Wireless earbuds 2023
Discussion
I think I have lost my Samsung Buds+ which I bought in 2021.
Big fan of them; they had decent sound isolation, the battery lasted well, the call and audio quality was decent, they never dropped connection from each other, could be used independently and the case isn't too big.
I spent about 450 hours on the phone for personal calls in 2022 and the vast majority of that would have been on ear buds. I also listen to a lot of podcasts and music on them, and use them for work calls etc. They get *a lot* of use.
Looking at replacements and it seems the flagships all have problems: XM4s review well but users report all kinds of issues (has the firmware solved them?) and apparently the mic is not very good (I spend a lot of time on the phone, often outdoors), the pixel buds pro are hamstrung on iPhone (you can't access 'normal' mode), I don't find the fit of the Airpod Pros very good, the Bose you can't switch the ANC off.
I have Amazon vouchers to use and would buy from the warehouse as you can get decent deals.
I am tempted to try the Sony's because I think they are the closest to what I want, and have a similar design and fit to the Samsungs I lost.
On the other hand, the Sony's are 18 months old already and must be ripe for replacement. How hard can it be to choose earbuds.
Any thoughts?
Big fan of them; they had decent sound isolation, the battery lasted well, the call and audio quality was decent, they never dropped connection from each other, could be used independently and the case isn't too big.
I spent about 450 hours on the phone for personal calls in 2022 and the vast majority of that would have been on ear buds. I also listen to a lot of podcasts and music on them, and use them for work calls etc. They get *a lot* of use.
Looking at replacements and it seems the flagships all have problems: XM4s review well but users report all kinds of issues (has the firmware solved them?) and apparently the mic is not very good (I spend a lot of time on the phone, often outdoors), the pixel buds pro are hamstrung on iPhone (you can't access 'normal' mode), I don't find the fit of the Airpod Pros very good, the Bose you can't switch the ANC off.
I have Amazon vouchers to use and would buy from the warehouse as you can get decent deals.
I am tempted to try the Sony's because I think they are the closest to what I want, and have a similar design and fit to the Samsungs I lost.
On the other hand, the Sony's are 18 months old already and must be ripe for replacement. How hard can it be to choose earbuds.
Any thoughts?
Edited by gregs656 on Saturday 4th March 02:48
Edited by gregs656 on Saturday 4th March 02:57
Edited by gregs656 on Saturday 4th March 16:12
I have the Sony's and have no idea of the firmware issues you describe
They were a Christmas present, I updated them soon after and haven't had any issues although the equaliser is predictably pointless and they sound best at "factory settings"
The ear bud/pad things are okay however I'm going to try some indies mentioned in Amazon reviews for a better fit, and mine were bought with a large discount which perhaps reflects their age?
Sorry, can't comment on mike as rarely use it
They were a Christmas present, I updated them soon after and haven't had any issues although the equaliser is predictably pointless and they sound best at "factory settings"
The ear bud/pad things are okay however I'm going to try some indies mentioned in Amazon reviews for a better fit, and mine were bought with a large discount which perhaps reflects their age?
Sorry, can't comment on mike as rarely use it
I feel your pain. Losing a device that broadly just works to be faced with a lottery where the only unknown factor is "what promised feature won't work?" ... fantastic.
Particularly with wireless buds, mechanical fit is absolutely critical for acoustic performance and comfort. So unless someone is prepared to let you try a pair and monkey around with the available grommets to see if you can get a good fit, purchases are always going to be a big gamble before you even consider whether the electronics work and whether your phone or computer are willing to cooperate.
This is going to be completely unhelpful, but I come at this from the opposite direction. I assume buds aren't going to work, and buy cheapo ones on Amazon built by someone who is 3rd cousin of a minor apparatchik in a provincial branch of the CCP. Anything they do manage to do is a plus. The current pair have never fitted me brilliantly, but in all other regards are surprisingly good. For someone whose ears were a slightly different shape, they'd have been the bargain of the century.
Particularly with wireless buds, mechanical fit is absolutely critical for acoustic performance and comfort. So unless someone is prepared to let you try a pair and monkey around with the available grommets to see if you can get a good fit, purchases are always going to be a big gamble before you even consider whether the electronics work and whether your phone or computer are willing to cooperate.
This is going to be completely unhelpful, but I come at this from the opposite direction. I assume buds aren't going to work, and buy cheapo ones on Amazon built by someone who is 3rd cousin of a minor apparatchik in a provincial branch of the CCP. Anything they do manage to do is a plus. The current pair have never fitted me brilliantly, but in all other regards are surprisingly good. For someone whose ears were a slightly different shape, they'd have been the bargain of the century.
Had my XM4s for a year now. Zero issues, great mic. Good anc. Regularly chat hands free on my one mi!e walk to the pub.
I have been on 10 weeks of beach holidaying in those 12 months and have routinely kept them in whilst bobbing about in the sea, listening to an audiobook with minimal signal loss and never a hint of them falling out.
Great bits of kit, though I have the feeling the ANC agrivates my tinitus.
I have been on 10 weeks of beach holidaying in those 12 months and have routinely kept them in whilst bobbing about in the sea, listening to an audiobook with minimal signal loss and never a hint of them falling out.
Great bits of kit, though I have the feeling the ANC agrivates my tinitus.
If you’re using an iPhone, the functionality of the AirPods Pro might make them worth persevering with, I found Comply foam tips made a world of difference with fit. I wasn’t mad on the fit of them to start with, but Complys transformed them. I appreciate it’s an expensive pain in the arse to buy AirPods and tips only to find out they still aren’t right though.
craig1912 said:
numtumfutunch said:
The ear bud/pad things are okay however I'm going to try some indies mentioned in Amazon reviews for a better fit, and mine were bought with a large discount which perhaps reflects their age?
Can you let me know what indies you bought? CheersIve only just ordered them however they got good ratings and are specifically mentioned in the Sony reviews as being better than the originals. Pretty cheap too compared to most others
I'll let you know
I recently bought some Galaxy Bud 2's from Amazon and found them to be very good for the price I paid. Probably not as good as the Bose ones I had previously but the battery was failing on those and they weren't holding charge.
My only criticism f the Galaxy buds really is that they aren't suitable for use in the gym, I find they kept falling out doing certain weight exercises so I've now bought a set of full wireless headphones for the gym but I still prefer the less bulky buds for day to day use
My only criticism f the Galaxy buds really is that they aren't suitable for use in the gym, I find they kept falling out doing certain weight exercises so I've now bought a set of full wireless headphones for the gym but I still prefer the less bulky buds for day to day use
I watched a couple of video tests of the Sony mic on YouTube and they are definitely out now. Probably ok if you live somewhere quiet.
The Sennheiser MW3 have a similar mic set up to my old Samsungs (3 mics per earbud to screen out external noise), and I’ve found a pair at a good price, the only thing that puts me off is the size of the case.
The later Samsung models don’t seem to be as good as what I had either.
I’d like ANC but wondering if it’s worth it.
The Sennheiser MW3 have a similar mic set up to my old Samsungs (3 mics per earbud to screen out external noise), and I’ve found a pair at a good price, the only thing that puts me off is the size of the case.
The later Samsung models don’t seem to be as good as what I had either.
I’d like ANC but wondering if it’s worth it.
Talk/ rumours are that theres a Sony XM5 coming this year. Also, the future One plus Buds Pro 2's are getting good reviews.
I have XM4's, got them after Bose buds that I just couldn't get on with fit wise. I think they're great, but then I don't use the microphone much if that's an important thing for you.
I have XM4's, got them after Bose buds that I just couldn't get on with fit wise. I think they're great, but then I don't use the microphone much if that's an important thing for you.
thebraketester said:
Whist I agree that’s the AirPods Pro have some flaws, one thing they do very well is handle calls. Taken on them is much more natural than any over the ear headphones.
I’ve tried them a number of times but they just don’t fit me and it’s a lot of money to risk getting the right tips or what ever. I much prefer the kind of ‘screw in’ shape. The case on the Sennheisers is large. A smaller case was a criteria when I bought the Samsungs so I think the Sennheisers are out too.
I might just buy another pair of the Buds+
Edited by gregs656 on Saturday 4th March 16:20
I use a pair of Galaxy Buds 2 and also a pair of RHA 750's. The Buds are very convenient but not great for calls from a mic point of view and not the best for staying in your ears while active. On the other hand the RHA are bulkier with an over the neck cable and I don't find the BT range as good but the sound quality is worlds apart (especially as you can convert them to wired) and they have never fallen out of my ears no matter what I'm doing. I don't think the RHAs are a current model but they are available new on amazon. Note also they don't have ANC but do have very good sound isolation.
gregs656 said:
thebraketester said:
Whist I agree that’s the AirPods Pro have some flaws, one thing they do very well is handle calls. Taken on them is much more natural than any over the ear headphones.
I’ve tried them a number of times but they just don’t fit me and it’s a lot of money to risk getting the right tips or what ever. I much prefer the kind of ‘screw in’ shape. The case on the Sennheisers is large. A smaller case was a criteria when I bought the Samsungs so I think the Sennheisers are out too.
I might just buy another pair of the Buds+
Edited by gregs656 on Saturday 4th March 16:20
thebraketester said:
Sometimes it's good to stick with what you know. :-)
Yeah, but they're not available new any more. I am not against buying a used pair but nothing is available at a sensible price locally, almost as expensive as the Sennheisers I found yesterday (which are the equivalent of 90GBP) but could be much older.gregs656 said:
thebraketester said:
Sometimes it's good to stick with what you know. :-)
Yeah, but they're not available new any more. I am not against buying a used pair but nothing is available at a sensible price locally, almost as expensive as the Sennheisers I found yesterday (which are the equivalent of 90GBP) but could be much older.thebraketester said:
Thanks for looking but I am in Canada and they don't have any on Amazon CA.The Sennheisers for 30 quid less are a good deal, I can always move them on if they don't work out for me.
I am pretty sure I paid about 60 quid for my first set of Buds+ as well. I remember looking a little while a go when the battery started to fade a little on my pair and couldn't believe how much they were going for. I imagine when I bought mine they were being given away with some Samsung product which drove the price down for a while.
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