In March, a review titled "Top-Tier Sound For Pennies" appeared on the well-respected web forum head-fi.org. The author, a headphone aficionado who goes by the handle AndroidVageta (AV), gave five stars to some Chi-Fi earbuds that cost less than a food truck lunch. He compared the dynamic range and clarity of these cut-rate buds to the JH16 Pro, a set of in-ears (with eight driver per ear) that retails for $1,149. Incidentally, the JH16 is the same model that The Absolute Sound praised as "the sonic 'mountaintop' among in-ear headphones."

"For the $12 I spend shipped (sic) for these Baldoor E100's all I can say is that they are simply amazing. Not simply amazing for the price, mind you, but amazing compared to anything (AV's emphasis) I've ever heard or have owned."

Disposable buds that sound as good as the outrageously expensive IEMs that Justin Timberlake and Lady Gaga wear onstage? To quote Vincent Vega in Pulp Fiction: "That's a bold statement."

Despite all the hype rhetoric, AV's "PSA" barely registered on the audio Richter scale: 6 measly comments, ranging from appreciation ("Nice review man!") to agreement ("I really am massively impressed.") to disbelief ("No way."). The E100 EarBell, a throwback style bud distributed by a Chinese company called Mrice, was destined for hi-fi obscurity. Just another cheap gadget tossed on the Chi-Fi scrapheap.

A few days later, though, AV's Head-Fi review surfaced on Reddit, where it generated 230 responses from frugal readers in search of a bargain. As interest ramped up, Reddditors noticed that these el cheapo IEMs were becoming a scarce online commodity. "They've apparently sold out everywhere else," wrote AV in the long and laughably inane comment thread, coyly taking credit for the sudden popularity of an earphone that most audiophiles had never heard of until now. "Maybe I shouldn't have been so vocal about them as now it'll be hard for me to get a second pair!"

Just like that, the E100 cult was born.

Hold the Tragus

There was one slight caveat to this deal of the century. For optimum audio performance, these magic buds had to be positioned within the ear—no joke—sideways. This precarious orientation was hardly ideal, especially if the listening sessions involved any head movements. To address this problem, a crude fix was suggested by fellow Redditor robertmeta: "I was able to use tape to keep them in without horrible discomfort."

Stuffing buds in the ear sideways and securing them in place with tape was certainly unorthodox (not to mention bizarre, uncomfortable, and highly impractical), but the sound was supposedly godlike. "It should be noted that wearing [the E100s] like this greatly enhances the bass but surprisingly leaves the rest of the sound unaffected," AV gleefully observed. "Lessens sound stage a bit but it already has plenty to spare."

Many were confused by what one Redditor referred to as the "weird fit." To illustrate the exact alignment of the buds within the ear, AV snapped a profile selfie. This made all the difference. After initially berating the E100s ("...these are $15 earbuds, and they sound like $15 earbuds."), Mad_Economist had a sonic Epiphany. Of course, being a degenerate audiophile, he had to add his own outlandish tweak to the proceedings. "...holding the tragus, anti-tragus, and leg of helix 'shut' around the bud while pressing the bud inward at a slight angle consistently produces a sound much closer to what OP is describing: very warm, with a fairly large soundstage and a surprising amount of bass impact." For those who didn't read ENT journals for kicks, a link to a medical photo was posted so that every Redditor could distinguish their tragus from their ear hole (auditory meatus).

Audiophiles Aren't Crazy

If an audiophile raves about a $12 bud and says that if you stick it in your ear sideways it will sound better than a professional IEM that costs over a thousand dollars, and if another audiophile agrees and claims that it will sound even better if you pinch your ears together at three precise points simultaneously, while applying pressure to the bud at a "slight angle," proceed with caution.

The natural inclination is to dismiss the entire Reddit/E100 psychodrama as sheer lunacy and not proceed at all, but that would be a mistake. AV, robertmeta and Mad_Economist are audiophiles, not schizophrenics. They may be eccentric, but they are first and foremost critical listeners. Cut through the babble and one thing is certain: These guys know a sweet bud when they hear it.

Christie Hemm Klok/WIRED

Given these circumstances, it's completely reasonable to suspect that the crazy Redditors might actually be onto something. Maybe the E100 really is a hidden gem buried deep in the vast Chi-Fi industrial complex. And—even more importantly—maybe there's a different earphone model in the Mrice line with a similar (if not identical) sound signature that doesn't require mastering the sideways "weird fit," memorizing diagrams from Gray's Anatomy, taping the tragus, or pinching one's ears like the village idiot.

Plan B

It turns out there is a sane alternative to the E100. Scroll down Amazon's "Mrice" offerings, and there it is, halfway down the page: the GranVela E300. This generic looking in-ear phone doesn't require users to violate the laws of ergonomics or twist their ear cartilage into a knot in order to summon the intoxicating Mrice house sound. For $14.93 (or $17.30 for model with an inline mic/remote) the E300 "Capsule" is literally plug-and-play. Hardcore audiophiles may be wondering: Has the magnificent E100 SQ been sacrificed in the pursuit of such trivial considerations as comfort, dignity and social acceptability? Negative. AV's 5-star review of the Mrice E300s describes exactly how the Mrice E100s sound: "Awesome." Now, kneel at the altar of the mighty and benevolent Chi-Fi gods.

Clone Wars

The design of the Mrice E300 and the Chintek E300 are so similar, it's impossible to tell them apart. The only difference is that the Chintek E300 has fancier packaging and costs about $10 more. Helen Chintek wasn't even aware that the Mrice E300 existed until I pointed it out to her. The fact that a competitor had not only copied one of her company's industrial designs but also its name (Baldoor) and model number didn't seem to faze her.

"In China, there are thousands of earphone factories," she explains. "Some good quality, some bad quality." She was confident that the Mrice E300 was an inferior copy of her original Chintek E300. "To copy our outside design is very easy, but the inside technical and sound quality of the earphone will not reach our standard." She later backtracked, however, and admitted that it was possible the two models were identical inside and out. It's not unusual for "ghost shift" employees at Chinese factories to churn out an extra batch after hours, and sell it at a steep discount out the back door. Asked it this might explain why the Chintek E300 costs roughly $10 more than the Mrice E300, Ms. Chintek replied, "That could be true! Our engineers only focus on design and quality. The factory side is responsible for assembly." Concerned Mrice might be stealing Chintek's intellectual property, she added: "We will check and complain if they are copying us." Mrice didn't respond to interview requests. The takeaway: In the cutthroat Chi-Fi racket, if you're not cheating, you're not trying. Save $10, and buy the clone.

Killer Sound

Even by Chi-Fi standards, the Mrice E300 offers an absurd price-to-value ratio. So, what do you get for your hard-earned $15? The audio blog consensus is that these buds project the classic V-shaped sound signature. Mrice (or Chintek) audio engineers essentially copied the "Rock" setting on many equalizers: fader bars up on the treble and bass, with the mids suppressed. While it's true that the highs skew bright, and the lows have surprising impact and extension (almost woofer-like, really), the mids—and let's face it, this is where the meat of the music resides—are in no way an afterthought. Listen to the E100s at a moderate volume level, the human loudness contour kicks in, and suddenly that signature V-tuning is softened, producing a sound that's perceived as fairly balanced. Bottom line: Most people who sample these buds think they sound like fancy IEMs.

As mentioned, the high and low frequencies are enhanced. Some audio snobs will dismiss this sonic manipulation as artifice. But many more will find it exciting and, quite possibly, addictive. Likewise, certain critics will discern a slight degree of sibilance and deem it offensive. Ignore these trolls. The other detail worth mentioning is microphonics, those annoying mechanical vibrations transmitted through the cord via friction. It's not airplane-earphone bad, but it's noticeable. Memo to Mrice (or Chintek): a smidgen more insulation would be nice. And add several more inches of length to the cable while you're at it. Consumers will gladly pay the extra 25 cents. To neutralize the microphonics, consider using a shirt clip (not included, but easy to add to your e-cart). Those criticisms aside, one nice thing about the cabling is its triangular shape. Besides being unique to the eye and nice to the touch, it's a smart design choice which results in fewer tangles when you uncoil the headset.

One more thing: Yes, the silicon tips are crappy. These broad, S-M-L computer-generated sizes will make a Goldilocks fit impossible for some. The smart move is to swap them out for triple flanges. The accommodating shape provides a superior seal, increasing comfort and sound isolation.

Buds For All My Friends

Should you buy the Mrice E300s? At this price, you'd be a fool not to. Better yet, buy an entire case and give them away as a token of your largesse. People will think you're some kind of audiophile bigshot. The return on your meager investment will be repaid many times over: free meals, exotic vacations, job promotions. Desirable members of your preferred sex will suddenly find you interesting. Don't forget to buy a case for yourself, too. The build quality of these things isn't half-bad (gold-plated 3.5mm plugs at this price-point?). Still, like all in-ear phones sans detachable cables, the wires that terminate at the bud will eventually fray, and the unit will fail. Which is OK. Because, hey, 15 bucks! Think of E300s as beater buds for audiophiles. These daily drivers are ideal for the gym (microphonics be damned), daily commutes or anytime you don't want to risk trashing those precious JH Audio IEMs.