Home Bluetooth headphones

SoundMagic BT100 Bluetooth over-ear handphones review

We all know the logic: the larger the speaker, the better the bass. With headphones, this means that over-the-ear units are going to sound better than similar quality on-ear or earbud units. So I was really excited when I was offered the SoundMagic BT100s to test.

Note: Photos may be tapped or clicked for a larger image.


The Soundmagic BT100s arrived in a semi-rigid case, along with a microUSB and .125″ AUX cable and a sheet of instructions. The earcups fold up into the cushioned headband for travel, and the whole unit is very compact.

If you use the case, it’s a little larger, but you can carry along the cables and some other small things in the net pocket in the lid. This may be important because I found that the cables are not standard. Both jacks are extra long, in order to connect to the recessed ports on the earcup. This was the most infuriating part of the whole unit. I’m not sure why they would build something that can’t use a standard cable, either for audio or for charging. It’s the single reason I can’t recommend the headphones, no matter how good they sound. Who cares if they sound great, if you can’t connect or charge the batteries because you lost or broke or forgot the cables?


All of the features are controlled from the left earcup. One of the most interesting features of the BT100s is the built in mic.

It is a short, solid arm that extends 1.5″ from the left earcup, and is a great point of reference when you’re reaching for the multifunction button to stop/start sound, change pairing, or turn the headset on/off. I found the system produced clear sound using the phone or Siri or taking voice memos. Across the back of the left earcup are the track change buttons, and, up on the upper rear side, are the volume control buttons. The AUX cable plugs into the lower side of the same earcup, and the power/charge cable plugs into the front side of it.

The large earcups house great speakers but are also very comfortable.

I was able to easily sync the BT100s with my iPhone 6s Plus, with my iPads, and with the Hammo TV headphones I reviewed a while back. I did have an issue with the first unit I was shipped, where the Bluetooth connection stopped working in the right channel. Wired connections were fine, and I thought for a while that I had somehow changed a setting, and checked out the online support for information. I sent in a ticket and waited a week or more with no reply. We finally contacted the PR company and got a second set, but as far as the SoundMagic support desk is concerned, I’m still out here with a busted headset. I’ll let you know if I ever hear back from them.

As fine as the sound is for the cans, I can’t recommend them, due to nonexistent support and proprietary cables. But if you’re willing to take a chance, they are comfortable and deliver full, rich, deeply textured sounds from movies, games, and music on both wired and wireless connections.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by SoundMagic. Please visit for more info and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $149.99
Manufacturer: SoundMagic
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • Sound source with Bluetooth or AUX output
Pros:
  • Large, comfortable ear cups
  • Big, lush sound for a mid-price set of headphones
  • Collapse for packing
  • Semi-rigid storage case
Cons:
  • Cables are not standard – both have longer metal jacks. Nothing on their website mentions replacement cables
  • Support never responded to my request for assistance after a brand-new unit failed

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV, Reviews

Tagged:

SoundMagic BT100 Bluetooth over-ear handphones review originally appeared on on April 11, 2017 at 7:23 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

iClever BoostRun BTH07 Bluetooth Sport Headphones review

If you’ve been a patron of The Gadgeteer for some time, you may likely surmise that I’ve been on a quest to identify a pair of Bluetooth wireless headphones that will perform well for me in a variety of situations, but mainly for use during heavy exercise. After evaluating a variety of similar products, all of which basically fell out while working out, I realized that I hadn’t yet tried any of the style that “hook” over the ears, which I thought might be a helpful feature for someone with cavernous ear canals (like me). When I had the opportunity to evaluate a pair of iClever BoostRun BTH07 Bluetooth Sport Headphones, I thought they might fit the bill. Let’s see how they worked out. Gadget on!

Packaging

The BoostRun BTH07’s packaging was a simple cardboard box with the iClever logo in metallic red centered on the top of the lid.  If you’ve read my reviews, you know that my preference is that product packaging include some type of window or other transparent feature that allows the prospective buyer to see the actual product inside before purchasing it.  Of course, this is most useful for retail produce packaging, but not so useful for products that are only sold online, which I suspect the BTH07 might be.

I removed the lid and the BoostRun BTH07 headphones were presented neatly inside, encased within a white foam tray, as seen above.  The foam tray had cutouts to hold the headphones snug and to protect them during shipping and handling.  The foam tray pulled out easily and BTH07’s cord and other accessories (see below) were located below.

Contents

Inside the box were all of the items show above, which included:

  • BoostRun BTH07 Bluetooth Stereo Headset Sport Headphones
  • 3 pairs of silicon earbud tips in small, medium and large sizes (the medium size was attached to the headphones initally)
  • USB to micro USB charging cable
  • User Manual
  • Warranty Card

Specs

Below are some of the technical specifications of the BoostRun BTH07 headphones per the iClever site:

  • Model number: IC-BTH07
  • Bluetooth version: Bluetooth 4.1
  • Bluetooth profile: HFP, A2DP, HSP, AVRCP
  • Working time: up to 7 hours
  • Standby time: up to 160 hours
  • Charging time: about 2 hours
  • Weight: 19 g/0.67 oz
  • Waterproof rating: IPX4

Features, Functions and Performance

My initial impression of the BoostRun BTH07 headphones was that they seemed…well, a bit clunky.  But I was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt because I hadn’t yet tried any headphones with these over-the-ear hooks.  Plus I was immediately a fan of their black-and-neon green color scheme.

Like most earbuds today, the BoostRun BTH07 headphones feature silicone ear tips that fit into your ears canals. I planned to swap the medium-sized tips, which had been installed from the factory, with the large-sized tips, because I know from past experience that the medium-sized tips would fall out of my larger-than-average-sized ear canals immediately.  In fact, I tried the factory-installed mediums, and they did fall out, so on went the larges.

One of the main features of interest to me with the BoostRun BTH07 headphones was their over-the-ear “hooks” that were intended to help stabilize the headphones and help keep them on your ears during strenuous exercise.  More on these below.

In the photo above, you can see the + and – buttons that are located on the underside of the BoostRun BTH07’s right headphone.  These buttons are very tactile and produce a definitively “clicky” feel, but without being difficult to depress.  I found them very easy to operate once I memorized which was + and which was -.  These two buttons function as volume up/down (short press) as well as music forward/rewind (long press).  Also visible in the photo above is the tiny microphone hole used when making phone calls.

On the outside of the right headphone is also a single long, green button that is the Multi-Function Button (MFB), so named because it serves multiple purposes.  First, it is used to power on/off the headphones—depressing it for 2 seconds powers on the device and a British-accented, female voice prompt alerts you, “Power on.”  Initial pairing is then accomplished by going to your phone’s Bluetooth settings and selecting “IC-BTH07” from the list of devices.  The BTH07 then indicates “Device connected.”  It was just that simple, and the headphones paired automatically and immediately after powering them on every single time—I never once had to manually re-pair them.  A 2-second press of the MFB also powers the headphones off, with power-down confirmed by the voice prompt, “Power off.”  Additionally, the MFB pausing music, accepts or hangs up a phone call, and so forth, with all of its functions detailed in the included manual.

In the photo above, the BoostRun BTH07’s micro USB charging port cover can be seen on the rear of the left headphone.  This cover is made from a hard rubber material and fits very securely down into the charging port, but also includes a small protrusion that is easy to get a fingernail underneath to remove it, so that the charging cable can be inserted (see below).  Additionally, a tiny LED is located in the left headphone that indicates the device is charging when it is lit red and fully charged when lit blue.

Above, you can see that I’ve popped open the USB port cover.  I like the material that iClever used for this little cover.  It is flexible so it moves out of the way easily to access the USB port, but still fairly rigid, so there is less risk of it getting torn off like the USB port covers on many of the other devices I’ve tried.

Above, the included 20-inch long, micro-USB to USB charging cable has been plugged into the BoostRun BTH07 headphones for charging.  With the battery fully drained, the BTH07 headphones took between 1.5 and 2 hours to completely charge back up to full capacity and provided enough charge for about 4 to 6 workouts, or about 6-7 hours of life.  When the battery approaches the end of its charge, that familiar female voice prompt indicates, “Battery low,” so you know it is time to think about recharging the headphones.

The BoostRun BTH07 headphones feature a neon-green, 22-inch long, flat, ribbon-type cable that both virtually eliminates tangling and aids in visibility in case you lose it at the bottom of your gym bag or EDC pack (like I did a few times).

It also has a pre-installed cable connector that can be adjusted by sliding it up and down to tighten the slack in the cable.  The cable connector can be easily removed completely or reattached if desired.

One of the features that I really came to appreciate about the BTH07 headphones was that there is no in-line control unit as with several of the other Bluetooth headphones I have reviewed.  All of the controls are located in the right headphone, so the cable connecting the right and left sides is just that—a cable.  I’ve found that with the headphones I’ve tried in the past that included an in-line control unit, the headphone on the side with the control unit tends to fall out more often due to the weight of the control unit pulling on that side, especially while exercising.  The BTH07 does not have this issue.

Another feature of the BTH07 headphones that I came to appreciate was that its earpieces are actually angled 15 degrees from the main body of each headphone, which can be seen in the above image and is demonstrated in the image below.

Although I had initially thought that the BTH07 headphones looked bulky, the reality is that they really are not all that bulky when wearing them.  In the image above, you can see that, at least partially due to the 15-degree angled ear tips, they do hug the ear fairly well and don’t protrude excessively like I thought they would.

How did they sound?  They sounded good, especially with them pushed snugly into my ears, which reduced ambient sound and helped concentrate the sound from the headphones.  The overall dynamic range is decent, for music, which is what I often use the BTH07’s for, and I also used them while watching a movie or two, and they gave good sound for explosions and the like.

The BTH07 headphones felt comfortable to wear.  For the most part, they did stay on my ears even during exercise.  However, as with every other Bluetooth headset I’ve tried, eventually, as my sweat production increased along with my workout intensity, the left headphone actually fell off of my ear.  Even with the ear hooks.  I supposed that being a heavy sweater with large ear canals and doing loads of burpees and other similar movements was too much even for the BTH07 and its ear hooks.  However, for everyday, less strenuous use, and I would even say for most types of exercise, I think the BTH07 headphones perform quite well just fine.

iClever claims the BTH07 to be “Sweatproof Sport Headphones,” so I feel I should mention their moisture resistance. The iClever site claims an IPX4 rating, which generally means that they can be splashed fairly heavily with water and still remain undamaged.  The Amazon retail site claims an IPX5 rating, which means an even stronger resistance, so there is some discrepancy between these two reported ratings.  In any case, as mentioned above, I sweat quite heavily and work out quite strenuously, but never did this seem to affect the BTH07 headphones.  What’s more, one day I was caught out in a thundershower, a heavy downpour in fact, for about 20 minutes, and it didn’t even phase these headphones.  It was impressive.

Conclusion

Although my initial impression of the iClever BoostRun BTH07 Bluetooth Sport Headphones was that they looked a bit clunky, I was happy to find out that I was wrong.  Their 15-degree angled ear tips helped them feel comfortable on my ears, and their ear hooks did help keep them on my ears during exercise, although my combination of profuse sweat in my giant ear canals during strenuous exercise meant that they did fall off of me on occasion.  Functionally, they performed well.  Their sound is good and their combination of Multi-Function Button and + / – buttons are simple and easy to use.  Charging and usage time were very serviceable, but its water-resistance was downright impressive.  Especially for their cost, I would recommend giving the BTH07 headphones a look, and a listen.

Source: The sample for this review was provided by iClever. Please visit their site for more info or Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $21.99
Manufacturer: iClever
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • A device with Bluetooth connectivity
  • USB charging
Pros:
  • Hooks help it stay secure in the ear, even during strenuous exercise
  • No in-line control unit to throw it off balance
  • Impressive moisture resistant
  • Comfortable to wear
  • Affordable price
Cons:
  • Very secure, but still managed to fall out of my ear on occasion

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV, Reviews

Tagged:

iClever BoostRun BTH07 Bluetooth Sport Headphones review originally appeared on on March 25, 2017 at 8:31 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Mpow Bluetooth Over-the-Ear Bluetooth Headphones review

These Mpow Bluetooth headphones are a decent, moderately priced option for people who prefer traditional over-the-ear headphones versus earbuds. They are stylish, portable and offer the choice of a wired connection as well as Bluetooth.

In the box:

  • Mpow Bluetooth Headset
  • 3.5mm Audio Cable
  • USB Charging Cable
  • Packing Bag
  • User Manual

Specifications:

  • Bluetooth Version: 4.0
  • Range: 33 feet (10 meters)
  • Talking Time: Around 15 hours
  • Playback Time: Around 13 hours
  • Charging Time: 4 hours
  • Charging Voltage: 5V
  • Battery Capacity: 420mAh

Design:

It is very obvious that Mpow mimicked the design of the more expensive Beats Studio Wireless headphones when designing this unit. It has similar curves and angles to the Beats and a shiny black plastic exterior with plastic silver inlays over cups.

I did appreciate the small but clear indicators on the inside of the headband denoting the left and right cups.

Comfort:

The inside of the headband is matte red plastic with a very thin “memory-protein material” cushion for the top of your head and the same “material” on the cups for your ears. The cups are oval and quite narrow so these may cause discomfort for users with larger ears. The headphones were very uncomfortable for me after about thirty minutes of continued use. The headband has seven notches for adjustment, but even with that range I experienced some pressure on top of my head and ears. My ears also felt very warm after a short time.

Use:

Following the included instructions I was able to connect via Bluetooth to both my Android Nexus 5X and Apple laptop very easily. Setup is aided by a female voice which tells you when the headphones are powered on or off, when in pairing mode and when you’ve reached the maximum volume.

The controls are on the outside of the right cup and are a little difficult to access when you are wearing the headphones. You have to feel around a bit for the buttons and the clicks on the controls are very loud and require some pressure. The controls include volume up and down, next and previous track, power, play/pause, and call. The buttons don’t light up and are marked in very light grey on the black headphones, so they are difficult to see. The only lit area of the controls is a small ring around the center play/call button which blinks blue when powered or red and blue when pairing.

You can also connect the headphones to your device with an included male-to-male 3.5mm audio cable and an audio port on the bottom of the left cup. It is nice to have the option to use these as wired headphones, but once connected by wire neither the controls nor the microphone work. The sound quality of the wired connection and Bluetooth connection was the same in my testing. The bass was a little light on most tracks and on higher volumes the sound suffered from slight distortion and a loss of clarity. There were occasional dropouts in sound when connected through Bluetooth.

There is significant sound leak at all volumes. You would not be able to use these in an office environment or in public without annoying those around you. This is most likely because these headphones are designed to be passive noise isolating, as opposed to having active noise cancellation. Passive noise isolation simply means that once you have the headphones on and are listening to content, you can’t hear any outside noises. Active noise cancellation counteracts outside noises by creating an inverted waveform to cancel out the noise waveforms and requires extra power.

For phone calls or chatting via computer, there is a small microphone hole on the lower right cup, but maybe because of the design, my voice was muffled on all calls. The sound quality of the caller was fine, but I would not use these as my main headphones for calls or chatting on my computer.

Storage:

The headphones fold at hinges just above the cups for storage in the included case. When fully opened, the cups lock into place with a satisfying click.

Power:

The headphones charge via a micro USB port on the outside of the right cup with included USB cable. The unit takes about four hours to attain a full charge. In my tests, the battery life for playback was right along with Mpow’s specifications, about 12-13 hours. This amount of playback time is great for a set of headphones you plan on using a lot during the day.

Final thoughts:

The Mpow Bluetooth over-the-ear headphones aren’t a great piece of audio equipment by any measure, but for the price, portability and option of a wired or Bluetooth connection, they are a good back-up set to have around.

The sample for this review was provided by Mpow. Please visit their website or Amazon to order.

 

 

Product Information

Price: $36.69
Manufacturer: Mpow
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • Bluetooth Version 4.0
Pros:
  • Moderately priced
  • Bluetooth and wired connection
  • Included carrying bag
  • Passive Noise Cancellation
Cons:
  • Significant sound leak at every volume level
  • Cheap plastic build
  • Poor sound quality at higher volumes
  • Controls difficult to use when wearing
  • Uncomfortable after prolonged use

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV, Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged:

Mpow Bluetooth Over-the-Ear Bluetooth Headphones review originally appeared on on March 23, 2017 at 7:08 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

Jaybird X3 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones review

I love my MPOW Swift Bluetooth 4.0 Headphones and because of them, Bluetooth earbuds are all I use. I no longer wish to deal with wired earphones. And I’ve found that I like having earbuds over other types of headphones (on-ear or over-the-ear) because they are small and portable, don’t leak sound so as to bother those around me, and also double as ear plugs when I need them. Recently, the Gadgeteer was given the opportunity to review the new Jaybird X3 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones and I was lucky enough to be the reviewer. What do I think? They are my new favorite earbuds because the Jaybird MySound app allows the user to create his or her own personal sound profiles within the app and save one of them directly to the earbuds (limited to one sound profile at a time which can be changed in the app), and you get about 8.5 hours worth of music playing time when the volume is set at a moderate level.

The Jaybird X3 box proved to be a little tricky to open. I initially thought that there was an inner box that would slide out from the bottom, but after looking all around the box, I found that it actually has a magnetic closure along the right side.

Then after figuring out how to open the box, I needed to figure out how to get the earbuds out. Again, I initially thought that there was an inner box that would slide out face first, but no, there is a clear plastic cover that needed to be lifted from the bottom upward (after cutting the tape on the bottom). Now I could finally access the earbuds. I just needed to be smarter than the box – so now we all know I have an I.Q. slightly greater than the Jaybird X3 box. Ha – win!!

Package Contents

  • Jaybird X3 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones (in-ear)
  • Carrying Pouch
  • Jaybird Sticker
  • Quick Start Guide
  • Jaybird Information/Warranty Sheet
  • Comply Premium Isolation Foam Ear Tips (small, medium, large)
  • Silicone Ear Tips (small, medium, large – on the earbuds)
  • Silicone Secure Fit Ear Fins (small, medium, large – on the earbuds)
  • Cord Shirt Clip
  • Cord Management Clips
  • USB 2.0 Charging Cable + Charging Clip (proprietary)

Specifications

  • AUDIO
    • Type: In-Ear Style
    • Noise-isolation: Passive
    • Impedance: 16 Ohm
    • Speaker sensitivity: 96 +-3dB At 1KHz
    • Output 5mW nominal, 10mW max
    • Total Harmonic Distortion <3% (1KHz, 1mW)
    • Audio Format: 16-bit Stereo
    • Codec: AAC, SBC, Modified SBC
    • Response Bandwidth 20Hz – 20kHz
    • Driver Size: 6 mm
  • BLUETOOTH
    • Bluetooth Version: 4.1, Multi-point
    • Range: 10 meters (30 feet)
    • Frequency Band: 2.4 GHz
    • Profiles: Handsfree, Headset, A2DP, AVCRP, SPP
  • PAIRING
    • Number of Paired Devices: 8
    • Pairing passkey: 0000
  • INTEGRATED MICROPHONE
    • Type: MEMS, Omni-directional, ultra low power
    • Sensitivity: -38dB +-3dB (Test conditions: 1KHz, 0dB = 1V/Pa)
  • COMPATIBLE PRODUCTS
    • Any A2DP Bluetooth stereo device
      • iPhone
      • Apple Watch
      • iPod Touch
      • iPad
      • iPad mini
      • Android
      • Windows
      • Blackberry
      • Android Wear
      • Smartwatches
      • PC
      • Mac
      • Gaming devices
  • MYSOUND APP COMPATIBILITY
    • iOS 9+ (except iPad 2)
    • Android 4.4+
  • OPERATION
    • Operating: 32F – 113F (0C – 45C )
    • Storage: 14F – 122F (-10C – 50C)
  • WEIGHT & DIMENSIONS
    • Width: 1.1″ (28.02mm)
    • Height: 1.09″ (27.69mm)
    • Depth: 0.52″ (13.42mm)
    • Weight: 0.63 oz (17.9g)
    • Cord Length: 19.29″ (490 mm)
  • BATTERY
    • Play Time: 8 Hrs*
    • Standby Time: 200 Hrs*
    • Charging Time: 2.5 Hrs
    • Quick Charge: 20 min = 1 hour Play Time
    • Charging: USB with included charging clip
    • AC power: DC 5V 500mA
    • Type: Lithium Ion
    • *May vary dependent on usage, device & aging
    • Battery Voltage: 3.7V
  • WARRANTY
    • 1 Year Limited Warranty

Design & Build Quality

I found the design of the Jaybird X3 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones to be attractive. The Jaybird logo is tastefully displayed on the cap (metal or plastic – I’m not sure) on the end of each of the earbuds. The rest of each earphone is covered in a silicone type material as is the flat cord connecting the earphones. They are sweat-proof too. The Jaybird website states, “With double hydrophobic nano coating and redesigned super-tight seams we’ve got you covered in the rain, mud, sun, sweat and tears…” The inline remote is located under the right earbud.

The Jaybird X3s came with three pairs of silicone tips (small, medium, and large) and three pairs of Comply Premium Isolation Foam ear tips (small, medium, and large). The ear tip laying next to the earphone in the photo above is one of the foam tips. It is squishy and has a slightly tacky feel to it. When the ear tips are removed you can see that the earphone is made of metal, unlike many inexpensive earbuds.

The X3s also came with three pairs of ear fins (curved silicone pieces) that help to stabilize the earphones while wearing them and keep them firmly in your ears. Each pair is labeled with an “L” or an “R” on the inside of the fin (as shown in the photo above). The “L” fin will always be the fin for your left ear and the “R” fin will always be the one for your right ear no matter whether you are using your X3s in the Over Ear or Under Ear configuration (more on that later).

The inline remote is located just under the right earphone. It contains (from left to right) the LED status indicator, the Volume Down button, the microphone, the Power button, and the Volume Up button.

The other side of the remote contains the contacts that connect to the charging clip to charge the earbuds.

And, along the side of the remote in the photo above, you’ll see two indentations that must be lined up with the edges of the charging clip.

Above is the USB 2.0 cable with Charging Clip. The charging clip has the contacts that match those on the back of the earbud’s remote. The charging clip is also attached to the USB cable by a short black elastic tethering string to prevent you from losing it; however, the USB cable itself is very short (about 4 inches long) and thus, it would be very easy to lose both.

The inline remote must be oriented properly with the charging clip, then snapped into place in order to charge the X3’s. The LED light should be closest to the micro-USB end of the charging clip.

When aligned properly the LED will light up red while the earbuds are charging and will then shine green when completely charged.

Use

Pairing: I paired the X3s with my Nexus 6 phone and my iPod Touch 6G. First, I made sure that Bluetooth was turned on in my device. With the X3s completely off, I pressed the Power button (center button) for about 5 seconds until I heard a peppy female voice prompt say, “Power On” and then, “Searching for your music device” (NOTE: I had to continue to hold the Power button beyond the “Power On” voice prompt until I heard “Searching for your music device”). The LED shines green when the earbuds are powered on and then flashes alternately green and red when in pairing mode. Then while in my device’s Bluetooth settings, I tapped on the newly discovered Jaybird X3. The earphone’s peppy voice prompt then said, “Headphones connected” after which I almost expected her to say, “You go, girl!!” Anyway, I performed this pairing procedure for each device and there were no issues. You are able to pair the X3s with up to eight devices and can connect to two devices simultaneously (multipoint connection). You can also pair your X3s with your smartwatch to avoid having to use your phone at all.

If you have problems with device pairing or connections, you can reset your X3s. You’ll first want to remove the Jaybird X3s from your Bluetooth settings by tapping on “Forget this device”. Then you’ll power off the earphones and then put them back into pairing mode as described earlier. While in pairing mode, you’ll double press the Power button to reset them. The LED will flash orange and the earbuds will shut off. When they are powered back on, they will be immediately ready to pair.

ShareMe feature: I do not have access to another set of X3s so I did not test the ShareMe feature. You can find the directions on how to share the music you are listening to with another X3 user in the User Guide.

Bluetooth Connectivity: I tested the distance at which Bluetooth connectivity was maintained and found that it was 90 feet in line-of-sight of my iPod Touch 6G and 60 feet in line-of-sight of my Nexus 6.

I’ve been able to listen to my earbuds with two walls separating me from my connected device without drops. However, when exercising, I found that if my body got between the inline remote and my mobile device which was only about 3-4 feet away, Bluetooth connectivity was interrupted, but would quickly recover within a fraction of a second because I was constantly moving around.

Fit: The fit was a little tricky. I found that the design of the X3s didn’t quite go as far into my ear canals as my MPOW Swift earbuds, thus finding the correct ear tip that is both comfortable and creates a good seal around my ear canal took more time than with my MPOW Swift earbuds. If you don’t get the seal just right, this affects the quality of the sound. Finding the correct sized ear tip took a few minutes to figure out. Thankfully putting on and taking off the tips was easy. None of the Comply Premium Isolation Foam ear tips worked well for me. I found that the large sized silicone tips did the job.

In addition to finding the correct fitting ear tip, you need to make sure the earphones stay in your ears when moving around or exercising. Jaybird provides you with small, medium, and large ear fins to aid in that objective. Some of you will find that you don’t need to use them, but others, like me, will need them.

The ear fins are curved from side to side (not the obvious curve of the fin which ends in a point) and meant to always curve inward toward the sides of your head when wearing them such that when inserted into your outer ear, the fins are located above the earphones and the tip of the fins always points forward toward the front of your body. They are labeled with “L” for the left fin or “R” for the right fin but not very clearly because the letters are especially tiny and difficult to read. Finding the correct-sized fin (the large fins were what worked best for my ears) and ensuring that they were placed on the correct earphone in the correct orientation took a few minutes especially since each time you take off a fin, you must first remove the ear tip, put the fin on, replace the ear tip, try the fins out to determine proper fit and comfort, and repeat the process if necessary.

There are two ways you can wear the X3s. You can wear them such that the cord hangs under your ears (Under Ear Fit) or you can wear them such that the cord goes over your ears (Over Ear Fit).


Under Ear Fit: The above photo shows the left earphone on the left side in the left photo and the right earphone on the right side of the same photo. The inline remote hangs below the right earphone with the fins in the correct orientation when wearing the X3’s with the cord hanging below your ears. Notice that the side to side curve of the fins would curve inward toward the sides of your head and the tips of the fins would point toward the front of your body.



The above photos illustrate that fit. I preferred the Under Ear Fit. It was the most comfortable way to wear the X3s. I was able to do high impact exercises while wearing them in this orientation and only had to adjust them a couple of times. Once adjusted, they had no issues. I was able to wear them for up to a couple of hours before the tips of the fins started to make my ears a little sore.

You may also use the shirt clip to attach the cord to the back of your shirt while wearing the earphones in the Under Ear configuration, but I chose not to.



Over-Ear Fit: I realize there are others who would like to wear the X3s in the over ear configuration. The orientation is quite different and somewhat complicated to arrange initially. The above photos show you how to put the fins on correctly for the “Over-Ear Fit”.

NOTE: The online or PDF User Guide illustrates how to do this differently than I do, so if you find that my way does not work for you, try the illustrations in the Guide. Please use the above online video guides and not the How to Guide in the MySound app. There are errors in the app guides.

When starting from the Under Ear position of the headphones, you’ll first want to start by rotating the headphones up so that the cord is oriented upward when on a flat surface and then flipping them over so that the earphone that now goes into your left ear has the remote on the left side (as shown in the first photo above). You’ll also have to remove the fins (that is, if you had them installed for the “Under Ear Fit”) so that the “L” fin is on the left and the “R” fin is on the right making sure to lay them out so that the side-to-side curve of the fins will still curve toward the sides of your head and the tip of the fins will point toward the front of your body (toward the flat surface). Your layout should look like the layout in the first photo above with the left fin, left ear tip, and left earphone on the left side and the right fin, right ear tip, and right earphone on the right side of your flat surface. Now all you have to do is just slip the fins on over their respective earphones. Then finally, install the ear tips. But wait, that’s not all…

…now you need to install the cord clips. 

To install the clips, you’ll still want to keep the earphones such that the cord is oriented upwards on your flat surface. You’ll want to form and “S” loop configuration to take up the slack in the cord that will go around the back of your head when wearing the earphones in the Over Ear configuration. You’ll use the two hard plastic cord clips provided with your Jaybird X3s. Look carefully at the clips and their orientation in the photo above. There are three channels in each clip in which to insert the earphones cord. Two of the channels are straight and the third has a slope. Make sure that the clip that you have on the left side (as shown in the photo above) is oriented so that the curved channel is located in the upward position with the curve sloping downward and to the right and that the clip that you have on the right side (as shown in the photo above) has its curved channel oriented in a downward position with the curve sloping upward and to the left. Now you can start to insert the cord into the straight channels of the clips, adjust them to your desired length so that there is no excess slack in the back of your head, then insert the last loop into the sloping channels so that it looks like the photo above.

Your final Over Ear setup should look like the above photo. Just in case it’s not clear, the tips of the ear fins are touching the flat surface on which they were photographed. The earphone that goes into your left ear is shown on the left in the above photo and the one that goes into your right ear is shown on the right in the above photo. After completing this, you may want to go into the MySound app and switch the left and right channels (discussed later).



The above photos illustrate the look of the Over Ear fit.

I found that the notches in the clips that hold the cord inside the clips left slight gouges in the earphone cord’s silicone coating after removing them, which I found frustrating. I will not be using the clips – at all.

Jaybird MySound app: I downloaded the MySound app onto my Nexus 6 and iPod Touch 6G. This app is what clearly makes the X3 earbuds my new favorite earbuds because you can create your own equalizer presets. NOTE: This app only works with the Jaybird X3 and Freedom earphones. The Jaybird website states, “No more complaints of too much or not enough bass. Now you can customize the way your X3’s sound and save those custom sound profiles to your buds, no matter what music device they’re paired with or what music service you use.” Everyone has different sound preferences and this app makes it possible for everyone to create and save their own equalizer preference presets and save one directly to your X3 (or Freedom) earbuds to use when connected to any mobile device and listening to any music/movie apps or streaming services. Since the sound preset is saved directly to the earphones, your X3s will use that sound preference on any device and for all of your music and movie apps. If you want to change that particular sound profile, you just open the MySound app, make sure that the app connects to your X3s, and then select any of your other saved sound profiles. You must create an account in order to access your sound presets across devices.



Most of the screenshots come from my iPod Touch 6G unless otherwise stated. There are some slight differences between the iOS and Android apps which I will point out a little later.

To create my own sound profile, I tapped on the “+” icon located at the top right of the MySound Dashboard. The next screen allowed me to adjust the frequencies to the levels that I prefer, after which I tapped on the Save As button located at the upper right of the screen. I then named my preset and could add a description and music genres, and I could select whether or not to share it with other X3 or Freedom headphone users.


By tapping on the Discover button located along the bottom of the app screen (iOS app), I could look around and try out the sound profiles created and saved by other X3 and Freedom headphones users. I could preview the sound of another’s sound preferences by tapping on the Preview button (I needed to be playing music to preview) and if I liked it, I could save it to my dashboard.

The Profile button displays all of your personally created sound profiles and your name and email address (not shown). From the Profile settings, you can change your avatar, your name, your email address, and your password.



The Headphones button located along the bottom of the app screen allows you to change the name of your X3s, switch the left and right audio channels and test them (this is where you want to switch the channels if you wear your earbuds in the Over Ear position), peruse the How To Guides for the X3s and Freedom headphones, give feedback or seek support for your headphones, or shop Jaybird (shown in the center screenshot). The last screenshot shows all the information provided in the X3 How to Guide within the app.



The above screenshots are taken from my Nexus 6 phone. The dashboard looks almost identical to the iOS app, however, to edit your dashboard, you must select the Pencil icon located in the upper right corner of the screen. It then brings up the option to arrange or delete your dashboard sound presets (notice the Reorder icon and the Delete icon that shows up in each profile). Also, notice Discover tab as identified by the Compass icon located under the word “Dashboard”. This is where you’ll go to discover other user’s sound profiles. To the right of the Discover tab, is the Profile tab. The menu icon located in the upper left corner of the Dashboard (the first screenshot above) allows you access to Settings, How to Guides, Support, etc. (shown in the last screenshot).

When using the MySound apps simultaneously on both my iPod and Nexus 6, I found that the apps seemed to interfere with each other. In general, the app needs to connect to the X3 earbuds in order to save a different sound profile to the earphones. I often found that I needed to open and close the app on my Nexus 6 in order for the iOS app to connect to the X3s or, on a rare occasion, I needed to disconnect the earphones from my Nexus 6 Bluetooth and open and close the app on my Nexus 6 in order for the iOS app to connect to the X3s. In only a couple of instances, I was able to connect the X3s within each of the apps simultaneously. By default, it appeared that the Android app would take precedence over the iOS app when connecting to the earphones.

Music Controls: To Power on the X3 headphones, I needed to long press the Power button for about two seconds until I heard a voice prompt say, “Power On”. To turn them off, I needed to long press the Power button for about four seconds until I heard the voice prompt say, “Power Off” (holding the Power button for only two seconds will activate the voice commands feature for which you will hear a beep). A short press of the Power button allowed me to pause/play music or movies when using Pandora, Netflix, Amazon Video, or when listening to music on local storage on both of my devices. This did not always work with video streaming apps. A short press of the Volume Up or Down buttons were all that was needed to increase or decrease the volume when listening to music or watching streamed movies. The volume buttons were also synchronized with each of my devices. If you short press the Volume Up or Down buttons when not listening to anything, a voice prompt will announce the battery level. While listening to music, a two-second long press of the Volume Up button skipped ahead a song and a two-second long press of the Volume Down button skipped back a song.

Playing Time: The playback time of the Jaybird X3s was awesome. I generally listen to all my media at a moderate (middle) volume level which allowed me to play about 8.5 hours of music or movies in my tests. Awwwwesoooome! (sing song voice). The LED will blink a single green flash when the battery is more than 10% and blink a single red flash when 10% or less according to the User Guide, but I did not notice this because I was wearing the headphones.

Charging: The User Guide on the Jaybird MySound app states that 2.5 hours of charging time will yield eight hours of playing time and that you should never use a charger that uses more than 5.5V which will damage the earbuds. I found that when connected to an Aukey multiport desktop charger (5V/2.4A max – variable power output according to the device’s needs), I was able to charge my X3s in a little over 1.5 hours (one hour 35 minutes – one hour 40 minutes). Perhaps the 2.5 hours is the charging time when connected to a computer – I didn’t test this.

Calling Features: A short press of the Power button answers/accepts a call while another short press of the Power button ends a call. A two-second long press of the Power button will reject a call and a double press of the Power button will redial the last call made (as long as you are not already on a call). If you are on a call, you can accept another call and switch between them by double pressing the Power button. A short press of the Volume Up or Down buttons increased or decreased the volume accordingly. A two-second long press of the Volume Down button until you hear “Mute On” will mute your voice. A similar long press of the Volume Down button until you hear “Mute Off”, turns it off. All of these were tested and worked well. The only thing I noticed is that when calls came in, I did not always hear the ring tone through the earphones. Sometimes, the only reason I knew I had an incoming call was because I could hear my phone ringing.

As I listened to the voice of the person calling me through the X3s, I would describe sound quality as very nice but dependent upon the caller’s phone – the higher end phones sounded better than the inexpensive phones. One of my callers informed me that I sounded a bit more tinny when using the X3s than when I am using my phone, but it is still very clear.

Frequency Response: When using my Audio Test Tone Generator app by Digital Antics, I could clearly detect 20 hertz when the earphones were set at a moderate volume level. I could only detect up to 15,000 hertz because of my limited hearing capacity for the upper frequencies but my kids could detect up to 18000 hertz, beyond that it sounded quiet and “fuzzy”.

Audio Quality: The factory setting of the Jaybird X3 headphones had good audio quality. Even though I am not an audiophile, I would describe the sound as balanced. The high and mid frequencies were crisp and clear though for me it was almost too sharp. The bass frequencies weren’t quite as strong as I prefer. However, after downloading and creating my own or altering the equalizer presets of other X3/Freedom users, I found that the sound was incredible. I tended to like one sound preset for most music and thus tapped on that one to select it which saved it to my earphones. If I wanted to switch to another preset, all I had to do was open the app, make sure the app connected to my X3s, then select another preset in the app. The last preset you select is the one that is saved to the earbuds and used for all of your music until you select another in the MySound app. I really liked this because Android 6.0.1 does not allow you to use third party equalizers and thus you are stuck with the default sound signature of your earphones (unless you mod your Android phone and install a custom ROM).

Once I found the sound preferences that I liked, I was able to thoroughly enjoy all genres of music. I tended to use and enjoy the “Hi Res” preset for most of my music (I added additional bass). This equalizer preset was created by another user and is characterized as having most of the frequencies boosted with a slight dampening of the 3.5 kHz range. I used this preset to listen to classic rock music like Bob Seger’s “Famous Final Scene”, bass heavy music like “High Roller” from The Crystal Method, orchestral music like the “Closing Credits” (from the soundtrack to Glory) by The Boys Choir of Harlem, and the theme of the AMC TV show “Halt and Catch Fire” which sounded fantastic. I selected another preset that dampened the middle frequencies more to take some of the harsh edge off of the tapping of the cymbal when listening to “No” by Megan Trainor. All was perfection with my favorite sound presets selected.

One thing that I noticed when using the X3s was that I experienced some lag when watching Netflix on my iPod Touch 6G. The X3s were initially off by a very noticeable amount of time. However, within a few minutes, things seem to correct themselves. I only experienced this a couple of times. All other times, the sound through the X3s were in sync with the video. This was never an issue when using the X3s with my Nexus 6 and watching video streaming apps.

Final Thoughts

The Jaybird X3 Wireless Bluetooth headphones are now my favorite Bluetooth earbuds. The MySound app is the reason I love them because I can create my own equalizer sound preference(s) and save it directly to the earbuds. If I want to change to another preset, I just tap on another within the app and I’m good to go. This makes any genre of music sound great. I also love that I can use these earbuds for about 8.5 hours when the headphones are set at a moderate volume level. The music controls and the calling features all work well, the Bluetooth range was excellent, and charging time was blazingly fast (1.5 hours to fully charge). The X3s were comfortable (once I found the correct fit) for up to two hours before starting to make my ears sore. They also stayed in my ears very well while doing high impact workouts.

What did I not like? Well, it takes just a few seconds longer to insert the earphones into my ears to get a good fit and a good seal around my ear canals when compared to using my MPOW Swift earphones which take literally a second to insert. The X3s also use a proprietary charging cable that can easily be lost. The Bluetooth connectivity of the X3s drops out a few times during each workout because my body (shoulder or arm) gets in the way of the inline remote and the device to which the earphones are connected. In addition, there were a couple of times that my sound and video were out of sync when using my X3s with my iPod Touch 6G but only a couple of times. I also found that the cord clips gouge slight nicks into the silicone covering of the earphones’ cord when removing them. And finally, the Jaybird X3s are about five times the cost of my MPOW Swift Bluetooth 4.0 headphones. Are they five times better? Maybe not. The MPOW Swift earbuds are a great value for the money but are missing the slightly more crisp clear mid and upper frequency sounds of the X3s. Even with these issues, I still love the Jaybird X3 Wireless Bluetooth headphones simply because I get to choose my sound preferences! If you have the money to purchase the X3s, I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Source: The sample used in this review was provided by Jaybird. Please visit their website for more information or Amazon to purchase them.

 

Product Information

Price: $129.99
Manufacturer: Jaybird
Retailer: Amazon
Requirements:
  • Any A2DP Bluetooth stereo device
  • MySound app requires: iOS 9+ (except iPad 2), Android 4.4+
Pros:
  • MySound app allows you to create and save your own sound preferences
  • Crisp clear audio quality at all frequencies
  • After finding the appropriate fit, the earbuds stay in well while exercising
  • Playing time is 8.5 hours at moderate volume level
  • Charging time was only 1.5 hours
Cons:
  • Contains proprietary charging clip thus requiring you to take the clip with you – hopefully, you won't lose it
  • Contains only passive noise isolation
  • Fit was difficult to find
  • Bluetooth was interrupted a few times during high impact workouts (my body got in the way)
  • Sound was out of sync with my iPod Touch 6G only a couple of times when watching streamed videos
  • The cord clips nicked my X3s cord

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV, Bluetooth Gear, Reviews

Tagged:

Jaybird X3 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones review originally appeared on on March 16, 2017 at 4:31 pm.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.

BeatsX Wireless Earphones review

It feels like ages ago when the iPhone 7 was officially announced, putting to rest the rumors on whether or not it would do away with that ubiquitous feature that graces almost every mobile device… the headphone jack. In classic Apple fashion, their self-described bold move was backed by a new wireless audio technology that would quickly be found in several of the popular Beats earphones, the W1 chip.

I believe it was in November when the BeatsX were shown off and finally, three months later, I was finally able to secure a pair for myself. Not because it was in short supply… they were simply delayed that long. I assume it was to add some cushion for Apple to sell its own diminutive AirPods. So here’s the big question… were they worth the wait? So very much.

I should address this W1 chip right off the bat. What’s the big deal? The W1 is a standard Bluetooth receiver, compatible with any other Bluetooth device, but when paired with an iPhone, iPad, Apple watch or iMac, it gains several important improvements. Once you connect the earphones to one of your Apple products, it’s automatically paired with all your devices signed in with the same iCloud account. Switching the device the earphones are connected to takes one simple tap. The chip also massively increases the range. I was easily able to leave my iPhone on my desk and walk around the entire office without losing a signal.

Only a handful of earphones utilize this technology so far — several other Beats products and Apple’s AirPods, which were in short supply at launch — and this technology is, to me, what made the BeatsX worth the wait. But what about the actual headphones, themselves? Let’s get into it.

Contents of Beatsx Packaging

All those earbud options!

Here’s what’s in the box:

  • BeatsX earphones
  • Eartips with four size options
  • Removable secure-fit wingtips
  • Pocket-sized carrying case
  • Lightning to USB-A charging cable
  • Quick start guide

The unit that I purchased also came with a promotion for 3 free months of Apple Music. I’m already a subscriber, but was able to convert the offer value into iTunes store credit, which was just like chopping money off the cost of the earphones and moving it into apps I’ll eventually buy, anyway. Pretty good deal.

One of my favorite features in any earphone I’ve tried, the magnetic clasp.

As for the earphones themselves, they are extremely lightweight, seem rather sturdy and sweat/water resistant. The earbuds form a good seal and didn’t shake loose while jumping around and shaking my head. They’re designed for sports, workouts, running, biking… anything where a long cable would be considered a nuisance. I don’t do a lot of that right now, being winter and living in the northeast, but I imagine when it’s warmer and I start jogging again, they’ll go with me.

Inside the earbuds are two small magnets that clasp together to keep them from swinging around when they’re not in your ears. This is probably my favorite feature of any earphones I’ve owned. I have a fair amount of talk time at work, so it’s nice to be able to keep my earphones around my neck, lanyard-style, when I’m engaged in a conversation or walking around the office, and go right back to listening in one quick motion.

On one cord, there is a simple volume clicker with a center button for answering calls and music controls. The mic is located on this bit and hangs close enough to your mouth to pick up normal conversation levels.

They stay out of the way and don’t sway around too much.

The earphones have an interesting construction. There’s a flexible neck strap that rests on the back of your neck, kept in place by the weight of the two battery packs on both sides. One of the battery packs houses the power/pairing button with a tiny charging indicator LED. The other has a Lightning port for charging, which is fantastic. I have several Lightning cables at work, in my car and at home, so an opportunity for a battery top-off is close at hand.

The battery life is quite good… eight hours on a full charge. The Beats brand touts what they call Fast Fuel rapid charging, giving them the ability for 2 hours of battery off a 5 minute charge.

You’re probably thinking by now, “Yeah, okay, that’s a lot of really neat stuff, but how do these things actually sound?”

I mean, that’s kinda of the whole point, right? I wouldn’t consider myself an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination, but as a casual earphone user, I’d award them a solid B. They’re not the best, in terms of clarity, but they’re certainly a step up from any stock earphones that you’d get with a phone or a wired pair you’d drop $50 on.

Beats have always been punchy and bass-heavy, and while the tiny drivers in these are surprisingly loud, they tend to be a little too muddy for my taste. The highs aren’t as crisp as I’d like, but overall they sound pretty good. The sound certainly benefits from the earbud construction, forming a tight seal in your ear canals. They do block quite a bit of outside noise, even when nothing is playing, so that’s something to keep in mind for traffic safety if you’re going to be biking or running or, I don’t know, walking on some railroad tracks. Take heed!

It’s the combination of the W1 chip, smart construction and good sound that makes the BeatsX an easy recommendation at $129. That may be a tall order for some looking for a simple pair of earphones. While the headphone jacks of the world don’t seem to be going anywhere in a big hurry, any future iPhone I’ll be purchasing will certainly be devoid of that option, and I sure do hates me some converter dongles. For me, wireless is the way to go, and these came in at a much lower price than many of the other options out there.

Source: The sample for this review was purchased with my own funds. For more information, visit the Beats by Dre site and Amazon to order.

 

Product Information

Price: $149.95
Manufacturer: Beats by Dre
Retailer: Amazon
Pros:
  • W1 chip = simple pairing and super long range
  • Decent sound
  • Long battery life
  • Lightning cable charging
Cons:
  • Relatively expensive
  • Not the best sound you could get for the price vs. wired earphones

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV, Reviews

Tagged:

BeatsX Wireless Earphones review originally appeared on on March 6, 2017 at 11:49 am.

Note: If you are subscribed to this feed through FeedBurner, please switch to our native feed URL http://the-gadgeteer.com/feed/ in order to ensure continuous delivery.