Bluetooth wirless ear buds advice

[musicbysterling]

I just picked up the iPhone XS Max and am looking for some quality bluetooth wireless earbuds as an accessory. I'm looking to spend up to $150.00 on them as it's a birthday(!) gift.

What are you people using and what do you recommend?

Thx

[timwat]

I've used AirPods, Jabra, Jaybird, and several wired options. My take:

 

AirPods - only consider the new ones that have the silicon tips to fit better in your ears. The original hard plastic ones do not form a proper seal and therefore you lose bass, soundstage, and they can fall out of your ears constantly unless the user happens to be born with the right size ear holes (I am sadly not). However, they work seamlessly with iPhones - it really is part of the "ecosystem", but they don't sound as good as other options.

 

Jaybird - have used a couple of different models, and all for me did not have the sound quality, stable connectivity or battery life to make them my EDC (everyday carry).

 

Jabra Elite 75t - this is my EDC. There's a lot to like about them. They fit marvelously (once I bought the Comply foam tips - the soft silicon ones hurt my ears something terrible). They sound wonderful, even better than my wired custom IEMs in some ways, which is saying a lot. The default signature can be bass heavy, but you have customizable EQ in the accompanying iPhone app and it's simple to create an EQ to fit your tastes. Battery life is excellent. The case charges the buds very quickly. The "hear through" option is perfect to stay aware of your surroundings without degrading the music quality. They don't stick out of my ears or unduly call attention to themselves visually.

 

The only place where AirPods are really better than the Jabras, to my mind, are with phone calls. This is significant if it's a primary use case for you. I find I need to speak pretty clearly with sufficient volume to be heard clearly by the other party with the Jabras, which may work for some office settings and not for others. The AirPods, on the other hand, seemed to deliver a much more natural conversation experience. Either way, when I need to have a crucial conversation with someone, I still find myself occasionally pulling out the wired Apple earbuds to ensure the clearest connection.

 

But for listening to music, I'm delighted with the Jabra Elite 75ts.

 

I have heard the the flagship models from Sennheiser and Sony are also very good for music playback, but the price was significantly higher when I made my purchase - I'm unaware if it's still that way.

 

Hope that helps some.

[MoodyBluesKeys]

I have two sets of AirBuds, but not wireless. One came with the iPhone 6 and has the 1/8" plug, the other with the iPhone 8+ with a lightning connector. Once I learned how to get them properly in the ear, they stay pretty good. As Tim said, they work very well for phone calls. I don't really have a comparison standard (other than traditional big headphones), but the audio on music is acceptable.

 

After getting the iPhone 8+ and the iWatch 4, I wanted wireless ones, mostly because the Watch has enough room to store some songs, even without the phone nearby; and I figured it would be good for walking around the neighborhood for exercise. I was willing to spend the $$$ for the AirBuds; but stopped cold when I found that the batteries simply can NOT be replaced. Apple's idea is that you throw them away and buy new ones. NO WAY.

 

For my purpose, I settled on a Plantronics Legend 5200 monaural clip-on one-ear headset, with the little mic boom. It is VERY configurable with the companion software, works great with the phone, even better than the AirBuds; lets me hear the music, even with one ear. It also was MUCH lower priced.

 

Another thought: I want to be fully situation aware of what is going on around me at all times. With one ear still open, and music at a low volume, I can still hear such things as oncoming vehicles, people talking, and have a better chance of picking up some stray sound from anyone that might have bad intentions. In these recent days, I don't go off my property very often without carrying, never without at least a razor sharp knife.

And, if I am in my older auto, I can legally wear the one-sided Plantronics while driving, can even use a vocal command to answer and terminate phone calls, so complete no-hand operation. In the later car, I have Bluetooth configured for both my and wife's phones.

When I go shopping, like at the grocery, I still am amazed at just how large a percentage of people are completely unaware of whatever may be going on around them.

 

That last part may not be much use to you for selecting a birthday gift, but it raises some valid points.

[Joe Muscara]

I don't know if I agree with all this (though I have never used the Pro), but you might find the comparison useful and interesting. When I'm ready to buy Pro, I'll reread this and see what I think.

 

AirPods Versus AirPods Pro: Apple"s Earbuds Go Head-to-Head

 

Personally, I've had AirPods almost as long as they've been available, I use them while running, and have never had them fall out except when I actually hit them with my hand (twice in however many years, I think). I even took a fall once that shattered my Apple Watch, but the AirPods stayed in my ears.