WIRELESS SOUND FOR CHEAP
THERE is a growing trend of smartphones ditching the 3.5mm headphone jack in a move to push consumers toward wireless earphones.
And while there are plenty of premium Bluetooth earphones on the market, you don’t need to spend a fortune to get a good set.
To help you make a decision, here are a selection of the best.
Plantronics BackBeat FIT 305 — $129.95
The BackBeat FIT 305 is described as one of the world’s lightest bluetooth earphones.
And having tried this product, I can say it lives up to the hype ... for the most part.
The earphones sound amazing and do a sensational job at blocking out ambient noise, despite not being noise-cancelling.
With three different sizes available, the earbuds are made to fit securely in your ear and an extra silicon ear hook is supposed to offer extra protection.
While the buds stayed secure for the most part, I did find they fell out of my ears when I was on a long run.
The battery life offers six hours of use or up to 240 hours on standby mode.
An in-line microphone lets you enjoy hands-free calls, while sweat-resistance makes you comfortable knowing your earphones will survive the most intense workout.
Overall the design does feel a little cheap compared to other products on the market, but when you’re paying a fraction of the price this seems like a non-issue.
Audiofly AF100W — $189.00
Making the move from pro audio into consumer headphones was no mistake for AudioFly, with the company’s latest products offering amazing quality.
The premium AF100W Bluetooth headphones might be more expensive than the company’s other offerings, but they’re worth every cent.
With large plastic enclosures and cabling designed to trail over the ear, the product looks like higherend earphones and has comfort to match.
Comfort and audio quality aside, the product does lack in battery life, with only around five hours usage per charge.
So, if you can remember to charge them, these are well worth your time and money.
BlueAnt Pump Air — $169.99
While Bluetooth headphones remove the need to be connected, some models have gone as far as removing all the wiring completely.
Apple’s Airpods were among the first wireless earbuds to attract customers, but were criticised for an ugly design.
Enter BlueAnt’s Pump Air. The product is among the smallest true wireless earbud available, with the units weighing four grams each.
As one of Australia’s most trusted consumer electronics and audio lifestyle brands, the company has a reputation for quality and the Pump Air is no exception.
The product uses the latest Bluetooth 4.2 technology and is coated in sweat-proof coating, meaning you don’t have to worry about working out too hard while wearing the buds.
The only issue I had with these was keeping track of them at the end of a workout, because they are easily lost.