Now hear (these earbuds)
January 30, 2022 5:48 PM Subscribe
I would like to get back to walking again, and I need music/podcasts to keep me company. But my new iPhone didn't come with an adapter for my corded earbuds/headphones, and instead of going out and buying one of those, I feel like the universe is maybe pointing me toward finally accepting my fate and getting some Bluetooth earbuds. I just have...snowflakes.
My mind is reeling with all the information out there, and so many of the reviews for things don't have any similar requirements or responses to my own. I just don't know what I should pick. I have a number of constraints:
-Budget (because a lot of the brands I know and trust, like Sennheiser, are outside my budget). Even $150 is tough right now, but that's my utmost limit.
-My ears seem to be small? I have to use tiny tips, anyway, on my old buds and the ones I bought shortly before my phone crapped out on me (a pair of JVCs) were supposed to mold to my ears so they didn't need sized tips but boy did they not and I found them uncomfortable but also leaky on the sound.
-I drop shit all the time, and I kind of like the look of my friend's Bose earbuds with a cord that keeps them together behind his neck (plus! pretty blue color!) but a lot of the reviews I read seemed to be negative, and apparently that type of bud is being made less and less. I really don't want to spend a fortune and lose them right away.
-I am extremely sensitive to bass, and I do not like it much. It's downright painful. I hate things that won't let me turn down bass and emphasize midrange and treble tones. But a lot of these things market heavily on how punchy the bass is.
-I don't run or exercise in other ways, just walk, but because of some increasing disabilities, I am not an especially smooth walker. The curvy piece that helps hold them in your ear on my friend's Bose model is slightly different now, I don't know if that shape change makes a difference. I tried his on and they felt comfy.
I looked at Wirecutter, but I have often been really unhappy with their recs for things, especially because it seems like it's mostly dudes who review things there and their interests are not always my interests. They recommended Jabra 75Ts, which I guess are still available, but on Amazon, looking at reviews, it's hard to tell (well, all Amazon reviews are hard to tell because there's often so much bogus bullshit there) if they're the best option. I also saw they have some Jabra 3s, which had high reviews and a much more accommodating price point for me, but those seem to have limitations too. (Though! They come in my fave color, purple! Everything else is blah black or white or these muted dude colors.)
They didn't even include the Boses, but their second runner up was beats, but they are way outside my financial abilities plus I still have a bad reaction to him as a person.
There are just a lot of other options out there, some within my price range, but I know nothing about the brands or have heard anything about them. My friend loves her airpods, but those ones with the sort of sticks that hang down on them always seem weird to me and like they would not sit comfortably, though I've never tried them. (Glasses and masks and headphones are just...UGH.) And some of the complaints I see--that the Boses stick out too far from your ears, for instance--don't concern me much. I do worry about the complaints that the Jabra 3's equalizer app doesn't allow you to mess around with the bass/midrange/treble.
My friend really loves his Bose sporty things, but I just don't know how to weight all the conflicting info out there, including on those.
Other stuff: I would love to use them for calls because I have worsening arthritis, and not having to hold a phone up all the time would be great. I don't know what hear through really entails, though.
-Battery life is slightly important because my walks can be long, but I see some complaints that you have to position the buds in the case just so to get a charge? I don't know how that works. Also, will I have to throw these away when the battery finally dies? That would make cost even more imperative.
I'm starting to feel like maybe I should give up and just use my last pair of corded ones and my falling-apart Bose over-ear phones. What do you think of yours? Would you rec yours or not, and why?
My mind is reeling with all the information out there, and so many of the reviews for things don't have any similar requirements or responses to my own. I just don't know what I should pick. I have a number of constraints:
-Budget (because a lot of the brands I know and trust, like Sennheiser, are outside my budget). Even $150 is tough right now, but that's my utmost limit.
-My ears seem to be small? I have to use tiny tips, anyway, on my old buds and the ones I bought shortly before my phone crapped out on me (a pair of JVCs) were supposed to mold to my ears so they didn't need sized tips but boy did they not and I found them uncomfortable but also leaky on the sound.
-I drop shit all the time, and I kind of like the look of my friend's Bose earbuds with a cord that keeps them together behind his neck (plus! pretty blue color!) but a lot of the reviews I read seemed to be negative, and apparently that type of bud is being made less and less. I really don't want to spend a fortune and lose them right away.
-I am extremely sensitive to bass, and I do not like it much. It's downright painful. I hate things that won't let me turn down bass and emphasize midrange and treble tones. But a lot of these things market heavily on how punchy the bass is.
-I don't run or exercise in other ways, just walk, but because of some increasing disabilities, I am not an especially smooth walker. The curvy piece that helps hold them in your ear on my friend's Bose model is slightly different now, I don't know if that shape change makes a difference. I tried his on and they felt comfy.
I looked at Wirecutter, but I have often been really unhappy with their recs for things, especially because it seems like it's mostly dudes who review things there and their interests are not always my interests. They recommended Jabra 75Ts, which I guess are still available, but on Amazon, looking at reviews, it's hard to tell (well, all Amazon reviews are hard to tell because there's often so much bogus bullshit there) if they're the best option. I also saw they have some Jabra 3s, which had high reviews and a much more accommodating price point for me, but those seem to have limitations too. (Though! They come in my fave color, purple! Everything else is blah black or white or these muted dude colors.)
They didn't even include the Boses, but their second runner up was beats, but they are way outside my financial abilities plus I still have a bad reaction to him as a person.
There are just a lot of other options out there, some within my price range, but I know nothing about the brands or have heard anything about them. My friend loves her airpods, but those ones with the sort of sticks that hang down on them always seem weird to me and like they would not sit comfortably, though I've never tried them. (Glasses and masks and headphones are just...UGH.) And some of the complaints I see--that the Boses stick out too far from your ears, for instance--don't concern me much. I do worry about the complaints that the Jabra 3's equalizer app doesn't allow you to mess around with the bass/midrange/treble.
My friend really loves his Bose sporty things, but I just don't know how to weight all the conflicting info out there, including on those.
Other stuff: I would love to use them for calls because I have worsening arthritis, and not having to hold a phone up all the time would be great. I don't know what hear through really entails, though.
-Battery life is slightly important because my walks can be long, but I see some complaints that you have to position the buds in the case just so to get a charge? I don't know how that works. Also, will I have to throw these away when the battery finally dies? That would make cost even more imperative.
I'm starting to feel like maybe I should give up and just use my last pair of corded ones and my falling-apart Bose over-ear phones. What do you think of yours? Would you rec yours or not, and why?
I have to agree with luzdeluna. I kept watching the sales and bought myself some of the older airpods and they are fine and work for me, but if I had ears that don't fit those things well I think I'd stress about them. My partner has the airpod pros and they are nice BUT he had to buy some special tips so they'd stay in his ears and they're already above your price point so likely not the right thing. Maybe hang on a bit, buy the adapter and stick to what's been working for now?
posted by jessamyn at 7:07 PM on January 30, 2022
posted by jessamyn at 7:07 PM on January 30, 2022
I took the plunge and got airpod pros with my new phone, since I was a long-time corded guy. Short version: they suck. I call them “EarDuds.” Apparently I have funny shaped ears because I had to get aftermarket “memory foam” earpieces to get them not to randomly fall out. And they started connecting randomly to my pad or phone even though the case was closed and then they’d be dead in a day even if I didn’t use them.
Apple “generously” replaced them after I raised holy hell at my “Genius Bar” appointment—they were telling me to pound sand because I bought them from Amazon. Now the new ones are starting to randomly connect even though the case is closed. Yippee.
So, you don’t have to feel bad about the EarDuds exceeding your budget! I’m thinking of getting something to let me use the corded ones I was happy with.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 7:09 PM on January 30, 2022
Apple “generously” replaced them after I raised holy hell at my “Genius Bar” appointment—they were telling me to pound sand because I bought them from Amazon. Now the new ones are starting to randomly connect even though the case is closed. Yippee.
So, you don’t have to feel bad about the EarDuds exceeding your budget! I’m thinking of getting something to let me use the corded ones I was happy with.
posted by Gilgamesh's Chauffeur at 7:09 PM on January 30, 2022
my partner works for one of those fancypants companies you listed, and used to work for another. We are a headphones family. AND YET, my snowflakiness is very similar to your own, most importantly that my ears are small. I am another vote for just using the corded headphones that you like with an adapter. It is true that there are much fancier options out there, but they will all be too big for your ears, almost certainly. i have tried all of them and my actual favorite headphones are a $10 corded earmuff-style pair from skull candy. I cause great embarrassment of my partner when I wear them because the sound quality is so low. BUT! after like 5 seconds with them on your brain adjusts and it's fine, also a lot of the money you pay in headphones is for loud bass, ALSO grumble grumble feminism patriarchy ear sizes. Save your money, damn the man, keep your headphones.
posted by andreapandrea at 7:09 PM on January 30, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by andreapandrea at 7:09 PM on January 30, 2022 [3 favorites]
My small ears work fine with the $40ish Skullcandy Sesh Evo. They’re not fancy, but they are good for calls or walking on the treadmill. And they’re aqua with an aqua case, so easy to find in my desk clutter.
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:14 PM on January 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by chesty_a_arthur at 7:14 PM on January 30, 2022 [2 favorites]
I have tried and returned several pairs of true wireless earbuds. ("True wireless" means there is no cord going around the back of your neck. There's a whole language to these things, I've discovered.) I'm reasonably happy with the Jabra earbuds recommended by Wirecutter, and have a cheap ($30) pair of Aukey earbuds as backup. Bluetooth earbuds are great, except when they're not. Even with expensive buds, I sometimes lose the pairing and just in general they don't always work as well as they should. I put up with them because I love not having a cord. But if you're not eager to ditch the cord, you're probably better off spending $9 for the adapter and be done with it.
posted by DrGail at 7:14 PM on January 30, 2022
posted by DrGail at 7:14 PM on January 30, 2022
An alternative to earbuds that would tick off most of your requirements are bone conduction headphones such as aftershokz. These are banded headphones that sit above and in front of the ears and use conduction to transfer sound so you circumvent the problem of earbuds having to be a good fit. They work surprisingly well, and are great for podcasts and phone calls. They are not good for music on account of a lack of bass (but this seems like a plus for you!) An additional feature is that because your ears are not covered or sealed, you can stay aware of your surroundings which is good for safety. Battery life is great and I only have to charge mine every week or so. I love mine and wear them frequently when walking. The downsides are that you may have to turn up the volume if you are walking near busy roads and at higher volumes there can be some vibration which can feel weird. Anyway, just something to consider. Maybe someone you know has some you can trial or you could buy from somewhere with a rocksolid return policy like costco (There are various models at different price points).
posted by piyushnz at 7:23 PM on January 30, 2022 [12 favorites]
posted by piyushnz at 7:23 PM on January 30, 2022 [12 favorites]
I use these Bose SoundSport headphones - they have a connecting wire and three different sizes of tips.
They are Bluetooth and I like them a lot. I don’t know about how they would do for calls but they are good for listening to podcasts and audio books while walking or doing chores outside.
I had an issue with a pair and emailed to see if they could be repaired - and they sent me a warranty replacement that I wasn’t expecting since I’d had them for well over a year.
posted by hilaryjade at 7:44 PM on January 30, 2022
They are Bluetooth and I like them a lot. I don’t know about how they would do for calls but they are good for listening to podcasts and audio books while walking or doing chores outside.
I had an issue with a pair and emailed to see if they could be repaired - and they sent me a warranty replacement that I wasn’t expecting since I’d had them for well over a year.
posted by hilaryjade at 7:44 PM on January 30, 2022
In my experience it doesn't as matter as much as people make it sound like online. You can go into Target/Best Buy or a similar type store & just get whatever pair is in your price range & it'll be fine. Get on the cheaper end so if you lose them it won't be that big of a deal.
posted by bleep at 7:51 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by bleep at 7:51 PM on January 30, 2022 [1 favorite]
I got a pair of ~$30 earbuds on Amazon that have both an earbud tip and a fin / earwing that helps hold the bud in the crook of my ear. My ears are also too small for earbuds, but these haven’t fallen out at all. They connect well, stay connected 200+ feet from my phone, and the touch controls work well. Only downside is that they’re bad for calls because I have to speak quite loudly for the mic to pick me up. I don’t see my particular ones now, but searching fin or earwing brings up similar.
posted by momus_window at 8:57 PM on January 30, 2022
posted by momus_window at 8:57 PM on January 30, 2022
I used the review site Scarbir to get an overview of earbuds for my budget and musical tastes. I'm happy with my Fiil T1 Pros! Great for the gym, decent for taking calls. (Bass might be too strong for you.) I have pretty small ears and the range of tip sizes in that brand work for me, I can wear for hours and hours. They're comfy. I will say tho — all the true wireless buds I've tried are incredibly tinny compared to headphones. The sound stages are narrow and flat. But for enjoying a podcast on a walk? So convenient. Try it!
posted by lloquat at 10:06 PM on January 30, 2022
posted by lloquat at 10:06 PM on January 30, 2022
Seconding the Skullcandy Sesh Evos as an inexpensive (~$40) but decent Bluetooth solution for walks and Zoom meetings. They were Wirecutter’s budget pick when I bought them sometime last year. They fit in my ears just fine, but most things do, so ymmv.
They only pair with one device at a time, so you won’t have the issues that Gilgamesh’s Chauffeur has with promiscuous pairing. Charging can be finicky if they’re not perfectly seated on the case’s little power studs. … just be sure their charging lights are illuminated and all will be fine.
posted by mumkin at 11:00 PM on January 30, 2022
They only pair with one device at a time, so you won’t have the issues that Gilgamesh’s Chauffeur has with promiscuous pairing. Charging can be finicky if they’re not perfectly seated on the case’s little power studs. … just be sure their charging lights are illuminated and all will be fine.
posted by mumkin at 11:00 PM on January 30, 2022
I can only offer anecdata - I've been using JLab Go Air's (link) for the last 16 months, after researching what is "good enough" (and not electronic rubbish) - and they are. They certainly do "low/no bass" in all but one of the sound settings; the only thing I miss is active noise cancelling, which they don't have. Hands-free phoning is fine as long as your environment isn't too loud, even wearing a mask (which surprised me). Other than that - fine, nothing special, and cheap - and you can don/doff your mask without fiddling with wires. They come with three tip sizes, I take a medium.
posted by labberdasher at 12:03 AM on January 31, 2022
posted by labberdasher at 12:03 AM on January 31, 2022
I really love the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air 2 headphones, true wireless and with lots of different size earbud adapters. Currently $130 on Amazon.
posted by ellieBOA at 12:09 AM on January 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by ellieBOA at 12:09 AM on January 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
The Apple Lightning to 3.5mm Adapter is £9 ($11-ish) near me if you want to stay wired.
posted by k3ninho at 12:13 AM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by k3ninho at 12:13 AM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
Another vote for Anker -- mine have been great, battery life is amazing, they work great with my small ears.
posted by Mrs. Rattery at 3:46 AM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Mrs. Rattery at 3:46 AM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have the Jabra 75Ts and I really like them. They were falling out of my ears when I first got them, but I switched to the smallest earpieces and they are rock solid now.
They also can connect to two devices at once, which is really really handy for switching back and forth between phone and tablet for audio.
posted by Happy Dave at 5:36 AM on January 31, 2022
They also can connect to two devices at once, which is really really handy for switching back and forth between phone and tablet for audio.
posted by Happy Dave at 5:36 AM on January 31, 2022
Seconding that the wired adapter is worth the small cost.
Do you require earbuds or would you be okay with wireless on-ear headphones that do have a piece connecting the two sides? Some are made to go over the head and others behind the head, but in both cases, ear fit is less important and some models are quite cheap.
posted by soelo at 6:18 AM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
Do you require earbuds or would you be okay with wireless on-ear headphones that do have a piece connecting the two sides? Some are made to go over the head and others behind the head, but in both cases, ear fit is less important and some models are quite cheap.
posted by soelo at 6:18 AM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'd second the Aftershokz bone conduction headphone recommendation. I use them for walks and runs and they've been great. I like being able to hear what's going on around me.
I'm able to answer the phone with them on and the sound for that has been fine.
posted by TORunner at 6:58 AM on January 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
I'm able to answer the phone with them on and the sound for that has been fine.
posted by TORunner at 6:58 AM on January 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
Bluetooth doesn’t have to mean earbuds! I love my Bluetooth Soundcore Q20s, giant comfy over-the-ear deals.
posted by needs more cowbell at 7:07 AM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by needs more cowbell at 7:07 AM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
I would suggest you try a pair of super cheap connected wireless earbuds. Something that comes with multiple tips, something like these (not a specific recommendation, just the first example that came up in a quick search). Here's why:
1. Do you like the wirelessness? I love having wireless headphones, but my wife could care less. She's used mine on a few occasions and frankly doesn't see what the big deal is.
2. Are you OK with the pairing hassle? My wife is NOT. One reason I suggest cheapos first is that the pairing experience will be at the rough end of the spectrum, so if it's not too much of a hassle with cheapos, it will be at least somewhat easier with nice buds (the iPhone->AirPods pairing is almost seamless, but still has the occasional hiccup). I don't suggest the "true wireless" to start, because that amps up the pairing hassle to an incredible degree, so it won't be a good test of how comfortable you are with some slight hassle.
3. Having multiple tips increases the likelihood you will be able to get them to fit.
I suspect in the end you will be better served getting the adapter, but for less than $20, it's worth it to experiment a bit.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:24 AM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
1. Do you like the wirelessness? I love having wireless headphones, but my wife could care less. She's used mine on a few occasions and frankly doesn't see what the big deal is.
2. Are you OK with the pairing hassle? My wife is NOT. One reason I suggest cheapos first is that the pairing experience will be at the rough end of the spectrum, so if it's not too much of a hassle with cheapos, it will be at least somewhat easier with nice buds (the iPhone->AirPods pairing is almost seamless, but still has the occasional hiccup). I don't suggest the "true wireless" to start, because that amps up the pairing hassle to an incredible degree, so it won't be a good test of how comfortable you are with some slight hassle.
3. Having multiple tips increases the likelihood you will be able to get them to fit.
I suspect in the end you will be better served getting the adapter, but for less than $20, it's worth it to experiment a bit.
posted by Rock Steady at 7:24 AM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
I use ten dollar onn brand earbuds - they are Bluetooth, but have a wire connecting then that rests around the back of my neck. I also have tiny ears, and the small size provided in the package works great for me, even without the provided fin that is meant to help keep them wedged in there.
Sound quality is great for podcasts, audiobooks, and music to work/workout by. There is not much bass to speak of. When I want to hear the intricacies of sound, I have a pair of over ear headphones I use for that. For phone calls, sound quality on your end will be fine, but you will have to speak up so that other people can hear you.
Battery life on a new pair of ONN Bluetooth earbuds runs about 8 hours of continuous podcasting. Over time, that shortens, so I end up buying a pair about every 6 months.( I like to have three pair in commission at any given time). They charge via usb-b.
They aren't anywhere near fancy, but they do what I need them to do, and they are so cheap that when I occasionally lose a pair, it doesn't bother me one bit.
posted by Vigilant at 7:57 AM on January 31, 2022
Sound quality is great for podcasts, audiobooks, and music to work/workout by. There is not much bass to speak of. When I want to hear the intricacies of sound, I have a pair of over ear headphones I use for that. For phone calls, sound quality on your end will be fine, but you will have to speak up so that other people can hear you.
Battery life on a new pair of ONN Bluetooth earbuds runs about 8 hours of continuous podcasting. Over time, that shortens, so I end up buying a pair about every 6 months.( I like to have three pair in commission at any given time). They charge via usb-b.
They aren't anywhere near fancy, but they do what I need them to do, and they are so cheap that when I occasionally lose a pair, it doesn't bother me one bit.
posted by Vigilant at 7:57 AM on January 31, 2022
I just got the Anker Liberty Pro 3 and they are a marvel. New top of the line product, $170, but I got it on a one day sale for $100. They connect reliably, they sound great, and they have an impressive number of features like detecting when you take them out of your ear, several styles of active noise cancelling, a hearing test based calibration, ... Very impressive bit of kit. I'm generally anti-wireless but the quality and convenience of these has won me over.
To your concern about size: Anker ships with a bunch of different sized rubber ear tip covers and also "wings", the piece that's used to hold it in place in your ear. I suspect that's pretty common and other brands have multiple sizes too.
posted by Nelson at 8:05 AM on January 31, 2022
To your concern about size: Anker ships with a bunch of different sized rubber ear tip covers and also "wings", the piece that's used to hold it in place in your ear. I suspect that's pretty common and other brands have multiple sizes too.
posted by Nelson at 8:05 AM on January 31, 2022
Not to abuse the edit window, the ten dollar price is at my local Walmart. Looks like they cost more (15 ish) online.
As for other brands of similar products, I've tried a bunch with very uneven results within the same brand - like, buying two sets of JLab earbuds, one is great and the other loses sound on one side within hours of first use.
posted by Vigilant at 8:08 AM on January 31, 2022
As for other brands of similar products, I've tried a bunch with very uneven results within the same brand - like, buying two sets of JLab earbuds, one is great and the other loses sound on one side within hours of first use.
posted by Vigilant at 8:08 AM on January 31, 2022
Small ears here and my iPods fall out sometimes but not often enough to switch. I’m a big apple ecosystem person though. I agree to try a cheap pair if you think they will work for you. The best part of having wireless headphones for me has been to use with my tv (through appletv, but I’m sure there are many combos to connect with different headphones and tv situations). A nice part of using it for phone calls indoors is that you can leave your phone and walk around and keep the connection.
posted by Bunglegirl at 8:21 AM on January 31, 2022
posted by Bunglegirl at 8:21 AM on January 31, 2022
I was skeptical, but I've been really impressed with a pair of Raycon brand bluetooth earbuds. They're not perfect, but have a range of tips and pretty good batteries (~5 hours active, with a case that recharges in an hour or so several times before recharging the case.) The sounds is surprisingly good, and the pairing just works. I much prefer an earplug-style tip, and these are the round kind that don't block external sound. But, they're so convenient that I rarely use my much more expensive corded earplugs. The bass seems pretty neutral to me. (That's also something you can probably adjust in phone software.)
posted by eotvos at 8:27 AM on January 31, 2022
posted by eotvos at 8:27 AM on January 31, 2022
I've gone through a couple pairs of something very similar to these. They are not fancy! Battery life claims something like 4-6 hours but expect that to be 4 and the battery-reporting lies (goes from 30% to "we are shutting down in 5 minutes" pretty quick). The sound quality is not good, so if you're really wanting an Auditory Experience they'll disappoint. But they're relatively comfy on my ears, they're cheap, they don't fall off, and are perfectly fine if you just need background podcast or music to keep you from getting bored on your walk.
Basically, I'm seconding a recommendation for buying some cheap over-ear connecting-cord earbuds either online or at a local electronics store/department and using those to further refine your requirements.
posted by curious nu at 9:10 AM on January 31, 2022
Basically, I'm seconding a recommendation for buying some cheap over-ear connecting-cord earbuds either online or at a local electronics store/department and using those to further refine your requirements.
posted by curious nu at 9:10 AM on January 31, 2022
They are expensive, but in the interest of completeness, I will mention the UE Fits earbuds. The tips actually go through a one-time setting process to fit your ears. Ask for the extra-small tips. My wife has tiny ears and these are the only Bluetooth earbuds she could get comfortable with.
I've got an Aftershokz (now just Shokz) bone-conduction headset. Sound quality is definitely not as good as with decent earbuds, and the whole point of them is that they don't block your ears, so outside sound is all there—the experience is sort of like having a small speaker hovering near each ear. Great battery life, and only one relatively hard-to-lose object. Does require their specific charging cable.
posted by adamrice at 9:56 AM on January 31, 2022
I've got an Aftershokz (now just Shokz) bone-conduction headset. Sound quality is definitely not as good as with decent earbuds, and the whole point of them is that they don't block your ears, so outside sound is all there—the experience is sort of like having a small speaker hovering near each ear. Great battery life, and only one relatively hard-to-lose object. Does require their specific charging cable.
posted by adamrice at 9:56 AM on January 31, 2022
You may want to look into bone conduction headsets instead of earbuds. They do not block your ears, giving you a margin of safety against the ear-canal blocking earbuds.
I have a couple different pairs as I have a HUGE head and it's hard finding one that fits my noggin. YMMV. Like the neckband style Bluetooth headsets, they last all day (easily 8 hours or more non-stop use)
posted by kschang at 10:27 AM on January 31, 2022
I have a couple different pairs as I have a HUGE head and it's hard finding one that fits my noggin. YMMV. Like the neckband style Bluetooth headsets, they last all day (easily 8 hours or more non-stop use)
posted by kschang at 10:27 AM on January 31, 2022
Response by poster: These are all such helpful answers, thank you so much. I forgot to mention I do garden a lot, and part of the appeal of cordless is that I wouldn't destroy my earbuds. I have...uh...sliced through two cords with my pruners, she said sheepishly. The Bose one was very expensive to replace, and also I've never found a way to keep the cords from getting tangled up when I'm bending and twisting a lot, and then yanking them out of my ears/off my head. But it might not be the best answer to go cordless anyway.
I do have a giant noggin, as well, and over ear phones have always hurt after a time because I wear glasses, but I've never tried the bone conduction ones.
So it sounds like you do have to throw them away when they no longer take a charge? So buying these is not a one-time cost, if I'm understanding correctly. I don't know about the pairing situation because to be honest, I'm not sure I understand that process. I doubt I'd need to do two devices at once.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 10:40 AM on January 31, 2022
I do have a giant noggin, as well, and over ear phones have always hurt after a time because I wear glasses, but I've never tried the bone conduction ones.
So it sounds like you do have to throw them away when they no longer take a charge? So buying these is not a one-time cost, if I'm understanding correctly. I don't know about the pairing situation because to be honest, I'm not sure I understand that process. I doubt I'd need to do two devices at once.
posted by kitten kaboodle at 10:40 AM on January 31, 2022
I think based on your update that you might really enjoy wireless - it's hard to explain how much freer you feel with them, especially if you run into pruning-related issues (I cut a strand of christmas lights once, so I hear you on that). You do have to replace them once the battery is not taking a charge, but if you find you really like them and do eventually invest in a higher-quality pair, the battery life will be much longer, but if cheapos are good enough for you, you will probably save money in the long run replacing them 4 or 5 times instead of replacing AirPods once.
posted by Rock Steady at 10:58 AM on January 31, 2022
posted by Rock Steady at 10:58 AM on January 31, 2022
I have a set of Raycon wireless earbuds and like them a lot.
posted by Lexica at 11:23 AM on January 31, 2022
posted by Lexica at 11:23 AM on January 31, 2022
Seeing your update, I'll add another cent to my previous 2 cents and plug the shokz (previously aftershokz) again.
I have a big head and wear glasses as well, and the shokz bone conduction headphones don't interfere with the glasses or the presence of a mask with ear loops. However, adding a hat into the equation makes things tricky, although I've managed to work something out depending on the hat.
Batteries in wireless devices will eventually stop taking charge, but in my limited experience they will last longer than the cables in most wired earbuds (I've only managed 1-2 years, although high quality over the ear headphones have better cables that last longer and are usually detachable and replaceable).
Pairing is pretty easy and if you are only using one device (your iphone), you are likely to only need to do this the first time you use your bluetooth headphones. Everytime thereafter that you turn on your headphones they should automatically pair. Occasionally, if something weird happens you might have to pair them again but this is infrequent, especially with the shokz.
posted by piyushnz at 12:29 PM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have a big head and wear glasses as well, and the shokz bone conduction headphones don't interfere with the glasses or the presence of a mask with ear loops. However, adding a hat into the equation makes things tricky, although I've managed to work something out depending on the hat.
Batteries in wireless devices will eventually stop taking charge, but in my limited experience they will last longer than the cables in most wired earbuds (I've only managed 1-2 years, although high quality over the ear headphones have better cables that last longer and are usually detachable and replaceable).
Pairing is pretty easy and if you are only using one device (your iphone), you are likely to only need to do this the first time you use your bluetooth headphones. Everytime thereafter that you turn on your headphones they should automatically pair. Occasionally, if something weird happens you might have to pair them again but this is infrequent, especially with the shokz.
posted by piyushnz at 12:29 PM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
I absolutely adore my (After)Shokz OpenComm headphones... but even the non-headset style work nice for phone calls and the like. I'm glad someone else mentioned them, since I just saw this, but oh, boy. I had struggled for a LONG time to find any kind of earbuds that worked for me, since my earbud needs are apparently tiny (even the smallest replacement cushions I can find still bother me). And I hate the feeling that they're going to drop on the ground, anyway.
The last pair of headphones prior to the Aftershocks that I'd truly loved were a wired pair of vertical-style, lightweight, over the top of the head headphones that they stopped making long ago. I've been through all sorts of wired and not-wired earbuds, in a variety of styles, ever since, and I definitely landed on my solution with the Shokz. I sort of wish I had a second, actually, without the mic. I don't like having them on in bed or falling asleep with them, solely because I have long, curly hair and I somehow get the mic tangled in it when I'm sleeping.
posted by stormyteal at 1:40 PM on January 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
The last pair of headphones prior to the Aftershocks that I'd truly loved were a wired pair of vertical-style, lightweight, over the top of the head headphones that they stopped making long ago. I've been through all sorts of wired and not-wired earbuds, in a variety of styles, ever since, and I definitely landed on my solution with the Shokz. I sort of wish I had a second, actually, without the mic. I don't like having them on in bed or falling asleep with them, solely because I have long, curly hair and I somehow get the mic tangled in it when I'm sleeping.
posted by stormyteal at 1:40 PM on January 31, 2022 [2 favorites]
I am a big loser... compulsive inveterate loser of things... and I have settled on the around the neck torc (?) style of LG Tone. I have a huge head and wear glasses, so over the head headphones are a no-no for the same reason as you.
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:42 PM on January 31, 2022
posted by spamandkimchi at 1:42 PM on January 31, 2022
Another voice for Aftershokz bone conduction here, I've been using and evangelising them for years, and everyone I know who's bought some has been similarly pleased with the experience.
posted by protorp at 1:51 PM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by protorp at 1:51 PM on January 31, 2022 [1 favorite]
FYI my solution to similar requirements is the Anker Soundcore Life U2. I've been using them for about a year now and like them far better than any other similar type of headphones.
- There is a part that goes around your neck, but it is small and light and also flexible/not easily breakable.
- Because of that around-the-neck part they stay put pretty well, whether they are in your ears or out
- The earphones have a magnetic thing so when out of ear you can click them together, which helps keep things in place. When not using them, I usually click the earbuds together and slip them inside my shirt. At that point the thing is pretty much invisible and also, out of danger of having the cord sliced, being attacked by cats, etc.
- Because the battery can go in the neck piece, the battery is noticeably larger and lasts longer than in-the-ear types. Usually it will take me through 2 days and sometimes even more, using it a lot of hours each day.
- The cords are short enough that slicing them ie with garden tools would be a very difficult task indeed. Also they don't have some kind of crazy 'wind-up' mechanism to store the cords, because the cords are short enough it is just not necessary. (Several types I've tried have a spring-loaded thing to wind the cords in and out and that piece is always a weak point of the design.)
- It is cheap. My philosophy on earbuds of this type is that they are small things you always have at hand so they are going to be often lost, stepped on, dropped in the toilet, worn out, broken, etc etc etc. So you're better off with a cheap thing that can be replaced when necessary without a lot of heartburn, rather than a $300 super special super fabulous thing that, when your cat eats one of the earbuds, you are going to be super sad and super poor about. (Though due to the design and ruggedness of these they are also the longest-lasting similar item I have tried.)
- Besides the in-ear piece it has a larger rubber piece that helps to hold the earphones in place in your outer ear. In fact you can wear the earbuds without the in-ear insert, using only the larger outer-ear things. I tried that for a while - the only flaw is that without the in-ear insert the outer-ear insert is prone to falling off. See my solution below.
I do two things to make them better than stock, however:
- With these and any earphones/earbuds (especially cheap ones) I use a high-quality 10- or 16- band equalizer that I custom-set for the particular pair of earbuds to flatten out the frequency response. This makes $20 earbuds sound like $200 fancy earphones. I don't know if you can equal $500 or $1000 earphones but you can definitely equal $200 earphones. I use Poweramp Equalizer for Android and Equalizer APO/Peace for PC. Don't know what might work on iOS - maybe something like Boom?
--> Using the equalizer you can reduce bass to whatever level you prefer
- Even more important, I just HATE the "head in a bucket" type of sound you get with sealed earbuds. You can hear yourself chew and swallow at approximately 90000 decibels, etc.
I was looking at my Mom's hearing aids one day and discovered the solution - hearing aid domes often have holes and perforations of various types to allow the user to hear BOTH the hearing aid sound and outside/ambient air sounds. Also the holes completely end the "head in a bucket" effect.
To your particular problem, adding holes to the dome will cut the bass dramatically. I use the equalizer to partially compensate for this - and I'm not looking for a huge bass, anyway.
To do this, you just take (in your case) the smallest pair of ear domes that come with the headphones and cut 3 or 4 narrow "V" shapes into them with a pair of scissors. (you could also try cutting simple slits, which would be easier.) This cuts the bass, allows outside sounds in (important for safety if you're walking with them on, or otherwise outdoors), stops the "head in a bucket" effect, and also *might* make the earbuds a lot more comfortable in a small ear canal because the earbud can now shrink a lot smaller than before.
This blurry photo will give you some idea of how I did it.
Even more radical surgery would be to completely remove the cone and leave only the inner sleeve. This gives some rubber cushion on the part that goes inside your ear while also making it as small and narrow as possible. (Also as noted above the larger outer-ear piece is prone to falling off if used alone, but if anchored in placed by the trimmed inner-ear cone it is held in place securely.)
posted by flug at 2:44 PM on February 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
- There is a part that goes around your neck, but it is small and light and also flexible/not easily breakable.
- Because of that around-the-neck part they stay put pretty well, whether they are in your ears or out
- The earphones have a magnetic thing so when out of ear you can click them together, which helps keep things in place. When not using them, I usually click the earbuds together and slip them inside my shirt. At that point the thing is pretty much invisible and also, out of danger of having the cord sliced, being attacked by cats, etc.
- Because the battery can go in the neck piece, the battery is noticeably larger and lasts longer than in-the-ear types. Usually it will take me through 2 days and sometimes even more, using it a lot of hours each day.
- The cords are short enough that slicing them ie with garden tools would be a very difficult task indeed. Also they don't have some kind of crazy 'wind-up' mechanism to store the cords, because the cords are short enough it is just not necessary. (Several types I've tried have a spring-loaded thing to wind the cords in and out and that piece is always a weak point of the design.)
- It is cheap. My philosophy on earbuds of this type is that they are small things you always have at hand so they are going to be often lost, stepped on, dropped in the toilet, worn out, broken, etc etc etc. So you're better off with a cheap thing that can be replaced when necessary without a lot of heartburn, rather than a $300 super special super fabulous thing that, when your cat eats one of the earbuds, you are going to be super sad and super poor about. (Though due to the design and ruggedness of these they are also the longest-lasting similar item I have tried.)
- Besides the in-ear piece it has a larger rubber piece that helps to hold the earphones in place in your outer ear. In fact you can wear the earbuds without the in-ear insert, using only the larger outer-ear things. I tried that for a while - the only flaw is that without the in-ear insert the outer-ear insert is prone to falling off. See my solution below.
I do two things to make them better than stock, however:
- With these and any earphones/earbuds (especially cheap ones) I use a high-quality 10- or 16- band equalizer that I custom-set for the particular pair of earbuds to flatten out the frequency response. This makes $20 earbuds sound like $200 fancy earphones. I don't know if you can equal $500 or $1000 earphones but you can definitely equal $200 earphones. I use Poweramp Equalizer for Android and Equalizer APO/Peace for PC. Don't know what might work on iOS - maybe something like Boom?
--> Using the equalizer you can reduce bass to whatever level you prefer
- Even more important, I just HATE the "head in a bucket" type of sound you get with sealed earbuds. You can hear yourself chew and swallow at approximately 90000 decibels, etc.
I was looking at my Mom's hearing aids one day and discovered the solution - hearing aid domes often have holes and perforations of various types to allow the user to hear BOTH the hearing aid sound and outside/ambient air sounds. Also the holes completely end the "head in a bucket" effect.
To your particular problem, adding holes to the dome will cut the bass dramatically. I use the equalizer to partially compensate for this - and I'm not looking for a huge bass, anyway.
To do this, you just take (in your case) the smallest pair of ear domes that come with the headphones and cut 3 or 4 narrow "V" shapes into them with a pair of scissors. (you could also try cutting simple slits, which would be easier.) This cuts the bass, allows outside sounds in (important for safety if you're walking with them on, or otherwise outdoors), stops the "head in a bucket" effect, and also *might* make the earbuds a lot more comfortable in a small ear canal because the earbud can now shrink a lot smaller than before.
This blurry photo will give you some idea of how I did it.
Even more radical surgery would be to completely remove the cone and leave only the inner sleeve. This gives some rubber cushion on the part that goes inside your ear while also making it as small and narrow as possible. (Also as noted above the larger outer-ear piece is prone to falling off if used alone, but if anchored in placed by the trimmed inner-ear cone it is held in place securely.)
posted by flug at 2:44 PM on February 1, 2022 [3 favorites]
If you want to stay corded, one way to "cope" with your existing earbuds is to
1) Wear them upside down. Instead directly drape the wires past your ear lobes, wear them upside down, then route the wires around back of your ears THEN down
2) You MAY want to consider the idea of putting your phone or whatever's powering the buds in the BACK pocket and let the wires go down your BACK, so your snipping can't reach them. Or route the wires down your back, then forward just enough to get to the phone in your breast pocket.
posted by kschang at 5:55 PM on February 2, 2022
1) Wear them upside down. Instead directly drape the wires past your ear lobes, wear them upside down, then route the wires around back of your ears THEN down
2) You MAY want to consider the idea of putting your phone or whatever's powering the buds in the BACK pocket and let the wires go down your BACK, so your snipping can't reach them. Or route the wires down your back, then forward just enough to get to the phone in your breast pocket.
posted by kschang at 5:55 PM on February 2, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by luzdeluna at 5:57 PM on January 30, 2022 [16 favorites]