[sheamus]

Anyone try these and the Sony SBH80's?

 

[Closingracer]

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

I just got my freedom's after I noticed amazon had them for $125 and as such bought them at bestbuy along with price matching and the insurance on them which saved me $5 bucks on the bestbuy sale price overall ( $20 for the insurance). Overall I think the sound is way better than the X2 if you EQ them with the app. The default EQ makes them sound pretty poor and the bass is lacking IMHO. After EQing these sound the best bluetooth IEM's that I have used so far. As far as fit goes that us subjective and they fit me fine with the medium rubber tips. As far as battery life goes the X2 is better because you don't need a clip to get 8 hours.


In the end though as much as I think the freedom's are the better product i would see if you can get the freedoms at the $125 price or get the X2 which is under $100 at $99.99 on amazon.


The blue freedom's on amazon is $124.50 currently with a 2-5 week wait period but bestbuy will price match so I would go there Tbh

 

[sheamus]

I was going to get the SBH80's, as I like APT-X, and they seem like a great value option, and don't look too weird. However the SBH80's basically have to be bought off eBay if you are in Canada, and I have been burned by a fake set of sony's on eBay in the past.
 
But I just realised that I have a tonne of air miles expiring in December and that the AirMiles website has the Freedoms. So I ordered a pair through their site but it says 6-week wait! I paid 2000 Airmiles for them! They are about $250 CAD with tax here, I could have got a $500 flight with those miles, so a ripoff, but I likely wouldn't have been able to use those miles anyway.
 
I'd sill be curious about an SBH80 comparison, but regardless, by most accounts, they won't be bad.

 

[Closingracer]

I was going to get the SBH80's, as I like APT-X, and they seem like a great value option, and don't look too weird. However the SBH80's basically have to be bought off eBay if you are in Canada, and I have been burned by a fake set of sony's on eBay in the past.

But I just realised that I have a tonne of air miles expiring in December and that the AirMiles website has the Freedoms. So I ordered a pair through their site but it says 6-week wait! I paid 2000 Airmiles for them! They are about $250 CAD with tax here, I could have got a $500 flight with those miles, so a ripoff, but I likely wouldn't have been able to use those miles anyway.

I'd sill be curious about an SBH80 comparison, but regardless, by most accounts, they won't be bad.

From my experience Apt X is a gimmick. Used the same pair of headphones with devices that supports it and don't and sounds exactly the same

 

[sheamus]

The devices I have that support Apt-X are too low quality for me to tell (old stero in garage, a small speaker). My car has better quality, but sounds crappy over B/T. It doesn't support apt-x.
 
So I have never really done an apples-to-apples comparison.

 

[nikosm]

Just picked these up and seem to be having some issues with them. They're paired to an iPhone 7 Plus running iOS 10.1 beta 3.
 
The volume control is not smooth at all. It seems to jump in increments, resulting in dead zones on the volume slider and sound that's either too low or too loud. There's also an awful beeping sound when I reach min/max volume and adjust it from there. Finally, they produce some hissing, though I have a feeling that's to be expected from a bluetooth headset.
 
Any ideas? I'm hoping to contact Jaybird tomorrow for a solution.

 

[Ryland Johnson]

I took delivery of my Jaybird Freedoms yesterday, white and gold pair from Amazon.de. I also received the Pioneer XDP100R High res player same day from Amazon.uk. Naturally I have spent hours listening to various head phones that I already own and performed numerous comparisons.
The first pair of wireless headphones I owned was the Bose soundlink. The Bose went back after a couple of weeks. Regardless of being wireless no way could I justify their 250€ cost when they sounded less accomplished that a cheap pair of 40€ Sennheiser  PX-100-11's. I know the Sennheiser are not wireless but the trade off in terms of sound reproduction was simply not there with the Bose. The Bose sounded nice but not 250€ nice. They also kept falling off my head when I moved so negated the wireless factor lol 
 
I must accept that wireless will sound 'different' as all headphones do. I do find what I lose in quality just not worth owning wireless YET. Having said that I have the Jaybirds. Initial impressions are very mixed. Its a question of compromise. Am I willing to compromise sound quality for the loss of a cable?
I am relieved to read several posters here also find there is a very odd background noise to the jaybirds? They appear well made and indeed are rather innovative in a number of areas, the app being one of them.
 
Forgive me a tiny rant....."The best"....Been buying audio quality hifi for many decades, more than I am going to admit! 'The best is a myth'. Your best is another persons not so good. We all enjoy different music types, have different hearing capabilities and also the style or sound reproduction-signature will greatly differ from person to person and so it should. The best is in reality ones own preference. Music is about pleasure, its the goose bump syndrome and if one is fortunate enough to get that buzz with a 20€ pair of head phones playing through a 30€ MP3 player I consider the listener fortunate, most fortunate.
 
I have owned some of the so called best hifi seperates available over the years and my quest for perfection has made a considerable hole in my bank balance, upset my wife (made the lounge look like a hifi shop) and a desire to keep looking for something that was not there! I made upgrade after upgrade and then downgraded to a system I bought for my office. I was furious with this 1k€ office set up. It gave be goose bumps where my home system costing xxxxxxx€ didn't! Agaaaaa. I digress..Sorry.
 
Are these 'good' head phones? Yes also no. They are highly portable and its possible, even if unwise, that they may be worn under a cycling helmet etc. They are a quality piece of micro engineering. They are wireless. Do they sound good. Subjective....Given the parameters they fall into I would have to write in terms of audio quality for 215€ one can certainly do much MUCH better. Can that 'better' be achieved in such a small wireless package?... That's going to be controversial. For me they sound rather good taking into account their size and this fact of being wireless. Are they worth the 215€? Again debatable. I truly don't know.
Will I be keeping them...Yes but not for their audio quality rather the fact they are so very portable. I must add they are not poor sounding, not at all. They are just nowhere near the sound quality of a wired pair that cost the same. Then again they cant be expected to be can they?
 
Would I recommend them. With the above caveats yes. 
 
I now have 5 pair of head phones all different in application size and sound quality. This audio bug is a pain! I thought it was behind me.
 
Ryland

 

[Ryland Johnson]

Nope, couldn't justify keeping them at the price paid. Have to add I have also returned the Pioneer High res device as well. I could debate all day long regarding the pro's and con's of both devices but for me they are not going to fit my needs though I am certain others will truly enjoy them.
 
Ryland

 

[johanwahlberg]

I agree with Ryland. I have a difficulty justifying the price. I'm really disturbed by the high and harsh lower treble region. My first impression when i first tried them was chocking - I was expecting better. Especially since i tried my girlfriends X2 before and thought they sounded more balanced. I kind of almost got rid of it by using the eq app to pull down the lower treble, a lot. An app good in thought but poorly executed by the way. Very difficult to precisely adjust the levels and frequencies, and settings jumping around when you try to fine tune.
If I'm going to settle with lesser sound quality for the benefit of wireless I could just as easy go with the X2 if it weren't for them falling out of my ears (bad fit for me personally).
We now have a complicated relationship. Im really tired of the old cord when going to the gym, and the Freedoms fit very nice, and gives me just that - Freedom. But the the sound of them gets to me every time and reminds me of the 200€ expense and give me a bad feel...

 

[Ryland Johnson]

  I agree with Ryland. I have a difficulty justifying the price. I'm really disturbed by the high and harsh lower treble region. My first impression when i first tried them was chocking - I was expecting better. Especially since i tried my girlfriends X2 before and thought they sounded more balanced. I kind of almost got rid of it by using the eq app to pull down the lower treble, a lot. An app good in thought but poorly executed by the way. Very difficult to precisely adjust the levels and frequencies, and settings jumping around when you try to fine tune.
If I'm going to settle with lesser sound quality for the benefit of wireless I could just as easy go with the X2 if it weren't for them falling out of my ears (bad fit for me personally).
We now have a complicated relationship. Im really tired of the old cord when going to the gym, and the Freedoms fit very nice, and gives me just that - Freedom. But the the sound of them gets to me every time and reminds me of the 200€ expense and give me a bad feel...

I hear you! Yes, you nailed it when you used the term "Chocked". I was not expecting wireless to have the same sound stage but have not been prepared for the financial investment to get even close to a cheap sounding wired set? Wow, Wireless are expensive. 
 
Have to reiterate the Jaybirds are bloomin clever, very nice to wear, light and so tiny. Micro engineered to a high standard. Had they coast around 100€ I may have kept them just for that portablity and the odd times I need them. At 215.00€ that was not going to happen.
 
Ryland
Must add I am no expert in wireless ear wear. this was only the second pair I have tried.

 

[Closingracer]

I agree with Ryland. I have a difficulty justifying the price. I'm really disturbed by the high and harsh lower treble region. My first impression when i first tried them was chocking - I was expecting better. Especially since i tried my girlfriends X2 before and thought they sounded more balanced. I kind of almost got rid of it by using the eq app to pull down the lower treble, a lot. An app good in thought but poorly executed by the way. Very difficult to precisely adjust the levels and frequencies, and settings jumping around when you try to fine tune.
If I'm going to settle with lesser sound quality for the benefit of wireless I could just as easy go with the X2 if it weren't for them falling out of my ears (bad fit for me personally).
We now have a complicated relationship. Im really tired of the old cord when going to the gym, and the Freedoms fit very nice, and gives me just that - Freedom. But the the sound of them gets to me every time and reminds me of the 200€ expense and give me a bad feel...

I got them for $120 USD and for that price I love them. They got better than the X2 and I will sacrifice music fidelity for wireless earbuds at the right price.

 

[Ryland Johnson]

I got them for $120 USD and for that price I love them. They got better than the X2 and I will sacrifice music fidelity for wireless earbuds at the right price.

Wow, for that price they would be welcome. In Europe we are paying 215.00€ inc P+P. Thats just too much unless one HAS to have wireless and highly compact, in which case they do tick those boxes.
 
Ryland

 

[johanwahlberg]

Anyone else got the weird volume increments and solved it? I use mine with an iPhone 6s and of the iPhone's 16 volume steps (linked over BT so the only place you set volume) the first one is silent, the second is whisper low, the third is exactly the same level as no 2. Then to the forth step there is a huge increase in volume (too loud for a lot of my listening), then it goes up, 10 more increasing steps which i'll never have any use for, unless I develop a hearing loss from listening too loud at level 4.
 
I get to choose from silent, whisper low or too loud. Is it the same for all of you with iPhones and the Freedoms?

 

[VeXun]

I am experiencing the same thing in fact everything is amazing with these headphones except the volume adjustment issue. I might return them do to it

 

[meringo]

Surprised that no one is taking about the x3! They were only $99 during black Friday week and sound better than the freedom. Fit is also much improved over the X2.