I've been using higher priced Panasonic and Koss earbuds for my satellite radio,shortwave,Vox Amplug etc. for years.Yesterday I paid $10 for a pair of Sony MDR-E11LP earbuds(on sale) and found that they are leagues ahead of the others I've been using in sound reproduction.I could hear every nuance of each song that I listened to,the frequency response was great all across the tonal spectrum.It's the best ten bucks I've ever invested.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I used to buy the expensive ear buds for running but they'd die after a few months. I finally smartened up and bought a cheap $10 pair and they've last 6 months without any problems.

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Tune Low, Play Hard & Floor it!

I guess it depends,
I'm not delicate with my earbuds, I carry them all over the place,

I got a pair of Shure e2c (60-80ish $) and they sucked big time, not to mention the cord was wide, heavy AND fragile. I didn't even bother to have them replaced by the manufacturer after 3 months when the cord died.

On the other hand, I had a pair of d-jays (90ish$), they eventually broke after a year and, since they were on warranty, the company replaced them for me and upgraded them for q-jays (200ish $). Very well balanced sound, they even outplay my 40mm AKG on my bass amp. Having a cord that can be easily replaced is also a major plus since I always had problem with the plug first.

but yeah, some 10$ earphones will outplay many fancier, yet poorly designed, sets. Sony probably buys so many parts that they can come out with a better product for cheaper than smaller competitors.