sturdy metal frame topped by cozy foam earbuds accompanied by a 3-button remote and iOS/Android compatible microphone propel the Brainwavz Delta Silver In-ear Monitor to powerhouse status among competing brands.
Additionally, the sound quality boasted by the product can bring the best out in any genre of music. While there are concerns about the treble sound characteristic, the Brainwavz Delta can hold its own in ensuring a smooth bass vibration.
Like the Sennheiser MM30i, 3 differently-sized sets of silicone ear tips can help you match the earbuds to your ear’s spatial details. Be aware, though, that a version of this product comes without a microphone. So make sure you double-check to make certain that the edition of the Brainwavz Delta Silver you purchase comes with its customary 3-button remote control and inbuilt mic.
PROS:
- Durability
- Deft bass quality
- Simple volume remote control
- Excellent customer service from manufacturer
CONS:
- Earbuds may break off easily
GIKIM Stereo In-Ear Earphones
For this final pick, we decided to choose the best value earphones we could find to make up for the high price of the last product. And in that pursuit, this superb model bested a dozen other brands for quality and efficiency. The GIKIM Stereo In-Ear earphone set boasts 10mm drivers, customizable ear tips, inbuilt microphone, compatibility with iOS and Android, impeccable frequency response of 20 Hz to 20KHz, and funnily enough, a volume control manual that’s included in the item description on Amazon.com. Looks like you won’t need the product manual after all!
The GIKIM Stereo In-Ear earbuds are among the most popular brand of earphones with complimentary volume control and microphone and go for a price that’s hard to beat.
PROS:
- Inexpensive
- Advertised 18-month warranty
- Driver size boosts sound processing
- Easily accessed volume control manual
CONS:
- Cheap earbud material
- No brand website for customer service (other than contacting through Amazon).
- Difficult to replace customizable earbuds
We hope this article was useful for you. We know it can be a frustrating experience trying to find a product with exactly what you are looking for, especially when it’s a combination of two unique features (volume control + mic).
Online shopping has made comparing and purchasing headsets incredibly easy, but when it comes to finding something very specific, even some of the biggest websites don’t have an easy way to filter down to find exactly what you’re looking for.