How We Research
We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-28 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
• ApexOne Metal in-Ear Earbuds — biggest strength: metal in-ear housings, magnetic backs that clip together around your neck, real inline volume control and a 20 Hz–20 kHz dynamic driver.
• ApexOne Metal in-Ear Earbuds — biggest trade-off: it's one pair per purchase, the carrying case is the only storage, and its controls are spread across a remote with a touch element, so there's more to learn than a single button.
• Amazon Basics Earbuds — biggest strength: you get two complete pairs in the box, each with a microphone and a single button that handles calls and track skipping, plus a one-year limited warranty.
• Amazon Basics Earbuds — biggest trade-off: no volume control on the cable at all, no noise isolation claimed, and a "stick" earpiece shape that sits differently than a deep in-ear seal.
• Who each pick is for: ApexOne for the person who wants one nicer-feeling wired pair with volume at their fingertips and a tangle-free magnetic trick; Amazon Basics for the person who wants spares — one for the bag, one for the desk — and doesn't mind using the phone for volume.
ApexOne's whole pitch here is a "professional" earbud build: a polymer nanometer composite diaphragm in a dynamic driver rated from 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, tuned for bright highs, a full midrange and deep bass. Whether or not a diaphragm name means much to you, the spec sheet says the housing is metal rather than plastic, and that matters for how a pair of sub-$30-style wired buds feels in the hand and survives a backpack. The cable runs 47 inches — about 120 cm — which is the classic "phone in pocket, buds in ears" length.
The features that separate it from a generic pair are the small ones. There's a smart inline microphone plus a remote with volume control, pause/play, and answer/end call, so you're not digging your phone out on a walk. The magnetic housings snap together, which keeps the cable from turning into a knot in your pocket and lets you wear the buds around your neck like a necklace when you pull them out to talk to someone. You also get four replacement silicone tips — two small and two large — so you can actually get a seal, and the seal is what delivers the sound isolation ApexOne advertises. The pocket case (2 ounces, black, plastic) is roomy enough that the brand suggests it can double as a tiny catch-all for keys or cards.
Buy it if you want one pair you'll use daily, you care about having volume on the wire, and you like the idea of buds that hang around your neck instead of vanishing into a pocket. Skip it if you need a backup pair in the same purchase, if you lose earbuds constantly and want redundancy, or if you prefer a shallow "stick" fit over a deep in-ear seal — the ApexOne is built around isolation, and isolation only works when the tip actually seals.
Amazon Basics Earbuds: Who It's For
That single-button design is the whole personality of this earbud. There's no inline volume rocker, no magnetic housing, no claimed noise isolation. The earpiece shape is listed as "stick," which usually means a shallower, more open fit than a sealed in-ear — fine for podcasts and calls in a quiet room, less ideal if you're trying to block out a bus engine. What you do get is a one-year limited warranty and four spare silicone caps in the box, split across the two pairs, so a lost tip isn't a dead earbud.
Buy it if you want a pair for the office drawer and a pair for your gym bag, if you mainly take calls and skip tracks rather than fine-tuning volume, or if you want a cheap second pair you won't stress about. Skip it if you specifically want a metal build, a magnetic cable-management trick, or any real degree of passive noise blocking — and skip it if having volume control on the wire is non-negotiable for you.
• Best for cable and pocket management → ApexOne Metal in-Ear Earbuds. The magnetic housings snap together and let you wear the buds around your neck, which is the single most practical feature either product offers.
• Best for getting two pairs → Amazon Basics Earbuds. One purchase, two complete wired headsets.
• Best for on-wire volume control → ApexOne Metal in-Ear Earbuds. It has volume control on the remote; Amazon Basics explicitly does not.
• Best for call and track control with one button → Amazon Basics Earbuds. Answer, end, reject, play, pause, next, previous — all on a single button you can find by feel.
• Best for passive noise blocking → ApexOne Metal in-Ear Earbuds. It ships four silicone tips in two sizes and markets sound isolation as a design goal; the Amazon Basics sheet claims no noise control at all.
• Best for build feel → ApexOne Metal in-Ear Earbuds. Metal enclosure versus an all-plastic build.
• Best for low-maintenance ownership → Amazon Basics Earbuds. A one-year limited warranty and two pairs mean a failure or a lost bud isn't a crisis.
• Best for pure simplicity → Amazon Basics Earbuds. If you don't want to think about magnets, tips or a remote, this is the no-friction option.
One more practical note on both: neither brand publishes pricing here, and wired earbuds in this category move around a lot on price. Check the current price on Amazon before you commit, because at some price points the two-pack math flips the recommendation entirely.
My Verdict
The ApexOne Metal in-Ear Earbuds do — volume control is listed among its remote functions. The Amazon Basics Earbuds do not; Amazon Basics states the control button handles calls and playback but not volume, and that you should change volume on your device.
ApexOne, based on the specs. It's built around sound isolation with four silicone tips in two sizes to help you get a seal. The Amazon Basics Earbuds list noise control as "None," so expect to hear more of your surroundings.
Both use a 3.5 mm wired jack. ApexOne lists compatibility with iPhone, iPad, iPod, Android, Samsung, tablets and MP3/MP4 players with a 3.5 mm jack. The Amazon Basics pair uses a plated 3.5 mm jack for broad device compatibility. If your phone has no headphone jack, you'll need an adapter for either.
ApexOne gives you one pair, a black pocket case and four replacement tips. Amazon Basics gives you two pairs and four spare silicone caps, plus a one-year limited warranty. Whether the two-pack is the better deal depends on the current price — check it on Amazon before deciding.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: Mehomeli Kids Headphones vs Ozeino 2.4GHz, SLEEPSICAL Kids Headband Headphones vs Botesty Sound Headphones, LUMINFLY Sleep Headset White vs Deskium Bone Conduction Pillow, ENHANCE PC Gaming Headset vs ONITOON Gaming Headset