Bluetooth Headphones for Gym Use

[iff2mastamatt]

It's been a long absence, but now I'm back to the forum.

I've been using the Creative EP 630's for about 5 years, and the right earbud shorted out recently so it's time for me to move on to a new pair of headphones.

After using the Samsung P2 for several years, I am currently using the Samsung Galaxy S3 as my media player. Ever since owning the P2 I've been looking for a pair of Bluetooth headphones for my music. I need some advice on finding the right pair. Here is what I would like:

-Bluetooth headphones or earbuds with comparable sound quality and sound isolation to my former creative EP 630's.
-Gym friendly (can take some sweat, stay on head for situps, benching, treadmill running).
-Around $50-100 (best bang for the buck).

Here are a few I've been reading reviews about: Jaybird Sportband, LG HBS-730 and the Rocketfish RF-MRAB2. Unfortunately, I've read mixed reviews about all of these headphones and I'm not sure if the Jaybird's are worth the money. What do you suggest?

[Mo. FryDaddy]

I have the Motorola Moto-Rokr s305 and they work OK, sometimes there's a little hiss in the background but I didn't really find it too annoying.

You can find them on Amazon for relatively cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/Motorola-S305-...=motorokr+s305

These are the only ones I can personally recommend as they are the only Bluetooth headphones I have used, but IMO they are worth a try.

[IDvsEGO]

everything that I have read on BT headsets has them either bulky or lacking in sound quality. to fit everything in a small package they have to go way down in size on the driver. 6-8mm isnt unheard of. if you find one, let me know though. I am looking too.

[JK98]

Bluetooth seems like more trouble than it is worth. it is okay to use with a cellphone for short conversations, however I can't see bluetooth headphones being practical for listening to music. In addition to the hassles of charging the headset, the players get much less battery life when using bluetooth. Sound quality is also less with bluetooth, as the signal is transmitted then received, and typically lower quality drivers are used with bluetooth headsets. Perhaps in another 10 years or so cordless headphones will becomes more practical.

[IDvsEGO]

I would have to generally disagree with you if that is supposed to be a blanket statement. I use Bluetooth streaming all the time in my car and home from my galaxy s3 and am very pleased with it. The sound quality is much improved and battery consumption isn't as bad as I thought it would be. There are some great headphones out there from sennheiser and meelec as well. But IEMs are still a work on progress. Fitting a driver, battery, and received in a small body is tough. So for you and your usage, it might be more trouble than its worth. But for me, someone who actually uses it and places value in the wireless benefits (reduced cable clutter, less wear and tear in connectors and ports), I love it.

[treejohnny]

I am tagging along with this thread!
We are in the same boat, S3 here and I have been looking at the Motorola S11 (I am trying to cut the wires). I consider myself an audio nut but have very little experience with quality headphones. I love to bike, run, hike and kayak so it would be nice to find a set that plays well.

[Nicthalon]

I own the Jaybird JF3 Freedoms and love them. The sound quality on them from my Google Nexus 4 is comparable to my Bose speakers at home. Great mids and highs and solid, thumping bass. The best part about the Jaybirds is that they have a lifetime warranty against sweat. Since you want to use these for the gym, this is a great feature, as most BT headphones tend to short if they get damp. They also come with 3 sizes of tips and 3 sizes of "ear tips" that go inside the ear to keep them in place.

I use mine at work on a 10 hour shift and they usually last for the entire shift, despite a stated play time of 6 hours. For me, worth every penny of the $99 price tag.

I have tried the Motorola S305s, and for me, the plastic that wraps around the ear is very rigid and tends to be painful. Just my 2 cents on that.

[Jack4L]

I use a set of Sennheiser MM450's with my Galaxy S3, for most of my work day and I don't have any complaints about sound quality... I also have a spare battery charging at my computer for when I leave for home and then use them on my commute and at home.

They now also have the APT-X bluetooth profile on the newer versions which apparently does something right as people say it improves sound quality or something- I dunno. I would personally go for the discounted older generation Non "X" versions, as the Apt-X versions cost like $300+

Oh and if you want more variety- get a Sony Ericsson MW-600 and use whatever the heck headphones you want. I use one of those with my Phonak Audéo Perfect Bass and TMA-1's and I have never felt the need to complain about audio quality- occasionally I will cause a loss of signal but then its just a case of pocketing the BT receiver somewhere where it isn 't as easily blocked. With the headphones I pretty much need to be sitting on my phone to block the audio- and even then the signal won't break completely just skip once or twice to let me know its having a hard time bouncing the signal in the room I'm in.

I will say though, that you should only use Bluetooth if you have a phone, MP3 players rarely have good bluetooth chips in them. Except an iPod Touch or a Sony Player, those usually have as good bluetooth as high end phones. I've had some bad experiences with Archos Tablets and bluetooth- so I'm guessing they cut corners on their cheaper products.