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Zagg SmartBuds
by zagg.com
The ear buds that came with the Defy were nothing to write home about, for me the buds were to big and didn't fit my ears well, the ones that came with my Cliq XT were much better but didn't play well with the Defy. I like the Zagg Invisible Screen protectors for my electronic toys as my wife calls them I decided to check out their SmartBuds, which from reading reviews on I think this is maybe the 3rd generation of this product.
SmartBuds come packaged in a pyramid shaped box with he 2 buds visible at the top. The bottom opens and the entire insides slide out revealing the SmartBuds and a nice hardshell round zipper case for carring your new Buds. Inside the case is a small pouch where the extra bud ear pieces are stored or you can store maybe an extra SD card you choice.
What in the box
Zagg SmartBuds
Zipper case
Silicone tips - 3 sizes
Foam tips - 2 sizes
SmartBuds are a little different than the other ear bud type headset that I have now or have owned in the past. The SmartBuds are made to slip over your head so if the buds fall out or you need to take them out they will fall over your shoulder. This is real handy if you need to remove the buds as they will just hang there on your shoulder. This is accomplished with a sliding bead that the wires pass through to make the loop adjustable. There are 2 more sliding beads lower on the wire that allows you to adjust the cord in the front too.
The wire is protected with Zagg's Invisible Shield product so the wire doesn't tangle as much and if it does it seems a good shake will untangle it, nice feature when you have spend 15+ minutes untangling a pair of earbuds.
One end has a standard 3.5mm plug which is pretty much the standard now days on small electronic devices and is even the same used in my laptop so the SmartBuds can be used in things besides phones. Follow the wire up to a small plastic barrel that is the splitter as from there 2 wires continue for the left and right earbuds. A little further up on one of the single wires is another plastic barrel, this one has a button and a slider on it. Once I got the angle of the earbuds figured out they fit in my ears very well and are very comfortable, I have wore them for 3 or 4 hours without a problem or ear irritation.
The slider is an analog volume control that only effects the earbuds themselves so the main volume is set on the phone itself. The button control the music player or can be used to answer or hangup the phone. When the phone rings press it once and it will answer the phone, when finished press it again and it will hang up. Most music players will pause when the phone rings and continue when it is hung up. While listening to music 1 press of the button will pause the selection, another press will continue. 2 presses will forward to the next selection and 3 presses will go back to the previous selection. At least this is the way it works with PowerAmp, so your mileage may vary here.
I think the hole in the bead that is used for the adjusters could be a little smaller so that they don't slide so easy and would stay were put. This especially goes for the ones that goes behind the head. To test this theory I put a black wire tie through the hole to take up some of the extra space. The 2 front ones don't seem to matter.
The above is all well and good but I guess the real reason any of us bought earbuds in the 1st place was to listen to music, if we just wanted to talk and answer the phone we would have bought one of the bluetooth hang on ear thingees. My ears are not real sensitive so the audiophiles in the group may disagree and that is fine. I think the SmartBuds produce amazing sounds with good separation, I read in some other reviews about a lot of bass I didn't notice and thought the sound was on the flat side but still very pleasing even when not using and equalizer. Personally I like the PowerAmp preset named Bass/Trebble.
The Zagg SmartBuds are not the cheapest earbuds on the market and they are by no means the most expensive either. The list price at Zagg.com is now $49.95 and I dug around and found a 20% coupon so at $39.96 they are reasonable and I have heard reports of 50% off coupon codes from time to time, which at $25 is definitely a good deal.
For someone coming from an iPhone to the Note 2, one of the most distressing things is the lack of earphones with functioning volume buttons. I say this because everyone with an iPhone is used to having a big selection of working headsets that have these controls. Because of the wide variety of android phones and their conficting standards, manufacturers have evidently decided it not worthwhile trying to make android compatible earphones with volume controls since they have assumed they'd have to be device specific, and instead opted for a few single button ones. I found this amazing, incomprehensible and unacceptable. You see, I live with my earphones. Besides listening to music or streaming podcasts, I take all my calls with earphones so that I can keep my hands free, and reaching constantly into my pocket to change the volume won't do.
After a laborious search, I've found earphones that work with my Note 2 (ie 3 button ones with volume controls as well as the pause/play button), but they all have issues or problems from my point of view. Nevertheless, the simple answer starts with looking for ones made by HTC or Samsung. Unfortunately, the ones I found from HTC have really cheap speakers and place the mic/controls near your belly button! They also place the mic at the point where the speaker wires branch rather than the typical spot 6" from the right earpiece on its own wire, so winding up the extra wire is an awkward solution at best (I tried it, ughh!) The Samsung OEM ones that should have come with the phone (I'm on ATT and as everyone knows, they didn't include them in their packaging), are fine with respect to the placement of the mic, but the sound may be iffy for some and I find the volume controls too small and poorly placed - I'm often hitting the wrong button. For me though, there was also another worse problem. I know I'm in a minority here, but I can't stand in-ear sound isolating earbuds. (Note: by in-ear, I mean the type that have flexible plastic tips that snug down into the ear canal a bit.) I find them uncomfortable after a very short time, and when I take calls, I feel like I'm speaking under water, or like I have my fingers in my ears. I actually prefer hearing the environmental sound a bit rather than cutting it off. Stupid me, I just prefer the plain old iPhone earphones (not the new earpods). They're cheap, have ok sound with moderate bass, and do what I want. All you others who don't agree with me, don't despair since what I propose applies equally to you.
My final solution to this nasty impass was to clip off the HTC or Samsung earphones and solder on my old iPhone earpieces. I'm writing all this because I know there are a lot of people more or less in my situation, and I just want to encourage people that it really is not hard at all to do this if you're able to solder at all. And afaik, the same applies to people who prefer in-ear buds, or even hi quality ones. Most earpieces are pretty easy to disassemble - one might have to score/lever the joint a bit, but basically you just give a twist with a pliers to the piece nearest your ear that has the grill or holds the in-ear piece, and the speaker and its wired connections can be pulled out of the housing and have its connections exposed. I was confused at first by the iPhone earphones since when I clipped the wire and examined it, there seemed to be four wires going to each earpiece. I spoke to an audio engineer for advice (who designed circuits, cables etc for the audio industry for 40 years) and his basic take on it was the quality is all in the speakers not in the switch, so you really can just swap them, and the extra wires are just twisted around to support the functioning wires structurally - each speaker really has two wires.
Luckily for me, it cost me nothing extra to try this as I had already bought three different working sets off eBay at $5 - $8 each and I had my old iPhone ones (actually two broken sets - I just used the good speaker from each). Anyway, if anyone's interested below are pics of the three Note 2 compatible types I bought (use them to find ones to buy since links change). Remember, in the end I only needed them for the plug, working switch/mic, and wires - the speakers are thrown away. And also pics of a disassembled iphone earpiece as well as a finished hybrid. The one I did uses the white HTC earphones as a base. I of course shortened the wires going to the earpieces. I don't mind the Samsung one once in a while, so I plan to order another and when it arrives, alter it as a spare hybrid like the other - with iPhone earpieces.
There are several other ones out there that would probably do as well as the ones I bought, but they all have in-ear type earpieces so I didn't order them, and I can't vouch for their volume controls working. I'd guess several will. Sometimes android earphones apparently use the outer buttons to advance or rewind (next track/previous track) so watch out for those. I don't see the point of them since double click/triple click does that for me with all the audio players I've tried (Walkman, PowerAmp, Player Pro) and the volume controls are more important to me anyway. It's also difficult to tell from the eBay pictures if the mic/controls are near the belly button or not, and after buying two that had this design, I didn't feel like trying more at random. If anyone has ordered other ones and found the buttons work (FOR VOLUME CONTROLS!) and especially if they have the better, single wire mic layout, I'd be interested if you'd post the name and pics of what you've tried and found works.
Soldering tips: dip the wire ends in a tiny bit of alcohol and briefly burn off the nylon support strands and coating with a cigarette lighter before tinning the ends and then soldering. If you are timid, cut the wire near the speaker (1") rather than desoldering it. You can then test the whole thing out by twisting wires together rather than straight away soldering your new wires to the speakers. The joint can still be coiled up and hidden in the earpiece housing. It will also keep clear what color wire goes where and if you aren't good with soldering (like me) that also has the advantage of not risking making a total mess of the contacts on the speakers straight away! The "standard" earphone color code is Red pair on Right channel, Blue or Green on Left.
On a related issue on audio on the Note 2, I'd like to mention that I had to use the volume mod (I edited my own default_gain.conf - root required) so that the phone call volume, as well as streaming audio such you get with news apps, was high enough for me - though I also increased the volume for music as well. Also, I recommend using the Equalizer app from the Play store rather than Beats Audio to add some extra bass etc to the earphones since unlike Beats, it is a system wide EQ, so you can improve the sound of podcasts and phone calls as well as your music! Using it necessitates disabling all other EQs.
Love the Note 2 and this forum! Good Luck and I hope this helps someone!
Sorry, I only made it half way to the 2nd paragraph. That's a long post.
Didn't read you long post but from the title I use some MEE i9p's the mic works fine but since they don't have a volume button cant answer that part.
Dumbo53 said:
I say this because everyone with an iPhone is used to having a big selection of working headsets that have these controls. Because of the wide variety of android phones and their conficting standards, manufacturers have evidently decided it not worthwhile trying to make android compatible earphones with volume controls since they have assumed they'd have to be device specific, and instead opted for a few single button ones.
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Isn't Apple the odd one out here? Their inline remotes don't work in other devices, but an inline remote that works for android also works for blackberry devices. The inline remotes made for android devices all work for each android device.. what the buttons actually do is a different story. Oddly, for samsung, the ff and rw buttons control the volume in their devices instead.. but I think this is a more ideal usage of it. Since if you get a rom that has hold volume for ff or rw, you'll have double usage of the buttons. On HTC devices, they work as intended (ff and rw actually ff and rw).
I use these scull candys and they function properly...
Ok. So out of the replies so far most stated they didnt read it all since its rather lengthy. Props for honesty guys. I did read all of the post. The OP has done his or her homework and confirmed a few suspicions and answered a few questions I had about earbud controls. Along with a very educated way of asking us to give feedback on successful full volume controls and what breand or models we found worked.
I have been useing the Samsung buds that came with my wifes S3. So yea full control on every rom I have used thus far. Hybrid and Jedi.
Great post OP. Everyone else read the entire post before replying.
I just got the Motorola S11 Flex HD (Bluetooth headphones). They are sweat proof and designed for running and working out. They have a power button, multi-function button, a volume up and down button. I enjoy the freedom of being wireless, especially when running/working out.
Audio quality is ok, probably no worse than the standard headset the come with most devices. They don't compare to my quality headphones (Shure SE530, Klipsch X10). I'm sure you lose some audio quality when making the device sweat proof.
What I wasn't expecting was the built in mic to work as well as they did. I've made three phone calls and they all said I sounded fine and in fact better than my previous BT headset. Now this wasn't in windy or noisy conditions, but still better than I expected.
iahk said:
Oddly, for samsung, the ff and rw buttons control the volume in their devices instead.. but I think this is a more ideal usage of it. Since if you get a rom that has hold volume for ff or rw, you'll have double usage of the buttons. On HTC devices, they work as intended (ff and rw actually ff and rw).
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That's why I use a 3-button Samsung headphone set and a music player that uses long-press (or multi-press) of the answer/end button to skip tracks.
iahk said:
Isn't Apple the odd one out here? Their inline remotes don't work in other devices, but an inline remote that works for android also works for blackberry devices. The inline remotes made for android devices all work for each android device.. what the buttons actually do is a different story. Oddly, for samsung, the ff and rw buttons control the volume in their devices instead.. but I think this is a more ideal usage of it. Since if you get a rom that has hold volume for ff or rw, you'll have double usage of the buttons. On HTC devices, they work as intended (ff and rw actually ff and rw).
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Click to collapse
Its because Apple made the 3rd pin on the headphone jack just a little lower so you can't use their headphones anywhere else except on an Apple device. It forces all the other OEM's to follow suit hence the "lack" of support for Android. Another silly game of having proprietary devices. Haven't you noticed that with there new "lightning" connector? The world is using microUSB Apple for goodness sake!
Because of that, I decided to drop the inline button management and went back to the old school way of doing things (manually), Klipsch Image X10's baby.
If I ever do decide to manage my music, I'll use a stereo bluetooth device with built-in audio controls.
Guys, I just bought these for $6.99, voila volume controls. Compared to the OEM ones that came with my friend's Sprint Note 2 and they are identical. Wish I could use my Klipsch over-ears but hey, these sound decent for the price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0AW0FR3561
Sorry to all if my message got lost by making my post too long. The really short version of it is you can have your cake and eat it too. Afaik, the volume controls/mic on Apple or Samsung or Htc earphones all do the same thing but in slightly different ways and don't influence the sound quality of the speakers. It is pretty easy to clip off the cheap earphones from a Note 2 compatible set and replace them with the higher quality earpieces of your choice. The hybrid earphones I made are identical as far as my ears can tell to the unaltered Apple ones. I am really happy with them. If I found another set with much better quality (not inear ones), I wouldn't hesitate to do the same again.
So, themyst, you could simply cut off the Klipsch earpieces and solder them on to a Samsung set of wires if you wanted to, though I would be cautious and try carefully opening an earpiece assembly first to verify that there are only two wires going to the speaker before cutting anything!
@[-]awkeye, I could be wrong here, but I really don't think the incompatibility of iPhone headphones with Android has anything to do with the 3rd pin of the plug. I attach below a photo of the Samsung earphone jack (left) right next to the Apple one (right) for you to look for yourself. I think they are both standard 4 pin plugs.
My audio engineer friend believed that the problem is a proprietary IC on the tiny circuit board that controls the switch and mic. The two different switches I guess send different amounts or types of current (have a different impedance?) back to the phone. My guess is that it should be possible to interpret the Apple signals within Android via a software fix of some kind, though it might have to be low level, ie part of the OS.
In any case, I have also read that Android earphones themselves don't follow any standard and that causes a further problem for third part manufacturers. The first and fourth pins for example have their wires swapped in some Android models. So the wires that lead to the pins can be different, the switches can be different, but the wires that lead to the speakers should all be the same, or at least that was the case for all the earphones I cut up. It's part of the reason I made this post -- to try to get more definitive answers on this whole subject. If anyone comes across a different speaker wiring design, I would be interested to know.
If you want true 'hands free', then go bluetooth style.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Yes I agree, a bluetooth headset with volume controls would be great, even ideal, though personally I don't like the wrap around designs. I suppose they are made that way to work with jogging. Perhaps I could get used to it as long as it didn't cut off the outside sound like your typical in-ear buds. Ideal for me would just be unobtrusive speakers that fit in your ears without any wires, but then how would you control the volume etc?
There are bluetooth ear buds with noise cancellation as well as volume control.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
Dumbo53 said:
Sorry to all if my message got lost by making my post too long. The really short version of it is you can have your cake and eat it too. Afaik, the volume controls/mic on Apple or Samsung or Htc earphones all do the same thing but in slightly different ways and don't influence the sound quality of the speakers. It is pretty easy to clip off the cheap earphones from a Note 2 compatible set and replace them with the higher quality earpieces of your choice. The hybrid earphones I made are identical as far as my ears can tell to the unaltered Apple ones. I am really happy with them. If I found another set with much better quality (not inear ones), I wouldn't hesitate to do the same again.
So, themyst, you could simply cut off the Klipsch earpieces and solder them on to a Samsung set of wires if you wanted to, though I would be cautious and try carefully opening an earpiece assembly first to verify that there are only two wires going to the speaker before cutting anything!
@[-]awkeye, I could be wrong here, but I really don't think the incompatibility of iPhone headphones with Android has anything to do with the 3rd pin of the plug. I attach below a photo of the Samsung earphone jack (left) right next to the Apple one (right) for you to look for yourself. I think they are both standard 4 pin plugs.
My audio engineer friend believed that the problem is a proprietary IC on the tiny circuit board that controls the switch and mic. The two different switches I guess send different amounts or types of current (have a different impedance?) back to the phone. My guess is that it should be possible to interpret the Apple signals within Android via a software fix of some kind, though it might have to be low level, ie part of the OS.
In any case, I have also read that Android earphones themselves don't follow any standard and that causes a further problem for third part manufacturers. The first and fourth pins for example have their wires swapped in some Android models. So the wires that lead to the pins can be different, the switches can be different, but the wires that lead to the speakers should all be the same, or at least that was the case for all the earphones I cut up. It's part of the reason I made this post -- to try to get more definitive answers on this whole subject. If anyone comes across a different speaker wiring design, I would be interested to know.
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Interesting, but I don't have any plans cutting up my 100 headphones. I can't believe some manufacturer in China hasn't made Samsung / Android compatible control adapters yet!
I have the zagg buds and they seem to work granted no forward / back but the button will play/pause and mute when in calls.
themyst said:
Guys, I just bought these for $6.99, voila volume controls. Compared to the OEM ones that came with my friend's Sprint Note 2 and they are identical. Wish I could use my Klipsch over-ears but hey, these sound decent for the price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA0AW0FR3561
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Click to collapse
Well, if you like Klipsch, there is an Android-friendly solution, the S4a which even has a companion app for controlling what the buttons do and various other things.
If you want to use your own conventional headphones, there are options that don't require any re-wiring. My N2 works very nicely with my Jabra Clipper, a Bluetooth device that comes with a mike and a 3.5mm socket. It allows you to use any earphones as both a media device and a phone headset. Just the opposite of having to re-wire the headset to your N2, this allows you to go wireless and keep your phone in a pants pocket or bag. Its battery recharges with the same microUSB connector as the N2's.
In fact, the earphones that come with the Clipper aren't too bad themselves. But I use the Clipper with pre-Android Klipsch S4 earphones and I'm very happy with the result.
Both the Clipper and the Klipsch S4a are widely available, including on eBay.
Neither the Jabra nor S4a have volume controls...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
Dumbo53 said:
Neither the Jabra nor S4a have volume controls...
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using xda app-developers app
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I have a Jabra Clipper and I use its volume controls all the time. Yours must be broken.
Actually, they're generic +/- controls (which the S4a has as well, as does the Sony MW600 which I have also owned). You can determine in software whether the buttons are used for volume or for previous/next. I use mine for volume.
el56, no, I don't have either - I was just wrong! Thanks for the clarification. This is the kind of info I was hoping to hear about. If we get some more, I'll add a list to the thread (Volume enabled earphones). I've looked at the Klipsch (S4a) in the stores several times but never saw it out of the package and was under the impression it had no volume controls. It looked like it had one button to me, and actually I wasn't all that interested in them anyway. I'd bought a pair (S4i?) for my iPhone a year or so ago and wasn't impressed with the sound - they sounded tinny to me. I wondered in fact if they were defective but I didn't take it further. But more importantly they were the in-ear type which I can't use for long stretches or for phone calls.
I guess I didn't understand what the Jabra was, and I never even heard of the Sony, so thanks for pointing them out also. If I get it now, they are really a different category device - not earphones, but sending units that they plug into. I particularly like the idea of having an FM radio (which I guess comes with the Sony). How does the mic work though? If it's part of the unit and not on the wires, isn't it awkward to hold that up to your mouth. Nevertheless it looks worth trying out. So far, yours is the best response I've gotten to this post! Thanks again.
I have had both the Motorola elite Sliver and the jawbone era. They were both of high quality but I ended up going with the Sliver over the jawbone Purley for comfort reasons. However, the thing was so comfortable that it fell off my ear and I didn't notice it... So $129 down the drain. Right now I'm using a cheapo plantronics that I picked up at Walmart and it adequate butbi really want a nice headset again.
So my question is, do I once again choose between the jawbone or Motorola, or is there another option out there?
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
sometimes the best place to start are the "critical" professionals: CNet's Best Blue Tooth headsets Personally, I like the Jawbone. I had the Prime then went to the Era. They felt fine to me. Although a little loose because I had worked in call center and had a custom ear mold for the phone's at work.
Thanks for the link mate, I'm pretty much burnt out on all the options presented in that review, but I guess there just isn't anything else for my money other than the jawbone. Good heads up regardless.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
LittleRedDot said:
Thanks for the link mate, I'm pretty much burnt out on all the options presented in that review, but I guess there just isn't anything else for my money other than the jawbone. Good heads up regardless.
Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 2
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I've tried quite a few including the Sennheisser, Bose and Plantronics ones and the early Jawbone, and for me the best is the Jawbone Era. I also find the fit a bit loose having worked in a call centre too, but I do think it the best there (for me at any rate!)
I know it's possible to get custom ear molds for a lot ear pieces. One of these, I going to do that for mine and in ear canal headphones. After having used one at work for five years, nothing has come close, once you get use to wearing them. The one at work took a good month to get used to. After that, I would forget I had it on, unless it get yanked out; that's an unpleasant reminder.
As for the headsets, There aren't a lot to choose from that are quality and perform well. The Jawbone's definitely have a different feel for them since they sit an angel and need to rest on your jawbone area. Where others, sit more like other headphones with mics being perpendicular. Thus, at the start, they're not the most comfortable comparatively. I personally don't like or use the ear loop. Never have, and never used. I found, for me, I didn't need it with the Jawbone with their bigger earpiece ring.
This is a review for Jaybird BlueBuds X Bluetooth wireless headphones: http://www.jaybirdgear.com/bluebuds-x-bluetooth-headphones/
I'm going to be honest with you, I was skeptical when I approached the review these buds. People say not to judge the book by it's cover - the cover for this "book" was a premium price tag and heavy connection with athletic world. I wasn't really sure how it's going to fit with everyday use (not just sports), how will it integrate with Android phone such as Note 2 (considering Apple store is one of their top authorized resellers), and in general how comfortable it's going to fit. Sound quality wasn't even at the top of my expectation list, just hoping it wasn't influenced by yet another music celebrity who thinks we only care about exaggerated bass. With all that said, I got a review sample directly from Jaybird and have been testing it for the last couple of days.
First, let's start with a packaging it came in. In additional to original retail package, I also received a small traveling case which is definitely of a premium quality that kind of sets the tone of what to expect. That was a top notch premium box with a magnetic flap that opens up to reveal the goodies available inside. I know you want to read more about headphones itself, but I have to mention this is a very high quality packaging on par, if not even better, with some of the best top price headphones. Everything from a little rectangular box with manual book and a separate 20% liquipel coupon (to use for any of your other gadget since BlueBuds X already comes protected by Liquipel nano sweat/water repellent), to another hard clam case that looks like something for your wife's jewelries, and even usb to micro-usb cable with a custom flat noodle cable, something I have never seen before. It was very impressive!!!
But package aside, if headphones doesn't deliver - nothing else matters. In this case headphones itself are just a pair of beefy size earbuds that come with 3 sets of tips and another three sets of cushion wings to mix'n'match for a comfortable fit, and also a pair of wire clips. Earbuds are interconnected with a narrow flat rubber ribbon hosting the wires and in-line remote with 3 buttons. It looks very minimalistic, yet packs a huge powerhouse of technology. I didn't even bother reading instructions thinking I'm going to figure out how it works by myself, until I stumble across where the heck am I going to stick micro-usb cable? Device was probably pre-charged already, but still? After fumbling around for a few minutes, I had to open manual book to read about it. Actually the back of one of the earbuds pops open to reveal hidden micro-usb connector. I quickly installed the medium size ear tip and proceeded to pair these up with my Note 2. It was effortless and look really seconds to recognize and pair up with a phone, no need to enter any codes, etc. Right away I tried making phone call, check the dialing by voice, adjust the volume up/down, redial last number, etc. - all the typical voice functions. Everything worked as expected. Then, I decided to test multimedia controls. Playing songs, controlling play/pause, skip to next/prev track, watching videos, playing video games, controlling volume (not the actual volume of the phone, but a typical min/max range of bt stereo headphones) - everything works perfect. No pauses, no breaks or stuttering, no delays, and everything was in perfect sync. I also tested the range of bt connection by leaving the phone on the kitchen table while walking around first floor, going upstairs to a second floor and down to a basement where I observed coverage on par with other bt stereo headphones I've tested.
One thing was bothering me, the sound wasn't as good as I would expect. I selected medium size tips by default, but apparently that was a cause of my problem because it didn't create a proper ear canal seal. As soon as I switched to large tips - WOW!!! I couldn't believe my ears!!! Yeah, it was that good with every detail of the sound coming right at you in almost surround like stereo sound, everything from crisply highs to super clean mids and down to deep lows. With a properly selected tip to seal your ear canal - you are in for a big treat where drivers of these headphones deliver a full rich frequency spectrum of the sound. I know Jaybird mentions a special Shift Premium Bluetooth Audio technology. But no matter what digital protocol you use to enhance the sound, if your drivers can't deliver it - nothing will help. I also decided to figure out which wing cushion to select, and that turned out to be less painful than I thought, where those are actually soft hex perforated wings that hug into the surface of your ear and give you an extra support to keep earbuds from falling out when you run/jump. I mean, those should stay in by themselves, but considering intention of these earbuds to be used with extreme sports - cushion wings are a bonus. Earbuds itself could be worn in two different ways, normal under ear and also over ear. Under ear you can just let chord hang on the back of your neck/shoulders. With over the ear you have an option to use 2 provided clips to snake the excess cord around to shorten it up (like in the last picture I have below).
As I mentioned before, these earbuds are treated with water/sweat repellent Liquipel technology, and I actually tested it out by spraying some water on the cord - water stayed in little droplets. So it definitely will work if you are sweating a lot during exercise or went running under a light rain. So, how about using it in a different environment, just at work or outside while running errands? I believe it's doable. Because of the relatively short cord and rubber material, you can leave these earbuds dangling around and down without a worry they will slip and fall of your neck. It's not going to be as secure like a necklace option, but it can definitely work. Also, if they are dangling down and you get a call, there will be a short pause while you are getting these inserted properly into your ears. It's not as easy as just putting basic earbuds in. So that something you need to work with to figure out the best optimal use. Also, due to a proper ear seal, you get a good basic outside sound isolation, so I wouldn't recommend walking around with these in all the time. My concern is not ear fatigue, but rather not being able to hear what's going on around you. BlueBuds X are definitely designed with sport use in mind, but there is definitely a lot of room for these in everyday life as well. Just for the sound quality itself and how comfortable they fit in - at the current moment with all the headphones (wired and wireless I have) I can't imagine listening to music, or watching the movie, or playing the games with anything else. And on top of that you also get 8 hours of battery life which is incredible considering you only deal with two earbuds connected by a cord.
What can I say, I was VERY impressed with an experience of using these BlueBuds X headphones. Can I say they are a must-have accessory for Note 2? Absolutely not. These are premium bluetooth stereo headphones with a relatively premium price in comparison to other headphones in the same category. It's just like I said in my other reviews where tempered glass is a premium options where you have other much cheaper choices. You can get wired headphones for a tiny fraction of these buds. You can get stereo bt headphones for a fraction of the price as well. But out of everything I have tested so far (and my testing headphones journey is not done yet) these stand head and shoulders above competition in sound quality, integrated phone and audio controls, complete compatibility with our Note 2, and also the best solution for an active lifestyle!
Now, here comes some pictures for your enjoyment!
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I use these headphones almost everyday.
One thing I'll tell you guys is that you MUST MUST MUST get some comply ear tips. They make a huge difference in terms of isolation and comfort.
http://www.complyfoam.com/products/Tsx-500/
or
http://www.complyfoam.com/products/Tx-500/
I used to have my ears hurting after like 2 hrs+ of wearing them. Now I can wear them almost all day while at work.
soulesschild said:
I use these headphones almost everyday.
One thing I'll tell you guys is that you MUST MUST MUST get some comply ear tips. They make a huge difference in terms of isolation and comfort.
http://www.complyfoam.com/products/Tsx-500/
or
http://www.complyfoam.com/products/Tx-500/
I used to have my ears hurting after like 2 hrs+ of wearing them. Now I can wear them almost all day while at work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, I had these for other headphones long time ago. Those were like soft earplugs. Actually still have it, but for a small inner core diameter. I just tried them, too small to fit on blue buds. I assume your link about for tsx/tx are for a bigger diameter? I'm not talking about outside shape, but inner diameter of flexible core. Which one did you find to fit?
vectron said:
Oh, I had these for other headphones long time ago. Those were like soft earplugs. Actually still have it, but for a small inner core diameter. I just tried them, too small to fit on blue buds. I assume your link about for tsx/tx are for a bigger diameter? I'm not talking about outside shape, but inner diameter of flexible core. Which one did you find to fit?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So the TSX and TX 500 lines are ones that Comply says specifically fit the JayBird BlueBud's X. One provides superior isolation, the other provides superior comfort. I found that in terms of isolation their about the same with the TX ones having slightly more isolation if you aren't playing anything but when you have music playing (you'll definitely have to get used to having things at a relatively low volume due to the isolation.) it doesn't matter all that much. They both feel relatively the same to me but everyone's different.
I personally first ordered a trial pack that had all 3 sizes and I found that the mediums fit the best with my ears. Honestly there's no easy way to figure out what size you are without really trying all 3. The other sizes I just gave away.
The 500 series is indeed the one that the inner diameter fits the Bluebuds X, its a bit tight first I thought it won't fit, but after couple tries, it's actually went in and fits theBluebuds X.
I don't know how it will be in a long run, but for right now I'm OK with original ear tips supplied with these. Watched a few movies/tv shows for over an hour and it was very comfortable and no ear fatigue. You also get a decent noise isolation, which is obviously not an active noise cancellation but rather a isolation by nature of these fitting into your ear. Also, while making a phone call people suggested they can hear me very loud and clear, although while making calls I hear people back in a little "tunnel" sound. Not echo or delay or distortion, just sounded a little distant. Probably depends on how I have them sitting in my ears, in under-ear position. If I'm not mistaken, JayBird has a note they don't even recommend phone calls with over the ear position. I wonder if that's due to mic placement?
confirmation on audio delay for games
vectron said:
This is a review for Jaybird BlueBuds X Bluetooth wireless headphones: http://www.jaybirdgear.com/bluebuds-x-bluetooth-headphones/
I'm going to be honest with you, I was skeptical when I approached the review these buds. People say not to judge the book by it's cover - the cover for this "book" was a premium price tag and heavy connection with athletic world. I wasn't really sure how it's going to fit with everyday use (not just sports), how will it integrate with Android phone such as Note 2 (considering Apple store is one of their top authorized resellers), and in general how comfortable it's going to fit. Sound quality wasn't even at the top of my expectation list, just hoping it wasn't influenced by yet another music celebrity who thinks we only care about exaggerated bass. With all that said, I got a review sample directly from Jaybird and have been testing it for the last couple of days.
First, let's start with a packaging it came in. In additional to original retail package, I also received a small traveling case which is definitely of a premium quality that kind of sets the tone of what to expect. That was a top notch premium box with a magnetic flap that opens up to reveal the goodies available inside. I know you want to read more about headphones itself, but I have to mention this is a very high quality packaging on par, if not even better, with some of the best top price headphones. Everything from a little rectangular box with manual book and a separate 20% liquipel coupon (to use for any of your other gadget since BlueBuds X already comes protected by Liquipel nano sweat/water repellent), to another hard clam case that looks like something for your wife's jewelries, and even usb to micro-usb cable with a custom flat noodle cable, something I have never seen before. It was very impressive!!!
But package aside, if headphones doesn't deliver - nothing else matters. In this case headphones itself are just a pair of beefy size earbuds that come with 3 sets of tips and another three sets of cushion wings to mix'n'match for a comfortable fit, and also a pair of wire clips. Earbuds are interconnected with a narrow flat rubber ribbon hosting the wires and in-line remote with 3 buttons. It looks very minimalistic, yet packs a huge powerhouse of technology. I didn't even bother reading instructions thinking I'm going to figure out how it works by myself, until I stumble across where the heck am I going to stick micro-usb cable? Device was probably pre-charged already, but still? After fumbling around for a few minutes, I had to open manual book to read about it. Actually the back of one of the earbuds pops open to reveal hidden micro-usb connector. I quickly installed the medium size ear tip and proceeded to pair these up with my Note 2. It was effortless and look really seconds to recognize and pair up with a phone, no need to enter any codes, etc. Right away I tried making phone call, check the dialing by voice, adjust the volume up/down, redial last number, etc. - all the typical voice functions. Everything worked as expected. Then, I decided to test multimedia controls. Playing songs, controlling play/pause, skip to next/prev track, watching videos, playing video games, controlling volume (not the actual volume of the phone, but a typical min/max range of bt stereo headphones) - everything works perfect. No pauses, no breaks or stuttering, no delays, and everything was in perfect sync. I also tested the range of bt connection by leaving the phone on the kitchen table while walking around first floor, going upstairs to a second floor and down to a basement where I observed coverage on par with other bt stereo headphones I've tested.
One thing was bothering me, the sound wasn't as good as I would expect. I selected medium size tips by default, but apparently that was a cause of my problem because it didn't create a proper ear canal seal. As soon as I switched to large tips - WOW!!! I couldn't believe my ears!!! Yeah, it was that good with every detail of the sound coming right at you in almost surround like stereo sound, everything from crisply highs to super clean mids and down to deep lows. With a properly selected tip to seal your ear canal - you are in for a big treat where drivers of these headphones deliver a full rich frequency spectrum of the sound. I know Jaybird mentions a special Shift Premium Bluetooth Audio technology. But no matter what digital protocol you use to enhance the sound, if your drivers can't deliver it - nothing will help. I also decided to figure out which wing cushion to select, and that turned out to be less painful than I thought, where those are actually soft hex perforated wings that hug into the surface of your ear and give you an extra support to keep earbuds from falling out when you run/jump. I mean, those should stay in by themselves, but considering intention of these earbuds to be used with extreme sports - cushion wings are a bonus. Earbuds itself could be worn in two different ways, normal under ear and also over ear. Under ear you can just let chord hang on the back of your neck/shoulders. With over the ear you have an option to use 2 provided clips to snake the excess cord around to shorten it up (like in the last picture I have below).
As I mentioned before, these earbuds are treated with water/sweat repellent Liquipel technology, and I actually tested it out by spraying some water on the cord - water stayed in little droplets. So it definitely will work if you are sweating a lot during exercise or went running under a light rain. So, how about using it in a different environment, just at work or outside while running errands? I believe it's doable. Because of the relatively short cord and rubber material, you can leave these earbuds dangling around and down without a worry they will slip and fall of your neck. It's not going to be as secure like a necklace option, but it can definitely work. Also, if they are dangling down and you get a call, there will be a short pause while you are getting these inserted properly into your ears. It's not as easy as just putting basic earbuds in. So that something you need to work with to figure out the best optimal use. Also, due to a proper ear seal, you get a good basic outside sound isolation, so I wouldn't recommend walking around with these in all the time. My concern is not ear fatigue, but rather not being able to hear what's going on around you. BlueBuds X are definitely designed with sport use in mind, but there is definitely a lot of room for these in everyday life as well. Just for the sound quality itself and how comfortable they fit in - at the current moment with all the headphones (wired and wireless I have) I can't imagine listening to music, or watching the movie, or playing the games with anything else. And on top of that you also get 8 hours of battery life which is incredible considering you only deal with two earbuds connected by a cord.
What can I say, I was VERY impressed with an experience of using these BlueBuds X headphones. Can I say they are a must-have accessory for Note 2? Absolutely not. These are premium bluetooth stereo headphones with a relatively premium price in comparison to other headphones in the same category. It's just like I said in my other reviews where tempered glass is a premium options where you have other much cheaper choices. You can get wired headphones for a tiny fraction of these buds. You can get stereo bt headphones for a fraction of the price as well. But out of everything I have tested so far (and my testing headphones journey is not done yet) these stand head and shoulders above competition in sound quality, integrated phone and audio controls, complete compatibility with our Note 2, and also the best solution for an active lifestyle!
Now, here comes some pictures for your enjoyment!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the great review, i've been thinking of buying these for a very long time, but one thing stopped me which is a problem for all Bluetooth headphones with Android.
this thing is there is an audio delay when playing games (little less than 1 second), but this delay is enough to make playing games very annoying as for example when you press the shoot button in a game, you will hear the shot after 1 second.
Can you confirm whether this issue is solved with the Bluebuds X ? if yes i am gonna buy it today itself
please go ahead and try a game like "Dead Trigger" and come back to me on whether there is an audio delay or not with games
Thanks a lot.............
RADLOUNI said:
thanks for the great review, i've been thinking of buying these for a very long time, but one thing stopped me which is a problem for all Bluetooth headphones with Android.
this thing is there is an audio delay when playing games (little less than 1 second), but this delay is enough to make playing games very annoying as for example when you press the shoot button in a game, you will hear the shot after 1 second.
Can you confirm whether this issue is solved with the Bluebuds X ? if yes i am gonna buy it today itself
please go ahead and try a game like "Dead Trigger" and come back to me on whether there is an audio delay or not with games
Thanks a lot.............
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, will try this game and report it to you later tonight.
very good review, if this phone had FM radio would be perfect.
Good review. I'd like to see a comparison between these and the Sony ones that came before it. To see how they are better in terms of range, sound quality and general usability.
ady said:
Good review. I'd like to see a comparison between these and the Sony ones that came before it. To see how they are better in terms of range, sound quality and general usability.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Which Sony ones do you have in mind? Let me know the model number, maybe I can score a sample for review/comparison
vectron said:
Ok, will try this game and report it to you later tonight.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No delay playing Dead Trigger. Although now I will have nightmares after playing this game lol!
vectron said:
Which Sony ones do you have in mind? Let me know the model number, maybe I can score a sample for review/comparison
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
HBH-IS800
I like that the review, which has a further person in my country selling a used one with a nice price, but I miss FM, with that I think I'll pick up the sony MW1.
vectron said:
No delay playing Dead Trigger. Although now I will have nightmares after playing this game lol!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to be pushy but I am now going to buy this bluetooth headset based on your reply.
So you confirm that when you press the fire button in dead trigger, you immediately hear the fire sound? There is no delay (less than1 second) none whatsoever?
Thanks again and sorry for being pushy.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
RADLOUNI said:
Sorry to be pushy but I am now going to buy this bluetooth headset based on your reply.
So you confirm that when you press the fire button in dead trigger, you immediately hear the fire sound? There is no delay (less than1 second) none whatsoever?
Thanks again and sorry for being pushy.
Sent from my GT-N7100 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not here to sell headphones and don't care if you buy it or not. I'm just sharing my experience so you guys can make an educated decision or narrow down the choices. I don't play games with my phone, it's used for work/business, and I actually had to install the game in order to test it out for you. I do understand your concerns and persistence to get an answer to your question, but after installing and playing this game for about 5-10min, I did not see any delay when I tap to fire the gun and hear the fire sound. I don't know what else I can say man. Could it be variation from one phone to the other? Possible. Someone reported about using Tone+ headphones and getting delays in video or buffering/stuttering, while I didn't experience that problem. BlueBudsX is expensive purchase, I understand. So if you decide to invest you money into this product, if something doesn't work you can always return it back. Like I said, you can have a different experience with the same phone and headphones from what I see, due to other apps you have, ROM, general config of the phone, etc. Good luck!
thanks
vectron said:
I'm not here to sell headphones and don't care if you buy it or not. I'm just sharing my experience so you guys can make an educated decision or narrow down the choices. I don't play games with my phone, it's used for work/business, and I actually had to install the game in order to test it out for you. I do understand your concerns and persistence to get an answer to your question, but after installing and playing this game for about 5-10min, I did not see any delay when I tap to fire the gun and hear the fire sound. I don't know what else I can say man. Could it be variation from one phone to the other? Possible. Someone reported about using Tone+ headphones and getting delays in video or buffering/stuttering, while I didn't experience that problem. BlueBudsX is expensive purchase, I understand. So if you decide to invest you money into this product, if something doesn't work you can always return it back. Like I said, you can have a different experience with the same phone and headphones from what I see, due to other apps you have, ROM, general config of the phone, etc. Good luck!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your efforts, appreciated. Now i have the information i want.
RADLOUNI said:
Thanks for your efforts, appreciated. Now i have the information i want.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you decide to get it, please come back and share your experience. It will benefit others who might have similar concern and would like to know if it works consistently! You probably have a lot more games to test it with, so it will be good to hear it!
ady said:
HBH-IS800
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one you mentioned looks like an old product from 2009, discontinued already. So perhaps someone else can chime if they had these before? From Amazon reviews it looks like a good product, ahead of it's time back in 2009 but in comparison to BlueBuds X I don't think it stacks up. I would assume sound quality could be on par, although I'm very impressed with buds X. Then, Sony ones had a proprietary bulky charger, short battery life, and some durability problems. Only time with tell with buds x, but so far first week impression is very good. I'm also trying to get review samples of a.m.p ISO for a comparison since it was mentioned in another thread as a worthy alternative.
vectron said:
The one you mentioned looks like an old product from 2009, discontinued already. So perhaps someone else can chime if they had these before? From Amazon reviews it looks like a good product, ahead of it's time back in 2009 but in comparison to BlueBuds X I don't think it stacks up. I would assume sound quality could be on par, although I'm very impressed with buds X. Then, Sony ones had a proprietary bulky charger, short battery life, and some durability problems. Only time with tell with buds x, but so far first week impression is very good. I'm also trying to get review samples of a.m.p ISO for a comparison since it was mentioned in another thread as a worthy alternative.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
fair enough. These are actually an old product, although I still have mine functional even after once dropping them in knee high water. I have only two gripes with them:
1. Short battery life ~2hours
2. Short range and prone to interference: For example they would occasionally jitter in a gym on a busy day. Also occasional skipping if the phone goes more than 2 meters away or if you're passing near high tension lines.
I switched to MW600, which seem to last forever ~5hours+ and while they aren't as minimalist, you do get an OLED display.
Overall it sounds like the bluebuds are worth giving a try.
Thanks
Hi,
I have a problem with the buds pro, thet don't stay in my ear, they fall out even though I'm still and sitting .
does anyone else have the same problem? is there a solution?
Thanks
Have you tried switching to the larger size eartips that come with the buds? Another option is to find a 3rd party eartip that better fits your ears, for example -- https://www.amazon.com/SpinFit-CP100-M-Patented-Silicone-Replacement/dp/B01B793SLU
The trick is to give them a twist when you insert them into your ear, this helps them dig into the right position.
And as above you may need to experiment with the different size eartips.
How to wear your Samsung earbuds
If your Samsung earbuds don’t seem to fit correctly, simply change the earbud tips and wingtips for new ones. Your earbuds come with different sized earbud tips and wingtips so you can get the ideal fit for your ears. You should also make sure that you are wearing the earbuds properly.
www.samsung.com
[/URL]
Actually this is why I prefer the Galaxy buds live, because they sit in your ear without going into the canal, and I think they sound fantastic. also, if you do any kind of sports, such as running, you don't get the 'boom boom' sound every time your foot hits the ground, which drives me crazy about in-canal earbuds
Maddmatt said:
The trick is to give them a twist when you insert them into your ear, this helps them dig into the right position.
And as above you may need to experiment with the different size eartips.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah you definitely need to screw them in
Not so with the Pro's except for sound Q.
I concerned about fit as well. For some they may not work well.
You can also go with foam tips which may work better. Sammy is allegedly considering releasing a foam tip version of the silicon.
I'm considering upgrading to the Pro's from the plus.
mattlcfc said:
How to wear your Samsung earbuds
If your Samsung earbuds don’t seem to fit correctly, simply change the earbud tips and wingtips for new ones. Your earbuds come with different sized earbud tips and wingtips so you can get the ideal fit for your ears. You should also make sure that you are wearing the earbuds properly.
www.samsung.com
[/URL]
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No wing tips with the Pro's...
Foam, foam, foam. I can't stick silicone tips. Itchy, weird pressure and that odd seal break when you chew or smile. I just can't get on with them.
I've been using foam on IEMs for 13 years now and the benefits are so great compared to silicone - great seal, comfy, better isolation.
I have some of these coming tomorrow as saw them recommended:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B085WLKLJC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_fabc_847PYM5WRPGW88GR6JNY
Hopefully these will do the trick until comply come up with the goods.
Got my buds pro today and they sound great, but that silicone.... No good, just no good
thank you all.
i have tried all 3 sizes but they are too big.
i can use them without eartips but so they are too small.
I need something between the smaller eartips and nothing.
I will try with the memory foam and
ventolino said:
thank you all.
i have tried all 3 sizes but they are too big.
i can use them without eartips but so they are too small.
I need something between the smaller eartips and nothing.
I will try with the memory foam and
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try putting them in loosely at first, don't twist.
Allow a minute or two for them to warm up then twist them home.
A small amount of coconut oil in the ear canal helps them seat and prevent swimmer's ear.
ekerbuddyeker said:
Actually this is why I prefer the Galaxy buds live, because they sit in your ear without going into the canal, and I think they sound fantastic. also, if you do any kind of sports, such as running, you don't get the 'boom boom' sound every time your foot hits the ground, which drives me crazy about in-canal earbuds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm actually in the process of returning the Buds Live I just got with the promo because they won't stay in my ears. I tried both sets of wingtips, got the silicon sleeves from Sammy - nothing worked. They stay in for a little bit but eventually fall out with movement, chewing, etc. Was planning on upgrading to the Pros instead, but now this thread has me contemplating that!
With the silicone they stay in fine for me using largest size tip, it's just the preference thing of silicone vs foam that is my personal issue.
So I have no problem with fit and stability, just the comfort and preference factor of foam
The issue with the pro's is that you can't easily fit 3rd party tips because of the oval shape and extremely short nozzle ... so unless samsung make some better wing'd tips (would love them) they are how they are i think
One of my buds wont stay in either. Keeps falling off no matter what The other day hit my guinea pig on the head
I found even the large tips were a bit loose.
I've ordered some SpinFit cp360 tips instead, but would prefer some foam tips.
I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on those replacement tips @heartyparty
Do they fit well without pulling off too easily and do they fit the charging case?
Just tried out the linsoul foam tips I ordered.
Nice blue colour, wide fitting hole so easy to push in to an oval and slide on to the buds pro nozzle.
Feels pretty secure.
And they seem quite good, definitely giving me a comfier fit and better isolation.
Fit in the case ok, slightly pushing the buds up a fraction but that will settle as they compress over time. Not affecting charging.
Only thing is that they are not a particularly 'tall' tips if that makes sense.
I would prefer something a little taller (longer?) to sit further in my ear canal. As it is the body of the buds are rubbing a bit on my ear and also the oval nozzle section is pretty wide so slightly uncomfortable at first until you get the fit just right. Longer foamies would allow that deeper fit and give a bit of space to keep the wide nozzle bit just a little further out your ear and also stop the buds catching the ear to.
Pretty much nit picking here though. As a 3rd party tip not designed for the buds, they do a decent enough job, thumbs up!
I found these ones earlier which say they're designed for the buds pro. But they only seem to be available on Amazon US
Amazon.com: diofit Premium Designed for Galaxy Buds Pro Eartips/Galaxy Buds Pro Eartips - Black (Foam): Electronics
Buy diofit Premium Designed for Galaxy Buds Pro Eartips/Galaxy Buds Pro Eartips - Black (Foam): Earbud Headphones - Amazon.com ✓ FREE DELIVERY possible on eligible purchases
www.amazon.com