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Video Review: Motorola's VerveOnes Earbuds are Truly Wireless but Come at a Cost

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Apr 12, 2001
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For the past year, I've exclusively used Bluetooth earbuds while out and about. For me, the convenience of not being tethered to my phone outweighs any downside in sound quality, but all the pairs I've owned before haven't been truly wireless; they're always connected with some sort of cable.

These are the VerveOnes from Motorola, and they're the first pair of truly wireless earbuds I've used. In the package you get the two earbuds and a carrying case for charging. It's a simple setup that affords you portability and battery life.


The VerveOnes connect over Bluetooth to each other and to your phone. For the most part, while using them, the connection was strong, but there were instances where some interference was noticeable.

The sound quality is mediocre. There's a decent amount of bass, but the sound is generally muddy with no real depth and the highs have a tendency to clip at higher volumes. These are a pair of earbuds for convenience, not stellar sound.

After a few weeks of testing, it's hard to recommend the VerveOnes. They can be purchased from the VerveLife website for $199, but for that price, the connectivity issues and sound quality make the earbuds a hard sell.

Article Link: Video Review: Motorola's VerveOnes Earbuds are Truly Wireless but Come at a Cost
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/review/motorola-verveones-wireless-earbuds/
What if Apple doesn't use Bluetooth for their wireless Earpods? What if they just develop a new, better short-range wireless protocol? I hate proprietary stuff as much as the next guy, but it seems like an Apple thing to do. We need a faster and longer-range connection for things like the Apple Watch and HomeKit devices, while still maintaining solid battery life. I'm not sure if BT 5 gets us there. Could be an interesting unveiling this September.
 
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Reactions: Oblivious.Robot
um. thanks (?) Great Mac rumor.

maybe next you could review the new LG wifi washing machine. because, you know, you can connect from your iPhone.
 
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This concept is wankers.

These things will fall out easily, especially during sport. You could easily lose one of them, and that'll be the end of it. Battery life and overall reception and sound quality being crap are the fatal bullets.

Companies, just add a wire connecting the buds... because they'll be easier to carry around. This isn't the future future.
 
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I have a pair of Bragi's The Dash. Similar but from what I've seen the Bragi is better in a few areas. Sound is good. They aren't cheap either (mine were $249) but you have to expect that with 1st generation devices like these.
 
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I truly enjoy the jaybird blue buds X2 headphones. Yes they are connected to each other but can be set up so it's like a rather taught but unobtrusive band that goes behind your head they stay on great. They sound excellent and have a sweat proof guarantee that I've used once...perfect customer service. (my original blue buds X I don't think were waterproofed with liquipel as well and they sent me the upgraded X2 for free)
 
roland.g said:
I have a pair of Bragi's The Dash. Similar but from what I've seen the Bragi is better in a few areas. Sound is good. They aren't cheap either (mine were $249) but you have to expect that with 1st generation devices like these.
Click to expand...

Ditto. I pre-ordered the Bragi Dash and I think I got mine in March. Sound quality on those is fine, better than the stock EarPods that Apple includes with the phone. Bluetooth reception on those is fine indoors, basically perfect as long as nothing blocks the signal between the right earbud and the phone. I can walk maybe 25 feet from the phone before the connection starts to stutter and drop. However, outdoors it's not really usable because there's nothing for the signal to bounce off. They kind of fit like earplugs so there's not much concern with them falling out, except if you're laying down with them on then they start to come loose. I've also used them on a few airplane flights to watch movies, and they worked fine there as well. I mostly use mine at the gym, because I hate the idea of accidentally getting the headphone cord stuck on something. They do sometimes loosen up a bit when sweaty. Overall though, they're not terrible as indoor headphones and as far as I know they're still the best option for bluetooth earbuds. I don't think they're worth the $250 that they cost, but if they ever get down to maybe $100 they'd be a great choice for mid-range headphones.
 
scoobydoo99 said:
um. thanks (?) Great Mac rumor.

maybe next you could review the new LG wifi washing machine. because, you know, you can connect from your iPhone.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I like these articles. I've been considering bluetooth earbuds, but would like them to be disconnected like these or the Dash. MR did the the favor of ruling these out.

Between your post and the posts responding to yours you've upped the response counter by at least 4 making it more likely I'll see more of these types of articles in the future.
 
Analog Kid said:
Thanks! I like these articles. I've been considering bluetooth earbuds, but would like them to be disconnected like these or the Dash. MR did the the favor of ruling these out.

Between your post and the posts responding to yours you've upped the response counter by at least 4 making it more likely I'll see more of these types of articles in the future.
Click to expand...

meh. i don't think it really matters, does it? macrumors is pretty much exclusively click bait for ads now. long gone are the days of true mac rumors. of course, there isn't much of interest in that arena now anyway, so not much lost.
 
macduke said:
What if Apple doesn't use Bluetooth for their wireless Earpods? What if they just develop a new, better short-range wireless protocol? I hate proprietary stuff as much as the next guy, but it seems like an Apple thing to do. We need a faster and longer-range connection for things like the Apple Watch and HomeKit devices, while still maintaining solid battery life. I'm not sure if BT 5 gets us there. Could be an interesting unveiling this September.
Click to expand...

Are wifi headphones are possibility, using a peer to peer connection? Are wifi antennas small enough? How efficient can they be?
 
scoobydoo99 said:
meh. i don't think it really matters, does it? macrumors is pretty much exclusively click bait for ads now. long gone are the days of true mac rumors. of course, there isn't much of interest in that arena now anyway, so not much lost.
Click to expand...
Yeah, there's no news at all about anything Apple and technology related here. Just nothing whatsoever.
 
roland.g said:
I have a pair of Bragi's The Dash. Similar but from what I've seen the Bragi is better in a few areas. Sound is good. They aren't cheap either (mine were $249) but you have to expect that with 1st generation devices like these.
Click to expand...

I was in the Early Bird section being backer 900 something and thus got mine at the steal of $179. It's a no brainer at that price, but even at $249, I think you get what you pay for. They're very nice hardware and they look great, too. They fit in perfectly with my Apple gear. The battery carrying case is pretty awesome, too. Waterproof is cool and fairly unique. Software is still a work in progress, but it is getting better quickly.

Sappharad said:
Overall though, they're not terrible as indoor headphones and as far as I know they're still the best option for bluetooth earbuds. I don't think they're worth the $250 that they cost, but if they ever get down to maybe $100 they'd be a great choice for mid-range headphones.
Click to expand...

I mostly agreed with your review of the Dash headphones. I don't agree with the price analysis, though. They do way too much for $100 headphones as labelling them simply as headphones is akin to labelling an iPhone as simply a phone. Heart rate monitor, storage space built in for music playback without your phone, control the Dash utilizing movements of your head, ear bone microphone for making calls, and waterproof for swimming with them. That's a far cry from being $100 headphones.
I also have some issues when outdoors on occasions, but this has improved a bit with each update. Plus, how cool is it to use Audio Transparency so you can hear cars around you while running or people talking while listening to your music?
 
C DM said:
Must be because these this are just advertisements, right? ;)
Click to expand...

Maybe not, but most are very simplistic reviews that don't take a very discerning critical eye, and seem like they were written by gushing teenage kid looking at their first Mustang.
 
Only 3 hours of listening between charges? That's abysmal. I bought a $40 pair of Bluetooth headphone (PTH3) and they last a whole week (6+ hours of listening a day).

I know the two are different (in-ear vs over-ear), but these earbuds are a joke.
 
scoobydoo99 said:
um. thanks (?) Great Mac rumor.

maybe next you could review the new LG wifi washing machine. because, you know, you can connect from your iPhone.
Click to expand...
You know, you didn't have to click on the article link...

Back on topic - these seem nicely designed but the problem for me is that I have enough trouble keeping track of my car keys, I know I'd lose one or both headphone in no time at all.
 
I can't wait to see how the Phazon earbuds do. To me they seem to have nailed everything everyone is afraid of and they're cheaper at 179$. http://www.phazon.ca
If the quality is there and they patented a few things, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple bought them in the future.
 
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