Pop Culture

The Best In-Ear Headphones Under $100

Beat the heatwave and your eardrums this summer with these lightweight sound blasters.

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You don't have to go outside to realize it's been a scorch fest as of late. And according to meteorologists, the 90-degree temperatures and high humidity levels aren’t letting up anytime soon. The top-heavy distress and closed-in design of over-ear headphones are too unbearable to move around with during any heat wave, especially when you have sweat dripping from the dome and damaging the fabric on your sound cans. Needless to say now is the time to invest in a good pair of in-ear headphones. Having tested the best on the block, we've assembled a collection of lightweight (and inexpensive) sound blasters that’ll surely feed your audio addiction and help you piggybank a few bucks for next month’s Con Ed bill. Tune your hearing to the 15 Best In-Ear Headphones Under $100.

RELATED: The Best Over Ear Headphones Under $200

Velodyne vPulse

Price: $100

No other in-ear in the $100 range has impressed us (or the industry) more than the vPulse this year. Outstanding sound quality hidden behind a distinct design, these miniature receivers are optimized to handle all music genres and handle deep bass frequencies better than most other alternatives. You’ll also find eight additional pairs of ear tips in the packaging for good measure.

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Plantronics BackBeat Go 2

Price: $100 (w/ Charging Case)

Plantronics signature wireless in-ears pack high-quality audio into a lightweight, water-resistant design. Besides pushing rich bass and crisp highs, the BackBeat Go 2 features a new sweat-proof coating with P2i moisture protection technology that shields it from perspiration. But if you ask us, the biggest selling point here is the bundled charging case, which stores two additional charges on the go.

Beats By Dre Urbeats

Price: $100

The UrBeats stay true to BBD’s trademark bass-boming sound and attractive design pedigree. A solid metal housing and tangle-free cabling allow you to toss these in the backpack or your back pocket without breaking them. Can’t forget the built-in mic contrived to switch between songs and incoming calls without the need of accessing your smartphone.

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Razer Hammerhead Pro

Price: $70

Looking for an audio solution capable of enhancing your mobile gaming experience? Razer’s new earbuds are worth looking into. The Hammerhead Pro's sport 9mm drivers engineered to stimulate your eardrums with crystal clear mids and highs. Its machined lightweight aluminum body, plus eye-catching black and neon-black finish also give it some fashionable flair.

Bose IE2

Price: $100

You can never go wrong with a pair of Bose headphones, and lucky for you, the audio specialists have developed a cost-efficient model perfectly tuned for your listening pleasures. The manufacturer’s StayHear tips make the IE2 an ideal companion at the gym. Not to mention they dish out stellar phonics and punchy bass.

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Urbanears Bagis

Price: $35.90

Hipster-certified, the Bagis carries over the satisfying sound stage of its full-sized over-ear Plattan model with 10 vibrant color variations available.

Polk Audio UltraFocus 6000

Price: $99

Pulling off a good pair of in-ear noise cancellers is no easy feat. Polk surprisingly does so, introducing a set of audio receivers suited to deliver quality noise cancellation and impacting bass that rest comfortable in your ears.

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NuForce NE-700M

Price: $75

NuForce initiated minor adjustments to its latest model, blessing its newest option with a more affluent build and an improved sound stage highlighted by stronger treble and warmer midrange output.

Nocs NS400

Price: $100

The Swedish audio imprint is making some serious noise on the domestic front with its aluminum-housed, Kevlar-cable-wrapped earbuds. Behind the NS400’s charming design are 8.0mm dynamic drivers that generate bass-booming sound and emit great passive noise isolation. To call these a steal would be an understatement.

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Harman Kardon NI

Price: $100

Quaterbacked by a dynamic 9mm driver system, HK’s noise-insolating earbuds promote rich clarity and a smooth sound stage that compliments its sophisticated fashion. The NI's support acoustic engineering and passive noise reduction to enjoy crisp audio at low volume levels: distortion-free.

Sol Republic Amps HD

Price: $100

A noticeable upgrade from the original Amps, the HD version of Sol Republic’s popular earbuds supports the same effective bass response, along with its signature inline mic and remote control for mobile use.

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Sennheiser MM 70s

Price: $100

The MM 70s screams to bass fanatics seeking deep resonant response and powerful audio in a secure ear-fit design. If that’s not already worth the Benjamin, then its array of bundled accessories including a cable winder, smartphone adapter, six ear tips, shirt clip, and black carry pouch should suffice its value.

SMS Audio Street by 50

Price: $100

Still need some persuasion to cop a pair of in-ears this summer? In the immortal words of 50 Cent: "It's hot out this bitch, that's a good enough reason." And the Street in-ears surprisingly bring the audio heat with its 11mm drivers producing punchy bass and solid highs/mids performance. As a bonus, SMS bundles an airplane two-pronged converter for frequent flyers to sonically zone out above the clouds.

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Klipsch Image S4

Price: $80

Even though it’s been on the market for the past three years, we can’t resist Klipsch’s mini in-ear model. The Image S4’s do an amazing job of eliminating ambient noise and dish out powerful audio simultaneously. They feel cozy when stuffed inside your ear canal and are durable enough to outlast the company’s two-year replacement warranty.

Moshi Mythro

Price: $30

Quality comfort + good sound + integrated microphone + one-button remote = the best headphones $30 can buy.

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