Do you know what the problem with expensive earbuds is? First of all, it's painful to part with the money; secondly, losing them can be even more painful...But what if I told you you could pick up a pair of some of the most comfortable earbuds I've tested on the channel... for under 29 dollars?

Not only are they friendly on your wallet and on your ear when wearing them, but they also control options that the Apple AirPods don't.

They're called the Mee Audio Pebble

Design

So one of the first tests I do with all pairs of earbuds I test on the channel is the 'cowboy pocket watch pocket test'. And the Mee Pebbles pass with flying colours.

The case has a matted finish and a flat base so they won't roll around on a desk, and the shape is narrow and has a rounded point on each end that helps them glide into pockets with little resistance. 

You'll notice an LED battery light indicator when you pop the lid. That lets you know you've woken the buds. And you can instantly see why Mee audio calls these the pebbles. 

You can see when you look at them closely. There is a port for airflow and a mic on the back of each earbud. 

MIC

And on the underside, you'll see the speaker grill that protects the respectable size 10mm driver...which is larger than some earbuds that cost ten times the price. And I'll tell you what I think of the sound in moment

Comfort

The style of these earbuds is what you call open fit. They don't require silicon or foam tips to hold them in place. They stay in place using just their shape and weight. 

And I have to say. When they're in, they really feel like they're locked in & it's not uncomfortable at all. In fact, I believe that the way they fit in my ears, I could go for a run with these and not have to worry about them falling out.

And that brings me to the IPX rating. Mee Audio has got an official IPX4 rating for the pebble earbuds design. Meaning sweat, light rain, someone drives through a puddle on purpose and soaks you...You're pebble buds will be alright.

Controls

Now, remember how I said these have controls that the Apple AirPods don't? Well, it's true. The Mee Audio Pebbles can recognise single, double, triple and quadruple taps, push and hold & sextuple taps. And before you go googling what that means...don't. You don't want to walk into that minefield. 

It means six times. And you'd only ever do that if you want to reset the BT connection. And because they're not plugged into your ears like classic earbuds. When you use the tap controls, you're not slowly wedging them deeper into your ear canal.

Battery

When it comes to tech, not much can be achieved without power. So let's talk about that. I have heard rumours of these earbuds lasting some happy customers for up to nearly 10hrs on a single charge. 

The official battery life is listed at a solid 8hrs per bud, which is better than some flagships. And then there's an additional 16hrs in the case. That will be more than enough power to get most people from A to B. You could save you're 30 dollars goes a long way.

And just going back to the LED light indicator. 5 seconds steady light means you're above 20%, 3 quick flashes mean you have under 20%. No light means it's time to recharge & Mee Audio does provide a USB C cable in the box.

And you can monitor the buds' battery life through your BT settings on your device as well. 

Everyone's use of the battery life will be different. For example, Listening to them at the loudest volume will drain the power more quickly. But It's unlikely you'd want to do that because despite the Pebbles being open-fit earbuds. They're surprisingly loud.

But if you listen to them at a mid to high volume, the battery life might surprise you.

Sound Quality

Now let's talk sound quality. The codecs supported are SBC and AAC, which is quite normal for an affordable pair of earbuds. The great thing about these codecs if you're unfamiliar with what an audio codec is. They support the optimal playback for regular MP3 audio, and they're robust, and you won't encounter any interference from the radio frequencies in your environment. Also the range is typically very good too.

The sound signature seems to be more dialled into the mid to high frequencies. Making the Pebbles well suited to instrumental styles of music. The vocals sound good and clear and actually I would say the Pebbles might be the perfect podcast earbuds. 

They don't get too sharp on the high ends. The bass is not bad considering they are open fit, and you can improve the bass if you are willing to dial up the volume, which brings me to the Pebbels real strength in regards to audio playback...It's the loudness. Which is still a great was to drown out background noise affectively, even without ANC.

Why they're good

Despite the Mee Pebbles not having all the bells and whistles you might see on a flagship set of earbuds. Such as an app and wear detect sensors and anc. What you get here is an impressive pound-for-pound sound experience.

The pebbles use the latest and greatest Bluetooth 5.3 connection. This means you'll get a strong and fast connection between the buds and your device. This means you'll almost always get the optimal sound the earbuds are capable of and minimal lag when watching movies or playing games. And even more so if you tap either bud four times to put it into low latency mode. Again making these perfect for podcast, also YT videos and gaming 

So if you're looking for a low-risk but good sound  investment, here it is. The Mee Audio Pebbles 29 dollars. And on that note, here is final thought for you. I know some of you like these.

They say time is money. Sometimes you don't need to spend a lot. Money can't buy life, But sometimes it's worth spending some time to find hidden gems… because they might be even more valuable & maybe beyond your belief.