AGPTEK Sleep Earbuds Review (Isolation and Durability Tips)

AGPTEK sleep earbuds review

AGPTEK sleep earbuds are wired micro earphones with interchangeable ear tips.

They are so small that I can insert them almost completely in my ear, allowing me to sleep comfortably on the side without ear pressure.

Also, the sound of the earbuds doesn’t change when I hit the pillow.

Apart from sleeping, these are also good for exercising and using them underneath noise reduction earmuffs.

Design and suitability for sleeping

The housing of the AGPTEK sleep earbuds is tiny, 13.6 mm in length and 7.3 mm in diameter.

AGPTEK-black-earbuds-housing

I can hide them in my ears. If it wasn’t for the wires, you wouldn’t know I am wearing them.

AGPTEK-sleep-earbuds-in-ear

Note: You don’t have to lead the wires over your ear. I just did this to get them out of the way for the photo.

One main advantage these micro buds have over many other sleep buds is that the ear tips are interchangeable. They come with silicone ear tips in sizes S, M, L.

black-model-eartip-selection

For me, the ear tips are on the smaller side, so I ended up using third party tips for better noise isolation and bass. Your ears may be smaller, so I recommend you try the standard tips first.

(For more on this, see the section noise isolation below.)

There are actually two different sleep earbuds sold by AGPTEK, black ones and silver ones, and both work well for sleeping.

This review focuses more on the black model, but since both are available and good, I will contrast and compare.

I had the silver AGPTEK earbuds first. They are even a tiny bit shorter (11.8 x 7.3 mm) than the black model and work almost as well for sleeping. They also sound as good as the black ones.

However, the black earbuds have rounded edges and a slightly smaller nozzle, making them more comfortable in my ears.

black-vs-silver-AGPTEK-housing

And when it comes to sleeping, I take any bit of extra comfort I can get.

Also, the wire of the black model is reinforced outside the earbuds.

The main advantage of the silver AGPTEK is that they comes with more different-sized ear tips, and the largest size tips fit my ear better.

In essence both are good, but for sleeping, I would try the black model with the rounded edges first.

For daytime use either one is fine.

Tweaking them so you don’t have to pull on the wires

Now, because these earbuds go completely in my ears, I have to pull on the wires to remove them.

Over time, I am afraid, the wires might snap.

To prevent this, I have tied a small piece of thin sewing thread around each nozzle (see image above), so that I can pull on that instead.

To remove the earbuds I pull up my ear (this makes the ear canal a bit wider) and carefully pull on the thread, wiggling them out of my ear.

Noise isolation

To get any noticeable noise reduction with earbuds, the ear tips need to seal properly.

For me, the largest silicone ear tips that came with the black AGPTEK were too small, so I put on the larger tips from the silver model.

However, if your ear canal is smaller than mine, one of the standard ear tips may work just fine.

With fitting silicone ear tips, the AGPTEK are very decent at reducing noise.

I got on average 14 dB for low frequency noise (40 – 250 Hz), 17 dB for the mids (500 – 2000 Hz), and 19 dB for high frequency noise (3150 – 8000 Hz).

What does this mean? These earbuds significantly turn down the volume of environmental noise, and some intermittent sounds will disappear.

If you additionally play a sleep sound (e.g., a waterfall sound) at a moderate volume, this could work against a snorer in an adjacent room or a dog barking at a distance.

It is likely not going to be enough against a snorer in the same bed, someone stomping in an upstairs apartment, or a dog in an adjacent room, unless you play loud white noise (too loud for me).

For comparison, I also tried these earbuds with Comply foam isolation tips (not included).

third party tips Comply foam isolation series

Note: The foam tips in the picture are large size. I already had these. They also come in a multi-size pack (S,M,L) to help users find the size that fits best.

AGPTek-sleep-earbuds-with-comply-foam

And, they worked quite a bit better against environmental noise.

With Comply tips, noise isolation, in particular against mid and high frequency noise, improved substantially; there was a drop in low frequency noise reduction, but I only noticed that during a detailed noise reduction test.

I got on average 10 dB for low frequency noise (40 – 250 Hz), 21 dB for the mids (500 – 2000 Hz), and 27 dB for high frequency noise (3150 – 8000 Hz) with these ear tips.

Here are the test results (for my ears) in a more detailed noise reduction table:

Noise reduction by frequency AGPTek sleep earbuds with Comply

Overall, Comply foam tips work better against everyday noises such as honking, barking, chatter, and crickets and birds.

Other advantages of using foam tips with these earbuds:

  • They are somewhat softer.
  • I get no impact sounds when walking. This makes them much better for exercising.
  • I don’t hear my own heart beat with these foam tips, but with the silicone tips I occasionally do.

The one disadvantage is that the Comply tips come off more easily from the nozzle. Occasionally, they remained in my ear. I didn’t have a problem removing them and putting them back on though.

Also, foam tips need to be replaced more often than silicone.

To be clear, I would try the standard tips that come with the earbuds first. They may be all you need.

But if you can’t get a good seal with them or want more noise reduction, you have options: try foam.

Note: Even with foam tips they are not as effective as good foam or wax earplugs, in particular against low frequency noise.

Sound quality

I am getting a good, punchy bass with these earbuds, regardless of whether I use silicone or third-party foam tips, provided the tips seal my ear.

If I select ear tips that are too small, I get no bass, so a good seal is paramount.

These buds have a good bass extension (I tested down to 20 Hz), and the treble is detailed. The mids are somewhat recessed, so singers appear a bit quieter.

With Comply foam tips, bass is more emphasized but still good. Higher treble appears somewhat rolled off, so they are not as detailed.

Overall, they sound a bit darker but I still like the sound with foam.

For the money, these sleep earbuds sound really nice. They are good easy-listening earbuds.

Moreover, they also work well with white noise apps. Thanks to their good bass extension, they can be used to mask a large variety of disturbing environmental noises.

Conclusion

The AGPTEK sleep earbuds are good-sounding budget earphones.  They work well for me even for side sleeping.

If you don’t get any bass or they sound tinny, chances are you are not getting a good seal.

But, you can change the ear tips on these and tweak them to improve both noise isolation and sound.

If you need an alternative to the standard ear tips: in particular with Comply foam tips, these earbuds do a good job at reducing noise, making them a comfortable earplug alternative with sound.

Playing white noise, ASMR tracks, or other soothing sounds helps to block more noise and fall asleep.

A while ago, I wrote a comparative review of headphones and earphones for sleeping. Take a look at that article for alternatives.

In particular, if you have a very small ear canal, rubberized micro earbuds and sleep headbands could work better.

On a different note, these AGPTEK earbuds are also a good option if you are looking for earphones to wear underneath noise reduction earmuffs.

When you wear earmuffs, the shape of the ear canal changes; as a consequence larger earbuds can become uncomfortable. Micro buds like these work much better.

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