Zamkol ZT800 Earbuds review: These budget buds bring the bass

While the prospect of affordable earbuds is fantastic, budget-class options have largely been disappointing due to their low-quality audio, uncomfortable designs, and lack of features. Because of this, people have been left with no other option other than to pay up for more expensive options for a quality listening experience. However, not everyone has the room in their budget for pricey earbuds like these, leaving people who want something solid and budget-friendly with very few viable options.

One such option are the new Zamkol ZT800 earbuds, which I recently got an opportunity to test out. They promise quality sound, great comfort, and a decent amount of features for just $40, which is an incredibly low price. And after using these buds, I was impressed with how much value they bring to the table.

Zamkol ZT800 Earbuds: Price and availability

The Zamkol ZT800 Earbuds are normally available on Amazon for $40, though they're on sale for 25% at the time of writing and can be purchased for $30. You can also purchase the earbuds from Zamkol's website.

Zamkol ZT800 Earbuds: What you'll like

The most impressive thing about the Zamkol ZT800 buds is that they actually sound good, which is something you can't often say about budget-class earbuds. They deliver a bass-focused sound that will be most enjoyable with bassy music, but the mids and highs are good, too. I personally prefer a more mid-focused soundscape, but the ZT800 buds still sound great nevertheless. The volume is sufficient as well, and making calls with the buds is enjoyable as well thanks to the clear built-in microphone.

The buds are also very pleasant to wear thanks to a design that uses both eartips and earfins. The eartips rest inside the center of your ear while the earfins snugly hook on the edge of it, keeping each earbud stable no matter what you're doing. Zamkol includes a variety of differently sized eartips and earfins with each purchase, too, allowing you to mix-and-match and find the ideal fit for your ear.

The earbuds also come with a handy carrying case that charges them when not in use. On a full charge, the carrying case can juice up the earbuds with about 30 hours of listening time before it needs to be charged itself. The case is nice and compact, and once you use Bluetooth to pair the buds with your music device once, they'll instantly pair every time you open the case afterwards.

Lastly, the Zamkol ZT800 buds come with some awesome features that are usually only found on pricier options. With touch controls, you can play or pause your music, skip to your next (or previous) song, activate a voice assistant, answer or reject calls, and turn the buds on or off. The buds are also IPX8 waterproof, ensuring that you won't have to worry about the earbuds getting damaged by rain or snow.

Zamkol ZT800 Earbuds: What you won't like

There are only two things I don't like about the Zamkol ZT800. The first is the fact that the battery of the buds only lasts about five hours after a full charge. This is far from being unacceptable, but compared to the eight-hour battery life you can get with other buds, it's a little disappointing. Thankfully, the carrying case's charging capabilities ensure you won't have to worry about running out of juice on days where you're out for many hours.

I'm also not a fan of the fact that the buds don't come with a volume controller, which I find odd since there are touch controls for pretty much everything else. It's not a huge deal since I don't mind using my phone to adjust my music's volume, but people who like being able to adjust their volume with touch controls will be annoyed.

Zamkol ZT800 Earbuds: Competition

There aren't many pairs of budget buds on the market that rival the Zamkol ZT800 Earbuds, but the Votomy SoloPods S1 is one of them. For the same $40 price, you get buds that have a more mid-focused sound and a charging case that can provide up to 90-100 hours of charge time. However, the volume is a bit quieter, which may bother folks who like their music very loud.

There are also the Skullcandy Ink'd+ Wireless buds, which feature eight hours of battery life and a rock-bottom price tag of $22. They don't sound as good, though, and they also don't come with a charging case or a design that features the comfy earfins you get with the Zamkol ZT800 buds. Unless your budget is really tight, Zamkol's buds are the better option overall.

Zamkol ZT800 Earbuds: Should you buy them?

You should buy this if ...

• You need a pair of great buds
• You're on a budget
• You like bassy sound
• You need something waterproof

You shouldn't buy this if ...

• You need long battery life
• You want volume touch controls
• You prefer over-ear headphones
• You don't like a lot of bass

While I would have liked to have seen the Zamkol ZT800 buds come with a longer battery life and touch controls for volume, they're still a fantastic pair of earbuds that deliver great sound, comfort, and features for a very affordable price. For just $40 ($30 on Amazon at the time of writing), you're getting buds that trade blows with options that are over three times as expensive.

There's no doubt in my mind that these are some of the best cheap earbuds on the market, and if you're in need of a new pair of buds but can't afford to spend much, I can't recommend the Zamkol ZT800 buds enough.