I had a surprise waiting for me when I got home from work last week. No, it wasn't this, or this, but it was something just as great - Jaybirds. I was in heaven.
Jaybirds are absolutely amazing. I have been wanting a pair for a while, but have just never decided to splurge on myself. There's always something else that I need rather than another pair of headphones - new running shoes, another racing kit, new helmet, brakes for my car, etc. Headphones were far down on my list of things to splurge on, especially since I can't race with them as it is (triathlons are music-free events, my friends). However, since I have the most amazing wife known to man (is it still okay to say "man" or do we have to say "wo/man"? What's the PC usage of human beings as a collective whole? I'm so confused.), I came home to a pair of these bad boys to train with.
I had tried out a pair at the expo in Chicago and they were pretty amazing and now that I've actually had the chance to road-test them, they are even better than I had expected. Let's get down to the specs.
SJ got me the Freedom Sprint style of headphones in black, which are newly redesigned. The older version, the Freedom, was slightly larger and had the controls on the wires. The Freedom Sprint has the controls directly on the headset, which makes them easier to find, however, the smaller size also means that the battery life is only 4.5 hours when fully charged. This means that if you're planning on doing a long run or ride, you better make sure they are charged or you'll be missing some crucial tunes just when you need them most. Another downfall to this particular version is that the cord is not adjustable so, due in part to my wee small head/neck, sometimes I can hear the cord bouncing around off of my neck as I'm running. Yeah, I know, #firstworldproblems.
I use my iPhone when I run, so I haven't had any compatibility issues in terms of the Bluetooth technology, but I'm sure if you run with something random (do they even make things other than iPods now for music? Has Apple completely taken over the entire world and we are just drones being used for their Apple Army?) then there might be some issues. I have found that if I turn my head a certain way (as in, when I look left, then right, then left again so that I don't die when crossing the street) there can be a jump in the sound, but this is easily sorted out by wearing my iPod on my right arm, rather than my left. The sound quality is excellent and I like that this specific version isn't noise-cancelling. I run and ride in the 'burbs and Long Islanders aren't exactly known for their courteousness behind the wheel. I don't know about you, but I love it when my training rides and runs are punctuated by the sounds of, Get out of the way, idiot!, or, a personal favorite of mine, Get the *^%& off the road, Lance. Ahh, New Yorkers, you have such a way with words.
One of the best features of Jaybirds is both their comfort level and their ability to stay-put even during the most strenuous of workouts. I've lifted, run and ridden my bike and haven't had any issues with the ear-buds falling out or becoming loose. Even during some grueling lifting sessions they were good to go and stayed snug - no having to take them out and readjust them in my ears. They also have a LIFETIME warranty against sweat and let me tell you, I am one massive sweater (not in the hairy-sense, in the body-cooling sense), so this was like music to my ears - pun intended! Knowing that I can drip sweat all over these bad boys and not have to worry about water getting in them and screwing them up was amazing - sweat freely, my friends!
All-in-all I would highly recommend Jaybirds to anyone who listens to music while they are training. It's pretty awesome to not have to worry about wires or cords, especially when you are doing some kind of cross-training or lifting session. I haven't had the opportunity to try the Bluebuds X version, but at a slightly higher cost and with added bonuses like voice-control, smaller ear buds and a longer battery-life, I can bet that you will be getting your money's worth.
If you are interested in getting a pair and are a USA Triathlon member, then make sure to use your number to get a discount. If you aren't a member, then let me know and I can probably just give you mine to use so that you can get in on savings.
Happy training!
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