Amazon Vs Walmart: Which Sells The Better Budget Earbuds? (According To Users)

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Audio gear, like any other segment of the retail electronics market, has a wide range of price points. The marketplace is flooded with products, yet modern consumers are living in the best era of gadgets, as technology advances, with more useful features unveiled upon each iteration. Take modern noise-canceling technology, for example, which now makes crying babies on a plane a concern of the past. There are a ton of wireless earbud options on the market today, with nifty features and great fidelity. But when it comes to wired headphones, they're still pretty similar to what was on the market 30 years ago, save for smartphone connectivity, and it looks like they're making a comeback. 

Trends aside, for those on a shoestring budget, unfazed by dangling cords — or for those who need backup wired earphones to survive a flight — sub-$20 options are appealing. But where might consumers turn to for the cheapest, yet most reliable earbuds? Walmart and Amazon have entered the chat and have something to say about this. Between the two brands, customers generally prefer Amazon's uber-affordable wired earbuds over Walmart's Onn brand. While neither is going to blow you away with audiophile sound quality, even though wired headphones technically sound better than their Bluetooth counterparts, you can listen to music, podcasts, and take calls without issues. The bigger question is, how do they hold up overall? Let's dive into Amazon Basics wired earbuds with microphone first, and then explore Walmart's alternative.

When comparing the two retailers, both brands offer standard frequency ranges of 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz. Yet, Amazon Basic's wired earbuds with microphone, which have a list price of $10.39, are said to actually sound decent for a cheap headphone. The Amazon option comes in two versions — 3.5mm and USB-C — for the same price, whereas Walmart's USB-C version costs more. As an Amazon's Choice product with over 13,000 reviews, they are said to perform well in terms of microphone operation and comfort, if you luck out on a solid pair.

Meanwhile, Walmart's Onn brand has a few customers sharing horror stories on Reddit, like one side of the earbuds dying after only a few months. Frayed wires will always be an issue with this style of earbuds; it just comes with the territory. Those who want to avoid this altogether will have to save up more greenbacks to break out of this entry-level, wired headphone tier to achieve Bluetooth convenience. But for only $5.27, Walmart's Onn wired earphones are available in three colors and have over 2,000 decent reviews. This 3.5mm jack set comes with a 9.8-inch wire length, 3 silicone ear tips, and a built-in microphone. As with Amazon's earbuds, it could be luck of the draw in terms of quality and durability, with some customers citing Onn's flimsy, thin wires as a sore point. But, like anything in life, you get what you pay for.

To understand the value proposition in this budget-friendly, entry-level tier of wired earbuds, we examined smartphone connectivity capability, sound quality — both objective, with published frequency ranges, and subjective via reviews — as well as long-term durability (particularly with wiring fraying), and overall online consensus based on reviews. The Amazon Basics brand appeared to receive more positive feedback than Walmart's Onn brand, though the differences between the two earbuds on paper are relatively minor. Clearly, no one buys earbuds like this for precise music reproduction; instead, they are meant to help users get by when funds are limited, or for disposable vacation headphones you could forget on a plane without shedding tears. Neither model comes with a warranty, which speaks volumes (no pun intended). Given the sub-$10 price range, having either of these cheap earbuds lasting over a year would be impressive, as they are almost disposable in essence. Therefore, users should set their expectations accordingly.