To choose Bluetooth earbuds for running and gym, you will have to pay attention to many different factors such as:
- Sound
- Comfort And Fit
- Durability And Sweat-Resistance
- Controls
- Battery Life
- Design
- Price
- Brand
What type of exercise will you be doing, which sweatproof rating do you need and whether you will need an armband are just some of the questions you can ask yourself to help you choose suitable Bluetooth earbuds for your workout sessions.
In the rest of the article, you can find the answers to the most common questions and easily learn how to correctly choose your new Bluetooth earbuds for running and gym.
Sound
In past, many Bluetooth headphones and earbuds were known for their low audio quality. This was mainly caused by a very poor performance of earlier Bluetooth implementations. However, a lot has changed in recent years and Bluetooth is not a worthy competitor to regular wired headphones and earbuds in terms of sound quality.
The single biggest improvement came with the introduction of Bluetooth 4.1. The formal adoption of this new version was announced in December 2013 and improvements include increased co-existence support for LTE, bulk data exchange rates—and aid developer innovation by allowing devices to support multiple roles simultaneously. This means more stable connections and faster reconnects. If you would like to know more about Bluetooth technology read our “What is Bluetooth?” article.
Another important piece of technology that helped turn Bluetooth headphones and earphones into what they are today is called aptX. It is a family of proprietary audio codec compression algorithms that was originally developed in the 1980s by Dr. Stephen Smyth. aptX has revolutionized the Bluetooth Stereo listening experience by significantly reducing the bit rate without affecting the audio quality or introducing latency issues.
By incorporating aptX audio coding technology into the next generation of Bluetooth stereo products, developers can offer consumers audio quality indistinguishable from wired with an impressive dynamic range.
Of course, other aspects of sound are just as important as they ever were. When it comes to workout headphones, the vast majority of people will prefer a more mainstream sound signature with more pronounced bass frequencies.
This is crucial for giving music that dynamic feeling and ability to make you pumped up for your workouts. Depending on what genre of music you are listening to, you will also want to pay attention to mids. Lower mids are the key frequency for hip hop and rap music.
They make the male vocal stand out with an impact and punch that they deserve. We also advise all our reader to carefully listen for any signs of sibilance. It is the hissing sound that can be found in words such as sip, zip, ship, chip, and jump. To some degree, sibilance is a natural part of articulation of fricative and affricate consonance, however, when too pronounced, it can quickly lead to fatigue and a need to stop the music and give your ears a small break.
Comfort And Fit
Comfort and fit go hand-in-hand as they are both equally required to provide users with a secure fit even during high-impact sports activities and the high level of comfort that is required for long-term wear. Unfortunately, a proper fit has everything to do with your individual ear size and shape. While some earbuds and headphones have a better overall design, ultimately, finding a comfortable pair is largely determined by luck.
A good starting point is figuring out approximately how big or small your ears are. The simplest way to do that is to take your existing earbuds and try different sizes of replaceable ear tips. You want to find a pair that doesn’t cause you any pain and still manages to provide you with a solid isolation from outside noise. This size will then become a baseline that you can use to find a good pair of earbuds.
Wireless headphones and earbuds have the big advantage of lacking the uncomfortable cable and thus all problems that are commonly associated with it. The downside is that earbuds themselves sometimes tend to be slightly large and bulkier as a result. At the end of the day, it’s up to individual manufacturers to have the ability to deliver a comfortable pair of earbuds that will fit most people.
Durability And Sweat-Resistance
There is hardly anything worse than finally selecting the perfect pair of Bluetooth earbuds, only to find out that they are already showing some durability problems after just a few months of usage. Let us go over some of the most important things that contribute to the overall durability of headphones.
When it comes to wired headphones, cable is usually the most problematic part. Luckily for us, this issue is completely eliminated thanks to Bluetooth technology. That doesn’t, however, mean that you can just carelessly toss your new headphones around and never worry about their durability.
Sports activities are associated with sweating, which can quickly degrade sound quality and in some extreme cases even completely destroy drivers in your earbuds. Manufacturers constantly try to find new ways how to improve sweat-resistance and ensure smooth operation even under very strenuous conditions.
Some earbuds come with guaranteed sweat-resistance and others are simply designed in such a way that sweat and moisture have no chance of entering into driver enclosure. If in doubt, check out our in-depth reviews that will tell you everything you need to know when it comes to selecting a great pair of durable wireless earbuds for running and gym usage.
What Are IPX Ratings?
IPX ratings are a way to describe the level of protection some device offers, not only the earbuds.
IP stands for Ingress Protection, but it’s also known as International Protection. Along with the IP, there is an X number of rating which determines the type of protection the device, in this case, earbuds have.
The most common protection ratings are made to protect the devices from dust, water, and impact. With the Bluetooth earbuds, you will commonly see factors that refer to sweat, water, and impact.
IPX ratings aren’t hard to understand, but you don’t have to memorize all of them. There are 8 standards, and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to bookmark this page. Whenever necessary, you can just come back and check the meaning of every IPX number.
With the help of IPX rating, you will always know how tough and self-protective your desired Bluetooth earbuds are. They’ll also tell you whether you can emerge them into the water, or you will have to stay away from it.
It’s worth to mention, the higher the number, the better the protection is.
- IPX0
If you find the earbuds which state that their Ingress Protection number is 0, this means the following. The earbuds have absolutely no protection at all.
Therefore, if your Bluetooth earbuds get in contact with water, they’re going to get destroyed 100%. There is no doubt about it. So if you happen to have Bluetooth earbuds with IPX0 protection, make sure you take care of them properly.
- IPX1
IPX1 rating offers a bit of protection. It can protect your Bluetooth earbuds from a dripping water above the earbuds, for at least 10 minutes. Any longer than that, and there’s a possibility to have your earbuds destroyed by water.
- IPX2
IPX2 is very similar to IPX1 protection. The difference is that IPX2 protection can protect your Bluetooth earbuds from a dripping water above the earbuds, even when you rotate the earbuds for 15 degrees to any side, for at least 10 minutes.
- IPX3
IPX3 offers a bit more protection than any other IPX rating below. It can protect your Bluetooth earbuds from a spraying water rather than dripping water from above even when the earbuds are rotated 60 degrees to any side, for at least 5 minutes.
- IPX4
IPX4 rating offers protection for your earbuds from a splashing water from any direction, for at least 5 minutes. Anything above 5 minutes still might damage or destroy your Bluetooth earbuds. While this might a bit hard to keep track of, but you get the idea of how protective your earbuds are.
- IPX5
IPX5 can protect your Bluetooth earbuds from 12.5 liters of spraying water from any direction towards your earbuds, for at least 3 minutes. Of course, you won’t be timing things or anything, but it’s a description to get a clear idea of what type of protection your earbuds have.
- IPX6
IPX6 is a very similar rating to the IPX5, yet it offers an improved protection for your Bluetooth earbuds. However, instead of 12.5 liters per minute, the IPX6 rating can protect your earbuds from 100 liters per minute in any direction towards your earbuds, for at least 3 minutes.
- IPX7
You’ll notice that the IPX7 rating is very common. That’s because IPX7 rating can protect your Bluetooth earbuds from a complete water submersion. But only up to 1 meter deep and for at least 30 minutes. While most people think that IPX7 is totally waterproof, it’s not quite true. That’s why you should take extra precaution.
- IPX8
IPX8 is the best protective rating and it’s usually stated by the manufacturer itself. It’s very similar to the IPX7 rating, yet it can protect your Bluetooth earbuds from a bigger depth and for more time. It’s usually stated by the manufacturer the depth and time the earbuds were tested too.
Should I Go For Sweatproof Or Waterproof Bluetooth Earbuds?
I’d recommend anyone who is running or working out to always go with the sweatproof earbuds. Finding and purchasing a good pair of Bluetooth earbuds is an investment. Nobody wants their brand new earbuds to get damaged due to the sweat.
Most sports Bluetooth earbuds are equipped with the sweatproof rating. It’s a very necessary and useful feature for anyone who’s doing sports – no matter if you sweat or not.
It’s most likely find yourself in a situation where you will regret not purchasing sweatproof earbuds. While I find sweatproof earbuds necessary for running and gym, waterproof might not be as important unless you’re a swimmer.
Most of the sweatproof earbuds can handle a light rain or a few water splashes. So unless you’re getting directly into the water with your earbuds, you will be fine with sweatproof earbuds.
Sweatproof Bluetooth earbuds are also easier to clean so it’s just one more advantage. As I have mentioned earlier, getting a good pair of Bluetooth earbuds is an investment, and I believe you should always look for a sweatproof feature if you’re into sports.
But as I said, waterproof feature isn’t as necessary as sweatproof is. As long as you’re staying out of the water, you’ll be fine with a sweatproof feature only.
Controls
One great feature of Bluetooth headphones and earbuds is the ability to directly control playback on your smartphone. This is very easy because your headphones already communicate with your phone via Bluetooth and music playback control requires just a little bit of extra information being transmitted.
Usually, you will be able to skip tracks, pause and resume music playback, fast-forward, and even change the volume. Some models come with dedicated buttons for controlling special features such as bass enhancement, active noise cancellation, and many others.
Controls should be easily accessible and clearly identifiable even without directly looking at their labels. A good tactile feedback is essential to prevent you from mistakenly pressing buttons twice or not being sure whether the button press has been registered. Bluetooth earbuds usually have controls located either on the back or directly on individual earbuds themselves. For running and gym, I would recommend the models with larger control buttons like the Plantronics BackBeat Fit or Phaiser BHS-750 if you are on the limited budget.
Due to how lightweight most earbuds are, it is sometimes possible for buttons to require so much force to press that you could accidentally remove earbuds from your ears. Keep this on your mind when you visit your local audio store to try which earbuds and headphones you like.
All About Bluetooth Earbuds Battery Life Before You Make A Decision
One of the most important specifications to consider when choosing Bluetooth earbuds for exercise is the battery life. Without any battery power, there’s no music. No matter how obvious this is, it doesn’t make it any less aggravating when you run out of power right after you begin your gym session.
The average battery life of Bluetooth earbuds is around 5 hours of continuous listening. Exceptional Bluetooth earbuds reach up to 10 hours, while many below-average earbuds only go up to 3 or 4 hours. Because Bluetooth earbuds use Lithium-ion batteries, the same type of a battery you’ll find in your smartphone and laptop, the maximum battery life of any pair of Bluetooth earbuds decreases over time.
The chances are that when your smartphone was just a few weeks old, it easily lasted the entire day without charging. After a year of use, a spare charger and a power bank most likely have become part of your everyday carry. It’s really only because most people get a new smartphone every two years that the problem of decreasing battery capacity isn’t even more pressing.
But buying a new pair of earbuds as often doesn’t make much sense. If the earbuds sound great, fit you well, and there are no problems with their build quality, there’s no reason to replace them. Well, except for the battery life.
To maximize the value you get from your purchase, most gymheads will recommend you to buy Bluetooth earbuds that last at least one or two hours more than you need them to last. For starters: “Manufacturers like to measure battery life under ideal conditions. As you may know, batteries last longer in colder temperatures”.
Testing a pair of Bluetooth earbuds in an air-conditioned room will yield different results than testing the same earbuds outside in the scorching heat. In practice, this often means that earbuds that are advertised to have a 5-hour battery life last 4 hours tops.
Then you need to factor in the natural and inevitable decrease of battery capacity over time. Suddenly, those 5-hour earbuds start to look very limiting, and it becomes obvious why it makes sense to spend extra on earbuds with a fantastic battery life.
But don’t forget that there’s another important specification connected to battery life that you mustn’t overlook: The charging time. You better believe me when I say that some earbuds take ridiculously long time to charge. Imagine how frustrating it is to wake up in the morning and half an hour before your jogging you realize that you don’t have enough time to “pump the juice” in your earbuds so they have enough power for the entire running session.
The batteries inside Bluetooth earbuds are so small that it should never take you more than 30 minutes to get a full charge. Some earbuds even support quick charge technologies that can make the whole charging process last just a few minutes.
How To Charge Your Bluetooth Earbuds?
Most Bluetooth earbuds come with a charging cable but no charging adapter. How should you then charge your Bluetooth earbuds to keep the battery healthy for as long as possible? The answer is simple: Use your smartphones adapter, just like any other device powered by a Lithium-ion battery.
A Lithium-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery in which lithium ions move from the positive electrode to the negative electrode during charging and back again during discharging. Compared to the metallic Lithium used in a non-rechargeable Lithium battery, a rechargeable Lithium-ion battery uses an intercalated Lithium compound as one electrode material.
Lithium-ion batteries have become very common in home and portable electronics, powering everything from laptops to smartphones to earbuds. Compared to lead-acid batteries, the absence of heavy lead plates and acid electrolyte makes Lithium-ion batteries lighter and safer to handle.
Most Lithium-ion batteries are based on lithium cobalt oxide, which offers excellent energy density. The biggest downside of Lithium-ion batteries is the risk of fire and explosion caused either by a physical damage or improper charging and discharging.
Many tips on how to charge batteries come from the time when lead-acid batteries accounted for half of all battery sales worldwide. We’re talking about the time before smartphones, smartwatches, wireless headphones, and lightweight laptops with long battery lives. The one tip you’re most likely to hear from older folks is to always charge to the maximum capacity. With Lithium-ion batteries, charging to the maximum capacity isn’t just unnecessary—it’s undesirable to do so.
High voltages stress Lithium-ion batteries and reduce their life. Ideally, you should charge your Bluetooth earbuds slightly below their maximum capacity. Yes, they won’t last as long as if you charged them to the maximum capacity, but you greatly extend the service life of the battery. But since most charging adapters can’t be adjusted, the next best thing is never going beyond the maximum capacity.
Lithium-ion batteries are unable to absorb overcharge. Charging being the maximum capacity would cause plating of metallic Lithium and ultimately make the battery unstable. Luckily for you, all Bluetooth earbuds come with a charging circuit with protective features that automates the charging process and keeps the Lithium-ion battery at the peak cut-off as short as possible to minimize stress. To compensate for the small self-discharge the battery and its protective circuit consume some earbuds, apply a brief topping charge when the open circuit voltage drops to a certain level.
When charging your Bluetooth earbuds, keep them turned off for the entire duration of the charging process. This way, the battery will be able to reach the set voltage threshold unhindered. By keeping the earbuds on, the charging circuit might continue charging, causing unnecessary stress.
The charging process is automated by the charging circuit, but the charging process is also influenced by the charging adapter. Charging adapters for smartphones and tablets are designed to convert alternating current to direct current and output 5 volts.
What varies from an adapter to adapter is the maximum amount of current the adapter can supply. This is expressed in amperes, often shortened to amps. For fast charging, you want to use an adapter that can supply at least 1 amp. If you have an adapter that can supply 2 or more amps, don’t be afraid to use it. Your earbuds will always draw only as much current as they need.
How Long Does It Take to Charge New Bluetooth Earbuds?
You may be lucky and receive your new Bluetooth earbuds fully charged from the manufacturer. In that case, don’t waste any time, pair them with your smartphone, and start listening to your favorite music. It’s more likely, however, that your new earbuds will be without battery power when you first take them out of the box. It’s best to charge your new Bluetooth earbuds according to the user’s manual.
I recommend you not to rush the first charge. Give the earbuds as much time as they need to reach the maximum battery level. If you can, leave the earbuds charging overnight. The charging circuit inside the earbuds will automatically detect when the battery is fully charged and interrupt the charging process.
The first time you use your new Bluetooth earbuds, you’ll be understandably curious to find out how long they last, which means using them until you run out of battery power. The good news is that such testing doesn’t damage the battery in any way. Modern Lithium-ion batteries, don’t exhibit the dreaded memory effect, which is observed in nickel-cadmium and nickel–metal hydride rechargeable batteries and causes them to hold less charge.
Just don’t be surprised to get a slightly shorter battery life than the manufacturer has specified on their website. Like all other battery types, Lithium-ion batteries are affected by the temperature of the environment in which they operate. The optimal temperature is around 20°C (68°F) or slightly below.
Increase the temperature to 40°C (104°F), and 40 percent of the electricity stored inside the battery gets wasted. Low temperatures decrease the performance of Lithium-ion batteries and cause the internal resistance to rise, which results in warming effect and a further loss of power.
A typical Lithium-ion battery can deliver around 500 cycles when charged to its maximum capacity. You can greatly increase the number of charge cycles by charging your earbuds slightly below the maximum capacity. For every 0.10 volts drop below the maximum charge level, you can expect to get twice as many charge cycles from the battery.
A battery charged at 4.10 volts, instead of 4.20 volts, has 90 percent of the maximum available energy, but it should last up to 1000 charge cycles instead of just 500.
Most Bluetooth earbuds have a small LED indicator light that tells you when the battery is charged to its maximum capacity. Sometimes, this light is set to activate at a lower voltage than the maximum voltage the battery can reach during charging.
You could test whether this happens with your headphones by comparing the playback time of the earbuds charged according to the LED indicator light with the playback of the earbuds that were left charging even after the indicator light had turned on. But because that would take a lot of time, we simply recommend you leave your earbuds charging for a short while even when the light starts telling that the charging process is over.
How Do You Know If Your Bluetooth Earbuds Battery Is Low?
Bluetooth earbuds indicate battery capacity in several different ways. Some earbuds have a LED indicator light (or lights), which visually indicate the battery capacity either by changing color or by blinking. For example, Plantronics, a US-based electronics company producing audio communications equipment for business and consumers, displays battery status by flashing a small LED light. One red flash means that the battery is less than 1/3 full, two flashes mean that it’s between 1/3 to 2/3 full, and three flashes mean that the battery is fully charged.
- Low Battery Led Light Notification
When a manufacturer indicates battery capacity using different colors, green usually means full battery, yellow means that the battery is half empty, and red means that the battery is almost empty. When an array of LEDs is used, each LED represents a certain amount of charge. If there are three LEDs on your Bluetooth earbuds, each represents one-third of battery capacity. If there are five LEDs, each represents 20 percent. You get the idea.
- Low Battery Sound Notification
Another way how earbud manufacturers inform users about how much battery power they have left in their Bluetooth earbuds is using sound notifications. You may hear a slightly robotic voice, or it could be just a series of beeps. This can get slightly annoying if the manufacturer goes overboard and plays sound notifications too often.
Some earbud manufacturers give you the option to turn battery level notifications off, but don’t count on it. The obvious advantage of sound notifications over visual notifications is that they allow you to keep the earbuds on and still know how much battery power you have available.
- Low Battery Visual Notification
Modern versions of the Bluetooth protocol come with a feature called Battery Service (BAS), which was adopted in 2011. Bluetooth earbuds that implement this feature can send their battery status to smartphones and other Bluetooth-enabled devices.
Android smartphones, for example, can then display the battery status of the earbuds as a fillable icon on the left side of the notification bar. Earbud manufacturers also sometimes offer their own smartphone apps to allow users to remotely control their headphones and see the current battery status.
It’s impossible to know that your Bluetooth earbuds are low on battery power based on their sound quality and loudness alone. Bluetooth earbuds are voltage-regulated to automatically maintain a constant voltage level regardless of battery capacity or changes to load conditions. Whenever you start to hear the bass fading away when the amount of available battery power reaches single digits, you’re probably experiencing the placebo effect.
That said, if you run out of battery power and own a pair of wired noise-canceling earbuds, you won’t be able to use the noise canceling feature. Without it, the earbuds are likely to sound different compared to when you listen to them with noise canceling turned on.
Design
There are two main approaches to designing Bluetooth earbuds. One is to integrate all essential electronics to the cable that connects earbuds together. This means that the vast majority of the total weight rests on your neck. Manufacturers can easily integrate bigger batteries and earbuds can be to the same size as with regular wired earbuds.
The biggest downside can be observed when you try to use this type of Bluetooth earbuds in the gym. That big part on your neck tends to dig deep into your skin when you lay down on a bench. This can result in some serious discomfort on one hand and in a total destruction of your earbuds on the other.
Alternatively, manufacturers integrate all electric components directly into the earbuds themselves. The cable connecting them is thus made unobtrusive. This design is definitely a much better choice for the gym or any other sport where you are required to lay down. However, the added weight to individual earbuds can sometimes be problematic during jogging too.
Your choice should then depend on the type of sport you are most likely to be engaged in. Some Bluetooth earbuds are even separated from each other. They sometimes look like stereo headsets, which they essentially are. This type of Bluetooth earbuds is much rarer and usually not suited for sports activities as it is easily possible to lose the earpiece.
Compatibility
Most users will want to pair their earbuds with Android or iOS smartphones and tablets. You should have absolutely no problems connecting to these devices with the vast majority of modern Bluetooth earbuds. The pairing process usually doesn’t require more than a few clicks and some earbuds even support connection to multiple devices at the same time.
Price
Even if we wouldn’t want to, we would still need to consider price as one of the most important aspects of any purchase decision we make. Anything related to audio can be very cheap, insanely expensive, or anything in between.
The amount of money that you are willing to spend on your audio gear will greatly determine what kind of products you will be looking at. If you are on a very limited budget – don’t despair!
These days, it is possible to purchase a fantastic pair of earbuds or headphones for a very good price.
Here at Headphones Lab, we have carefully handpicked the most popular Bluetooth earbuds for running and gym usage. Each pair of earbuds has been tested and this comprehensive list is the final result of our effort to give you a trustworthy guide for selecting your next pair of workout in-ear headphones.
Brands
Bluetooth headphones and earbuds have become so popular over the past few years that even more traditional manufacturers of audio equipment have introduced their own portable devices. We have selected the top 7 most influential brands that shape the current landscape of Bluetooth earbuds for running and gym. Purchasing a pair of Bluetooth earbuds from one of these manufacturers guarantees that you get an excellent sound quality and durability.
Beats
Founded in 2008 by music producer and rapper Dr. Dre and later acquired by Apple for $3 billion, Beats Electronics has changed how we think about portable audio. All headphones and earbuds with the characteristic “b” logo are easily recognizable by their musical sound signature, sturdy build, and stylish exterior. The company’s best-known Bluetooth headphones for running are the Beats Powerbeats 2, which pack a lot of punch into a small, convenient package.
Plantronics
Plantronics is an electronics company producing audio communications equipment headquartered in Santa Cruz, California. Not only does their history date back all the way to the early 1960s, but they were also worked hand-in-hand with NASA to create and design for a small, lightweight headset to be used in the Mercury spacecraft. Their experience is immediately apparent when you take a look at the Plantronics BackBeat Fit Bluetooth in-Ear Headphones.
Jabra
A subsidiary of GN Netcom, Jabra develops, manufactures and markets wireless and corded headsets from Copenhagen, Denmark. Jabra is often recognized as one of the more progressive headphone manufacturers in the world. Indeed, their Jabra Sport Pulse and Jabra Sport Pace earbuds show their ability to combine remarkable functionality with an attractive design that matches the preferences of modern customers.
Photive
Photive was founded by people who love music and technology, which shows in the company’s approach to product design and marketing. Their headphones are meant for everyday use at work, school, gym, track or while commuting. Bluetooth earbuds such as the Photive PH-BTE70 offer an unparalleled value and can be wholeheartedly recommended to everyone who’s on a tight budget.
MEE Audio
MEE stands for Music Enjoyment for Everyone, and this acronym perfectly describes what the company stands for. They have been producing headphones and earphones for both casual listeners and audiophiles around the world since 2005. Many of their latest products, including the amazing MEE Audio AF18, are among the best Bluetooth earbuds you can currently purchase.
SoundPEATS
SoundPEATS was founded in 2010 with an intention to engage in designing, researching and developing world-class acoustic products. The company has since then maintained a steady growth rate of 1.5 to 2, despite the global economic downfall. The SoundPEATS Q11 and other headphones manufactured by SoundPEATS are affordable, durable, and perform above their price range.
JLab
Founded in 2005, JLab Audio is an award-winning designer of personal audio products. Their mission is to enhance an active lifestyle through incredible sound, inspired design, and innovative technology without the premium price that often comes with such products. Their success is apparent when you put on the JLab Epic and immerse yourself in the well-defined sonic landscape they create.
What Is The Armband And Do I Need One?
Even before the Bluetooth earbuds for the gym, running, and sports, armbands were the most convenient option. It still is one of the most convenient solutions.
In case you don’t know what an armband is, I’m pretty sure you’ve at least seen it at least a couple of times.
An armband is an attachment that is usually strapped around the arm, precisely biceps. It uses velcro to give the ability to the users to tighten it as preferred. On the other side, it features a pocket which serves as a mobile phone holder.
It’s very convenient for running, because, nobody likes to carry their mobile phone in the pocket. When you place your mobile phone in the armband, you get a clear look (to check running information), you can use it quickly (to change songs or answer calls), and the best thing is you won’t experience cable mess ever again.
No matter if you use wired or wireless earbuds, I’d still recommend you to get an armband. It’s the most convenient option for runners who like to listen to the music directly from their phone. At the same time, it’s a convenient option for people who go to the gym and need their phone close to them.
You’d want to get an armband if you want to have both hands free, zero worries about your mobile phone, and a compatible way to protect it while you’re outside.
What Is Ear Hook Attachment For Earbuds?
Remember when you saw the weird things attached to the earbuds that one time? Yes, that are ear hooks. While it might seem weird at first (as we are all used to the standard earbuds), ear hooks have an important role.
It’s most likely you will see ear hooks on earbuds which are specifically designed for sports, running, and the gym. You might wonder what’s their purpose? Their purpose is to make sure the earbuds don’t fall out while running or working out.
If you have a hard time making sure your earbuds don’t fall out when you’re running or working out, you should definitely give ear hooks a try. You can purchase ear hooks separately and add them to your earbuds.
This way, you won’t have to sacrifice any sound quality, yet get to keep your favorite earbuds.
While they might look weird, once you put them on, they will make you feel secure and comfortable running or working out with your earbuds. At the same time, they’re very comfortable and aren’t even that visible since they’re placed behind your ear.
What Could I Do To Stop Earbuds From Falling Out While Running?
Let’s face it. Everyone’s been there at least once. Not being able to enjoy your run because your earbuds are trying to fall out isn’t very pleasant. Even worse, if you own a pair of good Bluetooth earbuds, you could end up spending hours to find them in the grass after they fall out of your ears in the middle of your running session.
The worst case scenario is losing your earbuds, and I am sure nobody wants that.
The simplest solution to this was invented by the athletes back in the day. They used a piece of tape, so they would tape the ear while the earbud is inside. This way, earbud can’t fall out as long as the tape is holding it in place.
However, this wasn’t such a great fix once you start sweating.
Some runners are using their sweatband to secure their earbuds but sometimes sweatband is too tight and it tends to push the eabuds deeper in your ear canal. That can lead to ear infection especially if you sweat a lot during the exercise.
The best solution is to find a pair of silicone ear hooks and attach them to your earbuds. It’s a comfortable way to one of the most annoying problems. Also, the most inexpensive way as well.
Where To Store My Bluetooth Earbuds After The Gym Or Running Session?
Keeping your earbuds safe even when you aren’t using them is as important. You want to store your earbuds in a warm place, away from dust and moist air. And of course, a place you won’t lose them. It’s always harder to find your Bluetooth earbuds than wired earbuds.
Most of the time, Bluetooth earbuds come with a storage box which is also a recharging unit or a little bag that serves as a storage for the earbuds.
However, if you haven’t got one, you have nothing to sweat about. While it might be a bit harder to find a storage for earbuds, it’s still possible.
It’s most likely you can even use anything you have around the home until you get something better. You can use the storage of sunglasses, small jewelry boxes, or even keep the original packaging until you find a better storage unit.
The best place to store your Bluetooth earbuds after running or the gym is always on the table, whether you have a proper storage unit or not. You won’t lose them as easily, and you will always have an eye on them.
What Gym Equipment To Use Or Avoid When Wearing Bluetooth Earbuds?
Gyms are full of equipment and bars you are able to use. If you were using wired earbuds, you would have to be careful about too many types of equipment or types of exercises.
However, with the Bluetooth earbuds, you won’t have to pay too much attention. You will have to be just a bit precaution about some equipment, and you will find out which ones in the rest of this article.
Down below, you will find a list of equipment with a brief explanation whether you should avoid it, how careful you have to be around it when you use Bluetooth earbuds and even find tips on a few types of equipment.
That’s why Bluetooth earbuds are always a better choice than wired earbuds in the gym. But you can never be too safe, so here we go.
- Dip Station
You shouldn’t have any problems using dip station with your Bluetooth earbuds. However, you might be careful not to drop your earbuds during dipping, since you could later step on them. Make sure your earbuds fit well during the whole exercise. Either get earbuds with a great fit or ear hooks.
- Rowing Machine
There is absolutely no reason to avoid rowing machine. If you’re using Bluetooth earbuds, you’re completely safe, rather than using wired headphones. You shouldn’t skip the rowing machine, yet use your Bluetooth earbuds to help you do a few extra reps.
- Treadmill
While there are no reasons you should avoid a treadmill, I would advise you to be extra careful about your Bluetooth earbuds. You should be 100% sure they won’t fall out during running on a treadmill. If they do, you might even end up breaking the treadmill and get yourself into a dangerous situation.
If your Bluetooth earbuds tend to drop out of your ears, I’d suggest you look into ear hooks you can additionally purchase and add to your earbuds. This will make sure that your earbuds don’t drop during running on a treadmill, and you will be able to focus on the running.
- Stationary Bike
The stationary bike offers a comfortable position where your lower body is working, while the upper body is resting. There is no much movement going on with your head, and even if your earbuds tend to drop out, you should be safe using a stationary bike, and there’s no reason to avoid it.
- Recumbent Bike
The same thing of stationary bike applies to the recumbent bike. The recumbent bike offers the even more comfortable position and absolutely no risk of performing the exercise with your Bluetooth earbuds. My advice is to go for it and not worry about a thing.
- Spin Bike
As you have probably realized, bike of any type are pretty safe to use, and I’d even recommend them to be safe for people who are still using wired earphones. There is no way to get hurt or get your Bluetooth earbuds damaged with a spin bike, so don’t avoid it.
- Battle Ropes
With the battle ropes, you will use a lot of your upper muscles and have a pretty good amount of movement. However, that won’t affect your Bluetooth earbuds, and both you and the earbuds are pretty safe. You shouldn’t avoid battle ropes either.
- Kettlebells
Kettlebells might be a bit of a problem for wired earbuds users, but Bluetooth earbuds users will have no problem using kettlebells for their exercise. You have nothing to worry about as it’s you and your earbuds will be pretty safe no matter the movement you make.
- Bench Press
There is no difference with bench press either. The position is comfortable and even wired earbud users will be able to perform it by paying extra attention to their wire. Therefore, Bluetooth users really have nothing to worry about. Your Bluetooth earbuds will be safe and definitely won’t be in a way.
- Hammer Strength Machine
While hammer strength machine might seem a bit intimidating, you won’t have any problem using it with your Bluetooth earbuds. It offers a comfortable body and head position – your earbuds won’t even have a chance to fall out. It’s pretty safe to use and don’t avoid it.
- Lat Pull-Down Machine
If you’re using a lat pull-down machine to pull the bar behind your head, be careful about not pressing the bar against your Bluetooth earbud cable (if you happen to have the version with the cable that goes behind your neck). If you don’t have the cable, there’s nothing to worry about.
- Pec Deck Machine
Pec deck machine offers a comfortable position where you won’t be moving any head movements at all. Therefore, this machine is safe for Bluetooth earbuds users, as well as wired headphones users. No need to avoid pec deck machine.
- Dumbbells
With dumbbells, you can perform different types of exercises. However, they still won’t be a problem with your Bluetooth earbuds. You don’t need to avoid dumbbells, yet use them to your advantage. Bluetooth earbuds definitely won’t get in your way so there’s nothing to worry about.
- Pull-up Bar
Even though the pull-up bar requires a lot of body movement, there still is no reason to avoid it the exercise. Your Bluetooth earbuds are safe as they won’t get in your way no matter how hard you go at it. If you used wired earphones, this would be a different story.
- Preacher Bench
Preacher bench is very simple and easy to use, and you shouldn’t have even a single worry. Your Bluetooth earbuds won’t get in a way, and they won’t affect the way you perform the exercise. Therefore, you shouldn’t avoid preacher bench at all.
- Reverse Hyper
If you were using wired headphones, reverse hyper would definitely give you a bit of trouble due to the wire. But with Bluetooth earbuds, there’s nothing to worry about. Your earbuds won’t get in your way, and even if they fall out of your ears, there won’t be any danger or damage.
- Stair Stepper
Stair stepper might be a problem for Bluetooth earbud users who have a problem with their earbuds falling out from their ears. The last thing you need is jamming and breaking the stair stepper by dropping your earbud which would directly go inside the machine. Make sure your earbuds are safe in your ears.
- Leg Press Machine
Leg press machine is pretty simple and straightforward. There is absolutely no reason to avoid the exercise using this machine. Even if you have used wired earbuds, you wouldn’t have a problem as long as you manage your wire well.
- Hack Squat Machine
It’s easy to say that your Bluetooth earbuds won’t cause a problem or prevent you from exercising using the hack squat machine. On the other hand, if you were using wired earbuds, you might have a bit of a problem and you would have to find a way to manage the wire properly.
- Leg Abduction / Abduction Machine
Leg abduction machine is pretty straightforward. I couldn’t think of a single reason why Bluetooth earbuds could cause you a problem or issues. Therefore, you can use the leg abduction machine without a single worry on your mind.
- Inversion Table
If your Bluetooth earbuds don’t tend to fall out, there’s no reason to avoid the inversion table. Just make sure they fit well in your ear and aren’t going to fall out once you invert yourself. I wouldn’t suggest using wired earbuds on the inversion table.
- Smith Machine
Smith machine offers a few various exercises, and if you’re planning to do squats in the smith machine, make sure you don’t place the bar on the cable behind your head (on the neck).
Some Bluetooth earbuds tend to have a cable which connects both earbuds together, and usually, it has a controller. All you have to be careful about is not to destroy your cable or controller.
- Cable Pulley Machine
Just like the smith machine, cable pulley machine offers various exercises to be performed. If you happen to be pulling a bar or anything behind your neck, be careful about the cable or controller which most of Bluetooth earbuds have.
Pros And Cons Of Bluetooth Earbuds Designed For Running And Gym
Just like any other device, believe it or not, Bluetooth earbuds have its own pros and cons. While they might seem like an awesome solution to get rid of the wires, they have other things you should consider.
Bluetooth earbuds depend on the Bluetooth connection and they also depend on the battery as a power source. Therefore, they tend to be a bit more complicated than the wired earphones. However, that’s not something that should stop you.
When it comes to running and gym, Bluetooth earbuds are always a better choice than wired earphones. But with so many manufacturers and different Bluetooth earbuds models, you should still be careful about which model will you invest in.
Therefore, below in this post, almost at the ending, you are able to see the pros and cons of Bluetooth earbuds when it comes to running, gym, sports, and other activities. This will make your decision way easier, so that’s why it’s included in this post.
Along with the pros and cons, you shouldn’t ignore other factors as well. But since we’re here talking about the Bluetooth earbuds designed specifically for sports, this is what you should know.
-
Pros
The greatest thing about Bluetooth earbuds which are designed for running, gym, and the sports is there is no hassle with the cables anymore.
Therefore, you won’t have your movements limited and you can enjoy almost any sport, as you would without the earbuds.
They’re specifically designed to bring music to people who are doing various activities where cable might create a problem. Wireless is really important when it comes to the sports.
-
Cons
While Bluetooth earbuds are a great way to eliminate the wire situation, its wireless connectivity might not be able to provide as quality sounds as wired earphones.
Therefore, getting fairly decent sounding Bluetooth earbuds might cost you a bit more. From time to time, there might be some disrupting in the connectivity, but I don’t find that to be a big issue as it goes by quickly.
Is It Difficult To Clean Bluetooth Earbuds?
Cleaning your Bluetooth earbuds doesn’t need to be complicated. If you know what to do, you can give a new life to any old, disgusting pair of earbuds. All you need is a few basic household items and about 10 minutes of free time. We’ve already written a comprehensive guide on how to clean earbuds, so make sure to check it out to learn many useful tips and tricks.
The cliff notes are as follows: using a toothpick, you carefully remove any earwax that has gotten inside the earbuds. Make sure not to push it too far—you might damage the sensitive membrane inside. Then, take a piece of cloth or a cotton pad and soak it in isopropyl alcohol or other suitable ethanol-based cleaning solution and use it to clean the exterior of the earbuds.
Never submerge Bluetooth earbuds in any liquid—unless your earbuds are waterproof, the liquid will enter inside and cause irreparable damage. Also, avoid cleaning your earbuds when they are turned on.
How Often Should You Clean Your Wireless Earbuds?
How often you need, really. If you’re careful and follow our instructions, you won’t cause any damage even if you clean your earbuds every single day. That said, with proper hygiene, it should be enough to clean your earbuds once in a while.
How to Run with Bluetooth Earbuds?
Bluetooth earbuds are perfect for running. The absence of wires allows you to move freely without dealing with an annoying cable that’s constantly bouncing around, causing the dreaded microphonics effect. But without any wire connecting your Bluetooth earbuds to your smartphone, an excellent fit is necessary not just for a great listening experience but also to keep the earbuds in place and prevent them from falling on the ground.
We encourage you to read our guide on how to run with earbuds. In the guide, we examine the topic of running with earbuds in much greater detail than we can here.
But if you don’t have enough time to read the full guide and just want to know the most important tips, here they are:
- Keep your earbuds clean: Earwax serves an important role, protecting the human ear by cleaning the inside of the ear canal and providing protection against bacteria, fungi, insects, and water. It also serves as a lubricant, which can be a double-edged sword when trying to achieve a secure earbud fit for running. Knowing how important earwax is, you should never try to completely eliminate it from your ears. Your body would quickly produce more of it anyway. That said, it’s a good idea to wipe off earwax from the outer part of your ears before inserting your earbuds. The dryer the part of your ears that comes in contact with your earbuds, the more secure the fit will be.
- Use the right eartips: By far the most common type of eartips is also the one type that isn’t really suitable for running. We’re talking, of course, about single-flange silicone eartips. Double- and triple-flange silicone eartips are more secure because they insert much deeper into ears, but some people don’t like the deep insertion and say that it causes a lot of discomfort after a while. For this reason, your safest bet is foam eartips. This type of eartips inserts deeper than single-flange silicone eartips and perfectly accommodates the shape of your ears. Even if your Bluetooth earbuds haven’t come with a pair of replaceable foam eartips, you can purchase a pair for just a few dollars and replace them yourself.
- Check the orientation of the earbuds: It’s so easy to accidentally insert the wrong earbud in the wrong ear. While some pairs of earbuds are identical, most earbuds suitable for running are anatomically shaped to fit only in one way: the right earbud in the right ear and the left earbud in the left ear. We know how small and indecipherable the letters L and R can be, but it really pays off to spend the extra few seconds to locate them.
- Use ear clips: For just a few dollars, you can buy a pair of plastic ear clips on Amazon or eBay and use them with virtually any pair of earbuds. Ear clips keep the earbuds looped around your ears, creating another point of contact that helps to keep the earbuds in place when you run.
- Wear a sweatband: By wearing a sweatband around your ears, you can keep your earbuds securely in place and keep your ears warm when it gets cold outside. As a nice bonus, the sweatband will keep sweat away both from the earbuds and from your eyes.
How Bluetooth Earbuds Work?
Bluetooth earbuds rely on the Bluetooth wireless transmission standard to receive digital audio data over short distances. Bluetooth was invented in 1994 by Ericsson, a multinational networking and telecommunications equipment, and services company headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden.
Back in the day, telecommunications companies such as Ericsson heavily relied on the RS-232 standard for serial communication transmission of data. Depending on how old you are, you may remember connecting an old printer, modem, or a computer mouse to an RS-232 serial port, which looks like the VGA port.
The most significant limitation of the RS-232 standard is the fact that it sends data one bit at a time, in a scheme called serial communication. While some devices do still send data in this way, modern computers use serial communication as well as parallel communication, which sends multiple binary digits simultaneously. A new standard was needed, and Bluetooth was the answer.
Bluetooth operates at frequencies between 2400 and 2483.5 MHz. This range is divided into 79 channels, or 40 in the case of Bluetooth Low Energy, also known as Bluetooth LE and BLE. Bluetooth uses a radio technology called adaptive frequency-hopping spread spectrum (AFH) to rapidly switch between the available channels as it transmits data packets from the source device to the target device.
This increases the resistance to narrowband interference, makes it difficult to intercept the transmitted data, and allows Bluetooth to share a frequency band with many types of conventional transmissions with minimal interference.
The support for AFH was added to the Bluetooth standard with the release of the version 1.2. The same version also included improved transmission speeds, Extended Synchronous Connections (eSCO) for improved audio quality, Host Controller Interface (HCI), and Flow Control and Retransmission Modes for L2CAP. But it was only with the release of Bluetooth 2.1 when the transmission standard took off in consumer electronics.
Before the version 2.1, two Bluetooth-enabled devices could be paired with each other only if each device entered the same PIN code. Of course, earbuds don’t come with keypads, so manufacturers used fixed PINs, such as 0000, 1234, and so on.
Bluetooth 2.1 introduced a new pairing mechanism known as Secure Simple Pairing (SSP). The new pairing mechanism has maintained compatibility with the legacy pairing mechanism but added several additional authentication mechanisms. Bluetooth 2.1 devices with limited IO capabilities, such as earbuds, use a pairing method known as Just works.
As the name implies, this method doesn’t require any input from the user even though it’s more secure than the legacy pairing mechanism. A simple confirmation prompt is usually displayed by Bluetooth-enabled devices with an operating system, but no further interaction or configuration is necessary.
With every subsequent release of a new version of the Bluetooth standard, the Bluetooth SIG, the body that oversees the development of Bluetooth standards, has been improving transmission speeds, range, power consumption, as well as adding new features. Better audio compression algorithms have also appeared, such as aptX from Qualcomm, making Bluetooth earbuds virtually indistinguishable from wired earbuds in terms of their sound quality.
Is It Possible To Increase Bluetooth Range For Earbuds?
The answer to this question is both yes and no, depending on how far you’re willing to go to increase the range of your earbuds. If you want to increase the range of your home router, you can usually just swap the antenna for a larger one, use a less cluttered Wi-Fi channel, or place the router somewhere with less interference.
None of this is possible with Bluetooth earbuds. The Bluetooth chip has an integrated antenna, you can’t tell your earbuds which Bluetooth channel to use, and the location of your earbuds always changes as you move around the house and outside.
You can, however, increase the range of your Bluetooth earbuds by pairing them with a device that supports the same version of the protocol as the earbuds. If your earbuds support Bluetooth 4.2 but your smartphone supports only Bluetooth 4.0, you won’t be able to reach the upper range limit. Of course, the same applies the other way around.
Pairing your latest high-end Samsung, Xiaomi, or Apple smartphone with old Bluetooth earbuds is guaranteed to significantly reduce the maximum listening range.
Just like Wi-Fi, the strength of a Bluetooth signal is affected by physical barriers. If you’re using Bluetooth earbuds for home listening and would like to move around your apartment or house without dealing with constant signal drops, place the source device away from hard obstacles, preferably somewhere where you can maintain a clear line-of-sight between the two connected devices.
Finally, you could consider purchasing a Bluetooth repeater, which is an electronic device that amplifies the Bluetooth signal. Due to the steep price of Bluetooth repeaters and their limited availability, we can’t recommend them as a good solution for individual home listeners.
Because of how much has the effective transmission range of Bluetooth earbuds increased over the years, most earbud owners don’t ever need to apply the tips above to listen without any signal drops. And with Bluetooth 5.0, which is starting to make its way into smartphones and earbuds, the maximum range should increase four times compared to Bluetooth 4.2. If you pair a Bluetooth 5.0 smartphone paired with Bluetooth 5.0 earbuds, you should be able to listen to music over up to 800 feet.
Is It Difficult To Pair Bluetooth Earbuds With My iPhone?
To connect Bluetooth earbuds to your iPhone, go to Settings, select General, and tap on the Bluetooth option. There, you’ll find an on/off switch with the word Bluetooth next to it. Tap on it so it’s green. Once you enable Bluetooth, your iPhone will automatically start looking for nearby Bluetooth devices.
Provided that your Bluetooth earbuds are turned on, and you’ve activated the pairing mode, you should see them appear on the list of available Bluetooth devices on your iPhone. Simply click on them and, if prompted, confirm the pairing. Your Bluetooth earbuds should now be connected to your iPhone.
The step that most people get stuck on is putting their earbuds in pairing mode. The exact steps vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but the basic idea is always the same: you want to press a particular button (or a combination of buttons) to make your earbuds visible to other Bluetooth devices, more specifically your iPhone.
In most cases, this is achieved by pressing and holding the power button for three to five seconds, or until an indicator light on the earbuds either change color or starts flashing. Some earbuds may have a dedicated button just for pairing, while some earbuds may use the play button, instead of the power button, to activate the pairing mode.
The good news is that, unless you get a new iPhone, you need to go through the initial pairing process only once. After you go through it for the first time, your iPhone should remember your earbuds and connect them automatically for you.
How Can I Make My Bluetooth Earbuds Sound Better?
Bluetooth earbuds receive an audio signal in a digital form. Digital signals are nothing more than streams of ones and zeros. Because all ones and zeros are equal, digital signals offer much more consistent sound quality than audio signals.
It’s only when the stream of ones and zeros is interrupted when you’re reminded that something is wrong because your music has stopped playing or the playback has started to skip. To prevent this from happening, you should always use matching Bluetooth standards and try to minimize interference caused by nearby electrical devices.
Use Matching Bluetooth Standards
Bluetooth as a wireless transmission technology is constantly improving. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group (SIG), which is a group with more than 30,000 member companies in the areas of telecommunication, computing, networking, and consumer electronics, is responsible for managing Bluetooth and ensuring that Bluetooth-compatible devices meet Bluetooth SIG standards.
Even today, you can still find surprisingly many earbuds with Bluetooth 2.1 on sites like Amazon. Bluetooth 2.1 was released in 2007, and the standard has come a long way since then. If you’ve bought a new smartphone for the last five years, it most likely supports Bluetooth 4.0, perhaps even Bluetooth 4.1 or Bluetooth 4.2. And if you’ve bought a new smartphone recently, it probably supports Bluetooth 5.0.
The newer versions of Bluetooth offer much better transmission speeds and longer transmission ranges. They also support modern sound compression technologies, which eliminate any perceivable difference in quality between wired and wireless earbuds. To take advantage of these improvements, both your Bluetooth earbuds and your smartphone must support the same version of Bluetooth.
Minimize Interference
Most Bluetooth earbuds have the maximum effective range up to 30 ft. You can increase the range by minimizing interference caused by electrical devices and obstacles. Bluetooth earbuds operate in in the ISM band from 2.4 to 2.485 GHz. You microwave, for example, emits electromagnetic radiation between 300 MHz and 300 GHz. Wi-Fi also operates in the 2.4 GHz frequency range. While Wi-Fi signals shouldn’t theoretically interfere with Bluetooth signals because both types of signals are relatively weak, that’s not always the case in practice.
When listening to Bluetooth earbuds indoors, obstacles, such as walls and furniture, are also a big problem. A single thick, brick wall between your smartphone and your earbuds is often enough to cut off the signal and interrupt the playback. Phone cases can also make a difference, especially when they’re made from aluminum.
Avoid Highly Compressed Music Files and Audio Streams
Low bitrate music files and audio streams can ruin the sound of any earbuds. This is especially a problem in the current day and age of online streaming and file sharing. Back when music was sold on CDs, it was stored as uncompressed PCM stereo audio.
Because a single uncompressed song can have hundreds of megabytes, the MP3 file format, a form of lossy data compression to encode data using inexact approximations and partial data discarding to reduce file sizes, have become the most used format for digital audio.
When you listen to a low-bitrate MP3 file, you may notice that it sounds rather dull and lifeless compared to the uncompressed original. The file has been compressed so much that many details have been discarded. Depending on how good your hearing is, you may be more sensitive to low-bitrate music than other people.
While most people should be able to distinguish a 128 kbit/s MP3 file from its uncompressed counterpart, it’s relatively rare for people to notice the difference between a 320 kbit/s MP3 and uncompressed audio stored on an audio-CD, which has a bit rate of 1,411.2 kbit/s. If you know that you can’t notice any quality difference in bitrates over, let’s say, 192 kbit/s, there’s no point in going above this number. But if your internet connection allows you to listen to music at the highest bitrate your ears allow you to appreciate, go for it.
Achieve the Perfect Fit
How well your Bluetooth earbuds fit you greatly influences how well they sound. An improper fit can cause bass to disappear and outside noise to creep in and mix with your music. Achieving a great fit is often easier than it sounds. The gist is to create a tight seal between the eartips and your ears without putting so much pressure on the delicate skin inside your ears that it would cause discomfort or even pain. A pair of foam eartips is often all that’s needed to achieve this objective.
Comply is by far the most popular brand of foam eartips. The company has been manufacturing foam eartips since 1990 when Robert Oliveira, Ph.D. spun the Comply brand of products out of 3M. The development of Comply eartips was preceded by Robert’s demonstration that the shape and opening of the ear canal changes as one’s jaw opens and closes, according to the official website of the company.
Because of their unique properties, foam eartips can change their shape as the shape of one’s ear canal changes, constantly maintaining a tight seal. Over 75 manufacturers of earbuds choose Comply as their supplier of foam eartips, so the chances that you’ve received a pair as a bonus accessory with your Bluetooth earbuds are high.
Play with EQ Settings
Don’t forget that the sound signature of your Bluetooth earbuds isn’t set in stone. If you don’t like the amount of the bass they have, find the highs to be overwhelmingly bright, or would prefer the mids to be more prominent, you can change everything by playing with the EQ settings on your smartphone.
Most smartphones come with several EQ presets that eliminate all the complexity commonly associated with sound equalization. There are entire online communities of audio enthusiasts dedicated to the topic, and if you can spend just a few hours learning the basics of how music equalization works, you’ll be able to adjust the sound of any earbuds you own.