Up on the review block today I’ve got a set of earbus, but not just any, these are from Wicked Audio. They’ve sent me one of their new line called Wicked Empire which come in different styles, I received the Knight version which has a silver cross on each earbud. These retail for about $30, and I wasn’t expecting much in terms of sound quality, but they truly surprised me, they sound very good, they offer a nice balanced, clear sound for much less than you’d expect them to cost.

Wicked Empire – Knight

Model: WE-8801

The Wicked Empire line is top notch and punk-inspired, offering a multitude of designs including a skull, eight ball, ace of spades, star and knight symbol.

Each earbud within the Wicked Audio line is constructed with high-quality materials and finished with vibrant colors. The earbuds feature maximum noise isolation, which inhibits ambient noise, ensuring pure sound quality. Each tip is gold-plated to prevent damage and corrosion, and each cord measures 1.2 meters long for maximum flexibility.

MSRP: $34.99

Specs:

Driver – 10 mm

Impedance – 16 ohm

Frequency – 20-20,000 Hz

Cord Length – 1.2 Meters

Plug Material – Gold Plated

Price: $23.57 (from Amazon at time of review)

The earbuds come in an an attractive little box with a window so you can see the design, inside you’ll find a plastic box as well:

Once unpacked you’ll find a brief manual, the earbuds and two extra sets of buds in different sizes.

The Wicked Audio earbuds come in different styles, I got the Knight style for review, they feature a silver cross on the back of them.

On the side you’ll find the Wicked Audio logo:

Here’s a closer look at the speakers and then with the cover off:

So I used these earbuds with my Zune and I found them to be fairly decent honestly in terms of sound reproduction.

I was outside for a few hours doing yard work the other day and I took my Zune with me and these earbuds, I live on a main avenue which means it’s busy with traffic, and these earbuds did a very good job at keeping ambient noise out. I didn’t have to turn the volume up very high either to compensate for outside noise like you have to with other earphones.

They’re not perfect, but they’re decent really. The bass is not overly emphasized, and the treble seems where it should be. I listened to a lot of different kinds of music and it all sounded very good, nice and full, with nothing over-emphasized.

The sound though is clear, and there’s no line noise either. What I mean by that is that with some earbuds when you move the cords you can hear it in the speakers, with these it’s very minimal to nothing really.

The fit seemed fine to me, though they did fall out of my ears a couple times, but I think that had to do with the fact that I ran the cord up my back under my shirt and I was sweating a bit while outside. They seem to fit fine though, but the cords are rubbery and will catch on your skin, so I wouldn’t recommend running them up your shirt on bare skin. I didn’t have to change the earbuds either, the ones that came with it fit my ears fine, but it’s nice to have the option if need be.

The only issue I might have with these earbuds is the cords, they’re thin and they feel delicate.

Conclusion:

The Wicked Audio earbuds look great and they offer a nice balanced sound, with nothing over-emphasized. They’re truly a decent set of earbuds.

If you consider the very low price these are selling for then I can say these are a great deal really.

Pros:

+Inexpensive

+Decent sound

+Available in different styles

+Blocks noise fairly well

+Comes with different sized earbuds

Cons:

-Cords seem a bit thin