[pgallett]

I just burned through my second pair of Jaybird Freedom headphones in 6 months (that's whole story in itself). I'd like to stay away from Jaybird, but I would be interested to hear if anyone has experience with the Jaybird Freedom "Sprint" or "BlueBuds X" (Jaybird has offered me 10% off).
 
So, I'm looking for some good, solid bluetooth headphones that work well for running/biking. The activity/fit aspect is probably more important than sound quality, but I do want them to sound good as well. Durability/construction is pretty high on the list as well after my Freedom experience.
 
Any input is appreciated.
 
Thanks!

 

[GN-0015]

Why don't you just try sports mp3 player like Sony W Series or Philips GoGear Active? I haven't tried the Philips yet but the Sony sounds pretty good. They are sweatproof too.

 

[vocalist]

Quote:

I just burned through my second pair of Jaybird Freedom headphones in 6 months (that's whole story in itself). I'd like to stay away from Jaybird, but I would be interested to hear if anyone has experience with the Jaybird Freedom "Sprint" or "BlueBuds X" (Jaybird has offered me 10% off).
 
So, I'm looking for some good, solid bluetooth headphones that work well for running/biking. The activity/fit aspect is probably more important than sound quality, but I do want them to sound good as well. Durability/construction is pretty high on the list as well after my Freedom experience.
 
Any input is appreciated.
 
Thanks!

I tried the original Jaybird freedom set and hated them because they wouldn't stay paired.  I have not tried the Jaybird Freedom Sprint or Bluebird X but have been researching this topic again and the reviews seem much more favorable this time around.  There are a lot of running blogs that have been raving about the Bluebird X.  
 
I do have the MEE AF9-BK and though I'm not a huge fan of the plug that goes from the computer into the main unit, they are actually better than I'd expected.  If you clip the unit on your shirt or shorts you don't even notice it's there and it changes songs/volume without issue.  I can actually set my phone or Sony player in one room and walk to others without a loss of sound.  I would, however, recommend different headphones to use with it.  I figured it's a $35 (Amazon) option for you in case you're interested.  Some friends of mine have the LG Tone (about $50-70) and love it but I'm not sure if I'd like the neck band while I'm running.  I was supposed to try it out last weekend but ran out of time.  They are advertised to be used while working out and have a high number of very favorable reviews.  If I end up getting a set in the near future I'll let you know what I think.  If you find a pair I'd love to hear what you get!

 

[Sinocelt]

Quote:

I just burned through my second pair of Jaybird Freedom headphones in 6 months (that's whole story in itself). I'd like to stay away from Jaybird, but I would be interested to hear if anyone has experience with the Jaybird Freedom "Sprint" or "BlueBuds X" (Jaybird has offered me 10% off).
 

 
Yup. I bought the BlueBuds X. It was nice, even though none of the tips fit me perfectly. Alas, the microphone didn't work at all, so I had to send everything back (including the big original box) with tracking number, as per Jaybird's request. It cost me $19 in addition to the original $169, and while Jaybird acknowledged that the item was indeed defective, I still doesn't have a replacement, nearly one month later.
 
[Edit:] Replacement sent.
 
[Edit:] Replacement received.
 
It really works well. The connection is a lot more stable than with the Jabra Clipper I also own, especially outside, and having less cables to fight with is a blessing. I still wish for bigger tips, though. Maybe I'll try Comply tips, but the maintenance (i.e. replacement) cost of foam tips is a little bit daunting. Getting custom silicone tips is also a possibility, but the angle would have to be just right for the earphones to be comfortable and not protrude too much.
 
[Edit:] A couple of months have past.
 
I've bought three kinds of Comply tips, all L-size, and hitherto tried two. One (the "sport" one) was too small. Another (the "round" one) fits better than the original Bluebuds X tips, but it's barely big enough and I can still lose the seal, depending on head/jaw motion.
 
The replacement Bluebuds X still works fine, in spite of my wearing them at the gym and sweating copiously. The sound is good enough that I'm now doing most of my listening on them: They've become my commute earphones.
 
My opinion: It's worth the asking price.

 

[pgallett]

Sorry for the late follow up to my own post

So, after a ton of research, I went with the JF4 Sprint. Almost a month to the day of receiving them they began to crap out. This time, they wouldn't turn off. Once hooked to the charger they'd become responsive again.

I too got duped into sending Jaybird both pairs of JF3's on my dime. Very annoying. This time around I managed to get Amazon to take them back and get a a full refund vs going through Jaybird.

So here I am again, on the hunt for a good, well fitting and reliable Bluetooth headphones.

Am I a complete idiot to try Jaybird again and go for the BlueBud X? They continually seem to get high reviews, but I am less than confident with the brand.

Any other recommendations? It really seems like a mixed bag out there.

Thanks again