Wearing headphones while doing any kind of physical exercise can be a nuisance. Those earbuds never seem to stay put in my ears -- regardless of the size. And I finally found a completely wireless pair I loved several months ago, before losing them.
But then I discovered two of the latest Bluetooth models from jaybird, a popular name in audio. For nearly a month now, I’ve been testing out the company’s X3 and Freedom Wireless models. They’re both wireless models that consist of earbuds that connect via a behind-your-neck cord. Mind you, I’m not an audiophile by any means. But I do have discerning taste in what I like to hear in music. A dynamic range of low bass and higher treble is my personal preference. And these models -- which to me sound near identical to one another -- surpass that threshold.
Out of the box, music through these sounds typically fine. But download the company’s MySound app to iPhone or Android, and you essentially have a personalized equalizer in your pocket. I bypassed the eight pre-set “stations” and was able to create my own, just the way I like it.
Each of these models has discernible differences. The X3, for instance, sticks out of your ear a little more, at a slightly downward angle. It holds eight hours of battery life per charge and can give you an hour more of listening with just 15 minutes of charging. Speaking of, it comes with a small docking cradle that connects to your laptop via USB for charging. Also, the control button housing is thinner than its counterpart on the Freedom.
By comparison, the Freedom has four hours of battery life per charge. It's lightweight but slightly thicker docking cradle can snap off the USB charger and right onto the headset for another four hours of listening.
Each comes with an array of earpieces of varying sizes. The foam they’re made of is very comfortable in the ear, even after an hour. They also come with patented “Secure-Fit” ear fins that snap on securely between the foam and the earbud, then fit snugly into the curvature of your inner ear. They’re heavenly. I’ve gone for about a dozen long runs in them and they haven’t budged even a millimeter over the course of about 40 miles or so. Both units are also sweat-proof.
As I mentioned, music sounds pretty great on both of them. And I had zero complaints about using them on phone calls -- nor did the people I spoke to on the other end. I jacked them up to full volume several times and there was no sound distortion.
Another nice feature is that when you initially power on these pairs, a woman’s voice tells you how much battery life is remaining. And after dropping to certain thresholds, the music squelches for just a second while she announces the new battery percentage.
These are probably the lightest earphones I’ve tried, and are available in a variety of colors, as well.
