Loyal readers knew my obsession with earphones. In addition to delivering good sound. I learned that I have two requirements that are hard to meet with the same product. I need a pair for running, on treadmill or on the road. The key requirements are sweat proof, comfort, and fit. The earphones must not fall off during the exercise, no matter how sweaty I become.
The second need is for long distance flights. I need a pair that are comfortable and reasonably noise insulating. I have long chosen those ear-buds, instead of the fancy noise cancellation but over-the-ear bulky kind. This means the earphones must work similarly to the ear plugs and not just loosely hanging.
For years, I use the Phillips ear-hook kind. They were inexpensive and work reasonably well for both purposes. I tried the Jaybird wireless earphones. They were better fit, but the wireless connection was not reliable, at least not with my iPod Touch. Then my Phillips died.
I went back to Target to get a new pair, only to learn that Target dropped Phillips and went for Sony. I considered going Internet when I spotted the Adidas Sennheiser sports earphones. The fitting style was similar to Jaybird, which I liked. The price was OK. So I went for it. (Kid also helped me to make Target price-matched the Internet. Very sweet.)
Three things I like:
- They stay in the ears. Running and sweating do not affect the fit.
- The plug has a 90° angle, instead of going straight out. This suits me better since I tend to bend the cable.
- Good sound.
In the mean time, I also acquired a pair of simple Beats. I felt the bass is strong but treble somewhat weak. But they are very comfortable and provided very good sound insulation on the air planes. In an interesting way, I now have dedicated pairs of earphones for two activities.
I have a feeling that this won’t be the last blog I write about earphones. Stay tuned.