Sunday, October 22, 2017

Review: Jlab Epic 2 Bluetooth Earbuds

After trying many different earbuds, I recently purchased the Jlab Epic 2 Bluetooth Earbuds (and from the excellent review on Wirecutter). 

Wirecutter claimed that these were the best headphones for working out, and I wanted to replace my Klipsch S4i wired earbuds with a Bluetooth headset using an Apple iPhone 7 or an Apple Series 3 watch.

Since this Jlab Epic2 headset was quite expensive - $99 on Amazon.com or Best Buy - I scoured eBay and found an excellent deal for $60.



After using these earbuds in my Active Sports gym, I have identified the following positive and negative traits.

Positives:
  • Midrange and treble sound clean
  • Connects quickly to my iPhone 7S
  • Announces battery level when first turned on
  • Good battery life (12+ hours)
  • Stays on during a heavy Nike workout (which includes jumping)
  • Includes lots of different earplugs

Negatives:
  • The bass response is seriously lacking (in comparison to Klipsch S4i wired earbuds and AUKEY Latitude Earbuds
  • The price is a bit high at $99 (though I found a deal on eBay for $60)
  • While the bass response is acceptable with large tips, these tend to fall out during workouts; the other ear tips have a terrible bass response (but at least stay in)

Now that I have used the Jlab earbuds for a few weeks, I have found a few more issues. During workouts, the earbuds sometimes pop out. Also, the Bluetooth connection is not very strong - it frequently cuts out on mountain bike rides.



Review: Jabra Move Wireless Stereo Headset

I decided to purchase the Jabra Move wireless Bluetooth headphones on Amazon for my work (to block coworkers' noise and to use them on walks during lunchtime).

Although I initially liked them, I realized they were too bulky to be painful to wear for over 30 minutes. Here is my overall review.



Positives
  • Relatively inexpensive ($50)
  • Sound exceptional with excellent bass extension
  • Good Bluetooth range
  • It can work with a 3.5mm jack or with Bluetooth
  • Good battery life

Negatives
  • Does not fold
  • Significant pressure on the ears
  • When connecting to two Bluetooth devices, experience occasional noise

Thursday, October 5, 2017

Review: AUKEY Latitude Wireless Headphones

Wanting to retire my iPod Nano player with Klipsch S4i earbuds, I decided to use my iPhone 7 and Apple Watch Series 3 with wireless, Bluetooth earbuds.

I looked forward to avoiding long cord dangles and fully wireless operation during my workout sessions at Forma Gym and mountain biking rides.

Researching online, I saw that the AUKEY Latitude wireless headphones were highly recommended by the Wirecutter, and for $30 on Amazon, they were hard to resist.

I purchased them from Amazon and used them for about two weeks. Eventually, I returned them because they kept falling out of my ears during workout sessions. Otherwise, they performed very well.


Positives
  • Relatively Inexpensive ($30 on Amazon)
  • Paired quickly with my iPhone7 and Apple Watch Series 3
  • Nice bass response
  • The battery lasts 8 hours
  • Seemed durable
Negatives:
  • During workout sessions, they kept falling out of my ears. I tried various combinations of medium and large wings and sizes, but they did not stay in
  • Mids and highs are not as straightforward as my Jlab Epic 2 or Klipsch S4i