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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Compared To Other Headphones
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.
Test Results
The Symphonized NRG 3.0 have a simple and straightforward in-ear design with wooden earbuds that give them a bit more flare. They have a decently rubberized cable with a two-tone color scheme that makes them stand out. However, they don't look or feel particularly premium.
The NRG 3.0 have a typical in-ear fit, which may not be comfortable for everyone. They come with several tips of varying sizes but no foam ones for a more comfortable fit. On the upside, the tip material is quite flexible, and if you're used to in-ear models, these headphones shouldn't feel any different.
The buttons on the in-line remote provide good tactile feedback and are fairly easy to use. They offer call/music, track skipping, and volume control but they're a bit small. However, they're sufficiently well spaced out and shouldn't be too difficult to use in most situations.
Like most in-ear models, these headphones are highly portable. They will easily fit into your bag or pockets. If you're often out and about and need to carry your headphones on your person, the NRG 3.0 shouldn't be much of a hassle. However, they only come with a pouch which is portable but doesn't protect the headphones much.
Comes with a simple pouch that will protect the headphones from getting tangled with other things in your pocket or bag but will not protect them against impacts or water damage.
The NRG 3.0 feel decently durable. The cables are moderately thick and rubberized. The in-line control module is also well put together and feels relatively dense and the wooden ear buds won't break easily even after multiple drops. However, since the earbuds dont have a uni-body design some parts may become loose after extended use. The cable is also not detachable like some of the more expensive in-ear models. For better-built in-ears, take a look at the KZ AS-10, ZS-10 or ZSN models.
These headphones are decently stable for running. The in-ear fit buries the ear buds relatively deep within the ear canal and the tips are flexible enough to conform to the shape of your ears. This makes them relatively hard to dislodge during casual listening sessions. They're sufficiently stable to jog with, but lack stability tips so a sharp tug on the audio cable will quickly pull the buds out of your ears. They're decent for sports but might not be the best under strenuous exercise conditions.
Excellent frequency response consistency. If the user is able to achieve a proper seal and fit using the variety of tips that comes with the NRG 3.0, then they should be able to achieve consistent performance each time.
Mediocre Bass Range performance. The response is relatively flat, but consistently over our target by more than 5dB. This makes the sound of these headphones noticeably bass-heavy. Also, the additional bump in high-bass adds boominess to the Bass Range.
Good Mid Range performance. Low-mid shows about 3dB overemphasis which is the continuation of the high-bass bump. Hyped low-mid tends to add a muddy quality to the sound. Mid and high-mid are recessed by a couple of dBs, pushing vocals/leads slightly to the back of the mix.
Poor Treble Range performance. Low-treble is underemphasized by more than 5dB, negatively affecting the detail and presence of vocals/leads. Treble and high-treble are both rather inconsistent and underemphasized, adding to the dark and bass-heavy sound of these headphones.
Good Isolation. These headphones don't have active noise cancellation and isolate by plugging the ear canal. In the Bass Range they achieve 5dB of reduction which is followed by 19dB of reduction in the Mid and more than 40dB of reduction in the Treble Ranges.
Excellent Leakage performance. The NRG 3.0 has one of the quietest leakages we have measured so far. The do not leak in the Bass and Mid ranges, and their Treble range leakage will be very quiet.
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