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wireless in-ear recommendations

M

mickeydean

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 9, 2011
343
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I'm looking for ones to replace my IEMs with sound quality as the most important consideration.

Not for exercising but general listening.

Expecting to move to the next iPhone and I doubt Apple will put back a headphone jack.

I have the etymotic HF3s, Sony XBA-C10ip, etc...
 
I have both jaybird x3s and beats x

I use jaybird x3s for exercising and beats x for casual listening and conference calls.

In my opinion: jaybird x3s sound better but the beats x fit better=more comfortable. Returned airpods because aside from the cool tech they didnt fit me at all=fell out quite often and in terms of sound were not comparable to the aforementioned options.
 
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I agree with the above posts. The Jaybird X3 sounds great and if they do not have your preferred sound profile there's a hardware EQ in the form of an app. The changes stay on the hardware and will stay even when you listen through another device.
 
I just exchanged my Beats X for the PowerBeats3. Having said that my primary use was for exercising otherwise I for sure would've stuck it out with the Beats X. Good sound, great comfort and an awesome battery. The cord's length was never an issue until I really started moving, that is why I swapped. Wish it would've been a tad shorter.

The PB3's have been a great compromise so far. They aren't as comfy but the sound is just as good and the battery life is even better. Just a bummer I will stick out like a sore thumb in public wearing them (only wireless headphones I have).

*Would've tried the AirPods, if they were actually obtainable*
 
prhat317 said:
I just exchanged my Beats X for the PowerBeats3. Having said that my primary use was for exercising otherwise I for sure would've stuck it out with the Beats X. Good sound, great comfort and an awesome battery. The cord's length was never an issue until I really started moving, that is why I swapped. Wish it would've been a tad shorter.

The PB3's have been a great compromise so far. They aren't as comfy but the sound is just as good and the battery life is even better. Just a bummer I will stick out like a sore thumb in public wearing them (only wireless headphones I have).

*Would've tried the AirPods, if they were actually obtainable*
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I was seriously considering PB3s because of the battery life but but there were a couple of turn off - chief among which was the quality issue - there are several reviews on the online apple store alluding poor build quality - are you experiencing any of that?
 
cakebytheocean said:
I was seriously considering PB3s because of the battery life but but there were a couple of turn off - chief among which was the quality issue - there are several reviews on the online apple store alluding poor build quality - are you experiencing any of that?
Click to expand...
So far so good. I figure I'd rather risk a few complaints online for an awesome workout headphone with the w1 chip. Wish they were a little more discreet as an everyday headphone though lol.
 
Beats x are really good if you can find them on sale. Walmart had a sale this past weekend for the blue Beats x that you can price match at target or best buy. At $100 I think they are hard to beat, sound good, fit great, lightning charger, fast charging, and the w1 chip.
 
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I am also looking at wireless headphones but here are the ones I'm considering: Dash Bragi, Apple airpods & bose soundsport wireless. Which one of these would be the best in terms of sound quality, comfort & battery life?
 
I used the jaybirds x2 and the battery was terrible after two months and I was more than careful on how I charged them. Later on I purchased the Vasa Bla from Sudio Sweden. Not bad in terms of sound, excellent it build but they just wouldn't stay in my ears, no matter which silicone tips I used.
I purchased two models from Mpow, the Wolverine and the Swift (or some similar name like that) but the signal reach was terrible on both as I left the phone on a table in the gym. The music often stopped playing after 10 meters away.
Then I found out about the Decibullz custom mold earphones. These are by far the best wireless earphones I have used. The fit is perfect, as expected from something you mold for your own ear. The sound is terrific, I was very surprised by the bass, it's astounding. The battery last me three workout, one workout is about two hours long. The seal is great, not much from the outside noise will get by.
They are sweat-proof and quite durable, as I have been using them for almost a year they are in a great shape having the fact in mind that I have actually ripped them our of my ears while working out in the gym.
I highly recommend the Decibullz custom molds :)
 
For anyone who is interested, my husband and I tried out a couple of headphones this weekend he wanted a new set of Bluetooth headphones. We tried the Powerbeats3 and The jaybird X3. We also had my own Bose Soundsport wireless.

The Powerbeats3 were terrible good thing was the connectivity. But the sound was absolutely terrible. There was space but not much else. However the design was not bad because I did not fall off your ears. Next we tried the jaybird X3. THese sounded much better. Whether personally I find them extremely fiddly. The full off your ears a lot and quite frankly I had an older version of these either the X1s or X2s and I got rid of them for this reason. I think he is keeping this version however I find it's not comfortable.

Are use the Bose Sound sport wireless and they are great. They are far more comfortable than the other two that I just spoke up and they stay on your ear they don't fall off. The sound is also absolutely great. There is a good amount of bass and it's light so it's easy to walk around with. Don't one big downside to this is that the battery life is not great it's all me at six hours where is the other two had longer battery lives. After trying out the Powerbeats3 is I don't see what the big deal is about the W1 chip. It is nice to have however I wouldn't go out seeking it. Hope this helps you.
 
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TorontoSS said:
For anyone who is interested, my husband and I tried out a couple of headphones this weekend he wanted a new set of Bluetooth headphones. We tried the Powerbeats3 and The jaybird X3. We also had my own Bose Soundsport wireless.

The Powerbeats3 were terrible good thing was the connectivity. But the sound was absolutely terrible. There was space but not much else. However the design was not bad because I did not fall off your ears. Next we tried the jaybird X3. THese sounded much better. Whether personally I find them extremely fiddly. The full off your ears a lot and quite frankly I had an older version of these either the X1s or X2s and I got rid of them for this reason. I think he is keeping this version however I find it's not comfortable.

Are use the Bose Sound sport wireless and they are great. They are far more comfortable than the other two that I just spoke up and they stay on your ear they don't fall off. The sound is also absolutely great. There is a good amount of bass and it's light so it's easy to walk around with. Don't one big downside to this is that the battery life is not great it's all me at six hours where is the other two had longer battery lives. After trying out the Powerbeats3 is I don't see what the big deal is about the W1 chip. It is nice to have however I wouldn't go out seeking it. Hope this helps you.
Click to expand...

I ended up getting the bose sound sport wireless & you're absolutely right about the comfort; the battery life seemed fine for me at around 6 hours per charge. But the sound quality just wasn't there. Bose's wired headphones sound so much better. I'm not sure if all wireless earbuds have similar sound quality. I am considering the apple air pods. Were you able to try those out?
 
fre3way said:
I ended up getting the bose sound sport wireless & you're absolutely right about the comfort; the battery life seemed fine for me at around 6 hours per charge. But the sound quality just wasn't there. Bose's wired headphones sound so much better. I'm not sure if all wireless earbuds have similar sound quality. I am considering the apple air pods. Were you able to try those out?
Click to expand...

Everyone is different. My husband feels what you do about sound but I thought they were great! We didn't get to try the air pods though - sorry.
 
TorontoSS said:
Everyone is different. My husband feels what you do about sound but I thought they were great! We didn't get to try the air pods though - sorry.
Click to expand...

I ended up exchanging them for the beats x. Comfort seems about the same as the bose but the headphones themselves feel a lot better in the ear. Bestbuy has a deal of the day promotion going on today for beats x if anyone is interested.
 
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cakebytheocean said:
I was seriously considering PB3s because of the battery life but but there were a couple of turn off - chief among which was the quality issue - there are several reviews on the online apple store alluding poor build quality - are you experiencing any of that?
Click to expand...
Does anyone knows the cord length of Beats X??? I'm confused between Beats X and the JayBird X3!! Suggestions are appreciated!
 
If sound is the priority then the Bose Soundsports are the answer for the buck. They go on sale pretty often at Best Buy and Target.

Caveats are size, weight and no sound isolation though. But the sound is fab.
 
Erevos said:
if anyone is looking to get the best sound in-ears and is willing to spend money he or she should check out the following:


Sennheiser HD1 In Ear Wireless

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/hd-1-wireless-earbuds-headphones


Sennheiser HD1 Free

https://en-us.sennheiser.com/headphones-bluetooth-hd1-free


Sony WI-1000X

https://www.sony.com/electronics/in-ear-headphones/wi-1000x


Bose QuietControl 30

https://www.bose.com/en_us/products/headphones/earphones/quietcontrol-30.html
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Hhmm, someone on Amazon bought the HD1s and returned the Bose. He also stated the HD1s sounded better than the B&W p7 wireless. That remains to be seen BUT the B&W I do find a bit bulky and uncomfortable over long periods.

Was that person on Amazon you? :)
 
I just bought a pair of refurb Beats X's from Best Buy. They are my first Bluetooth headphones, so maybe I was expecting more, but they sounds really tinny compared to my $50 wired in-ears from Zero audio. Haven't experimented with all the tips yet though.

Too bad the W1 chip is in such a limited amount of products at the moment.
 
AppleRobert said:
Hhmm, someone on Amazon bought the HD1s and returned the Bose. He also stated the HD1s sounded better than the B&W p7 wireless. That remains to be seen BUT the B&W I do find a bit bulky and uncomfortable over long periods.

Was that person on Amazon you? :)
Click to expand...

Νο that wasn't me, I prefer headphones. :)

As for the HD1s, it's not a surprise that they sound better than Bose. I don't know if they sound better than the P7 but we are comparing different styles of wireless earphones. The B&W P7 and PX sound great, although when you activate the ANC on the PX the sound quality drops significantly.

If you are looking for over-ear headphones check out Sony's 1000XM2. I'm currently using them, they are really comfortable, have great sound and the ANC works like a charm without losing sound quality. According to the latest comparisons they have the best ANC on the market, even better than the Bose QC35 II.
 
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