4XEM 4XSAMEARBK

The 4XEM 4XSAMEARBK earbuds nail comfort with a 93rd percentile ranking, but that's where the wins stop. Sound quality sits in the 28th percentile, and the mic and connectivity both land in the 11th percentile. At $14 USD, they're a cheap backup for old Samsung devices, not a daily driver.

Let's talk about what these earbuds actually do well. The comfort score is the standout, hitting the 93rd percentile. That's near the top of the charts for in-ear fit, and it's the main reason these might be worth grabbing as a spare. The noise isolating design helps a bit here too, though the ANC score is only in the 31st percentile, so don't expect active cancellation. It's passive isolation at best.

Sound quality is where things get dicey. The 28th percentile ranking means these earbuds lag behind most of what we've tested. The manufacturer mentions 'high performance speakers' that 'extend the frequency range of music with minimal distortion,' but the numbers don't back that up. The music score of 20.8 out of 100 and a fitness score of 19.8 out of 100 tell the real story. These are fine for podcasts or background listening, but if you care about bass response or clarity, you'll be disappointed. The wired connectivity is also a weak spot, ranking in the 11th percentile, which is surprising for a product that's literally designed to plug into a specific phone line.

Stacked against the competition, the 4XEM earbuds have a clear identity crisis. The Soundcore P31i and JLab GO Pop ANC both offer wireless connectivity and active noise cancellation, which the 4XEM lacks entirely. The Baseus Bass BP1 Pro is aimed at bass lovers, something these earbuds can't touch with their 28th percentile sound score. The CMF BY NOTHING Buds 2 and TOZO Crystal Pods are both modern wireless options with better build quality and sound. The one area where the 4XEM wins is comfort, with that 93rd percentile ranking beating most of the wireless competition. But comfort alone doesn't make up for a wired connection in 2024, especially when the connectivity score is in the 11th percentile. If you need a wired pair for an old Samsung device, these are fine. If you want anything else, every competitor here is a better buy.

At $14 USD from US listings, these are cheap enough to be an impulse buy. The affordability score of 79th percentile backs that up. But value isn't just about the lowest price, it's about what you get for it. The comfort is genuinely good, but the sound, mic, and connectivity scores are all in the bottom third of our database. For the same money, you could grab a pair of budget wireless earbuds from Soundcore or JLab that offer better sound and actual Bluetooth connectivity. The EUR 28 price in France and Italy feels especially steep for what you're getting. If you find these on sale for under $10 USD, they make sense as a glovebox backup. At full price, you're paying for compatibility with a decade-old phone line, not performance.

The 4XEM 4XSAMEARBK earbuds are a wired, budget-focused option aimed squarely at Samsung owners, specifically those still hanging onto a Galaxy S2, S3, S4, or an older tablet. The headline number here is the comfort score, which lands in the 93rd percentile. That's genuinely impressive for a pair of earbuds this cheap, and it means they'll likely sit in your ears without causing fatigue during longer listening sessions. At 23 grams, they're light enough to forget you're wearing them.

But the comfort is where the good news mostly ends. The sound quality sits in the 28th percentile, which puts it well below average for earbuds in our database. The mic and connectivity scores are even rougher, both landing in the 11th percentile. If you're planning to take calls or expect a rock-solid wired connection, you'll want to keep reading. These are best viewed as a cheap backup pair, not a daily driver.

Skip these if you care about sound quality, call quality, or build durability. The sound score of 20.8 out of 100 and the mic score of 9.2 out of 100 are both near the bottom of our database. The build quality in the 34th percentile means these feel cheap and probably won't last long with daily use. If you need earbuds for calls, the 11th percentile mic ranking makes these a non-starter. And if you don't own an older Samsung device, there's no reason to buy a wired pair designed for hardware from a decade ago. Spend the same $14 USD on a budget wireless option from Soundcore or JLab instead.

The 4XEM 4XSAMEARBK earbuds are a niche product for a shrinking audience. If you're still using a Galaxy S2, S3, S4, or an older Samsung tablet and you just need a cheap replacement pair, the 93rd percentile comfort score makes these tolerable. But the 28th percentile sound quality, 11th percentile mic, and 11th percentile connectivity are hard to ignore. At $14 USD, they're not a ripoff, but they're not a good deal either. The 4.4 out of 5 rating from just 4 reviews is too small a sample to trust. These are backup earbuds, nothing more.