The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.Amazon currently has a solid deal on a good pair of midrange headphones, with the Sony XBA-H1 marked down to $130. Thats around $20 off their usual going rate, and the most significant drop theyve had since Black Friday 2014. While they did sell for as low as $85 a couple years back, discounts have been exceedingly rare ever since. Either way, this is a good price for a headphone that already performed well for the money. The XBA-H1s earned a spot in our in-ears headphones buying guide for providing a well-balanced, accurate sound that gives ample care to the highs, mids, and lows. Youll find greater transparency as you go up the price bracket, but whats here is clean, and has impressive width on top of that. There are technical details we could get into regarding the hybrid drivers Sonys employed here, but all you need to know is that the major parts of the XBA-H1s signature play nice with each other, and as a result it works well with any type of music you throw at it. The only thing I would suggest is that you burn them in first, as they do seem to sound better over time.Fit is always particularly subjective when it comes to in-ear headphones, but if you have trouble, the variety of ear tips Sony includes in the box should help. I found the the sporty, red-and-black design to look nice, too, though the whole thing skews on the larger side.If theres a hangup here, itll most likely be the fact that theres no inline remote controls. Thats a little difficult to excuse on whats normally a $150 headphone. Just be prepared to keep your hands on your phone if you take these for a run.Otherwise, there isnt much to dislike. Reviews at The Wirecutter and TechRadar have come to the same conclusion. And while their 3.8 rating on Amazon (after 83 reviews) is a bit lower than Id like from a product Im recommending, all I can really say is that my experience has been much different than the handful of one-star ratings on there. If it helps, a few of those negative reviews arebased off of refurbished models, which I wouldnt advise you to buy.In any case, look to something like the Sennheiser Momentum if youre a basshead in this range, or the RHA S500 if youre on a budget. For those who want balance, though, the XBA-H1s are worth a shot. Sony XBA-H1 In-Ear Headphones, $129.97, available at Amazon.SEE ALSO:The best in-ear headphones for every budgetREAD THIS:I've tested close to 100 headphones in the past year, and these are my favoriteDON'T MISS:Get a great pair of exercise headphones for $12 ' and more of today's best deals from around the webJoin the conversation about this story
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