I have always had a soft spot for wired earbuds. I find myself longing for the simplicity of plugging in my headphones for my commute — and avoiding that awful feeling of having forgotten to charge your buds, as well as the superior sound quality that comes with a good pair of wired earbuds.
This is where the SoundMagic E80D ($45) comes in. For a fraction of the cost of a similar quality pair of wireless earbuds, the E80D really impressed me with the rich audio balance thanks to the built-in DAC — a rarity on wired headphones. The simple but sturdy design is pleasing to the eye, and a USB-C connection means you don’t need to worry about adapters for most modern phones.
