**Tech Under $30: A Surprising Collection of Affordable Gadgets**

As I embarked on this journey to explore tech under $30, I had low expectations. But what I found was a collection of surprisingly decent gadgets that will make you wonder if they're really worth it.

**1. ZTE Maven 2 - A $30 Smartphone with Android Marshmallow**

The first item on my list is the ZTE Maven 2, a smartphone that costs exactly $30. With Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 and an eight-gig storage capacity, this device might not be the most powerful out there, but it's definitely usable.

"I spent a little while with a $20 smartphone last year, and while it probably wasn't as good as this one, it was kind of usable," I recall. "It's definitely plasticy, although to be fair, it doesn't have the battery in it yet."

The screen is pretty decent, considering the price, and the build quality feels reasonably sturdy. While there's a lot of bloatware, I was surprised by how well the camera performed, even taking 720p videos.

**Is the Maven 2 worth $30?**

When you consider that this smartphone is one-fifth the price of a flagship model, it's hard to argue with its value. It might not be the fastest or most sexy device, but at the end of the day, it gets the job done.

**2. Roku Express - A $25 Streaming Box**

The next item on my list is the Roku Express, which costs about $5 less than a Chromecast. With a USB wall adapter and batteries included, this streaming box seems like a solid standalone experience.

Navigating through the interface is reasonably snappy, and I was impressed by how well it worked with the remote. While it's not the most exciting thing to watch, for $30, you're getting a pretty good deal.

**3. Mini Wired Controller for XBOX One and Windows**

Moving on to gaming peripherals, I came across a mini wired controller that costs under $20. With its compact design and decent build quality, this controller is perfect for casual gamers or those who want a backup option.

The tracking feels nice and responsive, and while it might be a bit small for some users, it's definitely worth considering for the price.

**4. Sony MDRVX110 - High-Quality Sound at $14**

Next up is the Sony MDRVX110, a pair of headphones that costs an astonishing $14. With its folding mechanism and decent build quality, these headphones might not be the most premium option out there, but they're definitely worth considering.

When paired with a headphone amp, these headphones sound surprisingly good, with clear highs and decent bass response. While it's not on par with high-end headphones, for $14, this is an absolute steal.

**5. A USB Cable and Some Really Terrible Headphones**

Finally, I have to mention the Doritos bag that doubles as a headphone amplifier. With its built-in headphone jack and terrible sound quality, this "innovation" might not be the most practical solution, but it's definitely a funny addition to this list.

When paired with some real music, these headphones still manage to surprise me with their decent sound quality, considering the price.

**Which One Would You Pick Up for $30?**

So, which one of these gadgets would you pick up for $30? Let me know in the comments below!

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Hey guys, this is Austin.So you've probably seen alot of tech under videosso all of the tech I'mgoing to take a look at,five items in total, cost less than $30.The twist is, I have no idea if any of itis remotely good.This is the ZTE Maven 2.How much was this?- $30.- $30 exactly, okay, all right.So this guy is rockingAndroid Marshmallow 6.0.1which is only like two years old,so not that bad, I guess.Eight gigs of storage,a five inch touchscreen,which actually looks like apretty decent size for $30.You know, it alwayssurprises me how much you canget for so cheap, especiallywhen it comes to smartphones.So last year, I spenta little while with a$20 smartphone and whileit probably was notas good as this, it was kind of usable.It's definitely plasticy,although to be fair,it doesn't have the battery in it yetso that might help a little bit.The first thing that jumps out to meis that the screen isactually pretty decent.So yes, it's definitely low resolution,it gets pretty bright, and that same thinggoes for the build quality.It's not perfect, itdefinitely is very plasticy,but it feels reasonably sturdy.Okay, yeah, that's a lot of bloatware.Get a shot of Savage Kenny.Oh wait, no wait, no, wegotta switch over to fun mode.Oh, it totally worked.So it will actually takethe picture when you smiled.That's actually kind of cool, all right.I'll give them that.Okay, it won't stop taking pictures of me.Okay, all right, so we're recording.This is the 720p video.Ken, you're lookingnot as savage as usual.(laughing)I'm done.So, is the Maven 2 worth $30?Yeah, when I saw a $30 smartphone,I had pretty low expectations.When you consider that this is1/20 the price of a flagship,and it does basically everything.Maybe it's not quite asfast or not quite as sexy,but at the end of theday, it's hard to arguewith a smartphone at this price.All right, so that actually wasn't bad.What do we have for item number two?(drumming)(laughing)The Roku Express?So for reference, this is about $5 cheaperthan a Chromecast.So we have the Expressitself, which kind oflooks like an IR receiver.We also have a USB walladapter, some batteries,and what you don't get with a Chromecastis an actual remote.This is actually a lot of stuff for $30.I will say that navigatingthrough the interfaceactually is reasonably snappy.It's a little bit of a differentthing than a Chromecastbecause that reallydoes rely on you castingthings from a phone ora computer or somethingwhereas this is more meantto be used with the remoteand as a proper streaming box.This totally works.So there's really not that much excitingabout the Roku Express,for $30, you are gettinga pretty solid standalone experience.Oh boy, the mini wired controllerfor XBOX One and Windows.To be fair, I have not useda third party controllerfor a console sincethe Playstation 2 days,but this just looks really cheap.Oh boy, that's some shiny plastic.(laughing)Oh, it's a wired controller, okay.I guess that makes sense.Putting the mini controller side by sidewith the full sized one, it actually isn'ta huge difference in size.It's a little bit smaller,but what really jumps outto me is that this doesn't feel that bad.So the glossy plasticdefinitely looks super cheap,but having the textured finish on the backactually feels pretty nice.More importantly, it feelslike a solid controller,so there's really no flex in it.Maybe just a little bitif I really torque it.That is a lot of auto aim.(laughing)The controller itself feels pretty good.It definitely is a littledifferent from the normalXBOX One controller and for $20 less,I don't know if the difference is reallygoing to be worth it.Maybe if you were just playing on PC,you don't care about awireless option, it's fine.You even do have the impulse triggersand you also have the death,that's more important.You have the death.The Corsair Katar FPSand MOBA gaming mouse.Another $30, actuallydid a good job of gettingeverything exactly on point.So have four programmable buttonsand we also have on the fly DPI tuning.That sounds exciting.For $30, though, if thisactually isn't too bad,that's going to be prettysolid for a gaming mouse.That actually feels pretty good.So the entire thing is coated in a sort ofsoft touch rubber.Oh yeah, that actually feels pretty good.It's a little bit onthe smaller side though.What really jumps outto me is that this feelsa lot better than most sortof cheap, low end mice.The tracking is nice andresponsive and I think itmight be a little bit on thesmaller side for some people,but more importantly,it feels really nice.So far, I actually thinkwe've been doing pretty good,but it's time to seewhat the final item is.Mister Bolido.Cinderella Girl?Ha ha, very funny.Lightning AirPods?Oh cool, something I actuallywanted to do a video on.The Sony MDRVX110, apowerful, high-quality sound.How much were these?- $14.- $14?All right, $14 it is.It's been a while sinceI've tried cheap headphonesand even those were usually ear buds,so, oh, the foldingmechanism actually doesn'tfeel that bad.I mean, they're definitelycheap and plastic,but for $14, you really shouldn't expectanything too crazy.Pull out our super cool ZTE Maven,probably not the greatestheadphone amp but I'm curious.What?A bag of Doritos?What?Why does that smell so bad?Wait, what are these?A USB cable and somereally terrible headphones?Wait, wait, wait, what is this?While you're crunchingon the boldest snackin the universe, plugyour headphones straightinto the front of thebag, play, and rock outto songs from Marvel Studios' Guardiansof the Galaxy soundtrack.There's a headphone jack on the bag?Okay, hold on, hold on.So I just plug in and just do it?(laughing)Where did you get this bag?(laughing)Oh, this is a Ken and Jimmy special, huh?- Hell yeah.- All right, that's actually cool.So the headphones soundgood when you plug theminto a bag of Doritos.Something I never thought I would say.Okay, that was actually kind of cool.Let me try it with some real music.So, are these going to matchreally expensive headphones?Absolutely not, but especiallyif you're coming fromsomething like a headphone that's includedwith your phone, these sound a lot nicer.There's a little bit of lack of clarity,especially when you get towardsthe bassier side of things,but for $14, this actuallymight be my favorite thing here.As always, I'll havelinks to all this stuffin the description of this video,with the possible exceptionof the Doritos bag,which I don't think costs $30 anymore,but let me know in the comments,which one of these pieces of techwould you guys pick up for $30?Let me know in the comments belowand I will catch you on the next one.