We asked you earlier in the week to tell us which earbuds you thought were the best in class, whether it was for audio quality alone, price-to-performance, comfortable fit, or all of the above. You offered up tons of nominations—way more than we could feature—but we do have room for the top five that stood out among the rest. Here they are:
The poll is closed and the votes are counted! To see which of these earbuds came out on top, head over to our hive-five followup post to see and discuss the winner!
Shure SE215 Sound Isolating Earphones ($100)
Shure's sound isolating (not to be confused with noise cancelling) SE215 earphones offer a great balance of comfort and sound quality for a great price. They technically retail for closer to $199, but they're broadly available for less than $100. Often reviewed as offering sound comparable with earbuds much more expensive, the SE215s aren't even Shure's most expensive or audiophile-angled models, but those of you who nominated them praised their bang for the buck and great job as isolating outside noise while you listen to music or take a phone call. They're comfortable, designed to rest low in the ear, with the cable going over or under your ears, whichever you choose. The SE215s also come with multiple sound isolating sleeves so you can fit them to your ears.
Klipsch Image S4 In-Ear Headphones ($80)
Klipsch's Image S4 earbuds retail for around $80, but they can be found for as low as $42 at Amazon unless you're shopping for the more recent S4 II model, which is closer to $80. For your money, you get a lightweight pair of earbuds that offer remarkable sound in a small, portable, and comfortable package. The flexible and interchangeable tips let you pick the best fit without sacrificing sound isolation, and the drivers in the S4s have been praised for full, deep bass and remarkable clarity in all ranges, considering their size. The S4 IIs update the design of the original, and while they do away with the angled design, they add flat cables for fewer tangles, fatter tips for a more snug fit, and bigger drivers in the earphones for better sound.
Etymotic Research HF3 Earphones ($179)
Etymotic Research knows a thing or two about audio equipment, and they proudly boast that their HF3 earphones are the most accurate noise isolating set under $200. That's a bold statement, but those of you that nominated them praised their comfortable fit, exceptional noise isolation, and crisp, clear, and gorgeous sound quality. Many of you called our Etymotics specifically on its commitment to a comfortable fit: the HF3s come with multiple sets of tips designed to fit ears of any shape or size, and if those don't feel right, the company will work with you to mold and fit a custom pair of tips for your earbuds so they're just right, just for your ears. No more figuring out which tips are "okay, I guess," they can have them molded to your ear canals. Combine all of this with Etymotic's smartphone controls on the headset cable and its Awareness app for iOS and Android, and you can boost the noise isolation to levels normally seen in over-ear headphones. They're pricey (available for $170 at Amazon), but they're impressive.
Bose IE2 Headphones ($100)
The Bose IE2 (and its mobile counterpart, the $129 MIE2 that include audio controls and a headset) both offer Bose's StayHear eartips, designed to keep the earbuds in place in your ears even during activity, with an eartip attachment that nestles inside the bowl of your ear while you listen. Those eartips also come in three sizes so you can find the one that fits you the best, or swap them out depending on what you're doing. The IE2s aren't specifically noise isolating, but those of you who nominated them praised Bose for its sound quality and the design of the earbuds, saying they've lasted a long time under heavy use. For its part, Bose also touts the "natural" and "smooth" audio from the IE2s, noting the earbuds have an added audio port specifically to boost sound quality. They're $100, available at Amazon.
When
it comes to ram gamers look for stability, reliability, speed, and the
best overall value for their money. This top ten list is based upon
customer feedback, ratings, and most importantly your feedback in the
voting section.
Corsair's
Vengeance ram is the most popular among gamers today. It's fast,
reliable, and inexpensive when compared to other brands. Most are
gravitating towards 4x4 GB sticks for a total of 16GB. While you
certainly could upgrade to 32GB, 16GB is more than you need right now,
and by the time you really need more than that you'll probably want to
build a new rig anyway.
Kingston
is another trusted name for memory in the gaming industry and is the
world's overall PC leader in memory sales. This model utilizes the
HyperX module with faster latency timing for higher performance and
speed.
The
Ripjaws Series from G.Skill is available in a wide variety of packages,
speeds, and timings and is preferred on many PC Building enthusiast
sites (like Tom's Hardware). It's a super durable and high-performance
customer award winner that comes with a lifetime manufacturer's
warranty. I've used it on several different builds and never had an
issue.
Corsair
Dominator is an extreme performance and overclocking stabile memory
that uses Dual-path Heat Xchange cooling technology and comes with
removable heat sinks. A Lifetime Warranty is Included.
Corsair's
XMS3 is another really good option for your rig. It's available in all
capacities but I suggest you purchase all the ram you need at the same
time to take advantage of the multiple channel architecture in order to
take advantage of the better data throughput.
