Our Verdict
The NRG 3.0 are decently versatile headphones. They isolate well despite only being passive headphones and they're also easy to carry around on your person thanks to their small size. They have a moderately sturdy build quality and an above-average control scheme, unfortunately, they have a poor sound that's not ideal for critical listeners.
- Portable and stable design.
- Good noise isolation.
- Minimal leakage.
- Sub-par sound quality.
- In-ear fit not always comfortable.
Mediocre-at-best for neutral listening. They have a slightly bass-heavy reproduction that sounds muddy and boomy. That and the lacking treble range gives these headphones a dark audio reproduction that drowns the detail of instruments and vocals on most tracks. They also have a poor Soundstage due to their closed back in-ear design.
Above-average for commuting. They're lightweight, ultra portable headphones that passively block a good amount of noise. They won't be the best in very loud environments but they can handle the level of noise of a busy commute.
Above-average for sports use. They have a stable in-ear fit, which won't easily fall out of your ears when running or jogging. They're also easy to carry around on your person or in your bag.
Above-average for office use. They prevent a fair bit of noise from entering your audio. They also barely leak so they won't distract your colleagues in quieter environments.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Oct 02, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
See our recommendations for the best headphone brands, the best earbuds under $50, and the best cheap earbuds.
The Betron YSM1000 and Symphonized NRG 3.0 are very similar headphones and perform quite similarly. They have a similar in-ear fit, but the Symphonized have more tip options. They also have better isolation performance and practically don’t leak at all. On the other hand, the Betron have a better in-line remote that feels more responsive, have a better microphone, and they have slightly less overemphasized bass.
The KZ ZSN are better headphones than the Symphonized NRG 3.0. They have a more comfortable fit, are better-built, and have a noticeably better sound quality. On the other hand, the NRG 3.0 have more lightweight and their in-ear fit has better isolation performance. They also have a microphone that our model of the KZ ZSN doesn’t have, but there is a model variant with one. Overall, the KZ ZSN should be a better choice for music, but the NRG 3.0 could be a better option for everyday casual use.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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