These rather lovely looking wooden earphones from Betron come in at an unbelievable price point. Find out how they sound and what we think in the full Betron W-68 Wooden Earphones review.
Betron have systematically taken on the cheaper end of the earphones market with several sets of amazingly low priced earphones. The W-68 fall into the middle of the Betron product range – it is worth noting that they are normally available for a lot less than the full RRP.
Simple Packaging, Beautiful Earphones
As you’d expect at the lower end of the price spectrum, the packaging is basic and functional. The Betron wood earphones are well presented in a simple box meaning that your money is being spent on the earphones and not the packaging!
Inside the box you’ll find the W-68 wooden earphones, 3 sets of silicone ear adaptors and an optional cable clip.
The earphones look and feel very well made indeed. The wood has a very natural looking light finish to it, giving it a very light sheen. The black sections that are attached to the wood, look very, very crisp and cleanly finished. Protruding from the bottom of the earphones is a tough yet flexible sleeving that provides strain relief to the cable. The kevlar re-enforced woven cable fells very high quality, much better quality than you would expect at this price point. In use, the cable seems to remain tangle free & very tough which should see it lasting a long time. The jack plug and cable split are again both very nicely finished, feeling very strong & reliable.
The provided ear adaptors offer a flexible fit – while the level of comfort is acceptable, we have found them not to be quite as comfortable as more expensive sets. They feel very light in your ears while you wear them & the cable transmits very little noise to the earphones themselves. Sound isolation is pretty good – you can still hear some external noise, but very little music escapes making them ideal for commuting.
Overall the W-68 earphones are very well produced, material qualities are very good and the finish is unbelievably good for such a low price.
The Warm Sound Of Wood
As you would expect, the wood does influence the sound. The bass has a lovely warmth to it – while Betron claim an extended bass response – it isn’t overkill and does still sound natural. The mid range is very natural without any nasty surprises. They do benefit from a little added mid from your EQ – but it isn’t a necessity. The treble is very open and spacious – much better than other lower priced earphones we’ve tested.
Overall the sound has a very nice, natural quality to it with plenty of warmth from the wood. The level of detail is very good – adding the extra mid by using your EQ will bring out even more detail.
Betron W-68 Wooden Earphones Review Conclusion
It is fair to say that the Betron W-68 earphones have taken us by surprise. The build quality is very close to the standard that you find on earphones in the ~£30 range, and the sound quality isn’t that far off the same mark either. These are absolutely amazing earphones for the money and you would have to spend a lot more to find anything significantly better (eg, Acorn E1 or MediaDevil EB-01). If you want a set of wood earphones that are well built, sound great and don’t break the bank – these are without doubt the ones for you.
Pros:
- Incredible value for money
- Great warm sound
- Quality materials and great finish
Cons:
- Could be more comfortable
Review Summary:
Sound - great natural warm sound
Design - beautiful, light and strong
Quality - high quality materials finished to a high standard
Value - almost unbeatable value for money
| Model | Manufacturer | RRP (£) | Available Colours | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W-68 | Betron | 18.99 | 3.7 |
What I’d like to know is does the sound leak out very much? I don’t want to disturb people when I’m commuting..
I’ve just tested them for you – if music is playing at a good volume ie, as loud as you would probably want it for an extended period of time and the ear tips are covered lightly with fingers. I can’t hear them from more than about 4 inches from my ear – I’d say that’s good enough for a tightly packed commute by train, bus or tube.
The review has also been edited to mention this as well.
Just took delivery of the Betron W-68 earphones. they sound superb, phenominal value for money. I agree withthe review that they are very slightly subdued in the mid range, but on something like Chvrches “Tether” they tame the instrumental middle break just right!
I bought these for travelling as a backup for some significantly more expensive earphones that I have. Will certainly look at some of the higher range Betrons when they need replacing.