Makers of affordable earphones, Betron, have come up with yet another low cost option in the shape of the sleek RK300. Find out how they perform in our Betron RK300 review.
Betron have taken a very serious stab at dominating the lower end of the earphones market on Amazon (see their full range). We have previously reviewed several other sets that they produce and have been suitably impressed every time. Price wise, the RK300 fits somewhere in the middle of their price range – but it could well be their best set of earphones yet.
Since we reviewed the RK300 – Betron have released the DNZ500. We now recommend the DNZ500 over the RK300. Find out more here: Betron DNZ500 review.
Packaging
As with all Betron earphones, the packaging is a simple affair. A cleanly printed outer box gives you a view of the earphones contained within. On the back you get a basic specification breakdown and a basic description. Inside the earphones are held in place by a foam insert with all the extras tucked away below.
The main earphone casing is made from plastic with an aluminium ring giving a nice finishing detail. The shape of the casing looks to us to be the same as used by some other manufacturers that we have seen before, but with slightly different finishing details. The re-enforced cable exit is tough and looks like it will be able to survive a good amount of rough treatment. The cable is of the silicone coated twisted type which we have grown to like a lot – I don’t think we’ve seen this cable used at this price point before & think its use a big plus point. The cable split and 3.5mm jack plug are also built in an equally sturdy fashion whilst remaining attractive to the eye.
Also included you’ll find 3 sets of black silicone eartips, 3 sets of red silicone eartips, a cable clip and a black fabric storage pouch. The 2 different colours of eartips both come in 3 sizes. Where they differ is the diameter of the internal hole that the sound passes through before it reaches your ear. It is worth pointing out that this changes the sound of the betron RK300 earphones significantly as we’ll cover below.
In use, the earphones feel very light and comfortable. We tend to find that the depth of this style of earphones is a little short for our liking – better suited to smaller ears rather than larger ones.
Sound
As mentioned above, the Betron RK300 in ear headphones come with 2 significantly different types of silicone eartips – coloured black & red.
Black Eartips
The black type have a much narrower exist hole for the audio. This seems to boost the bass & reduce the treble. With the black eartips, the bass for us, is excessive & needs turning down to make it usable. The treble is also a little on the soft side and the mids don’t really pack that much punch. The overall detail feels a bit lacking in general and gives us a feeling of ‘could do better’. However, don’t be downhearted as we still have the red eartips to look at…
Red Eartips
The opening on the red eartips is much wider which allows the audio drivers to breathe more – the result of this can definitely be heard. Now the overall sound has a much better frequency balance that has life and movement. The bass is still plentiful and low – depending on the music you listen to, you may want to add a little more bass using EQ, but not much. The top end feels really open with lots and lots of detail – there is a little harshness, but not enough to be overly concerned about. The mid-range has a good snap that again delivers decent detail. The lower mid-range does sound a little scooped out making the overall sound more hi-fi in style instead of a neutral balance.
Overall using the red eartips we are very impressed with the sound that the Betron RK300 manages to deliver given the impressively low price point. For us, these are the current market leaders at the lower end of the market.
Betron RK300 Review Conclusion
As far as we’re concerned, Betron have done it again. The incredibly low price point combined with the sleek looks, great cable choice and big sound (using red eartips) really does make these a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a basic set of great sounding earphones that don’t break the bank. The Betron RK300 is virtually impossible to beat in the sub £20 range and you’ll have to spend around £30 to find anything significantly better.
Pros:
- low price
- big, balanced sound
Cons:
- better suited for smaller ears
- treble can be a little harsh at times
Review Summary:
Sound - good detail and overall balance for the price
Design - clean, sleek looks and great cable choice
Quality - nicely finished, no rough edges
Value - exceptional value for money
Listening Notes:
Use the red eartips - the black ones simply don't compete!
If you want to tweak the EQ, look at adding a smidge of extra bass & try turning down the high mid range or treble a little to help the slight harshness.
Model | Manufacturer | RRP (£) | Available Colours | Rating |
---|---|---|---|---|
RK300 | Betron | 19.99 | 3.9 |
I am really looking forward to purchasing these headphones. My friend has a pair and let me try them because he was so pleased with them, now I can see why. The incredible sound quality from these headphones is something to behold. I am truly impressed that you can purchase this quality at such a low price compared to the larger brands which charge over 10 times this amount.