Wired headphones have many benefits over Bluetooth wireless.
- They’re generally cheaper,
- You don’t need to remember to charge them,
- The sound quality is generally better.
However when it comes to running or gym workouts wireless headphones are easily the better option, this is where they really shine. Bluetooth headphones solve almost all the problems that wired headphones suffer from and once you convert to wireless its very difficult to revert back to cables.
Jaybird is a company that specialises in Bluetooth wireless headphones for all kinds of training. These are their newest model the X3. The X3s are jaybirds third generation of wireless Bluetooth headphones aimed at the gym goer and fitness enthusiasts.
Out of the box these things look and feel a cut above the competition, they’ve used premium materials, metal instead of plastic or rubber and the cable has an unbreakable feel that inspires confidence. There’s a rugged, hard wearing feel to them which really appeals to me.
Design:
The X3 address a lot of the issues I had with the X2. They’ve moved the battery from one of the earphone down to the volume remote. This allows for the ear buds to be much smaller and and also ups the battery to 8 hours between charges. One charge (depending on your training schedule) will last about a weeks worth of workouts.
However they’ve changed the changing method from a standard micro USB cable to a little clip that the volume control sits into. They have tied the clip onto the cable to prevent you loosing it but it would have been nice to be able to use any old micro USB instead of relying on a specific clip. Not a deal breaker as much as a mild annoyance.
Like the previous model these also come with the choice of the traditional silicon tips or comply foam which is similar to memory foam. When inserted they expand inside your ear and form seal. This also makes them excellent at drowning out external noise. There’s also a set of optional wing tips to hold them secure throughout those rigorous workouts.
Fit:
Comfort levels are really good overall and their light enough to not cause a distraction. I could happily listen to these for hours on end without any issues. Turn them on and your greeted with an upbeat, American accent that’ll inform you that your “powered on” and when your “connected” to a device.
The inline remote handles volume control, skips tracks and pauses well. It’ll also allow to access Siri or the Google Assistant and you can answer incoming calls through the built in microphone.
It can take some time to find the best fit for you, Jaybird has included a whole host of different sized ear buds and wings. But once you find the right combination these feel very comfortable and secure.
Sound:
Overall the sound quality is excellent. They sound more like a high end set of headphones than sport. The sound comes through the 6mm drivers crystal clear and the base is punchy but nicely balanced. The clarity is noticeably better than the average set of bluetooth headphones.
They won’t please the audiophiles out there but the average gym goes will be more than satisfied, and that’s the market that these are aimed at.
Features:
Jaybirds new headphones come with a MySound app which allows you to customise the sound using EQ settings. This allows you so set highs, mediums and lows to your own personal preference. Changes are stored to your profile and on the headphones themselves so your settings will follow you on whatever device your listening to.
It also lets you one-tap into the settings of Jaybird-sponsored athletes, like Kerri Walsh Jennings and James Lawrence to configure your headphones to sound like theirs, as well some preset EQ settings to suit your chosen style of music.
     
There’s some other new features too. The X3s now have Bluetooth 4.1, which means that you can connect two of them to the same source device if you want to. You can also connect to two different devices at once. So for instance if there’s two people running or cycling they could both be listening to the same device. They can also be actively connected to two devices at the same time.
Conclusion:
You can really tell these are a third generation product because jaybird has ironed out all the little imperfections in the previous models. These are a great combination of functionality, sound quality and battery life. Its a struggle to find a negative with them and that’s the sign of a well designed product.
If you’re sick of your earphones getting yanked out be their cables during deadlifts and want a wireless set with some decent sound quality but won’t fall apart, than these are a superb choice.
Belt.
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