- amazon 3 attractive on-ear earphones range under 70 USD reviews
- where can you get a 3 attractive on-ear earphones range under 70 USD online
- AKG K420 Denim
With nearly 60 years of age, AKG (Austria) is teaming up with Grado, Beyerdynamic and Audio Technica in the world’s leading headset brands. Therefore, even in the super soft price segment (less than 100 USD), it is not difficult to understand when the fans give great hope to AKGs like the K420.
And of course under the price of less than 70 USD, the Austrian headset did not disappoint. The K420’s special features are revealed in the first minutes: compact design can be folded down to save space. Despite being a cheap headset, the K420 has a solid design in which the wires are not as sturdy as the high-priced models, but they also offer a more secure feel than the Sennheiser HD228 and Koss Porta Pro.
The K420 version we evaluated this time is Denim purple background. This version of K420 is a very “industrial” feeling, quite modern but not as sharp as Beats design. Combined with metal bands on the bracelet, the K420 Denim can be regarded as one of the few headset models to break the fashion trend and unique on the cheap segment.
Unlike competing products with the cheap on-ear segment, the K420 has a semi-open ear design instead of a fully closed one. This design has created a relatively cool sound compared to the other on-ear we evaluated this time. The sound of the K420 is quite clean and neat. In general, this is a pleasant and balanced music experience (not too much emphasis on a range of sounds) very rarely seen in the cheap segment.
At a price of $ 50, we will not require too much detail on a headset, whether it’s open or closed, in-ear or large. In this respect, the K420 responds in moderation: you can still hear the acoustic guitar “lurking” under the voice of Axl Rose in November Rain, you can still hear the guitar strings.
The K420’s midrange and treble range are pretty well reproduced, especially in the mid-range and very smooth treble strips. Combined with the spacious and airy sound, the K420 delivers a completely different sound with the freshness of the SoundMagic P21, the warmth of Porta Pro or the thick, heavy sound walls of the Koss KSC35.
The bass on the K420 is not bad but will “pick” the listener and their favorite music. On the soft tracks (Vocal, Pop rhythm, Country, or instrumental music), the K420 will not produce the bass that goes into other sounds. So, this is the best headset for the “relax” music. In contrast, in the synth pop tracks of Pet Shop Boys and Modern Talking, or in Eurodance’s Aqua melodies, the K420’s bass seems a bit lacking in both volume and power. The lack of bass plus a wide field sound can make the track feel lagged, slower than normal.
But, thanks to its open design, the K420 is able to separate the notes pretty well, and therefore is quite well suited to Classical Metal / Rock music like Prog Rock or Symphonic Black Metal.
In fact, the only weakness of the K420 on all genres of music is just the drum beat and the bass notes are not really sharp, solid and powerful. Overall, the K420 is still a good headset. This has been proven on Post-Rock music, a genre that mixes everything from Hardcore, EDM, Classical to Jazz and Metal. Depending on the stage in the album, the K420 can reproduce smooth string orchestras, warm accord accordions, keyboard tempo accompaniment bounces and distorted guitars. The problem of speed and lack of bass is still there, but can not overshadow the vast space created by this cheap AKG headset.
If you use the K420 in the office environment or when walking on the road, you will suffer a great deal of noise from the outside, at the same time letting out the music from the headphones to the people around you. In return, the sleek, lightweight design of the K420 makes this product a good choice for you to carry around – as long as you do not turn on volume so high that it affects everyone.
- SoundMagic P21
Sound later in life than the K420 SoundMagic P21 can not catch up on design quality. Both K420 and P21 have a space-saving folding design, but the joints and plastic material of the P21 still do not feel as secure as the competition from Austria. In return, this on-ear headset was also chosen by SoundMagic at a very pleasant price.
Unlike the K420, the P21 uses a closed-end ear mold design that is very popular on the cheap segment. The relatively large exposure area of the imitation leather case on the P21 plus the small weight of the headset makes the experience of comfortable use even in the long run. The P21’s flat wires are definitely more durable than the Sennheiser HD228, but the hard plastic material of the earbuds and the bracelet proved to be very … well suited to the very low level of Sound Magic.
In order to compensate for the poor quality of the design, SoundMagic continues to demonstrate its traditional strength in sound quality on the P21. Like the K420, the P21 is a very capable headset with a wide range of music. In the music of Lana Del Rey, SoundMagic’s cheap headset creates a fairly spacious music scene (compared to other closed headphones). The singer’s warm vocal, though not really dense, but also less dazzling, harsh, “sing through the nose” as the soft ear in-ear. The “tails” and details of the instrument are satisfying in volume but not perfect in quality, with barrels and cymbal drums not yet smooth, refined like the K420.
Compared to the AKG rival, the SoundMagic P21 has a much narrower pitch. The bass on P21 excels in volume and quality, but does not entangle the midrange. Treb sound is not smooth but crowded in quantity. Combining these three traits, the P21 delivers a booming and richly populistic pop / dance pop experience. The strength we value on the P21 is the ability to balance between bass and treb, avoiding the “too slow” status (due to lack of treb) or dazzling fatigue (due to lack of bass).
When compared directly to the AKG K420, Get Down (Backstreet Boys) or It’s A Sin (Pet Shop Boys) on the P21 is more vibrant. On slow rhythmic vocals or symphonic pieces, P21 can not compete with the K420. In short, P21 is best suited to electronic, dance and pop music with vibrant rhythms.
SoundMAGIC P21 Foldable On-Ear Headphones – Black: Buy it now
- Koss Porta Pro
Porta Pro’s 30-year lifespan is a testimony to the power of this on-ear headset. As the most popular product of Koss, Porta Pro brings in all the elements that need a “headset”: outstanding design, attractive sound quality and very soft price.
Almost all elements of Porta Pro have become the “symbol” of the high-end earphone industry. But, when talking about a headset, you will definitely care about the sound quality first. This headset has a very warm sound with rich bass. But, Porta Pro’s bass does not focus on strength nor does it form a counterbalance to the treble on the P21, which is well balanced across the lower strings.
This renders the Porta Pro a very warm sound on all tracks, from slow pop to ruthless metal music. Koss’s “headset” brings to mind Going Home (Kenny G.) or Viva Forever (Spice Girls) music and passion. This is also a headphone for Metalhead “crazy” bass. In A Diamond for a Disease (Arsis), Porta Pro engulfs you with pulsating drums and guitar riffs.
When compared directly to the Sennheiser HD228, the Porta Pro still feels a bit warmer, even though the HD228 features Sennheiser’s “overlay cover”. Compared to SoundMagic P21, Porta Pro is not as vibrant but more harmonious. With all the other on-ear opponents, the AKG K420 is still the most “gentle”, “relaxed” headphone.
Porta Pro outperformed the K420 with Rock and Metal. On the rather “violent” genre, Porta Pro reminds a lot of low-priced Grado headsets like the Grado SR60i and iGrado. Electric guitars are always very sweet and have good adhesion, which makes riffs of the necessary thickness and avoids the “sour” phenomenon commonly found on cheap headsets (including the SoundMagic P21 or Sony STH30).
But when compared with the Koss KSC35 brother and the iGrado neckband headset, Porta Pro looks less powerful. Occasionally, Porta Pro’s bass strings will make the score “warm” over necessary. Combined with neither large nor deep sound, Porta Pro’s low strings can overshadow strings, pianos or keyboards.
There is little point to blame for KSC35’s midrange, because the vocal of the singer, especially the gentle male voice, is very gentle. The “tails” sound is not too small but not much and not prominent – in accordance with the style of KSC35 and Grado SR60i. Only in bass limited tracks (for example, guitar or piano only) and on airy headphones like O2 / ODAC, you can feel the clearest possible. The very detailed and smooth treb of Porta Pro.
Porta Pro’s superiority over the iGrado, SR60i and KSC35 is Koss’s signature bracelet design. With this very special metal ring design, you can “roll” your headset back into a very small size (with a fist). When expanded, the Porta Pro creates a rotation that has enough gravity on the head to hold the force of sound, but does not leave the user with an earache for long periods of time.
Like the AKG K420 and the SoundMagic P21, the Porta Pro is lightweight and also comes with a carry bag for carry-on. The Porta Pro’s sound insulation is only about the same as the K420 and much less than the P21, so you should not choose too many noise environments to test this classic headset. If you overcome this obstacle, you have no reason not to choose Porta Pro and enjoy the warm sound and breakthrough design that has made Koss’s name for 30 years.
Koss Porta Pro Limited Edition Rhythm Beige Headphones with Microphone, Volume Control, and Remote: Buy it now
