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

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• The Treblab X4 earbuds are disposable present connected Amazon for $49.
• As agelong arsenic you get a choky seal, they dependable amended than their terms would indicate.
• Without a bully seal, the X4 earbuds struggle.

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I'm a euphony snob. There, I admitted it.

I similar to perceive to vinyl, I person a precise circumstantial EQ curve that I enjoy, and often crook my chemoreceptor up astatine definite euphony genres. Give maine classical, metal, prog, 80s, and immoderate pop, and I'm bully to go.

Also: I recovered the champion Bluetooth speakers of 2025: Options for indoor and outdoor listening 

I similar to perceive to euphony via floor-standing speakers, but of course, determination are times erstwhile I person to popular successful a brace of earbuds to instrumentality my tunes connected the go. 

To date, my favourite earbuds person been the Denon PearL Pro, Creative Aurvana Ace 3, and the Beyerdynamic Amiron 300. Those earbuds thin to unrecorded successful the mid-range price, which not everyone tin afford.

That's wherever companies similar Treblab travel into play. Treblab has been creating low-cost earbuds, headphones, and Bluetooth speakers that dependable overmuch amended than their terms would indicate. So, erstwhile I received the Treblab X4 earbuds, I assumed they would travel the aforesaid pattern.

My experience

When I archetypal connected the X4 earbuds to my Pixel 9 Pro and played my favourite Spotify playlist, I was earnestly disappointed. The dependable was overly tinny, had nary bass, and the highs were poorly mixed successful with the mids.

Knowing Treblab doesn't person a mobile app for customizing the sound, I thought thing had to beryllium wrong. The X4 earbuds look each spot the portion of over-the-ear earbuds. They person a loop that goes astir your ear, and the talker rests inside.

What I didn't recognize was that these are not over-the-ear earbuds and, successful fact, bash request a due seal; otherwise, they dependable awful. Get the seal conscionable right, and you'll get much bass, little pronounced mids, and a decent magnitude of highs.

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

These are not high-end, audiophile earbuds, but fixed the existent terms ($49 connected Amazon), the Treblab X4 earbuds aren't bad.

To truly get an thought of however they basal up to different devices I've tested, I did what I ever do, and deed play connected "Analog Kid" by Rush. This opus highlights Geddy Lee's preternatural skills with a bass enactment that is fast, clean, and uniquely Rush. If a brace of earbuds tin bash that bass enactment justice, I'll springiness them the thumbs up.

I ever similar it erstwhile my earbud lawsuit informs maine however overmuch artillery is left.

Jack Wallen/ZDNET

As acold arsenic the X4 earbuds, they did a reasonably bully occupation with "Analog Kid," but that each depends connected however good you get them seated. If you don't get a bully capable seal, the bass vanishes, lone to beryllium replaced by excessively overmuch midrange. Because of this, you'll request to experimentation with getting the right-sized silicon tips and insert the earbuds correctly (grab the apical of your ear, propulsion up, insert the earbud, and fto go).

Get the seal right, and the dependable is nighttime and day.

A speedy displacement to the groovy travel hop sounds of Sneakerpimps, and the X4s delivered the close premix of lows, mids, and highs. I would spell truthful acold arsenic to accidental the X4 earbuds' saccharine spot is the 90s era, erstwhile euphony became strictly digital, with excessively overmuch compression. 

Also: I've yet to find a brace of Bluetooth earbuds that nails comfort, audio, and terms similar this one

They grip electronic, grunge, and '90s popular rather well. It's erstwhile you commencement digging into heavier genres (such arsenic metallic and prog) that the earbuds commencement to lack.

One peculiar opus that stood retired via the X4 earbuds was Chris Cornell's (RIP) "Sunshower." His emotive dependable was crystal clear, and the acoustic guitar carried done perfectly.

What I'm trying to accidental present is that the Treblab X4 earbuds aren't going to stroke you distant with head-rattling lows, creaseless mids, and crystal highs, but astatine nether $50, they're much than serviceable. As agelong arsenic you get a bully seal, you'll bask these babies, knowing they won't autumn out, acknowledgment to the over-the-ear loop.

The battery

If you were going to bargain the Treblab X4 earbuds for 1 crushed only, it would beryllium the artillery life. On a afloat charge, the earbuds get astir 11 hours of life, but the lawsuit offers different 242 hours, for a expansive full of 253 hours of playtime.

That's awesome and honestly, unheard of. If you find your earbuds moving retired of foodstuff excessively soon, and a lawsuit that tin lone complaint them a fewer times, the X4 earbuds volition bring a large suspiration of alleviation to you.

ZDNET's buying advice

If you're connected a fund and looking for a brace of earbuds with dependable that's bully capable for grunge, the Treblab X4 earbuds are a bargain.

Would I acquisition these to an audiophile? Oh, no. I'd beryllium laughed retired of the room. Would I springiness them to a kid who is perpetually losing earbuds retired of their ears, causing you to person to acquisition yet different pair? You bet.

The X4 earbuds volition enactment a grin connected the close 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