Baseus Inspire XC1 earbuds ZDNET's key takeaways The Baseus Inspire XC1 earbuds are available on Aliexpress for just under $170
The XC1 earbuds are clip-ons that produce more bass than most earbuds in this form-factor
The XC1 earbuds tend to sell out quickly, so grab a pair when you can. $103.99 at Amazon
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As a runner who sweats xenomorphic acid, I have to be careful about the earbuds I use when pounding the pavement. I've ruined more earbuds than I can count because of this. In the end, I can't use any traditional earbuds. If they go into my ear canal, they will most likely fail to function by the end of my run.
To mitigate this, about a decade ago, I switched to bone-conducting headphones. The problem with all of the bone-conducting headphones I've used (and I've used several) is that they sound terrible. It's a problem because I still want halfway decent sound when I run.
Also: These $60 wireless earbuds made me question my audio spending habits
I eventually switched to open-ear earbuds and found that they weren't ideal either. No matter the make or model, by the end of my run, at least one earbud wouldn't be functioning.
Then I discovered the clip-on style of earbud that wraps around your ear with a small "ball" that inserts into the ear (but not the canal). This type of earbud proved to be the solution. They weren't nearly as susceptible to sweat as traditional earbuds, and they sounded much better than bone-conducting earbuds.
Typically, those earbuds focus more on the mids and lack punch in the low end, so as not to drown out ambient noise. Well, my friends, that ends now, thanks to the Baseus Inspire XC1 open-ear clip-on earbuds.
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