Here’s a breakdown of best earbuds by purely on performance:

(This list is updated as we review more earbuds hands-on.)

Best Earbuds by Performance

1. Monster Turbine Earbuds – $101.21 on Amazon – See full Monster Turbine earbud review. – (Rating 4.8 out of 5)

2. Jbuds J2 Earbuds - $13.99 on Amazon – See full JBuds J2 earbud review. – (Rating 4.7 out of 5) (PRICE DROP MAKES #1 on our list!)

3. Sony MDR-EX75 Earbuds – $23.95 on Amazon – See full Sony MDR-EX75 earbud review. – (Rating 4.5 out of 5)

4. Jbuds J3M Earbuds – $39.95 on Amazon – See full Jbuds J3M earbud review. (Rating 4.3 out of 5)

5. Sennheiser CX300 Earbuds – $26.99 on Amazon – See full Sennheiser CX300 earbud review. (Rating 3.8 out of 5)

6. Shure E2C Earbuds – $67.99 on Amazon – See full Shure E2C earbud review. (Rating 3.6 out of 5)

7. 2XL SnakeEyes Earbuds – $16.49 on Amazon – See full 2XL SnakeEyes Earbuds review. (Raing 3.5 out of 5)

8. Apple iPod/iPhone Earbuds – $60.89 on Amazon – See full Apple iPod/iPhone earbud review. (Rating 2.5 out of 5)

9. Etymotic Research ER6i Earbuds – $64.99 on Amazon – See full Etymotic Research ER6i earbud review (Rating 2.3 out of 5)

Best Earbuds for Smartphones with Mic

Jbuds J3M Earbuds – $39.95 on Amazon – See full Jbuds J3M earbud review. (Rating 4.3 out of 5)

Although Jbuds J3M didn’t top Jbuds J2 earbuds for sounds, I found that over a week of using it with my smartphone, it’s a great stereo headset with a mic that performs exceptionally well. Even under very windy conditions, I was able to talk on the phone flawlessly then easily switch to my internet radio once I was done talking. These are also very durable I’ve found over experience and best part, the earbud wires don’t tangle at all. This gets my “best earbud for smartphones” award.

Best Earbuds for Active Lifestyle/Sports

Sony NWZ-W252 Earbuds – Available on Amazon – See full Sony NWZ-W252 earbud review (Rating 4.5 out of 5)

Best Earbuds for Recording Studios or Classical Music

Monster Turbine Earbuds - $101.21 on Amazon – See full Monster Turbine earbud review. – (Rating 4.8 out of 5)

Monster Turbine earbuds have the best treble/mid-range sounds I have ever tried.

*Disclaimer – The author’s review are honest, personal reviews based on personal experience.

The author found through experience of reviewing different earbuds, price of earbuds don’t have much affect on how good they are.  Thus, this list of “best earbuds” is born to help consumers from overspending on over-priced earbuds.