[gauchotodd]

  I think the new FW hit my mark really well, especially for the price and convenience. But they are definitely not what I'd consider audiophile-quality or even brushing it to the degree some of my others do, just good consumer-quality phones. But with a good seal, I'd put them about equal to the BBPs. That's more than decent.

 
I totally agree, they're good enough to be able to focus on whatever activity I'm doing without having this nagging sensation of totally crappy audio in the background. I like fun-sounding signatures too, but unfortunately they always lose too much clarity and detail for me to stick with them. For instance, I like the mid-forward sound of the HE-400i with a little bit of a bass boost on them, but they just lack the detail and texture of the -560 so much so that I rarely use them anymore. I think I'd have to jump way outside of my budget range to be able to overcome this tradeoff, like with the higher end Audeze models or something.

 

[Cellzor]

I picked up a pair of these today and am very disappointed with them for the sole reason of the background noise I'm hearing all the time.
I've tried the new Freedoms with a Nexus 9, Oneplus 3, Samsung Galaxy S6 and a Sony xperia z5 Compact - no difference at all, the noise is there when connected to all of these.
Tried fiddling with the my sound app, but it doesn't affect the noise at all.
 
I contacted their support which declared this as a faulty speaker. However I'm not sure, when nothing is being transmitted the noise is gone after a few seconds - basically when the bluetooth transmission is being terminated. As soon the transmission starts again, the noise returns. It is present in both calls and during music playback.
 
Can others who own these headphones perform a simple test and post the results? I'd greatly appreciate that or if you have any tips on resolving this.
If you start music and turn the volume all the way down, do you hear any noise or is it silent? (I do hear this during silent / slow parts in songs - ANNOYING AS ****).

 

[gauchotodd]

  I contacted their support which declared this as a faulty speaker. However I'm not sure, when nothing is being transmitted the noise is gone after a few seconds - basically when the bluetooth transmission is being terminated. As soon the transmission starts again, the noise returns. It is present in both calls and during music playback.

 
It's obviously a bad driver.

 

[Iron-Buddha]

So picked these up because I've decided to Chris Pratt myself, which requires a lot of blood, sweat and tears.   I had the original Bluebuds for 2 years+.   The wider bore and larger earpiece never sat well in my ear and the rubber fins didn't do much to help.   Basically, the Bluebuds were the best at the time, and proved to be very durable.   Most earbuds I use for the gym die within months.   Anyways, the Freedoms were attractive in being able to offer a better fit and better sound so I took a chance.   Firstly, if anyone is buying one, please check it at the store.  My first unit would not turn on due to a dead battery (not depleted, dead).   I was lucky enough to have tried it in the parking lot and got a replacement ASAP.   As for the working unit, the fit is much better.  The thin earpiece allows for deeper insertion and takes most of the tips I have for my Angie's (including Spinfits, which get them even deeper).   So far, the units stayed put much better than the Bluebuds but still required adjustment here and there.   At least they didn't fly off.   My workouts require some manic movement, including turning of the head, which causes the most issues, so I'm still tweaking them to see if I can get something that really stays put.   Very comfortable, forget it's there, kind of fit.   
 
The sound is quite impressive for a micro-driver.  I'm assuming it's a single BA?  Still a fun tuning, less bass than the Bluebuds, better clarity in the mids and treble, which is a good thing to me.  I find them more enjoyable than the Sony XBA-3 I have, which was at a similar price point and wired.   The sound quality is good enough that I would say it is overkill for using as a workout IEM and is very very good for a general purpose IEM at this price point.   

 

[Cellzor]

One week later with a replacement headset, they still have this buzzing noise during silent sections in songs.
Basically sounds like an old cassette deck during silent sections, they annoying old-school buzz, however it is there constantly in the background.
 
Was I that unfortunate to receive to faulty pairs?
Do others in this thread experience this noise problem as well or should i be happy to have super-human hearing :S?
 
The worst part is, i really like the design and fit of these phones but the buzzing just really kills it for me as I tend to listen to slower songs with calm sections that get utterly destroyed by the constant noise >.<

 

[Iron-Buddha]

I will try to see if I can hear it myself.  I do hear some static when changing tracks.   Worried that if I look for your buzz, will find it, and thereby ruin these for me as well.  

 

[nealh]

One week later with a replacement headset, they still have this buzzing noise during silent sections in songs.
Basically sounds like an old cassette deck during silent sections, they annoying old-school buzz, however it is there constantly in the background.

Was I that unfortunate to receive to faulty pairs?
Do others in this thread experience this noise problem as well or should i be happy to have super-human hearing :S?

The worst part is, i really like the design and fit of these phones but the buzzing just really kills it for me as I tend to listen to slower songs with calm sections that get utterly destroyed by the constant noise >.<

I wonder if this is a problem inherent with Bluetooth headsets/ IEM. I own Brainwavz BLU-200 BT IEM and I hear a light hiss/ buzz when there is no song or volume on 0. Goes away if turned off. I own an iPhone 6. If I adjust volume with headset volume control it is worse.
Now if I set the volume low with the headset controller and then adjust the volume using the iPhone 6 Bluetooth volume slider the hissing sound seems more distant and less noticeable at low volumes.

 

[chompchomps]

anyone can give a comparison to the Mee Audio M7's? 

 

[geoelectric]

  One week later with a replacement headset, they still have this buzzing noise during silent sections in songs.
Basically sounds like an old cassette deck during silent sections, they annoying old-school buzz, however it is there constantly in the background.
 
Was I that unfortunate to receive to faulty pairs?
Do others in this thread experience this noise problem as well or should i be happy to have super-human hearing :S?
 
The worst part is, i really like the design and fit of these phones but the buzzing just really kills it for me as I tend to listen to slower songs with calm sections that get utterly destroyed by the constant noise >.<

A lot of bluetooth headphones have an increased noise floor from their internal amp. That's actually true of any set of headphones with an internal amp, but the BT ones are special in that they tend to turn the amp off during silent parts between songs as part of the battery savings so you hear the hiss kick in and out instead of being ever-present. That'll draw your attention to it, where you then hear it forevermore during quiet parts of songs.
 
The V-Moda Crossfade Wireless that I auditioned for a bit were especially bad about this, the QC35s I just bought are especially good about it, and most others I've tried (including JB Freedoms) have been in the middle.
 
It's usually more like a soft hiss than a buzz. Given that you've heard it twice, however, my guess is that's what you're hearing and you're sensitized to it. One other factor is that IME the amp hiss tends to be constant, not volume-dependent, so if you listen at lower volumes you notice it more.

 

[SliderJeff]

Looking forward to reading some more A-B comparisons of the X2's to the Freedoms, even though my X2's are practically brand new.
 
Regards,
Jeff

 

[Iron-Buddha]

So my second pair of Freedoms couldn't keep a charge longer than 40 minutes. Ended up replacing them at Best Buy. Jaybird customer support mentioned that charging them on a high power USB outlet could damage the batteries. I have a dedicated USB charging station that cannot be used with the Freedoms. A bit ******** as, if this were the case, they should include a wall wart. Anyways, be careful how you charge these things.

 

[faudiobutkovich]

Iv'e owned my jaybirds for 2 months now and I think they are the best IEM in the bluetooth category. I was a previous listener of klipsch IEMs and still own a few in my collection, while nothing else out there will ever be as comfortable as klipsch with their "patented" oval eartips, the sound is something that can come close. I'll admit when I first listened to the jaybird freedom, the volume and power was rather disappointing, however here is a tip for anyone: use the EQ built into the jaybird mysound app to create a flat profile and raise the gain on the entire flat profile. This will provide with more volume but allow you to use a 3rd party EQ in your main music app as I do not like the EQ in the jaybird app. 

 

[Iron-Buddha]

Third pair has now died.  Won't hold a charge past 40-45 minutes.   What....

 

[audiosplitz]

  Looking forward to reading some more A-B comparisons of the X2's to the Freedoms, even though my X2's are practically brand new.
 
Regards,
Jeff

 
Will duly oblige!
I actually have both the X2 and the Freedom that I have tested. Let me break it down for simplicity
 
Sound Quality - no aptX in either but hey, these are sports earphones. Negligible as long as microphonics is reduced.
X2 is good in balancing both bass and treble. No app support but none is needed since it sounds fantastic by default.
Freedom, using default Signature Sound, has a treble that is more piercing but great bass. Bass is increased using Comply Foam. Recommended to tweak via the Jaybird MySound app.
 
Fit -
X2 good in under-ears and over-ears. Pop them into the ears and somehow, whether using silicon or Comply Foam tips, they fit and they stay inside without issues. Toggling between under- and over-ears is troublesome 'cos you need to reverse the wingtips and flip the cable orientation from left to right.
Freedom is good only in over-ears. No need for wingtips here and they fit nicely. Under-ears is really not a good experience as they pop out from the ears quite easily and surprisingly. Toggling between both modes is easy 'cos cable orientation can stay the same.
 
Noise Isolation -
In under-ears for both, the noise isolation is reduced. Recommended to go over-ears.
X2 and Freedom with Comply Foam (as opposed to silicon tips) is better for me as it's able to isolate sound quite effectively. 
 
Microphonics - 
Freedom and X2 are comparable in over-ears mode and they are both quite insignificant when running. Cable management clips are necessary to reduce cable rustle.
 
Battery Life / Charging - (numbers below according to Jaybird)
X2 wins hands down at 8h in a single charge. Charge cable is plugged directly to the earbud.
Freedom is 4h by default. Only when the additional charging clip is added, then 8h is attained. Charging clip needs to be brought at ALL times 'cos the micro-USB port lies here.

 

[Iron-Buddha]

Got my replacement pair.   Lets hope these last more than 30 days.....