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Wireless Bluetooth headphones and earphones - recommendations and chat

This is weird. Not even sure if it's bad weird or what but anyway, I just bought some earbuds that look like Apple ones. Not because I'm a cheap Apple knock off ponce but because they were a tenner. Opened them and there's a thing in there to say that they will give me a £15 Amazon voucher if I review them. They're actually fine for a tenner. They pair well and charge fine and stay in my ears when I'm cycling to work. I only use them for audiobooks so the sound is fine.

Tl/dr - given £5 and a pair of brand new earbuds for writing an Amazon review.
 
bmd said:
This is weird. Not even sure if it's bad weird or what but anyway, I just bought some earbuds that look like Apple ones. Not because I'm a cheap Apple knock off ponce but because they were a tenner. Opened them and there's a thing in there to say that they will give me a £15 Amazon voucher if I review them. They're actually fine for a tenner. They pair well and charge fine and stay in my ears when I'm cycling to work. I only use them for audiobooks so the sound is fine.

Tl/dr - given £5 and a pair of brand new earbuds for writing an Amazon review.
Click to expand...

Had the same thing with some Boltune cheapies for work, Wrote a review and Amazon rejected it!
 
  • Haha
Reactions: bmd
I got some £20 ear buds from tkmaxx in October and was surprised at how much I like them after being all about the wires.

Lost one of them in the house somewhere the other day. I am sure it will turn up, but want to buy some replacements. Due to the losing factor, I defo don't want to spend more than £50.

Anyone got any recommedations?

Would be good to have ones that work well on laptop for video calls, but mainly for phone. Music and podcasts when out and about.
 
Depends if you want sit in ear or screw into ear I suppose Me76

I love my Anker P2's - currently £40 - these regularly drop to about £30 with a clicky voucher at Amazon.

Anker A1's are currently £35 instead of £48

Amazon's Echo buds are currently £60 instead of £120 and have Alexa and Noise cancellation.

SoundPeats TrueFree2 are £9 off today making them £21

I've been looking at SoundPeats TrueAir2 this weekend as they are also £9 off making them £22 - mainly because they sit in the ear like Apple buds rather than push into the ear like anything else with those rubber bits on. Haven't pulled the trigger yet because the P2's are so good and pushing them into the ear makes them isolate brilliantly - so much so it is almost like they have noise cancellation (for me and my ear shape, anyway).

All have good reviews, all cheap-ish (subjective I know).

I sent my Echo Buds back (also paid £60) as I could not for the life of me get them to stay in my ears properly. YMMV.
 
Same here. I used skull candy wired buds for a few years and loved them.

You're right, though, there's too much out there.

I like Amazon for this because if I don't like something I can send it back the next morning and there's no fuss over refunds, printing labels etc.
 
Throbbing Angel said:
Did you get these Sesh Evo buds Me76 ?? How are they (if you did)?
Click to expand...
I did and they are good for sound and battery.

Couple of technical things are a bit annoying, in that the auto connecting can be a bit slow, and next time I need to get some that connect to two things at once so I can use them for work calls as well as music on my phone.

But overall, very pleased for £35.
 
I'm looking for some recommended bluetooth (probably earbud) headphones for a teenager.
I bought myself some mpow ones for jogging a year or so ago and love them, but they don't seem to make them anymore. . . . also my daughter won't be jogging so probably doesn't need them to be waterproof and have ear catchers etc.

I'm hoping to get them within or just within the £20 mark.
 
ATOMIC SUPLEX said:
I'm looking for some recommended bluetooth (probably earbud) headphones for a teenager.
I bought myself some mpow ones for jogging a year or so ago and love them, but they don't seem to make them anymore. . . . also my daughter won't be jogging so probably doesn't need them to be waterproof and have ear catchers etc.

I'm hoping to get them within or just within the £20 mark.
Click to expand...
Throbbing Angel said:
Depends if you want sit in ear or screw into ear I suppose Me76

I love my Anker P2's - currently £40 - these regularly drop to about £30 with a clicky voucher at Amazon.

Anker A1's are currently £35 instead of £48

Amazon's Echo buds are currently £60 instead of £120 and have Alexa and Noise cancellation.

SoundPeats TrueFree2 are £9 off today making them £21

I've been looking at SoundPeats TrueAir2 by this weekend as they are also £9 off making them £22 - mainly because they sit in the ear like Apple buds rather than push into the ear like anything else with those rubber bits on. Haven't pulled the trigger yet because the P2's are so good and pushing them into the ear makes them isolate brilliantly - so much so it is almost like they have noise cancellation (for me and my ear shape, anyway).

All have good reviews, all cheap-ish (subjective I know).

I sent my Echo Buds back (also paid £60) as I could not for the life of me get them to stay in my ears properly. YMMV.
Click to expand...
The SoundPeats above are £23ish and £26ish ATM with the 10% clicky voucher. Very well reviewed.

I really like the Anker P2s. Currently £29.99 but really very good for the money.

HUKD are currently touting some for £12ish

UGREEN HiTune T1 Wireless Earphones - £15.99 (+£4.49 Non-Prime) @ Sold by UGREEN GROUP LIMITED UK and Fulfilled by Amazon | hotukdeals

www.hotukdeals.com www.hotukdeals.com
 
Less cheap. I am very happy with my Shokz Open Run bone conductor headphones. £130
uk.shokz.com

OpenRun Wireless Sport Headphone - Shokz UK

OpenRun wireless bone conduction headphones from Shokz offer open-ear design. Getting the most professional bone conduction technology with safety and comfort.
uk.shokz.com uk.shokz.com
I got them for running. The are light, don't go in your ear, fit securely on the head without pressure (you don't notice them at all) and don't block out outside noise. I went for the regular 'new' version (the older ones apparently don't sound as good) and not the more expensive 'pro' version (which supposedly sound a lot better), because they were £30 cheaper and fully waterproof rather than just splash proof.

However.

Had they been out before I bought the Shokz, I would have bought the Orange Amplification bone conductor headphones which are considerably cheaper (almost half price)
I love Orange Guitar Amps and can't imagine they would let a product out that they were not happy with. . . though I have not actually tried them.

O Bones – Orange Amps

orangeamps.com orangeamps.com
 
I've been using JLab JBuds Air Sport True Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds for about 2 years now, and find for the price ($50 at the time. Originally $70), they work. Hooks on ears like a pair of hearing aids, so no worry about them falling out.

I've run a small gamut of wired headphones (both wired direct to my phone and then wireless with just a wire around your head.. like the Skullcandy and Ankor). With what I do for work, I can't have a lot of loose wires since I move furniture. Lesson learned when a pair of Apple wired headphones got stuck in a folding chair and I almost cut my finger off trying to get myself untangled (don't ask how I managed to get myself caught up.. it was weird).

So I've got the JLab and I can use them for most of the day with no problems. Because I deal with the public, I'm constantly having to take the pieces out of my ear to have conversations with people, but they don't seem to mind.

As much as I listen to things (up to 5 hours a day, but not every day), I'm charging the case (and subsequently the buds) every other week... hence the above comment about "most of the day".

There is a way to have noise cancellation (which is normal use) but then there is the ability to hear surroundings ("aware mode"), which makes everything tinny. If I move my head the right way, it sounds like a pebble bouncing in a tin can in my ear. I don't recommend the aware mode even though it works, what you are listening to becomes slight crap.

Which has no effect on the fact it has 3 different levels of boost (EQ) - "signature", "bass boost" and "balanced". Because I listen to podcasts and not a lot of music, I keep it on balanced.

In the charging case, I sometimes find lately that the buds become loose internally and automatically connect to my phone and I don't realize it. If the case gets jarred in my pocket too often (it gets hit on a table move or something), that's when the headphones slightly come off the charging base. Which inadvertently drains the battery in the buds. But the case has a USB cable attached to it, so all you have to do is plug it into a USB acceptable charging source. There is no other plug option to charge it. It's USB or nothing.

There are tap combinations you can do on both buds or individual buds depending on what you're wanting (making a call, having the phone assistant [Siri, etc], volume, EQ, etc), and I'm always messing things up when I try to remember them. I've rewound a podcast mistakenly when I was looking to pause it... and I was 90 minutes in to a 120 minute listen.

Making calls is a different beast. I have a friend who I voice chat with on both Hangouts and Skype and he says it's hard to understand me as he hears every other word some times. When he hears full sentences, I sound far away and blocky. Regular cell calls are not that bad, but still not 100% clear. I think the bluetooth connection is what kills it for any type of phone calls. Even with I'm in a good cellular spot for proper transmission, calls are wonky. Music / podcasts / audio of that nature is more clear and better than making a call. Not recommended on that aspect (calling).
 

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I got some Blitzwolf (who?) something or other last year. Circa 50 quid. They're advertised as noise cancelling but only as in they cover your ears. There's no active NC feature.

They're actually pretty good and my go to headphones for listening to music on mobile. You can use them with the included detachable wire and they have an SC card reader so can work stand alone. The sound is decent, plenty bassy but clear too and comfortable to wear.
 
I wish I could get on with wireless earphones, but every pair I've tried has seen one of them pop out of a lugole and nearly been lost. I've been using wired bluetooth earphones (i.e. with a cable connecting the two) and at least ensures their safety but the charging is still a faff.
 
ATOMIC SUPLEX said:
Less cheap. I am very happy with my Shokz Open Run bone conductor headphones. £130
uk.shokz.com

OpenRun Wireless Sport Headphone - Shokz UK

OpenRun wireless bone conduction headphones from Shokz offer open-ear design. Getting the most professional bone conduction technology with safety and comfort.
uk.shokz.com uk.shokz.com
I got them for running. The are light, don't go in your ear, fit securely on the head without pressure (you don't notice them at all) and don't block out outside noise. I went for the regular 'new' version (the older ones apparently don't sound as good) and not the more expensive 'pro' version (which supposedly sound a lot better), because they were £30 cheaper and fully waterproof rather than just splash proof.

However.

Had they been out before I bought the Shokz, I would have bought the Orange Amplification bone conductor headphones which are considerably cheaper (almost half price)
I love Orange Guitar Amps and can't imagine they would let a product out that they were not happy with. . . though I have not actually tried them.

O Bones – Orange Amps

orangeamps.com orangeamps.com
Click to expand...
I recently bought some shokz open run and very happy with them.....but next time will be looking at the orange ones.

My swimming shokz have died........:(
 
kalidarkone said:
My swimming shokz have died........:(
Click to expand...
Gawd, that's not good. They haven't been out that long have they?

In regards to Orange, I am gutted they were not available when I bought my Open Runs. I do like the open run (bit tinny, but to be expected), but Orange are good company with great customer service. Their business is sound, so I would have thought they tried their level best to get the best product out that they could.
I could also have saved myself £50
 
ATOMIC SUPLEX said:
Gawd, that's not good. They haven't been out that long have they?

In regards to Orange, I am gutted they were not available when I bought my Open Runs. I do like the open run (bit tinny, but to be expected), but Orange are good company with great customer service. Their business is sound, so I would have thought they tried their level best to get the best product out that they could.
I could also have saved myself £50
Click to expand...
They have been out a while as I have had two pairs- the first I broke as they are stupidly delicate but the second ones just stopped. (However they are within the warranty) The reviews do point this out so if I was looking for a new pair I'd probably look elsewhere....but they would have to be bone conducting...
 
Coincidentally I think I just upped my game somewhat - and finally polished off my retirement present Amazon gift vouchers :p
In the first instance I am more usually a pedestrian and gardener than a cyclist so don't need to be so aware of my surroundings ... and I daily spend an hour under a tree in the park .. Hopefully it will encourage me to stop sharing my music with my neighbours for the last two or three years here before I move to somewhere without immediate neighbours...

For the past couple of years I've actually been using these - very acceptable for when you're on the move, and amazing for the price, but time for something better ...

panaears.png

And as is my wont a rather quirky set of choices ...

1. Koss Portapro headphones since I love the KSC75s for cycling and these have an even better reputation- sound-wise.. I always fancied a pair ... £33.99

61gLnFYbpvL._AC_SX425_.jpg

2. A relatively cheap Chinese bluetooth adaptor that is reckoned to give a lot more oomph than plugging phones directly into my phone .. £25.99


1655547657745.png

3. A BT dongle for my PC - which I may fit on the end of a USB extension to maximise range in the house.
 
Last edited:
gentlegreen said:
Coincidentally I think I just upped my game somewhat - and finally polished off my retirement present Amazon gift vouchers :p
In the first instance I am more usually a pedestrian and gardener than a cyclist so don't need to be so aware of my surroundings ... and I daily spend an hour under a tree in the park .. Hopefully it will encourage me to stop sharing my mmusic with my neighbours for the last two or three years here before I move to somewhere without immediate neighbours...

And as is my wont a rather quirky set of choices ...

1. Koss Portapro headphones since I love the KSC75s for cycling and these have an even better reputation- sound-wise.. I always fancied a pair ... £33.99

View attachment 327789
Click to expand...
By 'eck those headphones are ugly! Have they got built in fans or something?
 
So this 20 metre range bluetooth dongle should be with me soon and I have a 5 metre USB extension so could hang it from the back bedroom window like I do with my slave WIFI ..
My idea is that I will wander freely all over the house and garden streaming off the PC .
My WIFI deffo extends to the end of the garden ...

It will be interesting to see how well this would work...

Of course I have my phone too ... I wonder if that would would take precedence if I connected in the garden and if it would automatically switch back to the PC when I unpaired it ...
 
gentlegreen said:
So this 20 metre range bluetooth dongle should be with me soon and I have a 5 metre USB extension so could hang it from the back bedroom window like I do with my slave WIFI ..
My idea is that I will wander freely all over the house and garden streaming off the PC .
My WIFI deffo extends to the end of the garden ...

It will be interesting to see how well this would work...

Of course I have my phone too ... I wonder if that would would take precedence if I connected in the garden and if it would automatically switch back to the PC when I unpaired it ...
Click to expand...
I just have all my songs on a card on my phone.
I don't want to put my Mac on every time I want to hear music.
 
gentlegreen said:
You switch your computer off ? :eek:
:D
Click to expand...
So I have the BT dongle on the end of a 5 metre USB 2 extension hanging from the landing ceiling and it seems to enable me to move from my chair to the bathroom / kitchen OK but drops out at the downstairs back door ... the odd dropout even sitting here - it even crashed my PC initially - second time I've had a BSOD recently - I definitely need a new PC and USB 3.
The BT receiver is pretty decent - certainly capable of damaging my ears ... possibly small enough to clip to the headphones I will see ......
My new headphones arrive tomorrow.
The foam pads on my little Panasonics are nearly worn out now - poor things must know they're about to be usurped.

The idea is that my PC speakers are never turned on to annoy the neighbours - so my singing may get them sending in the authorities :D

Edit:- tried it in the garden with my phone - seems the range on the receiver may be the limiting factor - phone will need to be dead in the middle of the garden ...

A shame they insisted on putting a BT receiver in a metal box ...
 
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