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JoEw

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Nov 29, 2009
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Hello, I've ordered my mom an Apple Watch for her birthday so she can run without her phone in hand. She'll need some bluetooth headphones, has anyone used any that they can recommend that work well with the watch?
 
Agree with andjoe. AirPods and some models of beats have the w1 chip which pairs way better with the watch than normal Bluetooth headphones, at least in my experience. I have AirPods and BeatsX headphNew and like the AirPods much better for running.
 
Another vote for Bose SoundSport Wireless, they hook into your ear and you can’t shake em out. They instantly pair with my watch and iPhone. Love them, run about everyday with them. I would like to try the AirPods but doing trail running I’d be concerned about loosing one, may not be an issue though.
 
I like my AirPods so far, the sound quality is acceptable.
If you also own other Apple devices you will love how convenient it is to switch between them. However my favorite part is how long the battery last, and how easy it is to charge it by put it in the case.
 
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I love my Powerbeats 3. They’re so comfortable to wear and connect easily to everything I’ve ever tried to pair them with. I did not like the fit of AirPods.
 
The past two years I've run with Mpow Cheetah bluetooth neckband headphones. https://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Headphones-Nano-coating-Sweatproof-Hands-free/dp/B0171F4SIQ

The neckband is not tight, and self-coils when not wearing them, so no tangles in your gym bag. Unlike the various headphones with a longer cord I've tried, the neckband doesn't catch/grab on my neck.

Only note is I need to wear my watch on my *right* wrist when running outside else I get audio dropouts. Indoors it doesn't matter.
 
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I settled on the Jaybird X3 buds for my watch while running and at the gym. Apple buds don't fit my ears, so the AirPods are a no-go for me. I tried the BeatsX (for the benefit of the W1 chip and lightning charging) but returned them. They sounded terrible, and the W1 didn't seem to work any better than not having it.
 
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I run daily with AirPods, pretty good for running doing 1 ear at a time is nice for hearing traffic.

I would've thought the AirPods allowed enough external sound you could put both in.

I settled on the Jaybird X3 buds for my watch while running and at the gym. Apple buds don't fit my ears, so the AirPods are a no-go for me. I tried the BeatsX (for the benefit of the W1 chip and lightning charging) but returned them. They sounded terrible, and the W1 didn't seem to work any better than not having it.

I went from the JayBirds X2 to BeatsX. I was plenty happy with the X2s till I compared them with the BeatsX. Boy the X2s sounded crap! EarPods and AirPods however, not for my ear shape. No AirPods for me, but my wife loves hers! :mad:

Good thing about BeatsX and AirPods - they use Lightning to charge. PowerBeats3 must be made for a wider audience, so micro USB there...
 
I would've thought the AirPods allowed enough external sound you could put both in.



I went from the JayBirds X2 to BeatsX. I was plenty happy with the X2s till I compared them with the BeatsX. Boy the X2s sounded crap! EarPods and AirPods however, not for my ear shape. No AirPods for me, but my wife loves hers! :mad:

Good thing about BeatsX and AirPods - they use Lightning to charge. PowerBeats3 must be made for a wider audience, so micro USB there...

I have no experience with the X2s, so I don't know what, if any, sound quality changes there were. And, when I was using the BeatsX, I kept wondering if maybe mine were defective, because they didn't live up to the positive reviews I had read/heard. They were very hollow and metallic with very weak mids and lows. The sound was not balanced. I prefer a flatter sound.
 
+1 for the AirPods. If the regular Apple earbuds fit your ears, then the AirPods will, too. If you have issues with the Apple earbuds (loose, falling out, uncomfortable), then you may have similar issues with AirPods. In my opinion, they sound just a good—if not better—than the Apple earbuds.

AirPods-logo-icon.jpg
 
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+1 for the AirPods. If the regular Apple earbuds fit your ears, then the AirPods will, too. If you have issues with the Apple earbuds (loose, falling out, uncomfortable), then you may have similar issues with AirPods. In my opinion, the sound just a good—if not better—than the Apple earbuds.

AirPods-logo-icon.jpg


Funny thing is that the normal earbuds don't fit me. They keep falling out even while not exercising. The airpods however work absolutely fine. Day to day use, running, taichi practice, absolutely no issues. I think the wires on the earpods were adding weight and yanking them out. Super satisfied with the airpods. One of the truly magical Apple products of the last couple of years. They simply just work! Seamless transition to taking phone calls. Pause music by taking them out. I haven't been so thrilled with an Apple product in years. These did it for me with the Apple watch a close second. I was late to the game with both of these/
 
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And, when I was using the BeatsX, I kept wondering if maybe mine were defective, because they didn't live up to the positive reviews I had read/heard. They were very hollow and metallic with very weak mids and lows. The sound was not balanced. I prefer a flatter sound.

Definitely doesn't sound like what you'd expect.
 
I'm using the Beats X for my workouts (gym and running), had JBL and Anker before, none of them were working 6 months after I've bought them, but my Beats X are and I really like them :)
 
Platronics backbeat fit is a really nice cheaper option. Personally love mine

This +1. Mine work great, rock-solid Bluetooth connection, and they stay in my ears better than my AirPods. I understand some people can run with AirPods no problem, but mine want to pop out every few minutes while at the gym so I switched back to the backbeat fits.
 
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LG HBS 912... bluetooth wireless, comfortable around the neck, great sound/call quality... charge lasts a good 12 hours.

$49.99

I personally haven't tried the Airpods because I haven't had a reason to. The LGs are amazing and 1/3 the price. I would probably be a bit paranoid about them falling out as well. Don't have to worry about that with the LGs.
 
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