5.0 out of 5 stars Best Low-Cost Earbuds I've Ever Tried!

2026-02-24    -Joseph Luke

TL;DR. Awesome sound. Easy to use. Professional appearance. Excellent value.I've tried no less than 5 different low-cost earbuds from various vendors before these. Checking my orders on Amazon, I see I've ordered 3 pair here alone before these. All of those were pretty meh. After those disappointments I had given up on low-cost alternative and 3 years ago ordered Apple AirPod Pros (1st gen). While they worked, the worked well, but at what price? And did I say "while they worked". Because of course about 2 years after I ordered them one ear just stopped working - it charges and shows it's charged, but that's it. Won't connect for sound. So no ANC, no stereo, pretty crappy for listening to music. And nothing will get it back. Apple wanted more than the price that I paid for them to fix it (yes, I got them on sale but they were still over $150) .I really didn't want to waste my $$$ on expensive earbuds again only for them to die, and my previous experience with inexpensive earbuds was more than disappointing. When I saw these on Vine, I've bought Addicted to Sound products before so I figured I'd try them out. I'm glad I did.These things are awesome! I was shocked.1) The packaging is Apple quality (with a bit more text)2) The case and earbuds themselves have a nice, high quality look and feel to them.3) Bluetooth connection was super easy: "Zen6" So many low-cost items have some weird name. Not these.and finally:4) They sound AWESOME - right out of the box. Even better, I play music off of PlexAmp which has a very customizable equalizer and these things have an amazing range. Good solid bass, clear highs. I was shocked. I feel that with equalization, these come close to AirPod Pro range.5) The ANC actually works - far better than other low-end earbuds I've tried. I have to be honest, not as good as the Apple AirPods I had (probably 75% as good?), but it's more than enough.6) The battery level of the Zen6 earbuds does show up on your phone (iPhone). And the batteries last!7) The case charges wirelessly (tested) and wired charging worked with every USB C source I tried (classic phone charger, iPad Pro charger, and a 100W laptop charger). I even hooked up a USB ammeter and the case was charging on each of those. So many low-cost items only work with their cable and only certain chargers. Not these. They just work (and work well!).8) They weren't bothered by the wind when I was outside.So what don't you get compared to AirPod Pros (1st Gen) that cost 4-5 times as much:1) you can't control the volume from the earbuds. You have to use your phone. This was the only one that bothered me.2) No Airtag functionality. With $200+ AirPods, that's a must, but for these it's not as much of an issue.3) No spatial sound (the funky Apple function where if you turn your head the sound seems to shift left or right). No loss there.4) As I mentioned, ANC is only ~75% as effective.If you're looking for budget earbuds that work, look no further. At this price ($~39 at time of review) these are highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent value

2026-02-19    -D. Russell

So far, I really like them. These are good medium-priced earbuds that are packed with features.First off, packaging is really nice on these. There's a pull ribbon to slide the main box out. After you open it, the earbud case is in a foam insert and plastic wrapped. Well done.Sound quality seems good to me and the battery life lasts all day at least. No complaints in those departments. The case also has wireless charging for convenience. USBC is also available.These have two features that are new to me but very useful. Each earbud has an optical sensor so it can detect when it's on your ear or not. It will pause the audio when removed and resume when put back. There's also 3-mode noise cancelling. The first mode is the default which is active noise cancelling. I work near a manufacturing area so there's always a dull roar of background noise. This mode will shut it right out. The second mode is for situational awareness. The external mics will listen for sound around you and pass it through to your ears. The third mode is "off" like traditional earbuds.There is one little annoyance. When I take an earbud out and put it back, the noise cancelling mode switches back to the default. I usually leave it in the off mode. To get back to there requires two long presses so takes 8-10 seconds.Overall, they're really good and I can forgive the annoyance given the price and features.

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Low-Cost Earbuds I've Ever Tried!

2026-03-01    -Joseph Luke

TL;DR. Awesome sound. Easy to use. Professional appearance. Excellent value.I've tried no less than 5 different low-cost earbuds from various vendors before these. Checking my orders on Amazon, I see I've ordered 3 pair here alone before these. All of those were pretty meh. After those disappointments I had given up on low-cost alternative and 3 years ago ordered Apple AirPod Pros (1st gen). While they worked, the worked well, but at what price? And did I say "while they worked". Because of course about 2 years after I ordered them one ear just stopped working - it charges and shows it's charged, but that's it. Won't connect for sound. So no ANC, no stereo, pretty crappy for listening to music. And nothing will get it back. Apple wanted more than the price that I paid for them to fix it (yes, I got them on sale but they were still over $150) .I really didn't want to waste my $$$ on expensive earbuds again only for them to die, and my previous experience with inexpensive earbuds was more than disappointing. When I saw these on Vine, I've bought Addicted to Sound products before so I figured I'd try them out. I'm glad I did.These things are awesome! I was shocked.1) The packaging is Apple quality (with a bit more text)2) The case and earbuds themselves have a nice, high quality look and feel to them.3) Bluetooth connection was super easy: "Zen6" So many low-cost items have some weird name. Not these.and finally:4) They sound AWESOME - right out of the box. Even better, I play music off of PlexAmp which has a very customizable equalizer and these things have an amazing range. Good solid bass, clear highs. I was shocked. I feel that with equalization, these come close to AirPod Pro range.5) The ANC actually works - far better than other low-end earbuds I've tried. I have to be honest, not as good as the Apple AirPods I had (probably 75% as good?), but it's more than enough.6) The battery level of the Zen6 earbuds does show up on your phone (iPhone). And the batteries last!7) The case charges wirelessly (tested) and wired charging worked with every USB C source I tried (classic phone charger, iPad Pro charger, and a 100W laptop charger). I even hooked up a USB ammeter and the case was charging on each of those. So many low-cost items only work with their cable and only certain chargers. Not these. They just work (and work well!).8) They weren't bothered by the wind when I was outside.So what don't you get compared to AirPod Pros (1st Gen) that cost 4-5 times as much:1) you can't control the volume from the earbuds. You have to use your phone. This was the only one that bothered me.2) No Airtag functionality. With $200+ AirPods, that's a must, but for these it's not as much of an issue.3) No spatial sound (the funky Apple function where if you turn your head the sound seems to shift left or right). No loss there.4) As I mentioned, ANC is only ~75% as effective.If you're looking for budget earbuds that work, look no further. At this price ($~39 at time of review) these are highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent value

2026-02-11    -D. Russell

So far, I really like them. These are good medium-priced earbuds that are packed with features.First off, packaging is really nice on these. There's a pull ribbon to slide the main box out. After you open it, the earbud case is in a foam insert and plastic wrapped. Well done.Sound quality seems good to me and the battery life lasts all day at least. No complaints in those departments. The case also has wireless charging for convenience. USBC is also available.These have two features that are new to me but very useful. Each earbud has an optical sensor so it can detect when it's on your ear or not. It will pause the audio when removed and resume when put back. There's also 3-mode noise cancelling. The first mode is the default which is active noise cancelling. I work near a manufacturing area so there's always a dull roar of background noise. This mode will shut it right out. The second mode is for situational awareness. The external mics will listen for sound around you and pass it through to your ears. The third mode is "off" like traditional earbuds.There is one little annoyance. When I take an earbud out and put it back, the noise cancelling mode switches back to the default. I usually leave it in the off mode. To get back to there requires two long presses so takes 8-10 seconds.Overall, they're really good and I can forgive the annoyance given the price and features.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for its price – Stellar Sound & Features

2026-02-03    -sreviews

Sound Addicted is a brand I hadn’t heard of before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Honestly, these earbuds have impressed me. They’re comfortable, feature-packed, and sound really good—definitely more than I expected for the price.Sound Quality:The 13mm drivers deliver clear, balanced sound. Bass is punchy but doesn’t bleed into the mids, treble isn’t harsh, and vocals are clear. ANC actually works well—it makes everything sound cleaner and fuller without needing to crank the volume. Transparency mode is decent too, though music loses a bit of depth when it’s on, which is usually the case. The main benefit of transparency mode is being able to hear your surroundings, and these do that well. I usually leave ANC on when listening to music. If you get these and wonder why they don’t sound as rich, make sure ANC is toggled on. There are 3 modes, so make sure you are in the correct one. Transparency mode on & off are fairly obvious but standard mode only lets you know with a beep indication.Features:Six mics, hybrid ANC, optical wear detection, dual-device connection, USB-C and wireless charging—all included. Touch controls work well and even give a tiny tactile “click” in the earbud that makes them feel surprisingly satisfying to use. Removing an earbud pauses playback, which is a nice bonus and isn’t usually found on earbuds in this price range. There’s no app to tweak EQ or controls—but they handle everything really well on their own.Mic:I didn’t test extensively, but voice comes through clear enough indoors with minimal background noise. Some words sounded slightly muffled at times, but nothing deal-breaking for calls.Honest Take:These aren’t perfect—they lack an app (with additional features like control modifications or EQ), the mic isn’t mind-blowing, and there is no volume control on the earbuds themselves. But for the price? They crush it. Sound, comfort, features—they all punch way above their weight.Highlight features for me: Sound quality with ANC on, ANC & Transparency mode, dual input (multipoint connection support), smart wear detection and comfortVerdict:5 stars. If you want earbuds that sound great, feel premium, and don’t break the bank, the ZEN6 is a surprisingly solid pick. I’m curious to see what else Sound Addicted comes out with in the future.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent for its price – Stellar Sound & Features

2026-01-11    -sreviews

Sound Addicted is a brand I hadn’t heard of before, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Honestly, these earbuds have impressed me. They’re comfortable, feature-packed, and sound really good—definitely more than I expected for the price.Sound Quality:The 13mm drivers deliver clear, balanced sound. Bass is punchy but doesn’t bleed into the mids, treble isn’t harsh, and vocals are clear. ANC actually works well—it makes everything sound cleaner and fuller without needing to crank the volume. Transparency mode is decent too, though music loses a bit of depth when it’s on, which is usually the case. The main benefit of transparency mode is being able to hear your surroundings, and these do that well. I usually leave ANC on when listening to music. If you get these and wonder why they don’t sound as rich, make sure ANC is toggled on. There are 3 modes, so make sure you are in the correct one. Transparency mode on & off are fairly obvious but standard mode only lets you know with a beep indication.Features:Six mics, hybrid ANC, optical wear detection, dual-device connection, USB-C and wireless charging—all included. Touch controls work well and even give a tiny tactile “click” in the earbud that makes them feel surprisingly satisfying to use. Removing an earbud pauses playback, which is a nice bonus and isn’t usually found on earbuds in this price range. There’s no app to tweak EQ or controls—but they handle everything really well on their own.Mic:I didn’t test extensively, but voice comes through clear enough indoors with minimal background noise. Some words sounded slightly muffled at times, but nothing deal-breaking for calls.Honest Take:These aren’t perfect—they lack an app (with additional features like control modifications or EQ), the mic isn’t mind-blowing, and there is no volume control on the earbuds themselves. But for the price? They crush it. Sound, comfort, features—they all punch way above their weight.Highlight features for me: Sound quality with ANC on, ANC & Transparency mode, dual input (multipoint connection support), smart wear detection and comfortVerdict:5 stars. If you want earbuds that sound great, feel premium, and don’t break the bank, the ZEN6 is a surprisingly solid pick. I’m curious to see what else Sound Addicted comes out with in the future.