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Best Value In Decent Quality Wireless Bluetooth Headphones?


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As the title says, I need bluetooth capable headphones that perform well enough for quality sound,  for working out. These are needed to help provide me with musical entertainment during my four times a week, one hour sessions, walking in a pool at my local club. Anything around $150.00  or under, would fit the bill. The headphones should always remain dry, as the deepest water comes only to the tops of my shoulders.

 

Any recommendations would be appreciated. Thanks for any help.

 

JC

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The JayBird X3 has been been working out really well for me.  They get a lot of use as I wear them on my commute and during workouts.  Battery life is great and the sound quality is really good.  I prefer using the Comply tips with mine.

 

The X3 was just replaced by the X4, which is said to be both sweatproof and waterproof.  

Digital:  Sonore opticalModule > Uptone EtherRegen > Shunyata Sigma Ethernet > Antipodes K30 > Shunyata Omega USB > Gustard X26pro DAC < Mutec REF10 SE120

Amp & Speakers:  Spectral DMA-150mk2 > Aerial 10T

Foundation: Stillpoints Ultra, Shunyata Denali v1 and Typhon x1 power conditioners, Shunyata Delta v2 and QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation and Infinity power cords, QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation XLR interconnect, Shunyata Sigma Ethernet, MIT Matrix HD 60 speaker cables, GIK bass traps, ASC Isothermal tube traps, Stillpoints Aperture panels, Quadraspire SVT rack, PGGB 256

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4 hours ago, rodrigaj said:

 

Thanks for pointing that out.  I did have a failure of the Jaybird X2.  I had purchased the X2 from Best Buy along with their extended warranty.  Best Buy allowed me to apply the purchase price for the X2 to the X3.  Best Buy price-matched Amazon's price so I actually got the X3 plus money back for trading in my failed X2.  I highly recommend buying these from Best Buy and spending the $30 on the 2-Year Geek Squad Product Replacement plan.  I should point out that I've had my X3s for over a year and have had no issues with reliability.  

 

A review of the X4:  https://appleinsider.com/articles/18/10/02/review-jaybirds-x4-sport-headphones-win-on-price-to-performance

Digital:  Sonore opticalModule > Uptone EtherRegen > Shunyata Sigma Ethernet > Antipodes K30 > Shunyata Omega USB > Gustard X26pro DAC < Mutec REF10 SE120

Amp & Speakers:  Spectral DMA-150mk2 > Aerial 10T

Foundation: Stillpoints Ultra, Shunyata Denali v1 and Typhon x1 power conditioners, Shunyata Delta v2 and QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation and Infinity power cords, QSA Lanedri Gamma Revelation XLR interconnect, Shunyata Sigma Ethernet, MIT Matrix HD 60 speaker cables, GIK bass traps, ASC Isothermal tube traps, Stillpoints Aperture panels, Quadraspire SVT rack, PGGB 256

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Doc, thanks for the info on the Grado's. Those look like they could be an excellent choice.

 

As far as those of you pointing out the Jaybirds, thanks, but I cannot use anything that inserts into the ear. About ten years ago, due to ear infections I had as a baby, I needed surgery to repair part of my outer ear canal. Anything that I would place there creates discomfort/unpleasant pressure. 

 

JC 

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On 10/2/2018 at 1:10 PM, AudioDoctor said:

I don't know how much these cost, I only learned about them yesterday, but I can say they are probably the best wireless headphones available.

 

https://gradolabs.com/headphones/wireless/item/74-gw100

 

 

edit: Never mind, I see now you're looking for a pair to wear during a workout.

Pretty sure that these are the headphones that I'll be going with. Thanks for finding them Doc. Having some difficulty now, though, finding a portable music player that also offers Bluetooth 4.2, to match the cans. I was set on the Shanling M0 but its only Bluetooth 4.1. 

 

JC

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RHA MA650

There is also the M750, which is more expensive

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

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Regarding the Grado.

 

Make sure prior to taking them to your workout that you are satisfied with the attachment of the earcup to metal rod that goes up and down.

 

I owned a set of  Grado GS1000e's ($1000 !!!) that had cheap crimp connection there and the earcup came off in less than one month. I called Grado and returned them for a full refund. I could have epoxied them back on, but felt it was such a poor design choice for such an expensive pair of HP.

 

Since you will be walking around in water, you ought to know.

 

"The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought", Sir Thomas Beecham. 

 

 

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1 hour ago, rodrigaj said:

Regarding the Grado.

 

Make sure prior to taking them to your workout that you are satisfied with the attachment of the earcup to metal rod that goes up and down.

 

I owned a set of  Grado GS1000e's ($1000 !!!) that had cheap crimp connection there and the earcup came off in less than one month. I called Grado and returned them for a full refund. I could have epoxied them back on, but felt it was such a poor design choice for such an expensive pair of HP.

 

Since you will be walking around in water, you ought to know.

Thanks, I appreciate the heads up on that issue.

 

JC

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Another thing that just occurred to me.

 

That little black cap on the end of the metal rod is just a slip fit plastic/flexible end cap. If the rod slips down and applies any force to that end cap your earcup and rod will end up in the water.

 

Grado has probably the worse (cheapest) earcup attachment in the industry.

 

"The function of music is to release us from the tyranny of conscious thought", Sir Thomas Beecham. 

 

 

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I have researched this topic to near death. Matching up a portable audio bluetooth player (with the right Bluetooth version) and a set of headphones that also match that Bluetooth version is not only difficult, but its even often nearly impossible to find the information. And, on top of it all, I have recently read numerous comments in reviews and comparisons that Bluetooth, even in it's newest formats, compromises audio quality to such a degree that its not even worth bothering with. In some instances, Bluetooth headphones themselves have been considered quite good, but there are no sources, supposedly, that allow that quality to be heard. 

 

A friend has suggested using a waterproof wrist case for the player (as suggested by Ducktoller in the other discussion), and just using standard headphones, saying that the cable from the headphones would be waterproof. Any idea if that is viable?

 

JC

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Found what appears to be a high quality one. Since it has water sealed connections for the headphone cable too, I'm wondering if I could skip the whole Bluetooth thing, and have much better audio while using a pair of standard heaphones? 

 

https://express.google.com/u/0/product/12632686511692414744_17452866283796766940_1060504?utm_source=google_shopping&amp;utm_medium=tu_cu&amp;utm_content=eid-lsjeuxoeqt,eid-ygcnqnyulq&amp;gtim=CPWu6r3K7773BRDn3Nqc29e8y94BGIDUlhkiA1VTRCiQtp_eBTCY3UA&amp;utm_campaign=1060504&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMIs4nP987y3QIVCdbACh1YpgMjEAQYBCABEgK16PD_BwE

 

JC

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