By Stephanie Gwee, a freelance writer

HEADS up, wallet-conscious sound surfers.

Your pleas for affordable yet high-quality earbuds have been heard.

With SonicGear's EarPump 2 earphones now on the shelves, scoring a decent set of sound-isolating buds does not mean having to first secure a private loan.

This gem is not only friendly on the wallet, but also a head-turner.

It is slathered in shades such as red, yellow and lime.

The moment I pushed the silicon earbuds into my auditory canals, however, it was clear the earphones were designed for casual listeners.

Like many other earphones in the market, the EarPump must be squeezed into the ear for external sounds to be cut off.

I believe few like that feeling. Even with the buds jammed deep inside my ear canal, though, I could still hear my mum nagging me about my hefty credit card bills.

Another gripe: the L and R markings on the earbuds were so small, I had to put them millimetres away from my astigmatism-cursed eyes to make out the lettering.

The EarPump has 15mm drivers meant for boosting bass, which will please finicky sound buffs.

When I pumped some Hed Kandi house music through the headphones, the bass was crisp and clear.

The "thumping" quality was obvious with the volume turned up.

That said, the vocals sounded rather weak and lacked muscle.

Jazz tunes and soft ballads were hollow and lacked punch.

If there is one thing to be applauded about the EarPump, it is that it remained firmly attached to my earlobes even when I was running vigorously on the treadmill.

Final say

Stuck with a shoestring budget but still need booming bass from your earbuds? Look no further than these EarPump 2 earphones.

This story was first published in The Straits Times Digital Life.

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