These wired earbuds have won a What Hi-Fi? Award every year since 2020 – and they're at their best price in months

It's official: wired earbuds are not only back, but stylish and cool once again.

The latest Gen Z trend for "retro" technology has seen wired earphones become the new vinyl, with younger generations sporting Apple's wired EarPods in particular.

If you have more of a budget, however, we've found a deal on some wired earbuds we recommend a lot more. Our favourite wired earbuds to be precise: the Shure Aonic 3, now £167 at Amazon.

This might not look like much of a deal, considering we reviewed the buds at £179. But the Aonic 3 has seemingly had a price increase since our review, with Shure now listing the standard RRP as £225 on its website.

As What Hi-Fi?'s resident deals writer, I can attest that this is the cheapest I've seen the Aonic 3 in months, with the brilliant buds usually listing for north of the £200 mark.

What Hi-Fi? Award Winner

Save 7%

Shure Aonic 3: was £179 now £167 at Amazon

This might not look like much of a deal, but the Shure Aonic 3 has gone up in price since our review and often retails for £200+. So trust us when we say this is a bargain on one of the best wired earbuds around – the Aonic 3 has won a What Hi-Fi? Award every year since 2020 for their superb dynamics and musicality.

View Deal

For those concerned about the relative age of the Shure Aonic 3, have no fear. We put the wired earbuds through their paces once again for our latest Awards season, and found the Aonic 3 still held up as one of the best wired earbuds overall, winning yet another What Hi-Fi? Award as the best wired in-ear headphones over £100.

In short, any in-ear headphone fan who prioritises sound quality and wants a wired connection should have the Shure Aonic 3 on their radar.

Even testing with Radiohead’s notoriously difficult 15 Step, the Aonic 3 refuses to trip up.

"Even if the track isn’t necessarily your cup of tea, the Aonic 3 make it a delight to listen to," the Shure Aonic 3 review reads.

"There’s no sense of confusion, no jumbling of elements. These in-ears separate strands and knit them together in one glorious musical tapestry. The sense of rhythm and timing needs to be heard to be believed."

The buds are also pros at handling dynamics and detail, with superb musical reproduction that few can rival.

The Aonic 3 look like your classic in-ear monitors design-wise, with simple yet effective in-line controls for playback and volume. There's a whopping nine different eartips to choose from to optimise isolation and comfort, and a carry case and 3.5mm to 6.3mm headphone adapter are included too.

If you're after wired earbuds that excel in sound quality, it's hard not to recommend the Shure Aonic 3. We're struggling to think of a pair of in-ear headphones at this level that come close to the Aonic 3's transparency, detail, dynamics and musicality, and they're on sale now for £167 at Amazon.

MORE:

Looking for more choice? Here are the best wired earbuds you can buy

Grab a bargain with the best headphones deals