YuanDao Flathead Earbuds: First Thoughts

I don’t know when the “YuanDao” meme blew up, but by the time I noticed, it was everywhere.

What is “YuanDao”? A flathead earbud that ships for 9.9 with free shipping (sometimes even less). I was already familiar with this kind of product, because back in the day it wasn’t called “YuanDao” but something like “Diving Expert,” so at first I figured it was just a “budget Diving Expert.” Later, as the YuanDao meme took off, my curiosity about it grew a bit:

Is this thing really that amazing?

Plenty of people, I’m sure, ended up trying YuanDao the same way I did — by accident.

I got my hands on YuanDao a month ago. The price was great — 9.9 with free shipping, I think, and they knocked 4 yuan off, so it cost me less than 6.

I’ve been listening to these earbuds on and off for about a month. Not that many times, honestly, but not few either. Quick impressions:

The build quality of the YuanDao earbuds isn’t worth dwelling on — it’s that old “Sennheiser MX500” shell, and I’d say it’s not even as nicely made as the original was. Price is what it is. The “Sennheiser MX500” was my gateway earbud back in the day — the first time I understood what “deep, reaching bass” meant. It was also the most counterfeited earbud of its era. Counterfeited to what degree? To the degree that even the so-called “genuine MX500” I was using back then — I can’t guarantee it was actually genuine. Even though I already thought it sounded good.

Maybe because there were so many fakes back then, and the production lines were mature, YuanDao just picked it up. Saves on costs, after all.

Another one I liked back then was the Sennheiser MX400. No idea why nobody bothered counterfeiting that one. Anyway, let’s get to the point and talk about sound.

But trying to say much about the sound of these earbuds really puts me in a bind. They have no character to speak of — really, it’s just sub-100-yuan quality. No distortion, highs are passable, lows are very weak unless you put on that cheap foam cover, which gets you roughly acceptable bass but looks ugly. As for fit, I’ve been using in-ears for a long time, and I really don’t like this flathead style — always feels like it’s about to fall out…

On sound alone, these earbuds could sell for 100 yuan. With nicer packaging and some brand markup, 199 wouldn’t be out of the question. But on looks and packaging alone as they are now — crude as hell — 9.9 isn’t some incredible deal either. Call it “just right for what it costs.”

As for why so many people hype up “YuanDao,” I think it’s because it costs only 9.9 and delivers most of what a 100-yuan earbud offers. Ten yuan for ten times the value — that’s a steal, sure. But think about it: do we really need to spend 9.9 to get 100-yuan sound? Especially when we’re giving up fit and build quality to do it…

There’s a saying from “Smzdm” (What’s Worth Buying) that goes:

When you need something and it’s expensive, just buy it.

When you see something super cheap that you don’t really need, don’t buy it.

I think most people who buy “YuanDao” go in with the “it’s under 10 yuan, what’s the worst that could happen” mindset, use it a couple of times, and then it sits in a drawer collecting dust. And that exact mindset is what made YuanDao’s sales what they are.

Put simply, my take on “YuanDao” is simple too:

For a 9.9 product, it delivers roughly 150-yuan sound. But for someone who seriously wants to listen to music, 150-yuan sound obviously isn’t enough — and the build, quality, fit, and even the looks of the 9.9 YuanDao are all bare-bones. If you’re genuinely broke, or you just need a cheap pair of earbuds to “make some noise,” then YuanDao might be a decent choice. If you’re willing to pay for something over 200 yuan, or you have “even the slightest bit of standards” about sound quality, then don’t waste the 9.9.

Ah, speaking of which, I’ve still got an unopened “Qian 25” lying around somewhere. I’ve completely forgotten when I bought it.