Best Earbuds Under $15

KZ ZS3

The KZ ZS3 earbuds feature a 8mm dynamic driver set in high quality plastic with a nice soft touch finish. They are well designed and look great. They have a 2 pin removable cable which is a feature usually reserved for MUCH higher priced earbuds. The other end of the cable has a right angle, gold plated 3.5mm (standard) headphone jack. These earbuds are very comfortable even for extended use and isolate external noises well to very well. They produce sound with good clarity that is well balanced throughout the highs, mids, and bass. The bass, in particular, is tight and punchy. They sound as good if not better than much more expensive earbuds and are well suited for a wide variety of music.

Philips SHE3590

The Philips SHE3590 earbuds come in a variety of fun colors as well as the standard black and white. They are comfortable and light weight and can be worn for long periods of time. They offer decent noise isolation that can be improved by using the double-flanged tips, which are included. The drivers are very sensitive and the earbuds can become very loud if you really crank up the volume. They produce crystal clear treble and rich, powerful bass especially in the sub-bass range.

Koss 'The Plug'

The Koss 'The Plug' is a slightly unusual earbud. They are designed to sit inside the ear canal unlike most earbuds that sit on the entrance of the ear canal. They also feature foam cushions, similar to foam earplugs, that fill the ear canal. This design offers excellent noise isolation but is unconvential and the foam cushions don't fit everyone perfectly. Reversing the cushions or replacing them can help this though. 'The Plug' has good bass response but can be slightly muddy on the high end. This improves with use or a proper burn-in period.

Philips SHE3595BK/28

The Philips SHE3595BK/28 earbuds are very small so they are hardly noticeable when you wear them and they pack up into a small space which is great for traveling with them. Their small size also makes them very comfortable. They seal just over the entrance to the ear canal and not in it which some people find to be more comfortable. Bass and treble frequencies are emphasized over the mids, which is common in less expensive earphones, but they do sound good. Bass response does become stronger with use and burn-in which is good if you like to listen to music with strong bass.

Venture Electronics VE Monk Lite

The 'Lite' designation of the Venture Electronics VE Monk Lite earbuds means 'small' not 'cheap' or 'low quality.' They really are small and can even be worn laying down or while sleeping. They are comfortable to wear like that and are comfortable to wear standing up all day. One downside to their small size is that they don't isolate external noise particularly well. They produce a slightly bright sound and emphasize mid frequencies which is a bit unusual as most lower cost earbuds tend to emphasize treble and bass frequenices. By emphasizing the mids, these earbuds work very well when listening to voices and wind instruments which is great if you like listening to classical, fold, and rock music or like to listen to a good audio book or podcast while laying in bed.