[ruthieandjohn]

Despite my inventory of several dozen headphones, I do not have any wireless earbuds, needed for listening while active.
 
I've narrowed things down to the JayBirds Blue Buds X Wireless and the Beats By Dr Dre Powerbeats 2.
 
Anyone have any experience comparing both?
 
Thanks for your advice!

 

[JohnnyRules]

I've been lurking here for a while but decided to make an account to reply to your post because I had this exact same issue.  I had a pair of Sennheiser PMX80 for about four years and loved them for lifting and cardio.  They failed recently so I decided to to wireless this time.  
 
I first bought the Blue Buds.  They sounded great for Bluetooth headphones.  I was really happy with them, until I took them to the gym.  My Sennheisers fit very securely on my head, and did not require a seal in order to sound great.  With the Blue Buds, you need to have a good seal in order to get good sound, otherwise they sound dull and empty.  They got many great reviews, and they did sound great when I wasn't moving.  I tried all the different tips and flanges in order to deal with the seal being constantly broken with no luck.  Maybe it is just me, I'm not sure.  I returned them a few weeks after I bought them.
 
Let me say that I have never been a fan of Beats, and I have never owned a pair until I got the Powerbeats 2.  I liked the look of them because they have hooks that go over your ears and I figured they would be more secure on my head like my old Sennheisers.  These headphones also sound quite good for Bluetooth headphones, but are a bit more on the bass-y side than the Blue Buds.  I mostly listen to rock while exercising with a bit of hip-hop mixed in, and these headphones are perfect for that.  I have used these about 10 times while working out so far, and I love them.  They stay in my ears and provide great sound without me having to constantly push them back into my ears.  
 
I think I would have kept the Blue Buds if I was able to get them stay sealed in my ears, but your experience may be different.  One reason I went with the blue buds first is the lag issue the beats had, but there is a new firmware update to help fix this.  I personally love the bass of the Beats because it helps keep me "in the zone" so to say.  Let me know if you have any other questions between the two.  

 

[ruthieandjohn]

@JohnnyRules
First, thanks so much for taking the time and trouble to make an account so you would help me out by posting!  I appreciate it.
 
My activity with the wireless IEMs will be much less strenuous than working out in the gym... most likely to be vacuuming, housework, and walking. 
 
So I am not as concerned about ability of the IEM to maintain a tight fit in the ear during workout.
 
But I am interested in how you compare the sound, comfort, and reliability.
 
I am very fond of Beats... bought three headphones (Studio 2013, Studio Wireless 2013, and Pro), one IEM (Lady Gaga Heartbeats), Beats Music streaming audio, and Beats Audio for my FIAT automobile.  But I remember very high praise for the Jay Birds Blue Buds X when they first came out, as being the best wireless IEM so far.
 
I understand that the Beats Powerbeats 2 had more bass than the Blue Buds.  How did their sound compare in the mids and highs, and was there a difference in their soundstage?  Thanks for any added info you can provide.

 

[JohnnyRules]

Anytime! I was bound to make an account sooner or later.
 
As far as sound quality goes, I would have to give this to the blue buds.  I am not an audiophile, but I do appreciate good sound.  Don't get me wrong, the Beats sound great, but the mids and highs on the blue buds are a little more "crisp" than the Beats.  I returned them a while ago, so I can't do a side-by-side comparison.  From what I remember of the blue buds, the soundstage seems to be pretty similar to the Beats.
 
For comfort, the little flange things on the blue buds irritated my ears while I was working out.  Between that and the breaking of the seal, I became frustrated when I had to keep pushing the earbuds into my ear.  This may just be my ears though, I'm not sure.  The Beats on the other hand are very comfortable.  The longest I have worn them has been about 2 hours, and I haven't been bothered by them at all.  
 
The reliability of both seems pretty similar.  For example, I left my phone under a bench at the gym and didn't realize it until I was about 25 feet away, and there was no degradation or interference in the sound with the Beats.  The blue buds seemed similar,  but I was within 10 feet of my phone when I had those.  Both seem well built, and the battery life seems to be good on both.  
 
I would recommend trying one pair and returning it if you are not happy with it.  I bought my Beats from my local Apple store, and the employee who I dealt with said that if I wasn't happy I had 14 days to return it.  You could try that if you are close to an Apple store as they carry both models.  It sounds to me like you really like the Beats sound signature, and the Powerbeats fall within that signature.  If you are a Beats fan, I would go with the Beats, but that is just me.  Let me know if you have any other questions.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

@johnnyRules (or anyone else who knows)...
 
Which are easier to insert into your ear... the Power Beats 2.0 or the BlueBuds X wireless?  Thanks!

 

[ActiveTechREV]

I've had the Jaybird BBX for over a year and loved them.  I could barely live without them, but they kept breaking on me.  The cool thing about jaybird is that they have great customer service and sent me a new pair after they malfunctioned. After I recieved a 4th pair I decided to sell them and got the SoundPeats QY7 on amazon for $30.  I was using my headphones for mostly books, youtube and podcasts. Then went with another set of high end wired headphones (DT770).  I still use the QY7 for workouts and they still work just as good enough, but not nearly as good sounding as the BBX's. 
 
I asked a person here at my gym who was wearing the BBX's and was holding the power beats 2.0 wireless and he said that the beats weren't as loud the BBX's.

 

[syee]

I apologize for dragging this thread up from the dead but I was interested to hear the opinion of those who have tried both of these since I'm in the same situation.
I'm currently using the Blue Bud X with the smallest Comply tips available for the BBX, but I still have a hard time getting them to stay in during my workouts.  I'm attributing this to the rather large nozzle that the tips attach to.
 
Can anyone who has tried both comment on the actual size?  I read a lot of comments on other forums from people who say that the BBX didn't fit them well but the Powerbeats fit.  (although they don't really state what size tips they were using)  I'd like to perhaps get a more objective viewpoint on what you guys thought of the fitment.

 

[acevesf]

Also in the same dilemma here. Anyone else got feedback on the power beats 2 vs others?

 

[Ginge]

I'll add my two cents as an owner of both the JayBirds Blue Buds X and Beats Powerbeats 2. I needed something wireless for running and going to the gym and did a little research and went with the JayBirds a little over a year ago. I didn't even consider the Beats because....well, I wrote them off to being more of a fashion statement. The JayBirds sound great, but I constantly have an issue with them fitting properly, they come lose when I would run. I just don't love how they felt in my ears.
 
Enter the PowerBeats 2. My friend tipped me off to a Black Friday deal and suggested I grabbed them. He told me he had the same issues with Beats initially, but that all went away when he started using them. So I ordered the black pair (which looked the most subtle) and figured I'd try them out and at worse case, I could re-sell them if I ended up hating them. Well, I have to say these have been my go-to headphones ever since. I love the fit... just perfect and gives a great seal when active. These things never come out of my ears no matter what I'm doing. The attachments that come with the Beats help as I was able to find an even better fit by swapping the ear tips. After a while, I forget I'm even wearing them, while with the Blue Buds X, I was always aware.
 
Now, the bass is a little heavy on the Powerbeats 2, that's been said of all Beats headphones. I've never heard any other Beats product, so I can't compare how they are over their standard over the ear heahphones. But I felt like music on the Powebeats felt more punchier than the JayBirds, which focus more on mids to my ears. So I don't mind the slight bass push at all, it's not exaggerated. I also listen to a lot of podcasts, talk and video and they all sound great with the Powerbeats 2. In fact, I watch videos on my tablet when I'm on the treadmill... and with the Jaybirds, the audio/video sync seemed slightly off. But not with the Powerbeats 2, which kept the audio/video in sync (or maybe it was off slightly, just not enough to notice). The Powerbeats 2 are also louder than any other headphone I've used (wireless or wired) and I love that for the gym. 
 
The battery time for both is about the same, I've never come close to losing power with either. 
 
In my opinion, you can't go wrong with either one sound wise. But for comfort and perfect fit, it's the Powerbeats 2 for me. The Blue Buds X just can't compare in that arena and I haven't used them in months.