
TDK EB-500
Pros
- Rubber and plastic construction ideal for sport, fairly comfortable, in-line volume control
Cons
- Poor quality bass and general sound quality, distortion at higher volume levels
Bottom Line
The EB-500's design is ideal for sporting activities, but these headphones are let down by poor sound quality overall.
-
Price
$ 16.95 (AUD)
The EB-500 headphones are TDK's latest model designed for sporting use. They feature an in-line volume control and are constructed of extra durable plastic and rubber, making them ideal for use when running or working out at a gym. Unfortunately, they suffer from below-average sound quality, including notable distortion at high volume levels.
Despite boasting "extra bass", the EB-500's bass is of poor quality. Very low frequencies are produced, but overall, the bass lacks detail -- subtle frequencies aren't audible. There is also a noticeable harshness in the high-range frequencies, making listening unpleasant. The sound lacks sharpness and crispness and when pushed to high volume levels, distortion levels are unbearable. Instrumental separation is also below average, as it's not easy to determine the distinction between audio sections. If you aren't fussed about quality, you won't be too disheartened, but obviously audiophiles should look elsewhere.
It's not all bad news though, as for their intended sporting use, the EB-500's are a surprisingly comfortable pair of ear buds. The soft plastic used in their construction sits nicely in your ear, and long listening sessions are quite comfortable. Further, the plastic finish works well when you are sweating; the ear buds remain in place during all activities. A small piece of rubber around the edge of each ear bud means they don't uncomfortably dig into your ears like many other headphones.
The EB-500 includes an in-line volume control, which comes in handy when working out. You can easily leave your music player in your pocket, and adjust the volume on the cord. Five small indents on the volume slider make it easy to move, even when your hands are sweaty.
Aesthetically the EB-500's may look cheap, but for their intended target market, they are appealing. Our blue, silver and white review unit looked perfect for the gym. The cable length of 1.5m is fair for most uses.
Brand Post

Most Popular Reviews
- 1 Asus TUF Gaming VG28UQL1A review: This 4K monitor plays nice with consoles
- 2 Firewalla Gold review: Powerful home network security in a tiny box
- 3 Alienware AW3423DW review: Quantum dot OLED renders rival monitors obsolete
- 4 Acer Aspire 5 review: An affordable laptop that’s enjoyable to use
- 5 Asus ROG Zephyrus S17 review: This gaming laptop oozes luxurious power
Latest News Articles
- Huawei launches 2022 Mother's Day promotional offers
- Multitaskers can celebrate: Sony's LinkBuds promise to let you hear it all
- Telstra’s Black Friday sale includes tech and accessories
- New Belkin earbuds come with dual wireless charging pad
- Amazon’s new Echo Buds offer Alexa with much less noise
Resources
Business Centre
The latest business news, reviews, features and whitepapers

Videos
Watch our video news and reviews from around the world

Guides
Comprehensive buying guides, features, and step-by-step articles

PCW Evaluation Team
Pedro Peixoto
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Set up is effortless.
Cate Bacon
Aruba Instant On AP11D

The strength of the Aruba Instant On AP11D is that the design and feature set support the modern, flexible, and mobile way of working.
Dr Prabigya Shiwakoti
Aruba Instant On AP11D

Aruba backs the AP11D up with a two-year warranty and 24/7 phone support.
Tom Pope
Dynabook Portégé X30L-G

Ultimately this laptop has achieved everything I would hope for in a laptop for work, while fitting that into a form factor and weight that is remarkable.
Tom Sellers
MSI P65

This smart laptop was enjoyable to use and great to work on – creating content was super simple.
Lolita Wang
MSI GT76

It really doesn’t get more “gaming laptop” than this.
Featured Content
- Best Unlimited Internet Deals in 2022
- Microsoft’s universal ‘One Outlook’ client just leaked out
- Liquid Retina vs. Liquid Retina XDR: Which display is better?
- Which flagship TV is best? Sony 4K HDR Bravia 2016 versus LG 4K HDR OLED 2016
- 10 Blu-ray movies / Best looking Blu-ray movies