# In-ear bluetooth headphones



## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

What do you like? 



I have a couple pairs of great wired headphones, but I'm shopping for a new pair of bluetooth headphones after losing a pair of Sony WF-1000XM3’s in the snow this weekend. 



I use 2 wired headphones at home, I use Beyerdynamic 770's (over-ear) that sound great, and I have a pair of Etymotic Research (in-ear), that are light weight and fit excellent, they passively block outside noise very well, and sound pretty good. By some people's standards neither of these are "audiophile" or "high end" headphones, but both are very competent compared to the majority of the headphones on the market, and both provide a pretty nice listening session, both are in the "studio monitor" style. 



I'm trying to find a decent pair of in-ear Bluetooth headphones



I just recently lost a pair of bluetooth, active noise canceling, Sony WF-1000XM3's. I only owned them a short time, and didn't get a lot of listening time with them. They sounded pretty decent, not quite as good as what I already have, but perfectly acceptable for my needs. They were however, big and bulky. I don't need active noise cancelling, and while the Sony's did that well, it made the ear buds bigger than necessary. 



I'm looking for a pair of in ears that sound as good as the Sony's, and cost a similar price. They don't need active noise cancelling, or any other bells and whistles. They should be comfortable, sound pretty good, and be priced in the $200 or less range. 



Please share your opinions for a pair of in-ear, headphones with modern bluetooth (5.0, aptX). They would ideally be smaller than the Sony's I recently lost, but sound every bit as good (if not better). 



I’m looking at the Klipsch T5II, without ANC. I’m also looking at the Ultimate Ears Fits, and the Sennheiser Momentum 2’s. Maybe even another pair of Sony’s. What do you like in the $200 range for good sound quality, fit and wearability, with or without ANC? I have no interest in spending more for ANC because it’s not something I’ll need for how these will be used, but so many have it that I won’t turn it down.


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

I should mention that I would also consider over-ear headphones, but most are just too big for my head. The Beyerdynamics I have fit, but only on the smallest setting. Most over-ear headphones I've tried on at the store don't go small enough.


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## Purplehazeffc (Jun 17, 2021)

For great sound quality.. I would recommend either the B&O's or B&W's
I own the B&O H9i's & B&W PX7 Carbon. Both sound great. There in-ears sound just as good


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

The least expensive option from both of those companies is $250, if I'm going to pay that I'll spend $30 more and get the Sony 1000XM4's. 

I'll definitely read up on those suggestions though, I appreciate the input.


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## Patriot83 (May 10, 2017)

I recently got a pair of apple air pod pro's. They sound decent but not nearly as good as the reviews say in my opinion. I suspect that's a result of wireless/bluetooth. My 12 yr old wired, in-ear Shure's I bought for $120 sound way better. I also recently bought a pair of Hifiman Sundara's that all the pro reviewers say are the best under $750 and don't like them that much either. They are clear and accurate as the reviewers say but I suspect open back headphones are not for me. Way too much sound escapes. Your best bet is to probably stick with Sony for that price range. My gf recently bought a $30 pair of Sony wired headphones from best buy that sound crazy good for $30. Ridiculously good honestly.


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

I liked the 1000XM3’s well enough, they were just a bit clunky and could have sounded a tad better. The new XM4’s seem to have solved both problems, so maybe by budget is now $280. Anything out there going to beat the Sony’s for the price? Every review is pretty positive.


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## Patriot83 (May 10, 2017)

The Sony's seem a safe bet but I've been curious about Jabra for awhile. These Jabra's look smaller than the Sony's.


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

Jabra is one company that comes up a lot in my search. I remember them being cool when Bluetooth headsets started to become popular for “business” people. I’m also curious to know how they compare.


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## pdxlawyer (Jan 5, 2011)

I only buy mid-grade bluetooth headphones because I have a bad habit of losing money on headphones. Example one: I'm running across the Broadway Bridge in Portland when _pop_ goes one of my expensive ear pods. It bounces and in slow-mo I try to grab it and it just whisks past my fingertips through a space in the guardrail. A few months later I still have not learned my lesson. I'm running over a path that leads over a railyard near the shipyard. _Pop_ goes an expensive ear bud through a fence and drops onto a rail car below.

So, anyway, now I just always buy cheaper stuff. And, it has to have some either wrap around the ear or clip or something to avoid disaster. So, with that in mind:

I have a Plantronics Back Beat Fit set I really enjoy. Decent sound. Good fit. Quick charge. Long battery life. I got a refurb on Amazon and they cost me I think $50.


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## miniSQ (Aug 4, 2009)

I have Jabra's and find them to sound OK. I think they are the elite 65's. To me they lack bass and also dynamics.


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## Patriot83 (May 10, 2017)

miniSQ said:


> I have Jabra's and find them to sound OK. I think they are the elite 65's. To me they lack bass and also dynamics.


That's how I would describe my air pod pros. I just don't think you can get great sound out of wireless/bluetooth yet. My wired headphones/IEM's are way better. No comparison.


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## Racer71 (Nov 24, 2021)

I’ve had a few sets of different sennheiser and love them, even my bass loving teenager thinks they’re badass. Unfortunately due the shape of my ears I gave up on in ears as nothing fit well or would stay in, the AirPods are the absolute worst. I ended up with a set of sennheiser Pink Floyd edition wireless over ear that still love and I’ve gotten a lot of use from them. I even wear them on the tractor when I’m mowing, baling hay etc.


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## Anu2g (Nov 4, 2020)

I've been using the Jabra in-ear bluetooth headphones for a while now. I primarily use them for business phone calls, not music listening. Since they're in-ear and fully sealed, the bass is rock solid for what they are, in the occasional time that I listen to music in them. The dynamics are not great. Comparable to any non-audiophile headphone. But they're starting to die on me now. I've had them for maybe 3-4 years, and i'v'e dropped them several times. Sometimes the left one cuts out. The ones I have are Bluetooth 3.0, where they can stay connected to multiple devices at once (e.g. my phone _and _my laptop). I find the implementation of that a bit annoying, as I haven't been able to figure out the pattern of how it decides which device to prioritize.

TL;DR: I'm not sure whether or not I recommend them. I've liked them thus far, however I will likely buy a different brand next to see if they last longer.


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

I think many of the brands that people mentioned here (Apple, Jabra, and Plantronics) are more lifestyle brands, neither are focused on music as the priority, so it makes sense that people find them acceptable, but not that special.

I would consider over-ear headphones, but I have a really tough time finding over-ears that fit. I have a small head, and the bands almost never adjust to be small enough. The beyerdynamics that I have barely fit, on the smallest setting they fit fine, but only on the very smallest setting. If you have a suggestion for some over-ears that sound good, and fit smaller heads, then I'll check them out. 

I think it should be perfectly reasonable to find a brand that focuses on music as the priority, within my budget.


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

Anu2g said:


> I've been using the Jabra in-ear bluetooth headphones for a while now. I primarily use them for business phone calls, not music listening. Since they're in-ear and fully sealed, the bass is rock solid for what they are, in the occasional time that I listen to music in them. The dynamics are not great. Comparable to any non-audiophile headphone. But they're starting to die on me now. I've had them for maybe 3-4 years, and i'v'e dropped them several times. Sometimes the left one cuts out. The ones I have are Bluetooth 3.0, where they can stay connected to multiple devices at once (e.g. my phone _and _my laptop). I find the implementation of that a bit annoying, as I haven't been able to figure out the pattern of how it decides which device to prioritize.
> 
> TL;DR: I'm not sure whether or not I recommend them. I've liked them thus far, however I will likely buy a different brand next to see if they last longer.


Looks like we posted at almost the same time. I think the jabra brand probably makes a good product, but I believe they focus on call quality, and prioritizing features to make a good product for the busy professional, not the audiophile. 

These Sony 1000XM4's, although a bit over what I was planning on spending, seem to be made first and foremost for high quality music reproduction, which is my interest. I don't need a product to use with Zoom very often, or to take phone calls very often. They will be almost 100% for music inside my home.


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## el_bob-o (Nov 8, 2008)

I have a set of the UE fits and I would recommend going with something else. They cut out pretty often and they don't have much wireless range.


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## gijoe (Mar 25, 2008)

I ended up buying the Sony WF-1000XM4s. Initial impressions are good, although there is something here that every review got wrong. The reviews rave about how great the app to control everything is, but is seriously lacking on some very simple things. 

I'll post more of a review later for anyone who is shopping.


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## SloVic (Oct 1, 2016)

I had a pair of Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro (Pro models are water resistant and ment to be more secure) that really impressed me for the price. Msrp was $150 when I bought them for $100, a bit cheaper now.

They have a Liberty 3 Pro now. The general consensus is that they sound a little better than the previous generation.


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## Dan750iL (Jan 16, 2016)

I have the Jabra Elite 75T. Excellent noise cancelling, good battery life, they stay in my ears well and I love the sound quality. I also have the 85T but don't like them as much. They don't seal in the ear as well as the 75Ts.


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