![]() And because the sound here is unequal to most products in our best budget wireless earbuds roundup, they're a far cry from inclusion in our best wired headphones buying guide. Suffice it to say, the new USB-C EarPods will not be gracing our best cheap headphones guide any time soon. Perhaps this is Apple's bid to finally make listeners forget about wired audio and look to the company's more expensive array of AirPods once and for all. Given their superior termination, it seems such a shame. The shiny white driver housings feel reassuringly familiar and the in-line mic is just fine, although it feels a tad too close to my cheek, but the drivers under the hood sound sluggish and wholly unprepared for their task in this iteration. ![]() I'm afraid here I'd have to disagree, even for $19 / £16 (around AU$30). Or you can use the Apple EarPods with a Lightning connector until the iPhone 14, which came out in 2022. There is an argument for $20 Challenge products that says just for bringing music to your ears, the product is good enough. Regarding your question about the Apple Wired EarPods with Lightning Connector: Yes the iPhone 8 Plus uses a Lightning connector and would be compatible with these headphones. There's also adaptive noise control, water resistance, ergonomic ear-tips. The keys at the outset of Kamaal Williams' Dogtown sound a touch tinny and vague, partly because they aren't given space to be impactful or three-dimensional in a dynamically lean presentation that sees hand claps take too much of our attention. The JBL Reflect promises to deliver 'massive sound' via a lightning connector and its brightly colored reflective cables provides 'maximum visibility' while you're out in the dark. Stormzy's Vossi Bop reveals an uncharacteristically muddied bassline that clutters the soundstage, encroaching on the already borderline-crackly lower mids in a confusing mix that seems to lack focus – and anyone who knows this track knows that this simply isn't the case through more talented listening gear. I've made my point and I don't want to do Apple's wired earbuds down any further, but I am contractually obliged to offer some insight into the sound when writing a $20 challenge feature – so here we go. Why? I wish I knew, but having cross-referenced my listening using good-quality wired headphones and my trusted testing playlist, I know that the fault lies with the new EarPods rather than the USB-C connection itself, the iPhone, or the downloaded tracks I'm playing. So, something that has long been a touchy subject for Apple – the fact that you need wired headphones and a standalone DAC to get at Apple Music's own Hi-Res Lossless output – has been softened here you're getting lossless access for the princely sum of $19 that connects straight into your new iPhone 15. Oh, you don't have one of those? Join the club). I write this with an extra-heavy heavy heart because you see, these EarPods do support lossless audio – which is something no AirPods can currently offer using your iPhone (the AirPods Pro 2 are getting lossless, but only with your Vision Pro headset. ![]() This is the latest in a regular series of articles in which we test really cheap gadgets to see if they're worth even the small price you'll pay for them. ![]()
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