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.It shouldnt be a surprise to hear that Monoprice has put out another pair of great cheap headphones, but its Hi-Fi Lightweight On-Ear Headphones might be the best audio value it has going. For $19, they have a sound that could suffice on cans five times as expensive, which more than makes up for their bland looks and occasional, budget-induced inconveniences. Still, take one look at these things and you can see why theyre that cheap. Theyre black, plastic, and nearly featureless. Boring, is the word that comes easily.They do have a single-button mic/remote that can pause and skip tracks (on iOS and Android), and thats great for the money, but the cord its attached to isnt replaceable. If it busts, the whole thing goes with it.All that said, while theyre not luxurious, theyre also not uncomfortable. That textured plastic is indeed lightweight, and the strip of padding at the top of the headband, while thin, is sufficiently soft. The donut-shaped, closed-back earpads leak sound at higher volumes, and they only swivel outward, but they were cushy enough for me to wear for a few hours at a time before feeling any discomfort.None of the issues above are too egregious given the pricechances are thesell serve as your cheap secondary pair anyway. However, if youve only used budget headphones in the past, its also likely that Hi-Fis sound better than whatever youre wearing today.Im not exaggerating when I say these can compete with some headphones in the $80-100 range. The treble and higher-mids are a little more muffled than whats available up there, and the lows arent as thumping as they are on a bass-focused pair like the Skullcandy Grind, but the sense of balance and space here is really pretty remarkable. The relatively tight bass and smooth, open mids are the more dominant (and impressive) parts of the signature, but everything is consistently present, which allows the Hi-Fis to work well across genres. Theyre neither bloated nor thin. They also allow for an impressive amount of volume, without obviously distorting or becoming too harsh once theyre cranked up.While youll still find greater clarity and detail on most pricier cans, the fact that the Hi-Fis can even compete at $19 is wonderful. The main things youre giving up here are build quality and (presumed) durability, but if you need a new backup pair, or youre on a very tight budget, these are a top choice.Monoprice Hi-Fi Lightweight On-Ear Headphones, $18.82, available at Amazon. READ THIS:I've tested close to 100 headphones in the past year, and these are my favoriteSEE ALSO:The best on-ear headphones for every budgetDON'T MISS:This simple accessory will make your laptop more usefulJoin the conversation about this story
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