Best Earphones Under Rs.500 (August 2019)

After analyzing all the budget earphones available in the market based on important factors like sound quality, comfort level, build quality, availability of microphone etc, we have made a comprehensive list of the best earphones under Rs.500.

All the earphones on our list sound incredibly good for the price and most of them come with decent build quality as well.

Here are the best earphones under Rs.500 which that are worth buying and offer the best audio experience.

Best Earphones Under Rs.500

JBL C50 HI is the company’s latest budget oriented in-ear style earphones released in the Indian market for a budget under Rs.500.

JBL promises the signature custom tuned drivers will let you enjoy immersive music , no matter the genre you’re interested in.

Design and Build Quality

Speaking of the design, the JBL C50HI comes with the standard shape and size that all in-ear headphones in this price range comes with.

The construction of the earpiece shell is made of plastic, which makes this earphone one of the lightest in its segment.

Unfortunately, the 1.2m cable is not tangle free and feels fragile. At the end, there is an angled 3.5mm headphone jack, which again lacks gold coating for obvious pricing reasons.

Speakers and Sound Quality

JBL is critically acclaimed for its signature bass rich sound profile. The JBL C50HI features a 8.6mm custom tuned driver from JBL for improved acoustic performance.

The bass levels as expected are on par with its competitors. The mid and highs are clean and audible even at higher volume levels.

If you crank the volume way too higher, some distortions do occur but, under normal listening conditions, it doesn’t count.

In-ear microphone and Calls

The JBL C50HI comes a single button in-line remote with a microphone for answering calls on the go.

The single button can be pressed once to accept/reject the calls, twice to skip the track forwards and thrice to skip the track backwards.

The microphone comes with noise cancellation and the output quality of sound during calls is quite good for the price.

Verdict

If you’re a fan of JBL brand and is in need of a budget in-ear wired earphones, the JBL C50HI perfectly suits your need for just under Rs.500.

SoundMagic is a Chinese electronics manufacturer who specializes in high-quality audio products.

SoundMagic ES11S offers excellent performance compared to its competitors and you will not get such great clarity in sound even from the ones which cost twice its price.

Design and Build Quality

The silicone ear tips provide very good comfort and help to seal the ears from outside noise very well.

It has an L-shaped 3.5 mm jack which is gold plated.

The cable is 1.25m, the rubber padding at each end adds up to the build quality.

The overall build quality is really good as well, it can easily survive some accidental drops and improper handling.

Speakers and Sound Quality

The sound-stage of SoundMagic E11S is definitely better than many other similarly priced earphones out there.

Though it doesn’t have the thumping bass you get on some top picks, when it comes to the clarity of sound the ES11S is miles ahead.

The bass and treble levels are perfectly balanced to provide you with tonally rich sound output.

In-line remote and Microphone

The SoundMagic ES11S comes with a single button remote featuring a capable microphone for crystal clear calling on the go.

The single button present on the in-line remote is very tactile and responsive to the clicks. It can be used to accept/reject calls and to play or pause the media.

Verdict

Definitely, these headphones from SoundMagic are one of the best sounding budget earphones you can buy under Rs. 500.

The balanced sound output and the ergonomic design makes the SoundMagic ES11S one of our preferred earphones in this price category.

Realme buds are Realme’s answer to the Xiaomi’s Mi basic in-ear style earphones.
Priced just under Rs.500, the Realme Buds offer excellent value for money proposition with this well built earphone.

Design and Build Quality

The fit and finish of this budget earphone is excellent with great attention given to even the minutest of the details.

The braided cable offers durability to these earphones and keeps it from tangling to an extent.

The metallic earpiece housing is magnetic and sticks to each other without any issue.

The 3.5mm headphone jack is straight and comes without a gold coating.

Speakers and Sound Quality

The Realme buds features a single 10mm driver covering a decent 20-20000Hz frequency spectrum to output the best possible sound in your ears.

Although the bass levels might not be up to the liking of bass fanatics, the overall sound signature is pretty decent for its price.

In-line remote and Microphone

The Realme Buds earphones comes with an inline remote features three different buttons and a microphone.

The voice call clarity from the microphone is good without any distortion. The three button aides in volume control and accepting/rejecting voice calls.

The buttons are a bit hard at the beginning but with a few keypresses returns to normalcy.
Verdict

The Realme buds offers a reasonably good quality sound output at a really aggressive price point.

The magnetic earpiece and the braided cable add to the value of the wired earphone.

boAt is an Indian consumer electronics marketing company specialized in products such as earphones, headphones and Bluetooth speakers.

The boAt bassheads 152 is one of the latest earphones in the company’s basshead series catering people looking for best sounding budget in-ear style earphones.

Design and Build Quality

The boAt bassheads 225 has a unique design which makes it stand out from the rest of the competition.

The angled earpiece is made of metal and feels very durable and strong. It fits inside the ear canal comfortably without slipping off the ears.

The braided cable section is tough and can withstand few minor abuses without posing damage to the earphone.

Speakers and Sound Quality

The boAt bassheads 152 comes with a 10mm sound driver with minimal impedance for the best possible sound output.

As the name suggests, this driver has been tuned for maximum bass output and it delivers on that front.

The deep bass is very clean and blends really well with the mid and high pitches tones in the music.

In-line remote and Microphone

This in-ear style budget earphone features an inline remote and a mic for seamless voice calling experience.

The voice call quality from this microphone is one of the best in this class.

Verdict

If you are on a shoestring budget and requires a wired earphone with rich bass sound output, the boAt bassheads 152 is one of the best choices in the market.

Boult Audio is a marketing company just like the boAt which recently started to offer budget priced audio related products in the Indian market.

The Boult Audio bassbuds is one of the cheapest in-ear style earphones with a decent sound output quality.

Design and Build Quality

The Boult Audio Bassbuds comes with a unique two tone colour scheme that looks refreshing and attractive.

Even though the construction is of plastic, the overall earphone feels durable in hand.

The 1.2m cable is sufficiently thick but not a braided one nor is tangle resistant.

The straight 3.5mm headphone jack is gold plated for minimal signal loss, thereby improving the sound output through the speakers.
The earpiece also comes with an additional ear hook to keep the speakers inside the ear even during fast workout sessions or jogging.

Speakers and Sound Quality

The Boult Audio bassbuds features 10mm aluminum drivers with minimal impedance for delivering high quality sound output.

Covering the entire audible frequency spectrum, this earphone offers rich and deep bass sound output without overpowering the mid and high end tones.

Overall the quality of the sound output from the speakers is very pleasing to the ears.

In-line remote and Microphone

The three button in-line remote on this wired earphone lets to take or end voice calls and skip tracks with ease.

The voice call quality is decent with the integrated microphone, even when used amidst noisy background.

Verdict

The Boult Audio bassbuds offer excellent sound output under a reasonable price range.

This in-ear earphone is suited for use during your workout sessions to enjoy music on the go.

Sound One is an Indian company popular for its affordably priced earphones and headphones that became popular among the masses with its fine build quality and attractive designs.

The Sound One 616 is a budget in-ear earphone priced under Rs.500 that promises to deliver a full spectrum sound out for enjoyable music listening experience.

Sleek Design, Comfortable Fit

The Sound One 616 comes with a dual tone colour design that looks attractive to the eyes at the first glance itself.

The vertical in-ear earpieces are cleverly designed at an angle to sit flush in the ear canal, providing a sort of passive noise cancellation.

The 1.2m wire is sufficiently thick but the rubber support at the ends of connections are absent. This makes it highly fragile even with a slight pull.

The in-line remote button feels a bit excess plasticky but works well with the controls.

Sound Output and Voice Call Quality

If we’re to say a high point about the sound output from this earphone from Sound One 616, it will be about the bass.

The bass reproduction is light but very much enjoyable. It won’t make your eardrums vibrate, but certainly, enough for an average joey to get satisfied with.

The mids and highs are distinct and listening to vocal rich songs is a breeze.

The light bass in the background compensates with the wide frequency range that distinctly delivers notes from either end of the spectrum.

Voice call clarity is one area where this earphone trumps others in this list comfortably.

The voice on either side was crisp and crystal clear, to begin with. There were no distortions in between the calls as well.

The angled earpiece design cancels background noises effectively. Also, the ear cups are comfortable enough to be used for longer duration without any irritation.

Valued Added Bonuses

The Sound One 616 comes with a lot of goodies along with the main product, ie the earphones.

There is a soft pouch included in the box for safe keeping the product inside when not in use.

It is a nice gesture for companies to do this as most of us throw our earphones in the bag carelessly and easily damaging them while doing so.

The company also gives a carry case that can be used for long-term storage of this product while on a trip or a backpack.

Final Verdict

The Sound One 616 is a very good choice for those who want a good quality earphone for voice calls.

This earphone also delivers a decent sound quality that is actually pretty good for the price.

The attractive colour options and sleek design makes this earphone look like a product worth a lot more than just Rs.500.

Sound One is an Indian company popular for its affordably priced earphones and headphones that became popular among the masses with its fine build quality and attractive designs.

The Sound One 616 is a budget in-ear earphone priced under Rs.500 that promises to deliver a full spectrum sound out for enjoyable music listening experience.

Sleek Design, Comfortable Fit

The Sound One 616 comes with a dual tone colour design that looks attractive to the eyes at the first glance itself.

The vertical in-ear earpieces are cleverly designed at an angle to sit flush in the ear canal, providing a sort of passive noise cancellation.

The 1.2m wire is sufficiently thick but the rubber support at the ends of connections are absent. This makes it highly fragile even with a slight pull.

The in-line remote button feels a bit excess plasticky but works well with the controls.

Sound Output and Voice Call Quality

If we’re to say a high point about the sound output from this earphone from Sound One 616, it will be about the bass.

The bass reproduction is light but very much enjoyable. It won’t make your eardrums vibrate, but certainly, enough for an average joey to get satisfied with.

The mids and highs are distinct and listening to vocal rich songs is a breeze.

The light bass in the background compensates with the wide frequency range that distinctly delivers notes from either end of the spectrum.

Voice call clarity is one area where this earphone trumps others in this list comfortably.

The voice on either side was crisp and crystal clear, to begin with. There were no distortions in between the calls as well.

The angled earpiece design cancels background noises effectively. Also, the ear cups are comfortable enough to be used for longer duration without any irritation.

Valued Added Bonuses

The Sound One 616 comes with a lot of goodies along with the main product, ie the earphones.

There is a soft pouch included in the box for safe keeping the product inside when not in use.

It is a nice gesture for companies to do this as most of us throw our earphones in the bag carelessly and easily damaging them while doing so.

The company also gives a carry case that can be used for long-term storage of this product while on a trip or a backpack.

Final Verdict

The Sound One 616 is a very good choice for those who want a good quality earphone for voice calls.

This earphone also delivers a decent sound quality that is actually pretty good for the price.

The attractive colour options and sleek design makes this earphone look like a product worth a lot more than just Rs.500.

Envent is an Indian company known for its affordable audio related accessories such as earphones, headphones and Bluetooth speakers.

The Envent Beatz 307 is an affordable wired in-ear style earphone priced under Rs.500 which offers excellent value for money proposition in its segment.

Design and Build Quality

The Envent Beatz 307 features a black and tinted red colour scheme which imparts the earphone a refreshing and unique feel to look at.

The earpiece is made from metallic aluminium alloy and feels decent enough for the price.

The silicone eartips are skin friendly and very comfortable to wear. It doesn’t cause any sort of skin irritation if worn for a longer period of time.

The flat style tangle-free cable is made from pure copper for better electrical signal conductivity.

Speakers and Sound Quality

The Envent Beatz 307 features a 10mm speaker driver inside covering the basic frequency response range of 20-20000 Hz.

The level of bass is adequate and beautifully compliments the vocals and high pitched tones.

This in-ear styled wired earphone has minimal distortion in the sound output even when the volume level is cranked to the maximum.

Inline Remote and Microphone Quality

The Envent Beatz 307 does feature an inline microphone and remote for hands-free voice calling and media controls.

The microphone is very sensitive and picks up voices very well. The inline remote button supports multiple presses for various functions such as play/pause and skipping tracks.

Verdict

The Beatz 307 from Envent is an ultra cheap wired in-ear style earphone which offers excellent features at a very affordable price.

With the decent build quality and elegant design, this is one of the best-wired earphone available in the sub. Rs.500 price point.

Portronics has been in the market for a while with its popular Bluetooth speakers as other electronic peripherals.

The Conch 204 from Portronics is an entry-level in-ear styled earphone with a mic that’s priced just under Rs.500.

Design and Build Quality

Design wise, this earphone beats the other competitors on this list by a great margin.

The minimalistic yet sleek finish instils a sense of premium quality at the first look.

The flat style cable feels strong and sturdy and is tangle resistant.

Speakers and Sound Quality

Equipped with two speaker drivers of 8 mm each, the Portronics Conch 204 delivers clear mids and decent bass.

The bass output is not overpowering as some of the bass fanatics may wish, but the earphone produces an overall pleasant sound output.

This in-ear earphone comes with an inline remote for attending calls.

Miscellaneous

The remote has a volume rocker as well so that there is no need to reach up to the phone to adjust the volume levels.

With an impedance rate of 16 ohms, this earphone produces neat sound covering the entire frequency spectrum ranging from 20 – 20,000 Hz.

This earphone comes with a 6 months domestic as well as an international warranty that gets you covered even while you are in continuous transit around the world.

Verdict

The Portronics Conch 204 is more like a fashion statement than a normal earphone.

This earphone does deliver decent sound quality for the price. If you don’t mind the lack of thumping bass in your music sessions, the Portronics Conch 2014 is definitely a product worth considering.

Artis is a Mumbai based IT peripherals marketing company which deals with a whole array of budget-friendly products ranging from Bluetooth speakers to power banks.

The Artis E400M is a popular in-ear style earphone priced under Rs.500 which offers excellent audio and commendable build quality.

Design and Build Quality

Made of high-quality ABS plastic, the outer casing of this earphone has a glossy finish that adds to the overall aesthetic appeal.

The two-tone black and red colour combination blends well with the design and makes it look like a premium product when worn in your ears.

The ergonomic tube design along with the soft silicone ear tips makes wearing this device, a comfortable and rewarding experience.

Speaking of the cable, the Artis E400M features a comparatively long 1.5m braided double layered cable that can withstand abuses like a champ.

Speakers and Sound Quality

The Artis E400M, although a relatively unknown brand stacks up right against the established players in the market.

This in-ear wired earphone has large 15mm speaker drivers which deliver exceptional sound clarity and dynamic stereo output consistently across various genres of music.

With the frequency response range covering the spectrum anywhere between 20-20,000Hz, every bit of detail in your favourite music is captured and reproduced gracefully.

For you bass lovers, the large drivers and the snug fit inside the ears provides a treat, when it comes to listening to EDMs and hip-hop music.

The mids and highs are clear and clean, allowing you to enjoy vocals and light music in its entirety.

In-line Microphone and Voice Calls

The Artis E400M comes equipped with a decent quality in-line remote and a microphone which allows you to take voice calls on the go without much hassle.

The microphone captures sound pretty well even when you’re speaking in the middle of a crowd. The quality of voice on the receiver’s end is all good and clean, and downright OK for the price.

Since the length of the cable is longer, the remote tends to tangle too much and cause slight discomfort while attending calls on a ride.

Verdict

If you’re in search of a good quality in-ear earphone with the top of the line sound and build quality for a budget under Rs.500, we’d like to suggest you try out the Artis E400M.

Equipped with large 15mm drivers which delivers excellent sound quality, no matter what genre of music you’re into, this is definitely one of the best in the business.

That sums up our list of the best earphones under Rs.500.

We have put together some incredible value for money earphones here.

We hope that we have helped you pick the right product. If you can extend your budget, do check out our best picks under Rs.2,000 and Rs.1,000 here.

Please subscribe to our newsletter for more such informative content. Cheers!