4XSAMEARBK

Comfort is the standout feature at the 95th percentile, but sound quality sits at just the 32nd percentile and the mic is even worse at the 15th. These are cheap backup earbuds for old Samsung devices, and they perform like it. At $14 they're fine, but the $414 price point is absurd.

Let's be real about the numbers here. Sound quality sits in the 32nd percentile, which is below average. The frequency range is nothing special, and distortion creeps in when you push the volume. The mic is even worse at the 15th percentile, so calls sound muffled on both ends. Connectivity is wired, which is fine for compatibility but lands at the 14th percentile because there's no Bluetooth, no USB-C, nothing modern. The one bright spot is comfort. At the 95th percentile, these things actually fit well and isolate noise decently. But a comfy earbud with bad sound is like a great chair in a room with no view.

Stacked against the competition, the 4XEM earbuds fall behind almost everywhere. The Soundcore P31i offers wireless connectivity and much better sound for a similar price. The JBL Live Free 2 has ANC and a far superior mic. Even the Sony WI-C100, which is also a budget wired option, delivers better audio quality and build. The only area where the 4XEM wins is comfort, and that's not enough to make up for the rest. If you have an old Samsung device and need something that just works, these are fine. But if you care about sound quality or call quality, any of the competitors are a better choice.

Here's where things get strange. The price range across vendors is $14 to $414, which is a $400 spread for a pair of basic wired earbuds. At $14, these are a reasonable backup option. At $414, you're getting absolutely robbed. For context, you could buy multiple pairs of the Soundcore P31i or TOZO Crystal Pods for that price and get better sound, better mics, and wireless connectivity. If you're going to buy these, shop around and don't pay more than $20. Anything above that is a bad deal.

The 4XEM 4XSAMEARBK earbuds are a weird mix. Comfort is genuinely top-tier, landing in the 95th percentile, which is wild for a budget wired set. But the overall score sits at 23.7 out of 100, and that tells you most of the story. These are cheap backup earbuds for old Samsung devices, and they feel like it. The sound score is 23.1, which means music sounds thin and flat compared to almost anything else in our database. If you just need something to throw in a bag for a Galaxy S3 or an old tablet, they'll do the job. Just don't expect much else.

Skip these if you care about sound quality, call quality, or build durability. The sound score of 23.1 out of 100 is one of the weakest in our database, and the mic at the 15th percentile makes calls frustrating. If you have a modern phone without a headphone jack, these won't work without an adapter. And if you're tempted by the $414 price tag, just don't. That's a terrible deal for what you're getting.

The 4XEM 4XSAMEARBK earbuds are a niche product for a specific use case: you have an old Samsung device and need a cheap, comfortable backup pair. At $14, they're acceptable. At anything more, they're not worth it. The comfort is genuinely impressive, but the sound, mic, and build quality are all below average. If you just need something to keep in a drawer for emergencies, go for it. If you want to actually enjoy your music or take calls, look elsewhere.