Best Wireless Earbud – Best Bluetooth Earphones
- by Mark Hunt
In the world of the already-endangered-headphone jack, popularised by a fruit, wireless or Bluetooth earphones have gained popularity, and have come to the rescue. Not long back, our drawers used to be filled to the brim with all sorts of cables and it took us about 15 mins to find the desired cable or earphones, only to then go about untangling them. Those days are now officially going away as we are switching towards a wireless future. With new and premium phones with glossy glass backs having wireless charging built-in, we have wireless Bluetooth headphones, earphones and much more, taking small steps each day to a wireless future. Music is the energy to many, a relaxing element to others and hardly anyone goes out today without a good pair of earphones in their pocket. With so many wireless earphones flooding the market each day, here are our top picks of the Best Wireless Earbuds and you can be sure to find one here that suits your requirements whether you need those for running or during work out.
#1 – Optoma Nu Force BE6i Wireless Earphones
Key Information:
Battery Life – 8 hours on a single charge
Item Dimensions – 1.06 x 0.51 x 1.04 in
Item Weight -0.64 ounces
Warranty – 1-year limited warranty
Main Introduction
You’re in the market looking for a good pair of wireless earbuds and you find great pairs by premium brands that cost a ton and end up breaking the bank. Sounds familiar?
Here’s one from Optoma Nu force that has an extremely balanced sound, 10 mm drivers, is lightweight and doesn’t cost you a fortune.
Keep reading to know more about the Optoma Nu Force BE6i wireless Bluetooth earbuds.
Optoma has 10 mm drivers built into the Nu Force BE6i and these are a beast of drivers for any price range. With this, you not only get a deeper and longer-lasting bass but also crisp vocals and clearer sound. Add to this, the magnetic ear tips and overwhelming 8-hour battery life, you wouldn’t be able to recommend it enough for the price it offers.
Design Of Optoma Nu Force BE6i Wireless Earphones
The Optoma Nu Force BE6i hit the sweet spot with the price, without compromising on either sound or build quality. They come with a premium aluminum build, magnetic ear tips that click together when not in use and are available in colors of metallic grey, a shiny yet subtle, Gold and an industrial Black and steel blue color.
The 8-hour battery life will make you go bonkers and you can easily go a week without having to charge them with medium usage.
With the in-line mic controls, you can play, pause and skip tracks, along with increasing the volume and activating Voice Assistants like Siri and Google Voice.
Other Features OF Optoma Nu Force BE6i Wireless Earphones:
The Nu Force BE6i are also curated for fitness and individuals who engage in outdoor activity. For this, they come with an IPX5 water-resistant rating, making them sweat and water-resistant. The magnetic ear tips ensure that the earphones do not fall off when they are hanging around your neck and keep secure.
Along with the 10 mm drivers, about which one just cannot tell enough, the earphones also come with aptX and AAC engines. This means that you can enjoy superior CD-quality music, an experience that most wireless and even wired earphones are not able to provide. AptX and AAC formats are supported by the latest Apple and Android smartphones and also Windows and Mac PC’s.
For charging, you can simply connect a micro-USB into the flap of the mic controls.
Right out the box, you get two sets of ear tips – The first is the original Nu Force Silicone ear tips that offer a secure fit, and secondly, Comply soft foam ear tips that have non-slip memory foam and are also sweat and moisture resistant.
Battery life in the earphones can be easily checked by pressing all three buttons present on the in-line controls simultaneously. More LED flashes in response translated to more juice remaining and more time for you to enjoy the extremely well-balanced sound signature, without the overpowering bass of other offerings in the market. You can also make and answer calls with the Optoma Nu Force BE6i wireless earphone.
Pros
- Superior build quality, without a premium price tag.
- 8-hour battery back up.
- IPX5 water-resistant.
- 10 mm drivers, AptX and AAC provide for excellent audio quality.
- Sound Quality and microphone provide for crisp audio, both for listening and calls.
Cons
- Are a bit heavy due to 10 mm drivers.
- Ear tips provided are uncomfortable for those with small ears.
- Bass is not overpowering and not something bass enthusiasts would enjoy.
Verdict:
The Optoma Nu Force BE6i is truly a gem and hit the right tangent of audio quality, comfort and price. For the price, you cannot go wrong with them and they are truly an excellent buy. The long-lasting battery and 10 mm drivers ensure that you get lossless audio, however, they do make the unit a bit heavy.
#2 – Apple Airpods Wireless Earphones
Key Information
Battery Life – 5 hours on a single charge, with a 15-minute juice providing playback up to 3 hours.
Item Dimensions – 4 x 4 x 1.3 in
Item Weight – 6.1 ounces
Warranty – 1-year limited warranty
Main Introduction:
Apple took the world by storm and set the trend for many smartphone manufacturers a few years back when it removed our beloved but complicated headphone jack from the iPhone. However, when a door closes, another door opens. This door came in the form of the Apple Airpods – a truly wireless option for the already loved and classic earphones provided by them. Here’s all you need to know about them:
The Apple Airpods was released alongside the iPhone 7 in September 2016 and are truly wireless with no wire to even connect the two ear pods to each other. The connection and synchronization between the two earbuds are absolutely flawless with no gap or loss in playback.
What sets the Apple Airpods apart from other wireless devices on the market is the W1 Chip that Apple has included in them. Offering easy pairing with all devices, touch control and much more, they integrate the iPhone and iOS ecosystem like no other.
For pairing, simply open the Carrying case and press the single button on top to instantly pair across all your iOS signed-in devices.
Design Of Apple Wireless Earphones
The new Apple Airpods have almost the same exact fit, look and feel of their wired counterparts, just with a longer stem.
After effortlessly pairing them with your device, music plays instantly when you put them in your ears, pauses when you take an ear pod out, and resumes right back when you put it back in. The end result is truly other-worldly. Siri has automatically activated on double-tapping either ear pods and the ear pods have high-quality microphones built in to take and receive calls. With the added Siri support, you can easily listen to directions for your destination, make a call, switch on your thermostat back home, and do all the wonderful tasks Siri does every day for us, all without even having to take your phone out from the pocket. The dual beamforming microphones are designed especially for two way audio support. This means that they filter out background noise when you are on a call or talking to Siri, and lets just a tiny bit of outside noise in when listening to music so that you aren’t completely shut off from the outside world. All this, and much more is made possible by the fantastic W1 Chip by Apple.
There is an LED light indicator on opening the carrying case which changes to orange when charging and the carrying case itself can charge the Airpods about 4 times. When you open the Airpods’ case next to your iPhone or other Apple device, you can immediately see the level of charge left in both the ear pods and the case itself. This, however, is restricted to Apple devices. With Apple officials preaching a 5 hour playing time on the Airpods, you can get playing time of 3 hours with just a quick 15-minute boost. Apple provides rich, high-quality AAC audio, thanks to the superior speaker-set in each earpiece.
Apart from this, the Airpods have a touch-sensitive back-side wherein a single touch can be configured to play and pause and double-tap to activate Siri. There are more options available for configuring the touch settings available in the iOS Settings.
Other Features Of Apple Wireless Earphones :
- You can also use the Airpods with only a single unit, safely tucking the second one away in the carrying case.
- The Bluetooth range of the Airpods is also superb with excellent fidelity
- The Airpods themselves are completely wireless and have no buttons on the device itself.
- Audio Quality – All said and done, you purchase a headset for the sound quality it offers – With the Apple Airpods, you hear some ambient sound since they do not provide a perfect seal or are noise-canceling units, with a slightly punchier bass and depth as compared to the wired option, though the difference is subtle and slightly noticeable. After years of using the wired headsets by them, everyone is used to and appreciates their sound-stage.
However, in case you’re on the other spectrum of the mobile ecosystem and are an android user, things aren’t that merry. Integration is not as seamless as that on iOS since here you’ll manually have to pair via Bluetooth each time you use a new device. You also miss out on the features provided by the W1 chip and this teched-out Bluetooth headset makes much more sense to one who’s invested in the Apple ecosystem than an Android user.
Pros
- Effortless Pairing through W1 Chip.
- Carrying case doubles as a back-up charger.
- Seamless integration across the Apple Ecosystem.
- Voice Controls through Siri
- Touch and Gesture controls
- Consistent and reliable sound quality
Cons
- Premium Price Tag
- No official information regarding waterproof
- No hardware or physical buttons means volume control has to be done manually or through Siri
- No connected wire for ear pods so the possibility of losing one.
Verdict:
The Apple Airpods are one of the best wireless earbuds available on the market right now, especially for those who are invested in the Apple Ecosystem. The features offered with the W1 chip are small, neat, and user-friendly and add to the overall functionality and usability of the product. With a small carrying case that doubles up as extra juice for the ear pods, you have no need to worry about battery life. The lack of the features offered by the W1 chip on the android side of things makes the Apple Airpods a less lucrative investment, yet at the same time, an extremely reliable one for Apple Users.
#3 – Jaybird X3 Wireless Earphones
Key Information:
Battery Life – 8 hours on a single charge, with a 15-minute juice providing an hour’s worth of playback time.
Item Dimensions – 21.5 x 0.5 x 0.9 in
Item Weight – 0.5 ounces
Warranty – 1-year limited warranty
Main Introduction:
Jaybird has consistently provided the customers with one of the best wireless earphones catered mainly towards fitness and sports enthusiasts with a sweat-proof and waterproof design. With the phenomenal success of the Jaybirds X2, it released a better and improved version, chiseling out any flaws that the X2 had. And they managed to do all this, along with reducing the price for them! Hop on and get a snug fit in, to read more.
Design Of Jaybird X3 Wireless Earphones :
The Jaybird X2 comes with a magnetic enclosing pouch in the box and tons of ear tips. Featuring patented silicone ear fins that give you the best of fits, and keep the buds secure, they lock the earphones in place for intense workout and activity sessions. Built for outdoors, these sports earbuds are protected against the elements with sweat and waterproofing.
They are now smaller and lighter than their predecessors and feel more comfortable. The design is well suited for both athletes as well as music lovers.
Compatible with both iOS and Android, they come with in-line music controls that allow you to play, pause and increase the volume or skip to the next track. Extremely tiny, they have a sporty and comfortable design that doesn’t compromise on either the sound, quality, or looks department.
Simply put the earphones in your ears for a comfortable workout and activity experience. Customizable fit options are included in the box to find the perfect fit. Overall, it’s a great design for everyone; smaller, lighter and comfortable to use.
Other Features Of Jaybird X3 Wireless Earphones
- One of the best parts of the Jaybird X3 earphones is the My Sound App by Jaybird which lets you tweak the sound stage you prefer. Moreover, your customized sound is saved to earbuds, so even if you change the device you’re using them with, the sound profile remains the same.
- The multifunction feature allows you to connect to two Bluetooth devices at the same time. This helps when you can listen to music, streaming from your laptop, answer a call on your phone, and go back to the music, without taking off the earbuds. Also, two separate buds can be connected to a single device because sharing is caring and well, who wants to listen to the latest hot tracks with just one earbud?
- The Jaybird X3’s can also be connected to a smartwatch.
- The battery life that you get with these is simply amazing. You can easily get over 8 hours of music playback, so battery life won’t be an issue. The quick charge feature allows you to charge them for 15 minutes to get an hour’s worth of streaming.
- Audio Quality – The sound quality you get with the X3’s is amazing too, there isn’t a major difference with that of the X2’s, but the X3’s offer more crisp vocals and deeper bass. You also get the benefit of the My Sound App, which has an extremely simple interface, allowing you to cater the music to your ears as you like it.
Pros
- Great battery life – You shouldn’t have to worry about the battery life as these earphones will easily give you 8 hours of music.
- Size – The Jaybird X3’s are smaller, lighter and more comfortable. Small and lighter earphones can effortlessly be carried everywhere.
- Comfortable fit – These wireless earphones are designed for everyone, with multiple ear tips available, whether you are in a workout or in an office, it will be comfortable for you to use.
- Customizable – My sound app allows you to customize your music and save it directly to the earphones.
- Sound Quality is top-notch with accurate bass, pitch, details, etc. and the My Sound App.
- Sweat proof and waterproof.
- Compatible with both Android and iOS users
Cons
- Charging – The charging requires a separate cable, so you have to carry it everywhere with you.
- Not much improvement – It’s not a big improvement over its predecessor but we can’t ignore the fact that it’s actually cheaper than it’s predecessor too.
Verdict:
The Jaybird X3’s are one of the hottest wireless earphones available in the market, whether you’re a fitness or a casual user. The My Sound App allows you to customize the sound stage, with rumbling lows or shrill highs, as and how you like it. The comfortable and snug fit that you get with the ear fins and a variety of ear tips ensure they will be locked in place. For the price they ask, they are surely an excellent value for your money, and you will not regret buying one.
#4 – Bose Sound Sport Wireless Earphones
Key Information:
Battery Life – 6 hours
Item Dimensions – 1.12 x 1 x 1.12 in
Item Weight – 0.8 ounces
Warranty – 1-year limited warranty
Main Introduction:
In the realm of music devices and equipment, one name stands a class apart from all others. A name that has consistently provided the best sound quality, user experience, and customer satisfaction. That name is Bose and the Bose Sound sport clearly do not disappoint. Let’s have a look.
No matter how good the sound output may be for a pair of fitness-oriented earphones, they never quite get the fit right with the earphones falling out of ears. The Bose Sound sport solve this crucial problem with their Stay Hear+ sport tips that offer extreme comfort along with a tight and secure fit.
Battery Life is much more than the competition, with Bose claiming it at six hours, though one is able to squeeze in about 6.5-6.45 hours in it easily.
Design Of Bose Sound Sport Wireless Earphones
Pairing is extremely easy with top of the line Bluetooth standards and support for NFC also with the Bose Sound sport Wireless. You get in-line controls for music playback and volume with there also being a physical button on the right earphone that is used for pairing and powering the device on.
The Sound sport only have a bulky look, and comes at just under 0.8 ounces and are comfortable to wear, even for longer durations.
The Sound signature that Bose has opted for this time is one of the finest. Bass isn’t overdone and the company has focussed a lot on the lows. The mids are right there where they need to be and the overall sound quality is much better than other fitness earphones in the market.
Other Features Of Bose Sound Sport Wireless Earphones
- The Stay Hear+ ear tips come in three sizes right out of the box and also have soft silicon fins that ensure a tight fit, should you need it.
- The earphones come with IPX4 sweat and weather-resistant rating.
- The sound is extremely balanced at any volume, with there being no blown-out highs or noise at any volume. Such is the perfection that Bose offers with its active EQ.
- The free Bose app allows for switching between devices and also offers personalization of settings.
Pros
- 6 hours of uninterrupted music playback.
- Stay Hear+ tips give the best of fits.
- Sweat proof IPX4 rating
- Clear microphone audio quality
Cons
- Buttons aren’t very clicky
- Not for bass heads
Verdict:
The Bose Sound sport wireless gives you the ease and comfort that a fitness enthusiast requires at the time of working out. They let you reach that mental peace of mind that the earbuds will not fall out midway while working out. The battery life offered is excellent and can easily last for six hours Sound Quality and after-sales service provided by Bose, is as expected, pretty amazing. Definitely a superb buy!
#5 – Jaybird Run Wireless Earphones
Key Information:
Battery Life – 4 hours on a single charge, with a 5-minute juice providing an hour’s worth of playback time. The carrying case can provide an additional two full charges.
Item Dimensions – 0.6 x 0.8 x 0.8 inches
Item Weight – 0.48 ounces
Warranty – 1-year limited warranty
Main Introduction:
Jaybird has been consistent in the wireless earbuds industry for a couple of years now and the Jaybird Run is their first take at a truly wireless earbud option. With this, they attempt to take upon the likes of the Apple Airpods and the Jabra Elite and they have done a remarkable job at that. Coming in a premium looking case and with a stainless steel design, here’s everything and more, about the Jaybird Run
Design of Jaybird Run Wireless Earphones
With a super compact and comfortable fit, the Jaybird Run is truly wireless earbuds that have a single button on each earpiece. This button comes at the back of the earpiece, on the Jaybird Logo and the function of each button can be customized on the Jaybird MySound App.
They have a stainless steel build that is supposed to enhance audio playback and lagging issues, though there are a few drops here and there.
They have up to 12 hours of portable battery life, which means that out of the case, they can easily last you for four hours, with the charging case being able to give you an additional two charges. On opening the case, there are three LED indicators, one each for the buds on the side with an indicator for the battery on your case in the middle. The case itself looks like an oversized pill, yet extremely small and compact, much like the case for the Apple Airpods. As soon as you open the case they are ready to pair and if you use only a single device, then they pair immediately. In case you wish to pair to a new device, simply hold down to the button on the back of the right earbud for six seconds and you are ready to pair.
Other Features of Jaybird Run Wireless Earphones
- The Sound Quality of the Jaybird Run’s is much like their wired counterparts, the Jaybird X3’s since both use a high-performance 6mm dynamic driver. They do not have a punchy bass, though you can customize the sound offering with the My Sound App. Straight out of the box, they have a relatively flat sound stage which most individuals will like since it focuses on the mids and lows with decent highs and clear vocals. The App also allows you to locate the Earphones through Maps in case you can’t find the other pair.
- Battery Life is also superb with the added case with any casual user having to charge them once every three to four days. A five-minute charge can give you an hour’s worth of playback
- Wireless stability with the Jaybird Run is decent, although you’ll have to put up with the occasional phasing in/out between the earpieces.
- They also come with a lot of ear hooks and tips so that you can get the best possible fit that wouldn’t fall out of your ears. You may have to take them out after an hour’s use to let your ears breathe a little!
- Though button controls are limited since they are restricted to a single button on each earbud, you have the option of changing their functions through the app with a double-tap allowing you to skip to the next track. No going back on this one.
- The Jaybird Run comes with a double hydrophobic coating to prevent sweat from getting in and damaging the earbuds.
Pros
- Premium Build Quality
- Carrying case doubles as a charger and comes in an extremely small package
- Super fast battery backup and quick charge facility
- Ability to customize sound as per your taste through the My Sound App
- Hydrophobic coating for sweat resistance
Cons
- Slightly uncomfortable and take time to get used to.
- Signal issues with frequent drops and lags in music.
Verdict:
The Jaybird Run is an excellent effort by Jaybird in coming up with a truly wireless option. They, however, have frequent signal issues with loss in music playback, irrespective of whether your audio streaming device is right in your pocket or ten feet away. The music quality, however, is of superior quality and both music and fitness enthusiasts can appreciate that. The carrying case comes as a bonus and doubles up as backup juice with a five-minute charge giving you an hour’s worth of play. Overall, a decent buy from Jaybird.
#6 – Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earphones
Key Information
Battery Life – Up to 5 hours battery life, and 15 hours with the charging case
Item Dimensions – 4.9 x 7.3 x 2.2 inches
Item Weight – 11 ounces
Warranty – Two-year dust and water resistance warranty (however, registration via Jabra sound+ app required)
With the Apple Airpods grabbing a chunk of the market share, Jabra is not one that is going to hold back, and released the Jabra Elite 65t, a direct competitor in the wireless segment of earphones, to the Apple Airpods.
Boasting a battery life more than the entire competition and with four microphones for crystal clear audio, are they a worthy competitor to the Apple? Let’s find out below.
With an elongated stem, you can spot someone wearing the Airpods from a mile away. That is however not the case with the Jabra 65t since they have a small and convenient build that actually stays in your ears even after strenuous physical activity.
Design of Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earphones
If you’re in the market for a pair of truly wireless earphones, clearly the thing most important to you is flexibility and ease of use. The Jabra Elite 65t comes in an all-plastic build that’s extremely lightweight. It is discrete and comes with all possible controls that you may require.
The two individual earphones come safely packed away in a small black plastic case that also acts as a backup battery for the unit. The earphones themselves are capable enough of providing five hours of usage on a single charge and the case has sufficient battery to charge the earphones twice over, leading to a total battery life of over fifteen hours. The juice provided by the Jabra Elite 65t is tons more when you compare them to the devices made by other manufacturers in the same segment.
Once paired with your device of choice, they automatically pair with it when you open the case and take the earphones out to tuck them safely in your ears. The pairing process is extremely fast and more often than not, your earphones will be up and running as soon as you put them in your ears.
There are also LED lights built into the case to indicate the level of charging.
Other Features of Jabra Elite 65t Wireless Earphones
- With most earphones, even if the audio quality is superb, often, the mic quality and the sound output through that is mediocre at best. With the Jabra Elite 65t, you get not one, not two, but a total of four microphones, two in each bud. These ensure crystal clear audio to the receiver even in windy situations.
- Battery Life is top-notch.
- Plastic Build makes the earphones light and easy to wear, even for longer durations, without strain.
- IP55 Certification makes them water, sweat and dustproof.
- Exceptional volume and sound control. Left Earbud controls volume and skipping tracks, while right earbud allows for play/pause and activating personal assistants. It has support for Siri, Alexa, and Google Now.
- The ‘Hearthrough’ feature lets you hear outside noise when you’re in a public place so that you can enjoy your music, without losing track of your surroundings.
- Jabra Sound+ App offers preloaded EQ presets and even gives the ability to customize sound profile.
Pros
- Superb Battery Life up to 15 hours with charging case.
- The carrying case doubles as a charger and comes in an extremely small package.
- IP55 rated water, dust and sweat resistant.
- Jabra Sound+ App offers sound customization through presets and EQ.
- Easy setup and incredibly comfortable.
- Dual microphone system in each earbud gives you the best of audio input, always.
- 2-year warranty, more than competitors.
Cons
- Cheap plastic build quality.
- Connection Issues and lag while streaming video, even after Bluetooth 5.0
- Some users have reported distortions at higher volumes.
Verdict:
The Jabra Elite 65t is one of the best efforts at dethroning the King of wireless earbuds right now – The Apple Airpods. Jabra has done a lot of things right, battery life and sound quality through the microphone being the major ones. They do, however, miss out on a premium build and still face connectivity issues with a lot of online video streaming apps. The ability to hear surround sound with the music still playing is an excellent added bonus, along with the two-year warranty and the Elite 65t is a relatively good buy at its current price tag.
In the world of the already-endangered-headphone jack, popularised by a fruit, wireless or Bluetooth earphones have gained popularity, and have come to the rescue. Not long back, our drawers used to be filled to the brim with all sorts of cables and it took us about 15 mins to find the desired cable or earphones,…
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