Can you still use wired headphones on smartphones?

One of the most important considerations when shopping for wired headphones is whether or not the device you want to use them with has a headphone jack. Most modern iPhones 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. It’s best to check your specific device before investing.

What is an in-ear monitor?

You may see the terms “wired earbud” and “in-ear monitor” used interchangeably. These devices can be the same thing in many ways, but it’s important to remember that most headphones that bill themselves as “in-ear monitors” tend to deliver a balanced, natural sound—not a bass-forward sound. However, this isn’t always the case, so be sure to read the spec sheet.

Do wired earbuds have better sound quality?

The consumer audio industry has gone heavily in favor of Bluetooth earbuds. The convenience of wireless headphones is hard to deny, but Bluetooth technology creates some unwanted artifacts in your sound, ultimately resulting in lower-resolution, less natural sound. On the other hand, wired headphones simply transmit the audio file from your source device without altering it in any meaningful way. You can also use wired headphones with traditional headphone amps for even more sound-quality benefits.

The Best Wired Earbuds of 2024

Many of the top wired earphones (sometimes called in-ear monitors or IEMs) are tailored for professional musicians or producers because they are designed to deliver clear, detailed sound.

The best part? You don’t need to worry about charging them. I got my hands on a few top choices on the market and took them around with me on busy commutes, evening runs, and more.

Our Top Picks

Just Buy This (All Around Best):

Shure SE425-CL Sound Isolating Earphone at Amazon $269

Jump to Review

Also Great:

1MORE Pentra Drive P50 at Amazon $170

Jump to Review

Easiest on the Budget:

Linsoul KZ ZSN PRO X in Ear Monitor at Amazon $24

Jump to Review

Just Buy This (All Around Best)

Shure SE425-CL Sound Isolating Earphone

PHOTO: Lifewire / Jason Schneider

$269 at Amazon $269 at Adorama.com $269 at B&H Photo Video

TL;DR: The Shure SE425s are designed for musicians but provide the right balance for listeners who want detail and richness in their sound.

Why We Recommend These

Many of my headphone reviews feature Apple, Sony, Bose, and Sennheiser on the top of the range—and while Shure does offer its take on consumer wireless earphones, I find that the brand really delivers top-tier performance in their professional-grade audio space. The SE425s are sort of the ultimate in-ear monitors (IEMs) for musicians and listeners alike.

Pros

Impressively detailed sound
Excellent fit with great noise isolation
Plenty of ear tips to choose from
High-quality build

Cons

Clear color may not fit all styles
Ever-so-slightly lacking in mid definition

While many professional-grade IEMs can deliver more detailed sound, they do so at the expense of, well, a much higher expense.

The SE425s balance performance and price with a truly impressive all-around package. In each earphone, you’ll find dual balanced-armature drivers—the speaker modules of choice for IEMs because of their ultra-small form factor and their impressive approach to the treble end of the sound spectrum.

These drivers are also each tuned to a different part of the spectrum—one focused on the lows/mids, the other on higher frequencies—so you’ll find plenty of definition and sparkle as well as power and decent bass.

Like many pro-grade in-ear monitors, the SE425s have a bendable, over-ear wire hook that lets them drape around the outside of your ear. This helps them stay secure while on the go and positions the earphones perfectly for isolation and sound into your ear canal.

I spent several hours listening on a loud commuter train or on a run during a particularly windy day. I listened to podcasts mostly, with a bit of indie folk thrown in (that Noah Kahan album everyone’s listening to is a real earworm). The SE425s produced a pleasant level of detail and power across the spectrum, and the included memory foam ear tips worked perfectly for blotting out outside noise.

Sure, you won’t find the active noise cancellation or app customization you’ll find on wireless earbuds in this category, but for my money the isolation of the SE425s is almost as effective as class-leading ANC. Plus, because the cable of the SE425s detaches, it’ll allow me to upgrade it down the road or replace it if it gets broken.

Who else recommends it? The Shure SE425s are well-liked on musician-focused blogs focusing primarily on professional use. However, consumer-facing publications like What Hi-Fi and RTINGS.com also performed well in specific listening situations.
What do buyers think? The SE425s have earned 4+ star ratings on Amazon and professional gear sites like Sweetwater, B&H, and more.

Also Great

1MORE Pentra Drive P50

PHOTO: Lifewire / Jason Schneider

$170 at Amazon

TL;DR: The 1MORE P50s provide top-tier, premium performance at a decidedly not-so-premium price.

Why We Recommend These

In many of 1MORE’s headphones, the brand name indicates one more driver than the typical earphones. While that isn’t true in every case, 1MORE’s focus on multi-driver earphones comes to life nicely in the P50 Penta Driver IEM.

But why multiple drivers? Is that better? The theory is that single-driver headphones force one small speaker to create all the sound you hear across the spectrum.

Pros

Rich, full sound
Plenty of bass with five-driver support
Excellent quality cable and accessories

Cons

Sound not as refined as competition
Design a little boring

If your headphones feature multiple drivers, they can be tuned and assigned to different parts of the spectrum—some for the treble, some for bass, etc. In the case of the P50s, as the name implies, there are five dedicated drivers. The main is a diamond-like carbon dynamic driver alongside four distinct planar units. This means they can all work together to produce the sound—each focusing on a different part of the spectrum.

So, what does that mean in practice? During my time with the P50s, I was continuously impressed with the earphones' power. The indie rock mixes I came back to again and again for background music sounded full and robust, meaning the P50s are great for rock and pop mixes.

I found the headphones lacking slightly in the treble definition and that folk music wasn’t quite as crisp as flatter-sounding IEMs. But if bass and power are your target, these will do the job nicely.

The oxygen-free copper (OFC) cable that comes packed in feels premium for an included cable. But because you can disconnect it using the circular MMCX connectors, you could replace it with a fancier cable.

The in-line microphone provided an excellent focus for video calls, and my recipients told me that it felt direct and had limited background noise. Even the rubbery storage pouch feels sturdy and resilient to the stress I’d likely put on it in transit.

I did find the design—with its focus on matte black plastic and giant 1MORE logo—a little drab compared to some of the classier earphones around. But the price point, while not quite budget-level, is worth the included features.

Who else recommends it? TechRadar and top audio forums all responded positively to the P50's balanced approach to sound, and YouTubers also rated these earbuds favorably.
What do buyers think? While the P50s are still collecting post-release reviews, more than 100 Amazon customers rated them about four stars on quality and price.

Easiest on the Budget

Linsoul KZ ZSN PRO X in Ear Monitor

PHOTO: Lifewire / Jason Schneider

$24 at Amazon

TL;DR: Don’t let the bargain-basement price point fool you—the KZ ZSN Pro X earphones provide power and clarity that last-minute airport earbuds can’t touch.

Why We Recommend These

When you dive into the sub-$50 price point for wired earbuds, there are thousands of options— from well-known brands and lesser-known Internet companies. Sites like Linsoul Audio unlock a world of headphones from other markets that you might not consider or have access to, and the KZ KSN Pro X—made by parent company CCA—delivers truly next-level performance for a mind-blowingly attainable price.

Pros

Mind-blowingly low price
Solid sound with dual-driver support
Nice design with a premium-looking cable

Cons

Sound is lacking the mid-frequency richness
Build quality leaves something to be desired

One of the big reasons I like the ZSN Pro X so much is because of its dual-driver setup. Each earphone features a 10-millimeter dual-magnetic dynamic driver that covers most of the low-end bass frequencies of your mix. ZSN has also loaded in a Balanced Armature driver—a small, magnetic speaker that’s well-tuned for mid-to-high frequencies and detail.

This dual-driver setup allows for a good balance of oomph and clarity. In practice, I really love how these earphones sound for listening to Top 40 radio as well TV and movies. This makes them great to toss in your bag for traveling so you’ve always got something to plug into your airplane’s entertainment system.

The rest of the offering also feels more premium than you’d expect for the price point. The well-molded enclosures are ergonomically designed to sit well inside your ear and contour to its opening, while the metallic-looking plates on the outside make the earphones look premium.

ZSN includes a solid 100-core silver-plated braided cable that connects via 2-pin connectors. This cable is decent on its own, but it also means that you can upgrade or replace it down the line.

So, what are the trade-offs for the drop-shipped price point? Well, the build quality—though it appears premium—is certainly not the best I’ve seen.

There aren’t as many ear tips in the package as I’d like, so your mileage may vary depending on how well these fit you. Finally, though the sound is impressive for the price, it lacks the mid frequencies needed for richness and soundstage. But man, look at that price!

What do buyers think? More than 2,000 Amazon buyers consider the ZSN Pro X a solid choice—rating it an average of 4.5 stars thanks to sound quality and value.

How We Test Headphones

Wired earbuds present a unique offering to the average listener—providing sound quality, portability, and isolation. Here are three key parameters I kept in mind during my review:

Sound quality—even, balanced, and clear
Form factor—detachable cabling, quality of connectors, etc.
Sound isolation and fit

As one of Lifewire’s principal personal audio writers, I’ve written dozens of reviews and roundups in the headphone and earphone space. As a result, I’ve heard many earbuds in many circumstances over the years.

I also bring a lifelong musician’s perspective, and with this review, that’s pretty prevalent. I find that the in-ear monitors that I use when playing music live on stage also make for great everyday wired earbuds (it’s why my top choice, the Shure SE425, tends to be marketed as a professional audio project).

But my testing approach is really why you should trust me—I try to whip out the earphones throughout my day in specific situations to test sound isolation, audio quality, and fit and finish. That way, I can provide a practical impression, not just a rundown of the spec sheet.

Brands We Consider

1MORE
Apple
AKG
Moondrop
Shure
Status Audio
Tin HiFi

What to Look For

Wired earphones—sometimes called in-ear monitors—are a unique but essential part of the consumer audio equation. When shopping for earbuds, you should first and foremost figure out the use case you’re after.

For example, a simple pair of affordable earbuds will do if you want something to leave in your backpack for use on an airplane or for quick phone calls.

However, if you want to use an external digital audio converter (DAC) or amp and want excellent fit and isolation, you’ll need to step up your price point.

For more advice, see our earbud buying guide.

FAQ

Can you still use wired headphones on smartphones?

One of the most important considerations when shopping for wired headphones is whether or not the device you want to use them with has a headphone jack. Most modern iPhones 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. It’s best to check your specific device before investing.
What is an in-ear monitor?

You may see the terms “wired earbud” and “in-ear monitor” used interchangeably. These devices can be the same thing in many ways, but it’s important to remember that most headphones that bill themselves as “in-ear monitors” tend to deliver a balanced, natural sound—not a bass-forward sound. However, this isn’t always the case, so be sure to read the spec sheet.
Do wired earbuds have better sound quality?

The consumer audio industry has gone heavily in favor of Bluetooth earbuds. The convenience of wireless headphones is hard to deny, but Bluetooth technology creates some unwanted artifacts in your sound, ultimately resulting in lower-resolution, less natural sound. On the other hand, wired headphones simply transmit the audio file from your source device without altering it in any meaningful way. You can also use wired headphones with traditional headphone amps for even more sound-quality benefits.

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