Other So much wasted money on Bluetooth devices

[anitak1982]

Say what one will about Apple products including their Airpods but I have in my possession five blue tooth devices that do not work a fraction as well as the AirPods my husband just bought me for my birthday. Starting with my hearing loss these really made it hard to talk to people on the phone. I could listen to YouTube but nothing else. Not only do these AirPods work fantastic but also pairs to my laptop. What on earth do I do with all these devices now. I tried to save money but that was just not wise obviously in hindsight.

 

[Wando64]

I tried to save money but that was just not wise obviously in hindsight.

I feel the same way every time I see someone buying a Dell computer.

 

[velocityg4]

You could frame them and hang them up as a reminder. With a plaque under it reading,

"The cynic knows the price of everything and the value of nothing." - Oscar Wilde

alternatively you could use

"The bitterness of poor quality remains long after the sweetness of low price is forgotten." - Benjamin Franklin

 

[ericwn]

How about you sell them, donate them or bin / recycle them?

 

[rui no onna]

Say what one will about Apple products including their Airpods but I have in my possession five blue tooth devices that do not work a fraction as well as the AirPods my husband just bought me for my birthday. Starting with my hearing loss these really made it hard to talk to people on the phone. I could listen to YouTube but nothing else. Not only do these AirPods work fantastic but also pairs to my laptop. What on earth do I do with all these devices now. I tried to save money but that was just not wise obviously in hindsight.

Yeah, often it's just better to spend more on a quality product rather than try a whole bunch of cheaper options which usually ends up costing more in the long run.

I went through this trial and error trying to switch away from iPads for both higher storage and to avoid Apple's storage tax. Max iPad storage back then (2012-13) was 64-128GB and there was no external storage support. That ended up being quite an expensive experiment in frustration.

 

[eyoungren]

Say what one will about Apple products including their Airpods but I have in my possession five blue tooth devices that do not work a fraction as well as the AirPods my husband just bought me for my birthday. Starting with my hearing loss these really made it hard to talk to people on the phone. I could listen to YouTube but nothing else. Not only do these AirPods work fantastic but also pairs to my laptop. What on earth do I do with all these devices now. I tried to save money but that was just not wise obviously in hindsight.

Several months back I got a pair of bone conduction headphones (Aftershokz Aeropex). I wanted to be able to hear my family addressing me while working but still be able to hear my music/tv without having it so loud they were yelling at me. Totally worked out.

I hate in-ear buds, pods, whatever you want to name them. I have Psoriasis and it's in my ears so flakes, oil and junk get all over these things. And I hate the pressure of headphones - plus I can't hear people.

My wife tried them and was hooked. I will never go back to traditional headphones or earpods. My Aeropex work every time with every device from my Macs to several of my iPhones/iPad. And also having suffered some hearing loss myself - audio is clear.

I'm not an audiophile and even though the Aeropex are top of the line they cannot compare to headsets/pods for those who are discriminating listeners. But pretty good is good enough for me.

And no, I'm not a shill for Aftershokz, I just like the product. Their service is good too. Replaced my wife's Aeorpex no questions asked when it had problems.

 

[rui no onna]

Several months back I got a pair of bone conduction headphones (Aftershokz Aeropex). I wanted to be able to hear my family addressing me while working but still be able to hear my music/tv without having it so loud they were yelling at me. Totally worked out.

I hate in-ear buds, pods, whatever you want to name them. I have Psoriasis and it's in my ears so flakes, oil and junk get all over these things. And I hate the pressure of headphones - plus I can't hear people.

My wife tried them and was hooked. I will never go back to traditional headphones or earpods. My Aeropex work every time with every device from my Macs to several of my iPhones/iPad. And also having suffered some hearing loss myself - audio is clear.

I'm not an audiophile and even though the Aeropex are top of the line they cannot compare to headsets/pods for those who are discriminating listeners. But pretty good is good enough for me.

And no, I'm not a shill for Aftershokz, I just like the product. Their service is good too. Replaced my wife's Aeorpex no questions asked when it had problems.

First time I've heard of such a product. Very interesting. I have similar annoyances with earphones and headphones. I'd probably give this a try.

 

[eyoungren]

First time I've heard of such a product. Very interesting. I have similar annoyances with earphones and headphones. I'd probably give this a try.

Yeah, I was looking for SOMETHING different. About a decade ago I was in a Sprint store and they were promoting the 'Jawbone' which worked by using bone conduction. So, I just thought something like that had to exist in the year 2021. A Google/eBay search turned up good results.

Aftershokz is the Apple of this business market so if you try it, I'd go with them. But as with Apple, they have lower specced products. I wouldn't mess with anything other than the Aeropex. The Titanium, which is their lesser product is fairly bulky. They do have one product you can use while swimming.

Their products work well with Apple devices though. You can answer calls, pause and resume music, skip, etc. It's all integrated into the headset. The one annoying thing (and all of the products experience this) is volume. If you play volume loud, expect the set to vibrate against the sides of your cheekbones. That's how they work, it's just at lower volumes you don't feel it.

It's just a really cool alternative to traditional headsets/buds. For those that use hearing aids, the iPhone also has hearing aid apps that will leverage this via BT.

EDIT: Apparently they have changed their name to just Shokz now and renamed some of the product. The Aeropex is now the 'OpenRun' while a new release (9th generation) is 'OpenRun Pro'.

Shokz Bone Conduction Headphone - Shokz

Discover the innovative audio world of Shokz, designed for open-ear listening. Shop bone conduction headphones OpenRun Pro, OpenFit, and more. Perfect for sports, and work.

shokz.com

 

[Clix Pix]

Several months back I got a pair of bone conduction headphones (Aftershokz Aeropex). I wanted to be able to hear my family addressing me while working but still be able to hear my music/tv without having it so loud they were yelling at me. Totally worked out.

I hate in-ear buds, pods, whatever you want to name them. I have Psoriasis and it's in my ears so flakes, oil and junk get all over these things. And I hate the pressure of headphones - plus I can't hear people.

My wife tried them and was hooked. I will never go back to traditional headphones or earpods. My Aeropex work every time with every device from my Macs to several of my iPhones/iPad. And also having suffered some hearing loss myself - audio is clear.

I'm not an audiophile and even though the Aeropex are top of the line they cannot compare to headsets/pods for those who are discriminating listeners. But pretty good is good enough for me.

And no, I'm not a shill for Aftershokz, I just like the product. Their service is good too. Replaced my wife's Aeorpex no questions asked when it had problems.

I use Aftershokz, too, because they exactly serve my particular needs as a hearing-impaired person with conductive hearing loss. I put these on and can really enjoy music or movies/videos and the sound goes right to where I need it: the bone, which takes things from there.

Of course, as a person with hearing loss, I also have and use actual devices meant to enhance my hearing, and those -- bone-anchored hearing aids/sound processors -- are what I wear for daily everyday use, especially when out-and-about interacting with others somewhere. With my iPhone I can also stream music from my iTunes library right into them, too, when I want to do so.

OP, have you gone to an ENT and an audiologist and had an audiogram, and worked with the clinician(s) to find the best everyday hearing solution for you in terms of hearing aids? There are all kinds of options available out there these days and many of them are actually rather unobtrusive if someone feels self-conscious about having the device(s) visible to others.

 

[MBAir2010]

I feel the same way every time I see someone buying a Dell computer.

My Dell XPS 2109 is great!
better than those MacBooks from that era.
Dell makes solid computers,
maybe the owners are at fault.
i do like an duse my s more, but the software is the reason.

 

[rui no onna]

My Dell XPS 2109 is great!
better than those MacBooks from that era.
Dell makes solid computers,
maybe the owners are at fault.
i do like an duse my s more, but the software is the reason.

I find their business line up OK (Latitude, Optiplex, Precision, XPS). The Dell Home Inspiron, not so much.

 

[MBAir2010]

I find their business line up OK (Latitude, Optiplex, Precision, XPS). The Dell Home Inspiron, not so much.

thank you, do we have a Dell? (dude)
i might have to box that in march, the month i don't inernets
there are photos i need to go through though....

 

[sparksd]

Yeah, often it's just better to spend more on a quality product rather than try a whole bunch of cheaper options which usually ends up costing more in the long run.

I went through this trial and error trying to switch away from iPads for both higher storage and to avoid Apple's storage tax. Max iPad storage back then (2012-13) was 64-128GB and there was no external storage support. That ended up being quite an expensive experiment in frustration.

There's often truth to the old adage - Buy cheap, buy twice.

 

[Hombre53]

Yeah, I was looking for SOMETHING different. About a decade ago I was in a Sprint store and they were promoting the 'Jawbone' which worked by using bone conduction. So, I just thought something like that had to exist in the year 2021. A Google/eBay search turned up good results.

Aftershokz is the Apple of this business market so if you try it, I'd go with them. But as with Apple, they have lower specced products. I wouldn't mess with anything other than the Aeropex. The Titanium, which is their lesser product is fairly bulky. They do have one product you can use while swimming.

Their products work well with Apple devices though. You can answer calls, pause and resume music, skip, etc. It's all integrated into the headset. The one annoying thing (and all of the products experience this) is volume. If you play volume loud, expect the set to vibrate against the sides of your cheekbones. That's how they work, it's just at lower volumes you don't feel it.

It's just a really cool alternative to traditional headsets/buds. For those that use hearing aids, the iPhone also has hearing aid apps that will leverage this via BT.

EDIT: Apparently they have changed their name to just Shokz now and renamed some of the product. The Aeropex is now the 'OpenRun' while a new release (9th generation) is 'OpenRun Pro'.

Shokz Bone Conduction Headphone - Shokz

Discover the innovative audio world of Shokz, designed for open-ear listening. Shop bone conduction headphones OpenRun Pro, OpenFit, and more. Perfect for sports, and work.

shokz.com

This is great info and exactly why I read the forums here in Mac Rumors. I never knew this technology existed. I'm going to check it out. Thanks!

 

[TechRunner]

I find their business line up OK (Latitude, Optiplex, Precision, XPS). The Dell Home Inspiron, not so much.

Same. I had some fear of QC issues when I pulled the trigger on my XPS 9510, but it's been great so far with zero issues out of the box, or since. I would be afraid to try something lower on their pricing scale, though.

 

[adrianlondon]

First time I've heard of such a product. Very interesting. I have similar annoyances with earphones and headphones. I'd probably give this a try.

Also have a look at:

Sony LinkBuds
Bose Sport Open

I'll be buying one of the above (for cycling and running) once I've read enough reviews to compare the two.

 

[Wando64]

My Dell XPS 2109 is great!
better than those MacBooks from that era.
Dell makes solid computers,
maybe the owners are at fault.
i do like an duse my s more, but the software is the reason.

Well yes, they do get it right sometimes but my experience with them has always been very poor, especially with laptops.

All of that said, I’ve also been very careful to avoid any Apple MacBook with butterfly keyboard.
The moment I tried to type on one I just said NOPE.

 

[dk001]

Reading this made me take a quick look....

Over the last few years I have spent way more on BT than wired.

Best music wired: B&O
Best music BT: B&O
Best Android device general use: Nothing Ear
Best iOS device general use: AirPods Pro

That said, I have a drawer of other BT crap that I really should dump.

 

[sparksd]

Reading this made me take a quick look....

Over the last few years I have spent way more on BT than wired.

Best music wired: B&O
Best music BT: B&O
Best Android device general use: Nothing Ear
Best iOS device general use: AirPods Pro

That said, I have a drawer of other BT crap that I really should dump.

Same on the drawer here. I've settled on Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds as my favorites. I tried the AirPod Pro and just couldn't generate a liking for them so they got returned.

 

[M5RahuL]

Buy it nice.. Or, buy it twice (or 5x in some cases ? )

 

[Danfango]

This is a big evironmental problem. We have a lot of staff with a massive turnover of crap BT devices that die after a couple of months or never work properly. We're talking plantronics / sennheiser / logitech here so not bottom of the barrel brands. There are literally 7 large plastic crates full of landfill sitting in the office now.

Moment we started rolling out Airpods and macbooks, apart from ones getting lost and destroyed, nada. They never come back and no one complains about them.