The best sports headphones - reviewed
Gone are the days we’d settled for a pair of freebie buds to keep us motivated for a run, cycle or gym session.
The latest generation of actively-minded earphones have not only nailed-down the crucial task of staying in your ears and playing your tunes but they’ve stepped-up the tech on offer, too.
Whether you want to bin the wires with a pair of wireless in-ears for the gym or you want second-by-second heart rate monitoring, pace and distance read-outs for your Sunday morning run, the latest sports headphones can deliver the goods.
SOUL ELECTRONICS FLEX
What are they?
With all the tech possibilities at your disposal in the sports headphone market, these in-ears suddenly look rather simple. The US brand focuses on build quality and sound performance, with a flexible, water-resistant design, complete with ear hooks to keep them in place and an in-line remote to keep you in control.
Performance
There’s a choice of three colours – yellow, blue, black – and four different-sized earbuds. Choose the right bud size to ensure they fit snugly and stay in place, and also to get the best sound quality. And that’s all the ‘setup’ that’s required. The ear hooks are comfortable and unobtrusive and, crucially, the buds stay in place as you run.
The light, 1.2m, flat cable doesn’t bounce around too much and there’s a play/pause button that works with Android and Apple and volume adjustment for iOS devices. Sound quality is excellent, with crisp treble notes, clean and clear vocals and even a decent amount of bass for the money.
JABRA PULSE
What are they?
Jabra knows more than most about wireless headphones and with the Bluetooth Pulse buds it’s delivered its most tech-packed pair yet. Another around the neck cable design, the big draw here is connection to the Jabra Sport app, which delivers heart-rate monitoring and pretty much any other stat you might want. There’s an in-line remote and mic, too.
Performance
Wireless buds with a fin to keep them in your ears and a neck cable that runs behind your neck is the standard design, and the Jabra Pulse do it better than most. You’ll barely notice the soft buds are in your ears (there’s a choice of three fins and four buds) and the cable is the right rigidity and length to sit comfortably.
The heart rate monitor has always worked straight away for us and the tracking appears in real time on your screen along with a myriad other figures, from calories burned to your pace and distance. You can even get a voice update with the tap of your ear. It’s a neat, easy to use, easy to read app. They sound fine, but not better than that. For the best part of £200 we’d like a fuller, bigger, all-round more impressive sound, but a decent tonal balance means they’re far from offensive.
MONSTER ISPORT WIRELESS SUPERSLIM
What are they?
Another addition to Monster’s iSport range, these aptX Bluetooth wireless earphones are linked by a slimline cable that loops behind your neck. Fairly chunky wireless units come with a choice of mini-hooks (and buds) that squeeze inside your outer ear to keep them in place. There’s a mic and remote, too, which is compatible with Android and Apple phones.
Performance
We’ve no complaints with the fit. The removable ear hooks might seem a little unnecessary but do help keep the buds in your ears and they feel immovable once you’ve picked the right sizes. The cable is light and rests on your shoulders without bouncing about too much, though it is quite long so a hood or long hair might get in the way.
Monster’s previous association with Beats might have you assuming these are all about the bass but if anything these earphones sound a little prickly in the treble at times. But voices sound good, there’s plenty of detail and bass is agile.
OUTDOOR TECH ORCAS ACTIVE WIRELESS
What are they?
Los Angeles-based Outdoor Tech make wireless speakers, portable power packs and a range of other products designed for weekends getting lost in the Californian desert. But these lightweight wireless buds should be good for a run around your local park, too. The Orcas offer aptX Bluetooth sound and can do wireless voice calls, while $1 is donated to the Whaleman Foundation for every unit sold (hence the name).
Performance
Despite sticking out a little more than some, the buds are pretty comfortable – that super-lightweight design is a winner. The cable is short, which makes it neat but it can catch on your neck. Also, the in-line remote and mic are prone to dragging to one side, which can tug on the earphones.
A choice of two fins and three buds should at least allow you to start with a fairly solid connection. They’re splash-proof and water-resistant and a 6-hour wireless battery life is pretty good. Skipping tracks and adjusting the volume works on Android and iOS, too.
Sonically they’re fairly detailed and musical though a little lightweight, so don’t expect to get that heavy bass boost for your last circuit.
SMS BIOSPORT
What are they?
Compared to the other headphone brand backed by a rapper, 50 Cent’s SMS Audio has gone a little less ‘in your face bass’ and a little more ‘in your ear tech’ with the BioSport earphones. Wired rather than wireless, they’re biometric earbuds that work with the RunKeeper app to give you heart rate monitoring on the move.
Performance
Sonically, the BioSport buds are impressive. There’s a good balance of bass and treble and vocals are expressive and detailed, with no booming bass nor screechy top end. A solid musical foundation for your workout playlist…. once you’ve got them in your ears, that is.
The buds come with a choice of three ‘gels’. Slide one over the bud for an inner ear mould effect and a fin to keep them secure. It feels uncomfortable at first but once in place they’re pretty secure. Then you just have the standard cable jangle to deal with.
Slide the remote into ‘heart rate mode’ and your heart rate pulses on the Runkeeper app. We’ve found the monitoring to be pretty temperamental, though – you’ll need them rammed in fairly deep. Perhaps we’re just dead inside. Powered by your phone, they’ll leech a little juice from your phone but on the flipside won’t ever need recharging.
DAMSON HEADBONES
What are they?
The clue’s in the name – these Damson headphones sit on your cheek bones not in your ears, using your skull’s “natural acoustic properties” to fill your head with music. They connect to your smartphone over Bluetooth, have volume controls and a mic, and the option to connect (supplied) earbuds to simply sit in your ears and block out noise (though this makes for a messy setup of jangling cables).
Performance
Considerably heavier than the average in-ears, the Headbones do their best to keep the weight off your head with a main unit suspended behind your noggin. An adjustable headband and flexible ear hooks allow you to get a fit that stays flush to your face but it’s hard to forget you’re wearing them and we wouldn’t call it comfortable.
The design keeps your ears free to hear what’s around you, though that impacts on your audio experience (and makes them leaky). We’re impressed by the sound considering there’s nothing in your ears but voices sound muffled and there’s a lack of detail compared to in-ear buds. What’s more, the bass vibrations through your bones take some getting used to. Impressive battery life, though.
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