So recently I have been looking for new wireless bluetooth in-ear buds. Recently have been running into issues finding just the right pair that I figured I would write up a review of what I have tried already.
UPDATE: 7/19/19
Power Beats Pro
Base Price – 299.99
So I recently purchased Power Beats Pro by Beats By Dre earphones after my long issues with Bose. They definitely live up to the hype of how they are advertised, totally wireless and sweat-proof! I am pleased!! Took them through my rigorous workout in the summer where they withstood the pressures that I put my headphones through! I wear glasses so I thought the over the ear holders would be an issues, they were comfortable in my ear for nearly 3 hours and never once came off. So far so good. Purchased them at BestBuy and also got a free 3-month subscription to Apple music which I have yet to activate.
BOSE SoundSport
Base Price – 149.99
So my next purchase was the BOSE SoundSport. I have read both good & bad reviews and hoping that these might be a better option. So I really really like the sound quality of this unit however I have been having an odd issue with the product failing. I am on my 3rd exchange of this unit after owning them for a couple of months.
- With my first purchase of these, a week into using them I had a day in which the headphone disconnected from my phone during my workout and would not shut off. When I tried to re-charge the unit it would hold a steady red LED display which was not normal. So I took them back to the retailer I purchased them from and had them exchanged.
- A couple of weeks into using this unit the same thing happened again. However I was outside the retailers return policy and had to reach out to BOSE to find out what my options were. They informed me to pack up my headphone and mail them to a specified address and they would soon send out a new pair once they validated the issue with my current ones.
- I received this unit and all was working great up until a month ago. Half-hour into my workout my headphones disconnected from my Bluetooth signal and completely shut off. I can’t tell you how sad I was while half-way into my cardio workout that I had to stop what I was doing and head to the locker room and grab an old wired headphone set that luckily I had on hand. The BOSE had a 100% charge so I knew it was not a power issue because I charged them up the evening before.
I reached backout to the manufacturer and go them exchanged yet again. This seems to be a very well known issue with this product. I found some articles online with people experiencing the same thing –
- https://www.cnet.com/products/bose-soundsport-wireless/
- http://www.bestbuy.com/site/bose-soundsport-wireless-headphones-black/5168600.p?skuId=5168600#tabbed-customerreviews
I wish I had known about this before I purchased them. There has been no updated with this particular model. Would not even think to purchase their truly wireless model they have been advertising. Yet there are reviews online with folks running into further problems. It does not seem that their product lines are not being tested thoroughly.
Beats by Dre – I am looking into purchasing in the near future. I have heard good reviews and ultimately they will be coming out with a truly wireless headset that is sweatproof and comfortable. If by chance anyone has some suggestions I am open to hear about them in the meantime!
JBUDS PRO BLUETOOTH SIGNATURE EARBUDS
Base Price – 29.99
…so I then went to Walmart just to see what they might have for products, pretty slim selection however I came upon this manufacturer that I never heard of. They looked like they were comfortable with the rubber wing tips and the price point seemed ok. The packaging did indicate they were waterproof and great for exercise. I found the sound quality to be a heck of a lot better than JBL which I was surprised with. Thought this was the perfect product and that my search would be over! However to my surprise these also started to act up. As I was working out I noticed within my left ear what started out as a constant static sound turn into a set of constant low-tone beeps. I tried turning the unit on/off to see if it was a reset issues but it was still there. When I got home I let these air dry for a bit and then tried re-charging. Well I noticed the LED light would not come on when plugged into either an outlet or computer, these were definitely dead. I am a bit disappointed.
JBL YURBUDS INSPIRE 500
Base Price – 59.99
I have at least three pairs of the wired JBL Yurbuds that I have used for the longest time.
- Yurbuds Inspire 100 (in both green & pink colors)
- Yurbuds Inspire 300 (with remote/mic)
Those products have been very comfortable to wear and certainly don’t hurt my inner ear canal after prolonged use. I thought why not continue to give this brands product a try if I had success with the other ones?
I went to my local Target store and picked up a pair. Setting up and pairing the device was pretty easy but I also agree with a lot of reviews online that the sound quality is quite muffled. However there is this heavy piece that sits at the back of the neck and found it to be a distraction where it would tug to one side, closest to the remote even using the clip. Although these passed my first workout pretty good, during my second workout some strange behavior was happening. It started disconnecting from my iPhone in the middle of my workouts which was quite annoying and then the unit would turn on/off. Then noticed the LED light would not turn off and stayed blue even when I turned the whole unit off. Figured I would let the battery drain completely and re-charge after reading the support section of JBLs website. Well to my surprise the unit never turned on again, so went back up to Target and exchanged it for another pair thinking it just might be this pair. A few days into using this new pair I had the same issue however these didn’t pass my first workout session and would not re-charge at all. So I took these back and returned them for a full refund. These must not be waterproof because something is causing them to fail and I workout pretty intensely at the gym to be sweating a lot and what sold me on the product was that they were waterproof.