Verdict

Pros

• Affordable
• Comfortable
• Beefy sound

Cons

• Very picky about positioning

MEElectronics is an almost-unknown brand here in the UK, but it offers a wide range of IEM earphones and headphones, including ones hewn from wood and ceramics. The MEElectronics HT-21 heaphones are more conventional, with an on-the-ear design made from plastic, metal and, everyone’s favourite, pleather.

Using a supra-aural design and on sale for £19.99, these headphones are in direct competition with several all-time classic headphones including the Sennheiser PX100 and Koss Porta Pro. Unlike both these pairs though, this MEElectronics pair uses pleather (“plastic leather”) coated pads instead of simple foam ones.

These pads are notorious for causing your ears to heat up uncomfortably and sticking to your skin, but the highly-textured surface of these pads seemed to keep this effect to a minimum. We even had to check with MEElectronics itself whether these pads were coated in plastic or leather, although expecting leather at this price point was a tad optimistic.

This pleather is also used to cover the part of the headband that rests on the top of your head, along with a thin piece of foam underneath, for comfort. They’re lightweight enough to be comfortable to wear for hours on end, but if warm environments like a tube train are going to be your main listening environments, you may not appreciate the effects of those pleather pads.

The on-the-ear design of the MEElectronics HT-21s helps to cut out some ambient noise, more so than an equivalent supra-aural foam pair like the PX100, but they don’t cut you off from the outside world. Use them in the office at low volume and you’ll still be able to hear your co-workers talk about the latest goings-on in Albert Square. Use them on the tube and you’ll still hear its signature cacophonous rumble. For better isolation, look for an over-the-ears pair – although the best isolation will come from a set of IEM earphones.

The HT-21s don’t want to be left at home though. They fold up, just above each speaker housing into a reasonably compact package, although there’s no hinge on the headband to further minimise the space they take up. The package comes with a bundled drawstring bag, although made from crummy textured plastic it’s a cheap addition that shouldn’t figure in your buying decision.

Build quality of the headphones themselves is much better. The hinges of the folding mechanism are sturdy and the cable is thicker than average at this price. The MEElectronics logo that features on each of the cups makes these headphones look less sleek than price rivals, but they’re just as solid.

The MEElectronics HT-21s have a balanced, warm, middly sound that’s forward, making vocals and guitars sound as if they’re close to your ears. By contrast, headphones with scooped-out mids leave instruments sounding as if they’re further away.

Bass is well-mannered for a headphone of this low price, only showing its hand when required. It doesn’t boom or dominate, but supplies enough of a beefy rumble to do justice even to dance and electro music.

Detail is also good, but high-end resolution is limited. The treble rolls off at the very top end, so vocals, cymbals and other high-register sounds don’t sparkle as much as they would with a set of brighter headphones.

String-led classical music suffers most from this sound signature – the violins of Bach’s Air from Ouverture No. 3 in D major don’t sound as sweet as they should, for example. Music requiring more punch sounds great though. The staccato guitars of Tool’s 2001 Lateralus album are insistently aggressive, while the bass line underneath is given plenty of weight without encroaching upon the other instruments, which would happen with a more bass-heavy set.

The powerful, balanced sound can muddle complicated arrangements, but for less than £30 the sound quality is excellent. How the headphones are placed on your ears is very important though.

If placed too far forward or back on your ears, the sound isolation, bass response and overall sonic balance are ruined – leaving the HT-21s sounding brittle, harsh and frankly horrible. We found them to be even pickier than many inner-ear earphones, which are similarly affected if the correct seal isn’t made with rubber or foam tips. Some experimentation is needed for the best results.

Once they’re at home on your ears though, the sound quality on offer is far greater than the price tag would suggest. They’re well-suited to rock and pop music that can make full use of its good bass response, as lighter or more refined music could do with a little more high-end fidelity. You’ll need to spend significantly more to get this leg up to the next level, as you won’t get this from the more bass-driven Sennheiser PX100 or Koss PortaPro, the closest on-ear alternatives. If your music collection isn’t all sweetness and light, with more serrated guitar riffs than sweet, serene violins, the MEElectronics HT-21 represent a bargain.

Verdict

The MEElectronics HT-21 on-ear headphones are very picky about how they’re placed on your ears, but get it right and they offer a detailed, powerful sound that’s easily merits the £20 price tag, and more. The materials used in its construction are the usual budget fare, but they’re robust enough to stand the trials of a morning commute.

Trusted Score