For me, the best hip-hop earphones have a generous bass response with clear higher frequencies that bring out a lot of detail in the vocals and percussion. Today, we’ll be looking at my favorite hip-hop earphones in every price range. For those of you looking for over-ear headphones, my colleague has written about the best ones for hip-hop here. So, without further adieudiddy, let’s check out the Best Earphones for Hip-Hop Music.
Best Earphones for Hip-Hop Music
Under $50
Advanced Wearable Audio AWA 101 Dual Driver
These buds offer forward leaning lows that get really subby when they need to. Juicy and meaty, the AWA 101 conveys a ton richness in the lows and low-mids. At the same time, the higher frequencies are clean and effectively articulate the diction of the artist. I used them to listen to Macklemore’s Excavate. The bass comes in with a ton of weight and warmth which increases with the sweeping choir. It’s a truly expansive feel that makes every track with heavy instrumentation sound huge.
Audio 46: Advanced Wearable Audio AWA 101 Dual Driver In-Ear Headphones (Use our promo code, “majorhifi” to get a 10% discount)
Under $100
Sennheiser HD1
Speaking of warm and meaty, give these famous HD1 in-ear headphones a try. The sound isolation is excellent and you’ll be hard pressed to find better quality buds for this genre under 100 bucks. You’ll also get a mic and remote to boot. Playing a bit of Drake’s In My Feelings, the deep bass reverberates all the way through my bones. Indeed, the sound signature is on the darker side, but there’s no hint of muddiness. And there’s a freqload of detail in the higher frequencies, making Drake’s breathtaking vocals crystal clear.
You can find these earphones for the best price at:
Audio 46: Sennheiser HD1 In-Ear Headphones (Use our promo code, “majorhifi” to get a 10% discount)
Amazon: Sennheiser HD1 In-Ear Headphones (iOS version) – Black Chrome
Under $300
Final Audio E5000
At under 300 bucks, Final Audio offers you tons of punch and clarity with a detachable MMCX cable. So if you want to upgrade your sound to a balanced connection, for example, you can easily swap out the wire. What I love about the E5000 is that although the bass is powerful, it’s not too heavy. And it offers crystal clear mids and sparkling highs. So, if you need a significant low end, but don’t like to be overwhelmed by bass, the E5000 is for you. I played Notorious B.I.G.’s Hypnotize to see what these buds could do. The bass enters with a ton of grip. The snare and claps will hit you like a cement brick, while the higher frequency percussion conveys a freqload of snap. The soundstage is really spacious and multidimensional as well, accurately placing instruments from all angles. Indeed, these earphones not only have bass presence, but they bring out the funk in every track.
You can find these earphones for the best price at:
Audio 46: Final Audio E5000 In-Ear Headphones (Use our promo code, “majorhifi” to get a 10% discount)
Under $700
Noble Audio Dulce Bass
These buds are for conservative bass-heads who like a super fast sound in a shiny package. The 5 armature driver, Dulce Bass has a transient response that’s speedier than Gonzales. The result? An extremely tight track. And although these earphones are advertised as being bass heavy, they’re not mind-numbingly bassy. Listening to OutKast’s So Fresh, So Clean, the bass is deep but not reverberating. Rather, it’s melodic while being forward enough to lead the song. And the drums have a ton of solid impact. In short, these buds are a damn good time.
You can find these earphones for the best price at:
Audio 46: Noble Audio Dulce Bass In-Ear Headphones (Use our promo code, “majorhifi” to get a 10% discount)
Amazon: Noble Audio Dulce Bass Universal In-Ear Headphone Monitor
Under $ 1500
Campfire Audio Solaris
The 24K gold-plated Solaris may be the ultimate hip-hop IEM. Instruments in the high-mids and high frequencies are extremely defined and crystal clear, while the bass is subby and dense. The Solaris employs a 4 driver hybrid design, using a dynamic driver to give the lower frequencies some weight. Listening to Cardi B’s Money, the piano hits with hard edges, while the bass is felt through the chest. Percussion is crisp and the vocals sit a little forward, allowing Cardi B’s vocals to really drive the beat. These buds also create a huge feeling of spaciousness for an in-ear headphone, making the track sound vast and grand.
Editors Note: This model has been replaced by the Solaris 2020.
You can find these IEMs for the best price at:
Audio 46: Campfire Audio Solaris
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