Short answer: the ND Planet, though neither ranks well in its class. It ranks #1062 of 1291 in-ear headphones by sound quality, rated 2.7/5, at $20.99; the Apple EarPods ranks #1135, rated 2.2/5, at $19. With prices this close, go by the sound-quality ranking rather than the cost. Both are rated below 3.0/5 among the 1291 in-ear headphones; for better sound, the EPZ G10 ranks #16 at $23.74.
The ND Planet is the better-sounding option. Bass is lifted about 3 dB with extension to 20 Hz, giving kick drums and bass lines extra weight. The tradeoff: Presence sits about 3.9 dB low with a 13 dB dip near 11.9 kHz, so vocals and instruments lose some bite.
Why pick the Apple EarPods: A simple wired earphone with a built-in microphone, so there is no battery to charge and no pairing to manage. The tradeoff: Sub-bass falls away below 40 Hz, landing about 8 dB under target at 30 Hz, so the deepest synth and kick drum notes lose their rumble.
Buy the ND Planet. It is rated higher for sound quality, and saving $1.99 with the Apple EarPods does not make up for the sound-quality gap.
Looking for alternatives? See the complete Headphones rankings.
Bass is lifted about 3 dB with extension to 20 Hz, giving kick drums and bass lines extra weight.
Amazon $20.99 eBay
A simple wired earphone with a built-in microphone, so there is no battery to charge and no pairing to manage.
Amazon $19.00 eBayPrices on this page were last checked October 16, 2026 at 5:46 PM UTC. Product prices and availability are accurate as of that date/time and are subject to change; the price and availability shown on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
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Specifications Side By Side
| ND Planet | Apple EarPods | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $20.99 | $19.00 |
| Ranked | #1062 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones | #1135 of 1291 in In-Ear Headphones |
| Form Factor | In-ear | In-ear |
| Back | Closed | Closed |
| Connection | Wired | Wired |
| Driver Type | Dynamic | - |
| Drivers | 1 x 12mm dynamic | - |
| Impedance | 32 ohms | - |
| Harman Preference Score | 58 (median of 12 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) | 51 (median of 3 squig.link measurements, calibrated to AutoEQ) |
| Deviation From Target | 2.85 dB standard deviation | 4.17 dB standard deviation |
| Tonal Tilt | -1.23 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) | -0.22 (negative is warmer, positive brighter) |
| Sub-bass Extension | Within 6 dB of target down to 20 Hz (+1.7 dB at 30 Hz) | Falls 6 dB below target at 40 Hz (-8.4 dB at 30 Hz) |
| Built-in Microphone | - | Yes |
Frequency Response Compared
Both headphones’ measurements overlaid on the Harman target. Above the target sounds louder in that range, below it quieter. Each curve is the median of several independent measurements, shifted so its 500 Hz to 2 kHz average sits at 0 dB, so only the tuning is compared.
Measurement data: the ND Planet from aftersound, audioamigo, doltonius, ducbloke, eplv, hbb, jaytiss, practiphile, pw, sl0the, soundcheck39, tdl, theaudiostore, tonedeafmonk and treblewellxtended; the Apple EarPods from dchpgall, lown-fi and yoshiultra, all via squig.link.
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