These are the longest-lasting earbuds I've tested – and they're only $30

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I’m a music snob. There, I admitted it.

I prefer to listen to vinyl, I have a very specific EQ curve that I enjoy, and often turn my nose up at certain music genres. Give me classical, metal, prog, 80s, and some pop, and I’m good to go.

Also: I found the best Bluetooth speakers of 2025: Options for indoor and outdoor listening 

I prefer to listen to music via floor-standing speakers, but of course, there are times when I have to pop in a pair of earbuds to take my tunes on the go. 

To date, my favorite earbuds have been the Denon PearL Pro, Creative Aurvana Ace 3, and the Beyerdynamic Amiron 300. Those earbuds tend to live in the mid-range price, which not everyone can afford.

That’s where companies like Treblab come into play. Treblab has been creating low-cost earbuds, headphones, and Bluetooth speakers that sound much better than their price would indicate. So, when I received the Treblab X4 earbuds, I assumed they would follow the same pattern.

My experience

When I first connected the X4 earbuds to my Pixel 9 Pro and played my favorite Spotify playlist, I was seriously disappointed. The sound was overly tinny, had no bass, and the highs were poorly mixed in with the mids.

Knowing Treblab doesn’t have a mobile app for customizing the sound, I thought something had to be wrong. The X4 earbuds look every bit the part of over-the-ear earbuds. They have a loop that goes around your ear, and the speaker rests inside.

What I didn’t realize was that these are not over-the-ear earbuds and, in fact, do need a proper seal; otherwise, they sound awful. Get the seal just right, and you’ll get more bass, less pronounced mids, and a decent amount of highs.

Also: I’m an audiophile, and these $150 wireless earbuds for gaming had me fooled

These are not high-end, audiophile earbuds, but given the current price ($49 on Amazon), the Treblab X4 earbuds aren’t bad.

To really get an idea of how they stand up to other devices I’ve tested, I did what I always do, and hit play on “Analog Kid” by Rush. This song highlights Geddy Lee’s preternatural skills with a bass line that is fast, clean, and uniquely Rush. If a pair of earbuds can do that bass line justice, I’ll give them the thumbs up.

As far as the X4 earbuds, they did a fairly good job with “Analog Kid,” but that all depends on how well you get them seated. If you don’t get a good enough seal, the bass vanishes, only to be replaced by too much midrange. Because of this, you’ll need to experiment with getting the right-sized silicon tips and insert the earbuds correctly (grab the top of your ear, pull up, insert the earbud, and let go).

Get the seal right, and the sound is night and day.

A quick shift to the groovy trip hop sounds of Sneakerpimps, and the X4s delivered the right mix of lows, mids, and highs. I would go so far as to say the X4 earbuds’ sweet spot is the 90s era, when music became strictly digital, with too much compression. 

Also: I’ve yet to find a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that nails comfort, audio, and price like this one

They handle electronic, grunge, and ’90s pop quite well. It’s when you start digging into heavier genres (such as metal and prog) that the earbuds start to lack.

One particular song that stood out via the X4 earbuds was Chris Cornell’s (RIP) “Sunshower.” His emotive voice was crystal clear, and the acoustic guitar carried through perfectly.

What I’m trying to say here is that the Treblab X4 earbuds aren’t going to blow you away with head-rattling lows, smooth mids, and crystal highs, but at under $50, they’re more than serviceable. As long as you get a good seal, you’ll enjoy these babies, knowing they won’t fall out, thanks to the over-the-ear loop.

The battery

If you were going to buy the Treblab X4 earbuds for one reason only, it would be the battery life. On a full charge, the earbuds get about 11 hours of life, but the case offers another 242 hours, for a grand total of 253 hours of playtime.

That’s impressive and honestly, unheard of. If you find your earbuds running out of juice too soon, and a case that can only charge them a few times, the X4 earbuds will bring a big sigh of relief to you.

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you’re on a budget and looking for a pair of earbuds with sound that’s good enough for grunge, the Treblab X4 earbuds are a bargain.

Would I gift these to an audiophile? Oh, no. I’d be laughed out of the room. Would I give them to a kid who is constantly losing earbuds out of their ears, causing you to have to purchase yet another pair? You bet.

The X4 earbuds will put a smile on the right person’s face. 

Treblab X4 earbuds tech specs

• Bluetooth Version – 5.0
• Weight – 8.3g (0.29 oz)
• Dimensions (Earbud) – 48 x 41 x 27.5 mm
• Dimensions (Charging Case) – 98.5 x 61.8 x 40.2 mm
• Battery Playtime (Single Charge)    Up to 11 hours, Total Playtime (With Case)    Up to 253 hours, Charging Case Capacity    2500 mAh, Charging Time (Earbuds)    1.5 hours, Charging Time (Case)    2.5 hours
• Driver Size – 10mm
• Frequency Response – 20Hz – 20kHz
• Sensitivity – 105 dB
• Microphone Type – Dual unidirectional with ENC