Auvio 3300271 Earbuds, Pearl Buds Review

The quest for an equivalent pair of earbud accessories, to Apple’s stock iPod buds continues, with this examination of the Auvio 3300271 earbuds Pearl buds.

In this Auvio® earbuds review. we compared these two earphones, side-by-side, on the same music, starting first with the Auvios.

The first impression of the 3300271 Pearl Buds, was that they sounded pretty good; notably more full and less harsh than the Auvio® 3300465 Stereo Earbuds reviewed here. Surprising that the Pearl Buds sounded better than the 3300465 buds, because they’re a few dollars cheaper, at roughly $10 per copy.

But when we donned the Apple stock earbuds and listened to the music again, it became clear that though these pearls have an over all fuller frequency response than the more costly Auvio 3300271 earbuds with the carrying case, they still com up short when compared with Apple’s. While the Pearl Buds indeed get you closer to Apple quality, by producing a basically flat and low-distortion reproduction of most musical recordings, and which is of significantly higher quality than the more expensive Auvio® 3300465 buds, they are still by no means equivalent.

Apple certainly set the performance standards for earbuds, and though these Auvio 3300271 earbuds are perhaps the best buy in light-weight earphones, they are still sorely lacking in true high fidelity. While a purist might better stomach how these Pearl Buds perform than how the Auvio® stereo buds sound, she’d still immediately hear that important high fidelity elements are missing.

But for a $10 earphone, the Auvio 3300271 earbuds sound the best of any we’ve examined. So we recommend them to any novice listener, and / or children, and suggest that an audiophile give them a spin, but only if he’s near-broke. The search for an Apple-like set of ear buds continues.

Auvio 3300271 Earbuds Benefits, Features, Advantages, and Pros

In-Ear Design

These Pearl Buds insert all the way into the ear canal (in ear), which makes them somewhat more invasive than the Apple stock buds, but nonetheless, pretty comfortable once you get them positioned properly.

Extra, Multiple Size Extra Ear Cushions

A couple sets of additional and different sized bud pads in the Auvio 3300271 earbuds package are included to fit large and small ears, if the pre-installed ones do not fit well. The bigger ones supplied with this set worked best for us.

Comfortable Fit and Light Weight

Reliable Gold Plated Plug on the Auvio 3300271 Earbuds

They feature a gold-plated 3.5mm stereo connector; surprising, given the cheap price.

Complete Instruction Manual

The included instructions feature procedures on how to change the ear pad tips, emphasizing that a properly sized tip is important for achieving the best sound.

Noise Isolating for Truly Private Jamming

In-ear design (canal buds) works pretty well to fence out ambient surrounding noises while listening. It also keeps the music in. Even at full volume, outside these earbuds, the sound is barely discernible. We found the reduction of outside noise intrusion into our listening experience quite adequate here.

Enhanced Bass

The instructions claim that an enhanced bass response is provided. Well, that’s true, but only when you properly position the pearls in your ear. To get that level of bass, the buds must be inserted all the way into the ear canal, such that the front of the ear port touches the eardrum.

Warranty Against Defects Supplied with the Auvio 3300271 Earbuds

A limited ninety (90) day warranty is provided.

Great Mid Range Frequency Response

While the lowest of the low frequencies and the highest of the highs sound rolled off, the mid range sounds are the most faithfully reproduced here. Speech sounds awesome in this Auvio 3300271 earbuds set. Indeed, hough a bit limited in fidelity, music sounds pretty nice too.

Little Observable Harmonic Distortion

Sonic coloration was not noticeable here, except for the absence of the very high and very low audio frequencies. No harshness or unusual resonances that I could discern.

Less Microphonics

Lower microphonics with this set, as the audio cable is round and more flexible, and so, transmits less vibration into the ear due to mechanical shocks, rubs, and touches, to the audio cable.

Choice of Auvio 3300271 Earbuds Colors

A variety of colors are available. We have the purple reign color.

Marked Stereo Ear Speakers

They mark the left and right earpieces with L and R letters respectively, found at the bottom of the ear stem, where the cord enters the bud. They’re pretty easy to find, thus, and read.

Faithfully Handle Higher Volume Levels

More than adequate volume levels of clipping-free audio..

Cord is Plenty Long

Just over four feet of cord; enough length for most applications for which this earphone unit is designed.

Auvio 3300271 Earbuds Disadvantages, Problems, Limitations, and Cons

Limited Comfort

Though these Pearl Buds from Auvio® are shorter, front to back, and smaller over all than other comparably priced buds, they still protrude from the ear, even when fully inserted. So they’re not comfortable to lay on, with one ear to the pillow.

No Carrying Case

Not Enough Grip for Removal from Ears

Hard to remove the Auvio 3300271 earbuds once you’ve gotten them firmly positioned in your ear. Unlike the Apple stock phones, which have a rigid stem for guiding the cable out of the bottom of the ear, these earbuds have no stem to grab. So you’re stuck either yanking on the cord itself to get them out, or grabbing the round, pearl-like body of the speaker, which can be difficult.

The Auvio 3300271 Earbuds Need Better Strain Relief

Little if any strain relief for the cords as the enter the speakers is provided. But the 3.5mm plug has much more. So avoid pulling or jerking the buds from your ears, as without strain relief, the electrical connection at that point may quickly fail.

Missing Harmonic Distortion Figures

Harmonic distortion figures with these Pearl Buds would help to more easily determine the probably sound characteristics of these earphones. For sanitary reasons, you can’t try earbuds out without buying them, nor ethically return them once you do buy them but discover they’re not to your liking.

Low but Still Noticeable Microphonics

While microphonics are indeed low here, they are nonetheless noticeable. These noises get loud in this set, particularly if the cord is held tot; like two cans and a string. To minimize microphonics, allow the cord to loosely dangle, and avoid handling it while listening.

No Microphone

These Auvio 3300271 Earbuds have Weak High Treble

The Auvio 3300271 earbuds definitely failed to well-reproduce the highs in Madonna’s Material Girl song; a favorite that we’ve doubtlessly listened to a couple hundred times over the years. Knowing how that song is supposed to sound, really underscores that with this Auvio® Electronics earphone set, it definitely does not sound as it should.

Hard to Change Ear Pads

Difficult to swap out the tips for the larger or smaller pair provided. The inner shaft of the tips is not rigid enough to hold its shape as you press the ear port into it. So it frequently flops over and bends, and then you have to start over. It took several minutes to replace the tips, though we grew more efficient at it, the more we practiced.

Asymmetrical Earbud Construction

The buds are not identical. So for the best fit, you must put the earphone designed for the left ear, into your left ear, and the right into the right.

Ear Speakers not Clearly Marked Left and Right

Hard to know which is which however, as the ear speakers are not clearly marked L and R. Indeed they are marked, but the letters are quite small, located on the tube that guides the cord out of each speaker.

Auvio 3300271 Earbuds Specifications

Frequency response: 22 – 19,000 Hz.
Sensitivity: 96 DB, plus or minus 5 DB.
impedence: 16 ohms.
RoHS compliant.

Our Rating for the Auvio 3300271 Earbuds

For a $10 pair of ear buds, the Auvio 3300271 earbuds are over all, a decent buy. While their audio and physical deficiencies are obvious to anyone but the most novice listener, we do not expect perfection in earphones at ths price. We like them for what they cost, since they approach high fidelity for a reasonable and affordable price. So we rate them at 85 out of 100.

Where to Buy the Auvio 3300271 Earbuds

We bought ours at a local Radio Shack store. But they may also be found on Amazon and eBay, Look for them in the clear plastic heat-sealed box with blue insert cards inside.

References for this Auvio 3300271 Earbuds Review

Apple Earbuds on Wikipedia
Auvio® at Radio Shack
In Ear Headphones on Wikipedia
Where to buy the Auvio® 3300271 Pearl Buds

Revision History

2019-03-07: Added key phrase targeting, changed the title, and added subheadings.
2017-01-19: Changed this post’s title to: Auvio® Earbuds, Pearl Buds 3300271 Review, and updated tag targeting accordingly.
2015-12-04: Added appropriate tags.
2014-12-18: Revised content, added whitespace, and adjusted ad placement.
2014-11-17: Added where-to-buy entry to References section.
2012-09-27: Originally published this piece.