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Decent wireless ear buds?

H

heycal

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 25, 2013
826
22
I have an iphone 6, and listen to music and podcasts often with my earbuds in. I like this fine, and love that with the microphone on the earbuds, I can activate Siri and send a text, answer a phone call, fast forward to the next song, and so on and so forth.

But I don't like having to be plugged into the phone and getting tangled in the wire, etc.

Is there a wireless earbud set that has full microphone functionality that matches what the iphone earbuds can do? I don't know much about bluetooth or this kind of stuff. I was told some can only handle phone calls, not activate Siri or fast forward, etc.

I don't need the fanciest, best one around. Just something that recreates the iphone earbud experience without having to be plugged in. Thanks.
 
Thanks, guys. I'll look into those. The goal is to still be able to do everything my iphone-issue earbuds can do, but with no wires. (And hopefully perfect reception/quality).

In reading the decriptions of some on the market, they don't seem to mention Siri functionality specifically. Should that be assumed to be included if they say something like "Full phone functions" or whatever?

Also, is there some bluetooth version that's the newest and best, like 4.0 or whatever?

I guess I'm looking for guidelines for what to look for or avoid with these things.
 
Last edited:
If you are willing to pay the $200. The powerbeats2 have been awesome. I love everything about them. Though they are pricey, I use them everyday. They stay in my ears when I run and have no problems with them at all.

Highly recommended this product. If you have any specific questions, let me know.
 
I've been using Wingz Bluetooth 4.0 earbuds for a couple of days. (I just noticed they're currently unavailable—not a good sign.) I bought them for $40. The sound is good and there's an icon on my phone for battery level, which is a nice touch. My only gripe is, with the plastic strap hanging on the back of my neck, when I turn my head the strap sticks to my skin and pulls at the earbud. If the earbud gets dislodged a bit, the seal is broken and the sound suffers greatly. I'm going to try out some smaller ear pieces to see if that helps. (Letting the strap hang in front negates this issue, but then if they fall out for any reason they'll fall on the floor instead of hanging around my neck.)

I was going to return them immediately because I (foolishly) thought they would work with my Apple TV, but I like not having to worry about earphone wires at the gym.
 
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Depends on what sound quality you want. I have yet to find a good set of BT in-ear headphones. Powerbeats just don't sit in the ears quite right and bass suffers. The apple EarPods, not BT of course, have the best sound but they do require lots of fiddling with to keep them in the ears.

The new Bose wired in-ear headphones work well with the StayHear+ tips that come with the noise canceling ones. An extra $10 and they really reduce outside noise.

Best wireless so far are the Beats studio wireless but $380 is quite a load to spend.
 
Sounds like there are a lot of hassles with all this stuff, unless perhaps one wants to a bunch of money on a great set.

Bluetooh reminds me of Android: it's fantastic when everything works perfectly, and better than anything else, but there's lot headaches and maintenance involved along the way.
 
ISFPOWER said:
my powerbeats v2 wireless does those functions.
Click to expand...

Powerbeats v2 are not ear buds. They're over-ear headphones. I laugh whenever I see someone on an airplane with them, because they have to pull out their case then pair them then have the silly wire hanging behind their heads, and they are always taking them off and fooling with them.

Powerbeats v2 (or any other bluetooth earbuds) have batteries either in the ear buds or somewhere in the cable, so they weigh 4-5x more than a high quality (i.e. Sennheiser) set of ear buds. So the hassle saved without a wire to your phone is a hassle gained by having the weight and lower quality.

There's no substitute for a wire. Bluetooth simply can't carry the signal quality of a wired earbud\headphone.

----------
vmaniqui said:
yes. got THE JAYBIRD TOO and it's a nice one.
Click to expand...

I had these but returned them. The quality of the sound was just not as good as a high quality, similarly priced wired headset. And the cord behind the head is more annoying to me than just running the cord inside my shirt .
 
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Many want wireless for doing chores or being at the gym. I agree in-ear bluetooth just doesn't have the audio quality which is why I just use my apple EarPods. I do own a pair of Beats studio wireless which have great sound and when on the plane I plug them in for wired operation.
 
I have had earbuds ranging from cheap $20 sets up to Etymotic, Jays Q-Jays, etc.

I have found that LG Tone Pro or Ultra have decent sound quality and excellent battery life for a bluetooth product. There are definitely sleeker, better options out there for a higher price, but for the $60-100 range I'm happy with them.

Some people don't like the feel of having them hanging around their neck, but they don't bother me at all. I've used them in the car, office, and on runs.
 
shenan1982 said:
Powerbeats v2 are not ear buds. They're over-ear headphones. I laugh whenever I see someone on an airplane with them, because they have to pull out their case then pair them then have the silly wire hanging behind their heads, and they are always taking them off and fooling with them.
Click to expand...

My God. Just looked at a picture of these. Who would want these contraptions on their head?

shenan1982 said:
Powerbeats v2 (or any other bluetooth earbuds) have batteries either in the ear buds or somewhere in the cable, so they weigh 4-5x more than a high quality (i.e. Sennheiser) set of ear buds. So the hassle saved without a wire to your phone is a hassle gained by having the weight and lower quality.

There's no substitute for a wire. Bluetooth simply can't carry the signal quality of a wired earbud\headphone.
Click to expand...

You may make a compelling case for living with my wired earbuds and avoiding this whole world.
 
heycal said:
My God. Just looked at a picture of these. Who would want these contraptions on their head?

I have a pair and they are very light, comfortable, and hardly conspicuous. If you think they are "contraptions" then yes, you will need to stick to your wires.

heycal said:
You may make a compelling case for living with my wired earbuds and avoiding this whole world.
Click to expand...

It all depends what are your priorities. The wireless sets out there now are getting closer to their wired cousins in terms of quality. No, they are not 100% there yet, but for myself, having a wire tugging on my phone during my daily commute or any time seems a bit archaic now. I am enjoying both my PowerBeats 2 and Solo 2 Wireless.
Click to expand...
 
heycal said:
My God. Just looked at a picture of these. Who would want these contraptions on their head?



You may make a compelling case for living with my wired earbuds and avoiding this whole world.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The problem is one of simple physics. Bluetooth earbuds have to have battery in them somewhere, as well as a cord connecting them together. The battery is either in the actual ear bud (which makes me nervous having inside my ear), or in a lump within the connection cable. Both of these attributes make any bluetooth headphones awkward looking\designed.

I don't understand what the big deal is about having a wire. I want to love bluetooth, especially earbuds, but technology just doesn't support reasonable design and quality.

----------
JNGold said:
heycal said:
My God. Just looked at a picture of these. Who would want these contraptions on their head?

I have a pair and they are very light, comfortable, and hardly conspicuous. If you think they are "contraptions" then yes, you will need to stick to your wires.



It all depends what are your priorities. The wireless sets out there now are getting closer to their wired cousins in terms of quality. No, they are not 100% there yet, but for myself, having a wire tugging on my phone during my daily commute or any time seems a bit archaic now. I am enjoying both my PowerBeats 2 and Solo 2 Wireless.
Click to expand...

Agreed, if having no wire is your #1 priority, these are for you. If sound quality, comfort, and weight are important, a good quality wired earbud is for you. It's like people who wear an earbud 24\7 and call anyone who puts their phone to their ear "archaic" ... doesn't make sense. Technology has a line and if you have to have an ugly pear of headphones on that people laugh at (sorry no matter what you think, if you wear beats buds 2 I am laughing at you quietly), then it's a bit of a lost cause.

But hey, I laugh at anyone wearing tacky beats products...
Click to expand...
 
JNGold said:
It all depends what are your priorities. The wireless sets out there now are getting closer to their wired cousins in terms of quality. No, they are not 100% there yet, but for myself, having a wire tugging on my phone during my daily commute or any time seems a bit archaic now. I am enjoying both my PowerBeats 2 and Solo 2 Wireless.
Click to expand...

I like the Solo 2 wireless as well but the Studio wireless sound a notch better and are more comfortable. Only real drawback is the studio wireless require battery power even when wire connected for the ANC.
 
shenan1982 said:
Powerbeats v2 are not ear buds. They're over-ear headphones. I laugh whenever I see someone on an airplane with them, because they have to pull out their case then pair them then have the silly wire hanging behind their heads, and they are always taking them off and fooling with them.

Powerbeats v2 (or any other bluetooth earbuds) have batteries either in the ear buds or somewhere in the cable, so they weigh 4-5x more than a high quality (i.e. Sennheiser) set of ear buds. So the hassle saved without a wire to your phone is a hassle gained by having the weight and lower quality.

There's no substitute for a wire. Bluetooth simply can't carry the signal quality of a wired earbud\headphone.

----------



I had these but returned them. The quality of the sound was just not as good as a high quality, similarly priced wired headset. And the cord behind the head is more annoying to me than just running the cord inside my shirt .
Click to expand...

shenan1982 said:
Agreed. The problem is one of simple physics. Bluetooth earbuds have to have battery in them somewhere, as well as a cord connecting them together. The battery is either in the actual ear bud (which makes me nervous having inside my ear), or in a lump within the connection cable. Both of these attributes make any bluetooth headphones awkward looking\designed.

I don't understand what the big deal is about having a wire. I want to love bluetooth, especially earbuds, but technology just doesn't support reasonable design and quality.

----------
JNGold said:
Agreed, if having no wire is your #1 priority, these are for you. If sound quality, comfort, and weight are important, a good quality wired earbud is for you. It's like people who wear an earbud 24\7 and call anyone who puts their phone to their ear "archaic" ... doesn't make sense. Technology has a line and if you have to have an ugly pear of headphones on that people laugh at (sorry no matter what you think, if you wear beats buds 2 I am laughing at you quietly), then it's a bit of a lost cause.

But hey, I laugh at anyone wearing tacky beats products...
Click to expand...

I have to whole heartedly disagree regards Bluetooth in genera. In ear headphones in general are not as good as over/on the year wired or Bluetooth. That said I use B&W P5's with a Sony Ericsson MW600 Bluetooth adapter and the sound quality is just as good as connecting the headphones directly to my iPhone.

Also there is definitely a good case for using Bluetooth even with a wire attached from the headphones to the adapter as in my case. It means I don't have to take my phone out all the time to change anything and therefore have less risk of dropping the phone or being mugged for it. To me those are two very good reasons for using Bluetooth.
Click to expand...
 
With the current technology available, there is no getting around having to make some concessions. Freedom of movement, sound quality, etc. Nothing on the current market will satisfy all categories. One must ultimately decide which is most important. As for myself, I love the Jaybirds. Not perfect, but the sound quality is good enough, the battery life is great, and the freedom of movement from not having a wire connected to my phone is fantastic.
 
Mr.C said:
I have to whole heartedly disagree regards Bluetooth in genera. In ear headphones in general are not as good as over/on the year wired or Bluetooth. That said I use B&W P5's with a Sony Ericsson MW600 Bluetooth adapter and the sound quality is just as good as connecting the headphones directly to my iPhone.
Click to expand...

If you really think the sound quality is as good as a wire, everything you've said thus far has been discredited.
 
heycal said:
I have an iphone 6, and listen to music and podcasts often with my earbuds in. I like this fine, and love that with the microphone on the earbuds, I can activate Siri and send a text, answer a phone call, fast forward to the next song, and so on and so forth.

But I don't like having to be plugged into the phone and getting tangled in the wire, etc.

Is there a wireless earbud set that has full microphone functionality that matches what the iphone earbuds can do? I don't know much about bluetooth or this kind of stuff. I was told some can only handle phone calls, not activate Siri or fast forward, etc.

I don't need the fanciest, best one around. Just something that recreates the iphone earbud experience without having to be plugged in. Thanks.
Click to expand...


I use these with my 6+. Works well:
Photive EB-10 Lightweight Wireless Bluetooth 4.0 Sports Headphones. Premium Sweat-proof Bluetooth Earbuds with built in Microphone and 7 Hour Battery. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QMSGGIO/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_0aFJub0887B8P
 
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As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
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