This story is part of Amazon Prime Day, CNET’s guide to everything you need to know and how to find the best deals.
I have — and like — the AirPods Pro, which are currently on sale for Prime Day close to their all-time low price. I know their automated switching between Macs and iPhones can sometimes drive users up the wall, but it works pretty well for me. And their noise-canceling prowess and superior transparency mode remain top-notch, even though the product is almost 3 years old (rumors suggest an AirPods Pro 2 model may come out this year). But when I’m not working — or not on a plane — I spend a lot of my time with a set of $22 no-name earbuds: the NyPots E90 Plus.
Never heard of the NyPots brand, you say? I can’t blame you. But that’s because these headphones started life as the Enacfire E90, pictured above. That model originally lived near the top of CNET’s list of the best cheap true-wireless earbuds, though it disappeared from Amazon’s listings during the retailer’s 2021 purge of brands with questionable user reviews. But — as is increasingly standard operating procedure for many China-based manufacturers — the product returned under a new brand name soon after. Thus, NyPots. (Want to pay $8 more for what appears to be the same product? Check out the MyGirl E90 earbuds instead.)
But there’s the thing: For about $22, these are pretty fantastic wireless earbuds. No, they’re not better than AirPods, but I actually find them to be more comfortable. They’re incredibly lightweight. And while they don’t sport active noise cancellation or a transparency mode, I get a nice tight seal with the included ear tips, so they do a good job of blocking out external noise. Sound quality is perfectly decent, with more low end than you’d have any right to expect from earbuds at this price. I like the “tap to pause” touch control, as I often use these for listening to podcasts. The case charges via USB-C or Qi wireless, and the buds are supposedly IPX8 water-resistant, though I’ve never put them to the test.
Now, I generally don’t make calls on these headphones (that’s when I’ll defer back to the AirPods), so I can’t really speak to call quality. And we’ve seen these buds cost a smidge less than their current $21.60 (with 10% off coupon checked), so I can’t say the Prime Day offering is their best all-time price. But since I just misplaced my previous set last week, I’ll happily be buying another pair this week. You might want to, too.
