Hi all. After just being cleared by my cardiologist to ramp up training for a 70.3 next year, I realized that I need to up my game for earbuds / headphones that will bluetooth connect to my phone. What are you liking these days for our lifestyle of sweat and jostling from bouncing up and down on the road and the treadmill? This would be primarily for listening to music. Apologies if this has been asked a million times and thanks in advance for replies.
Aftershokz Aeropex are my go-to for exercise headphones. I had the previous version (Titanium) until some poor packing snapped one of the sides. The Aeropex are better all around (lighter, less vibration from the bone conduction, totally sealed). They’re about twice the price of the Open, but I tried both side by side and my wife and I both ended up with the Aeropex. The main downside I see is that they require a proprietary charging cable (magnetic) to be fully sealed (the Opens use a USB-C) but they include two and a case so it’s not a huge problem travel-wise (leave one of the charging cables in the case).
I have been using these headphones since 2015. First pair made it 2.5 yrs until one ear was chewed up by a puppy. Current pair is at 4.5yrs and still going strong:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AWIPITS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Lots of options out there, these are no frills, but durability is a certainty.
Hi all. After just being cleared by my cardiologist to ramp up training for a 70.3 next year, I realized that I need to up my game for earbuds / headphones that will bluetooth connect to my phone. What are you liking these days for our lifestyle of sweat and jostling from bouncing up and down on the road and the treadmill? This would be primarily for listening to music. Apologies if this has been asked a million times and thanks in advance for replies.
Depends if you are running or cycling. I’m not an Apple fan, I actually hate the company, but for running their regular airpods work great. I find that the open ears design is critical otherwise with closed earbuds I hear my foot landing every step in my ear and it can be both disorientating and distracting. For cycling I prefer the Apple Airpods Pro. Their noise cancelling cancels out a lot of the wind and thus you can listen at much safer dB levels. The only thing I don’t like is the fact the case doesn’t tell you how charged they are.
Aftershockz were no good. The sound quality just isn’t there IMHO.
+1, great product, I like how you can listen to music and still have the ambient outdoor sounds instead of the cut off underwater effect of bud plugs
And you can hear bikers, or people calling out etc
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+1 on Aftershokz Aeropex. I like to hear my bike when I ride and my feet when I run… and cars at all times. What I love about these is that you get the ambient sound and a “soundtrack†so it kind of feels like you’re in your own movie/show. It’s extra cool if you like to ride with instrumental music.
I also like the Beats Flex. Solid for the trainer, can ride outside with 1 ear in, and the buds are connected (I’m always nervous I’ll lose one if they aren’t) https://www.beatsbydre.com/earphones/beats-flex
Aftershockz were no good. The sound quality just isn’t there IMHO.
Which generation did you try? The latest still aren’t great for music, but are markedly better than the Titanium. I mostly do podcasts so the quality is more than sufficient and the lack of bass is less noticeable.
Another endorsement for Aftershokz Aeropex.
Sound quality is totally fine. Battery life great. Being able to hear ambient noises is VERY important, IMO.
I love AirPods Pro with some cheap Amazon purchased ear hooks to keep them in my ears while running and cycling. Great audio quality and the noise canceling is especially great to cancel out the trainer noise. Not the cheapest solution but worth it to me.
Airpod Pros. Sweat resistant. Excellent.
Beats has a new pair that are similar. If you are on Apple, these are probably your best bet.
I did a ton of research and finally settled on the Jabra elite 75t. I’ve had them for about a month and I really really like them. Maybe it’s just because I’m coming from $15 wireless buds, but these things are great, they stay in my ear super well and the sound quality is awesome. They are on sale for around $80.
I did a ton of research and finally settled on the Jabra elite 75t. I’ve had them for about a month and I really really like them. Maybe it’s just because I’m coming from $15 wireless buds, but these things are great, they stay in my ear super well and the sound quality is awesome. They are on sale for around $80.
I second this I tried the aftershox and hated the way they sound. The Jabra elite 75t are absolutely bulletproof and sound incredible. If you wanna hear what’s going on around you you can use hear through or just go with the right ear bud. I will never understand the love for aftershox… sorry
I must have a weird ear canal shape as many brands that seem to work for others fall out of my ears very easily. Others I found too tight and create a little sweat pool in my ear on hot days.
These are perfect. Not amazing sound but good enough, good, long-lasting charge. Durable etc. and no drops.
BackBeat FIT 3150True Wireless Sport Earbuds - Black
Aftershokz are garbage. You can get Plantronics BackBeat FIT 2100 for $20 on eBay. They last forever, you can hear stuff because they don’t have a tight seal - and guess what? You can REWIND! Aftershokz don’t let you do that unless you get the model that is not BT for $160.
I find that the open ears design is critical otherwise with closed earbuds I hear my foot landing every step in my ear and it can be both disorientating and distracting.
I also can’t wear sealed earbuds while running. My foot steps are overpoweringly loud.
I wonder if you’ve ever been diagnosed with any ear dehiscence issues. I have some of the symptoms of ear dehiscence (Hearing blinking, heartbeat, etc), although I’ve never been diagnosed. My wife, who has been diagnosed with Cochlear Facial Nerve Dehiscence also has many of those symptoms plus vertigo and migraines, and also suffers from the occlusion effect quite a bit.
I’d be interested in getting an MRI to see, although I don’t think I’m willing to pay for one since I don’t have any debilitating issues (vertigo or migraines), just the occlusion effect when wearing sealed earbuds.
Jlab Audio Epic Air Sport ANC
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Thanks to all for your thoughtful replies so far. Keep 'em coming!
Jlab Audio Epic Air Sport ANC
Yup, this…
I have them and they are fantastic.
I am looking for some over the ear cans for the office and on the kickr. I am on year 3 or 4 with some Klipsch ear buds that I really like but the mic is starting to fail me.
I tend to sweat a lot, anyone found over the ears that they like?
Aeropex is both good and bad.
The biggest ‘bad’ for me is the open-ear nature. This selling point of the aeropex fails big time if you run on roads with any sort of car traffic on it next to you - the car noise will completely wash out your podcasts, gets really annoying when multiple cars pass by. I also didn’t feel any safer - turns out normal earbuds without noise canceling let in just enough noise to know what’s going on, while not letting car noise overwhelm your podcast. It’s particularly bad for podcasts, music not so much, as you’re not missing things when it washes out.
On trails, the open-ear works fine.