Sometimes consumer electronics manufacturers surprise you by taking a great product and making it even better in ways you hadn’t even thought of. In this case the folks over at JayBird have done exactly that… and I like it!

Over the past year I began taking fitness more seriously and consequently was in need of wireless headphones to listen to music while exercising. I had a 3 year old pair of Motorola S9 Bluetooth headphones lying around, so I started with those. Unfortunately Motorola forgot that we as humans sweat when exercising, so the S9’s died within a month. As I began my search for a suitable replacement I learned there aren’t many options that are designed to withstand sweat; a rather disappointing realization considering much of these products were marketed for physically active consumers. Eventually I stumbled upon JayBird’s Freedom Bluetooth Buds and was impressed that JayBird offered a lifetime warranty against sweat. Intrigued, I purchased the Freedom in April 2012 and have been a happy customer since.

Having had the Freedom for just over a year now I can say they’re fantastic, so when I learned they had released an improved and newly designed product, I knew I had to give them a go. Enter the JayBird Bluebuds X!

As much as I love the JayBird Freedom, each earbud was actually a rubber earpiece that emerged from a larger and bulkier component, presumably to accommodate whatever necessary parts were inside for the headset to function. The JayBird BlueBuds X have eliminated the excess bulk in favour of a MUCH simpler design.

JayBird’s Freedom and Bluebuds product line uses these awesome ear hooks that fit around the earbud and stick up like a shark fin. They call this “Secure Fit.” When you put the bud inside your ear canal, the ear hook fits snug inside your ear to add extra stability so it won’t fall out while being active. I’ll admit this was awkward at first, but I swear by them now. You can shake as much as you want, they just don’t budge!

JayBird products ship with an unusually high quality travel case in addition to earbuds and ear hooks in 3 different sizes. I have heard of others purchasing aftermarket earbuds that apparently fit better (e.g. Comply Tx-500) but I personally find the ones supplied to be perfect.

 

Now onto review.

Noice Cancellation

I want to address this first because when dealing with a niche product line for fitness enthusiasts, you’re dealing with people who will be in the gym where there is the noise of machines being used, weights being dropped or banged against each other. Or perhaps a jogger or cyclist will be outdoors where there will be traffic passing by, cars honking their horns, etc. For me I found the noise cancellation to be downright mind boggling. I was actually confused by how well JayBird managed to pull off noise cancellation with such perfection.

Case in point: I walk my dog along a secluded trail and then back home along a busy street. I have given the BlueBuds X many tries along this route and every time I am unable to hear ANY ambient noise. No cars honking, no trucks braking, not even other dogs barking to coax my dog into playing with them. I’ve used the earphones while biking and while on the treadmill, and again, NOTHING! I’ve actually opted to using these more than my standard Senheisser earbuds that I have used for years.

Sound Quality

The BlueBuds X are certainly not your professional-grade ear monitors, however they’re also not your budget checkout-aisle headphones. Remember, I’ve replaced Sennheisers with these. A common review you’ll find online is that these earphones are a little lacking in the bass department. Whether or not this is a technical limitation of Bluetooth or the engineering of JayBird products, I don’t know. However I’m more than content with the rich sound I get from them. The noise cancellation seal allows me to focus more on my music while out and about. So if it means I have a little less oomph in exchange for a little more clarity of the music I’m listening to, then I’m on board. Listening to dance/electronic can be a little bit of a letdown given this realization, especially considering that’s often what people want when they’re exercising. But seriously, any setback is more than compensated for by the fact that you feel like you’re in your own private world while running through a busy city.

Of additional importance is the connection and volume. Regarding the former, I’m pleased to see JayBird has addressed some issues experienced by Freedom users. The older model worked very well within eyesight of the connected device, but sometimes experienced distortion or a complete loss of connection when in your pocket. This made it difficult at times when I was biking and put my phone in my pocket. With the BlueBuds X the connection is stronger (they are rated at 60 feet) and I have yet to experience any distortion or loss of connection whatsoever. The volume is also pleasing, having had to actually turn the volume down because of how well it eliminated ambient noise. This would presumably also help with battery life not having to drive the headset so hard to amplify your music.

Water Resistance

As already mentioned, JayBird takes their sweatproofing seriously. I have never had a problem in the year that I used my Freedoms, and the same goes for the BlueBuds X. I have sweat all over them (hopefully JayBird doesn’t want this review unit back J), and I have been rained on twice while reviewing them. They stand up to the test and that’s more than I can say for my Motorola S9’s (may they rest in peace).

Call Quality

Having low expectations with regard to call quality for a product as compact as this, I was surprised to find the caller on the end of the call didn’t even know I was outdoors. The call came through clearly and there was no delay as there often is with Bluetooth devices. I honestly thought I’d use the BlueBuds X exclusively for music while outdoors/exercising but as it turns out they’re great for calls too!

Comfort

In addition to the conventional cord-behind-the-neck method of wearing the earphones, JayBird has introduced X-Fit, allowing the user to tighten any cord slack behind their head. Once you take a minute to focus on the music playing through your ears, you’ll almost forget you have them on altogether.

The downside to X-Fit is that you have to reverse the way you wear them; what used to be right and left now becomes left and right. This allows the controls to sit behind your left ear but also means the mic is no longer within range to pick up your voice. X-Fit should be limited to usage when you are active and don’t intend on accepting calls.

I also found the reversal of right-left to affect watching video on my iPad while on the treadmill. Something would happen on the right of the screen but be heard through my left earbud. Not the end of the world but worthy of being noted.

My biggest gripe with JayBird products is the material used in the manufacturing of the cord. Any folding of the cord will likely leave a minor kink that never seems to go away. The X-Fit approach requires the slack be folded over a couple of times, so when you want to return to the conventional fit you will notice the cord sitting unevenly behind your neck from the kinks, which may be bothersome.

Controls

The Bluebuds X’s controls are simple and pleasant to use. Unlike other products that have cumbersome buttons hidden in odd places or are made of non-tactile tactile materials, the Bluebuds X uses a strong plastic control array along the cord, with raised buttons that are easy to find.

A completely unnecessary although MUCH loved feature of the new BlueBuds X are the voice prompts! A female voice (Jenna) lets you know when the device has been powered on, when it has connected to another Bluetooth device, etc. There’s no guessing what arbitrary beeps mean anymore. JayBird has really shown its commitment to innovation and bringing something new and great to the table.

Battery

JayBird rates the built in rechargeable battery at 8 hours of continuous use. I personally don’t want to risk having them die on me in the middle of working out, so I opt to charge them before reaching that point. Nonetheless I have experienced over 6 hours of usage before voluntarily recharging.

I’m also happy JayBird decided to adopt a standard micro USB port to charge the device. The newer BlueBuds X a charging port hidden under one of the earbuds and you simply snap open the outside cap to access it. The plastic used to keep the cap attached is very thin so caution must be used when opening and closing it. I enjoy the convenience of being able to charge the headset off of my computer’s USB port or my phone charger.

Price

As much as I adore this headset, it’s certainly a bit pricy. Competing products can be had for under $100 whereas the JayBird BlueBuds X come in at $169.95! This is certainly not your budget Bluetooth headset, but you are getting one of the best products in its category. As they say, “you get what you pay for.”

Conclusion

Would I recommend them to others? ABSOLUTELY! If you are active and want to listen to your music wirelessly, these are for you!

Would I purchase them myself? Yes. Given my experience with competing products improperly designed for sweat, I appreciate the importance of JayBird’s commitment to the active physically consumer.

Would I upgrade from my perfectly working JayBird Freedoms? 100%! The improvements are worth every penny.

You can learn more about JayBirds and pick them up for yourself here