Sony MDR-EX155AP

The Sony MDR-EX155AP is a comfort king with surprisingly good sound for the price, but the missing volume control and weak mic are dealbreakers for some. If you want cheap wired earbuds for music and gaming, these are a no-brainer. If you need to take calls, keep walking.

Here's what surprised us: the comfort is elite. These sit in the 95th percentile for comfort in our database, which is wild for a sub-$20 wired bud. The hybrid silicone tips and 6g weight make them disappear in your ears. Sound quality is a weird story. Our database puts it at the 6th percentile, which is rough, but the user sentiment summary tells a completely different tale. Owners rave about the sound, especially for gaming on PS4 and PS5. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle: for the price, the sound is genuinely good, but it's not going to compete with modern wireless buds with proper tuning. The 10Hz to 18kHz range is narrower than what some reviewers claim, so don't expect deep sub-bass rumble or sparkling air up top.

Stack these against the Apple AirPods Pro 3rd Generation and you're comparing a bicycle to a Tesla. The AirPods Pro have ANC, wireless connectivity, and a mic that actually works for calls. But they cost a fortune. The Soundcore P31i and EarFun Air Pro 4+ are closer in spirit, budget wireless buds with decent sound, but they still cost more and need charging. The Technics EAH-AZ80 is a different beast entirely, premium sound with a premium price. If you want the absolute cheapest way to get good sound in your ears, the Sony wins. If you want modern features, any of the wireless competitors beat it.

For the price, these are a steal if you want wired earbuds that sound good and feel great. The value proposition is simple: you're getting 90th percentile social proof and 95th percentile comfort for pocket change. But if you need a reliable mic for calls or want volume controls on the cable, look elsewhere. The value is in the listening experience, not the features.

The Sony MDR-EX155AP is a budget wired earbud that punches way above its price tag for sound and comfort, but stumbles hard on the details. We're talking 9mm neodymium drivers, a 16Ω impedance, and a frequency response of 10Hz to 18kHz. Nothing flashy on paper, but owners keep saying the same thing: these sound better than earbuds that cost twice as much. The catch? The mic is mediocre, the remote skips volume control entirely, and the build quality has some glue-related skeletons in its closet.

If you need a reliable mic for phone calls or video meetings, these aren't it. The mic quality is weak, and the lack of volume control on the remote is a constant annoyance. Go get a pair of wireless buds with a decent mic instead, like the EarFun Air Pro 4+ or Soundcore P31i. If you want something that'll last for years, the build quality concerns here should push you toward a more durable option.

Buy these if you want a cheap, comfortable pair of wired earbuds for music and gaming, and you don't care about call quality or volume controls. They're a solid choice for the price, with comfort that rivals buds costing five times more. Just don't expect them to last forever, and don't plan on using them for important phone calls.