Howdy!

I've just destroyed my 4th pair of Beats Flex earphones. A drop of sweat fell into the charging port and fried them.

What are y'all's recommendations for my next set of earphones?

The things I liked about the Beats were:

• Bluetooth - I'm a late convert to wireless earphones but now I don't want to go back to wires.
• Tethered - I'm a klutz. I drop and lose things constantly. Having two individual earpieces doubles my chances of loosing one of them.
• Sweat-proof - Obviously not in the case of my last set, but I use the earphones on walks and to work outside. Things get sweaty.

Any ideas for a better set of earphones out there?

Thanks!

I'm interested but not convinced...

Do you have a brand or model recommendation?

Aftershokz stand up pretty well. The older versions IMO were better, little heavier but seemed more resilient and didn't use a proprietary charging port which I always find annoying. I still have an old pair going strong after 5 years, but I've gone through a couple of the newer versions over the years. I sweat a lot, before these the cheap amazon stuff wouldn't last a month.

They sound great (I am mainly podcasts) and give you situational awareness which is very useful. Although it doesn't work great if you walk alongside a busy road.

My first pair lasted a few years, but unfortunately they cannot withstand the curiosity of a three year old. I was shocked (no pun intended) by how expensive they had gotten when it was time to replace. It's a good idea to keep them in a case when you're not using them.

Plantronics bbfit series

airpods for in the ear. Bose QC for over the year.

Madmarttigan said:

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I'm about as forgetful and clumsy as it gets dropping my AirPods and leaving them places, but I have never lost them because you can ping them and track their location. I know they aren't tethered but location tracking and sound pinging is a godsend for me with wireless headphones.

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Except for some reason you can't do that if they are in their charging case. I am good about getting them back in their case, but sometimes can't remember where I put it. But otherwise, my AirPod pros are great.

Yeah I would also clarify I don't know that you can do any of this on android or need to have an iPhone to be able to ping them.

The newer AirPod generation seems to properly ping in the case.

If you get AirPods make sure you get the AirPod PROS. I mistakenly bought the newest, regular AirPods and they are utter trash. You can't wear them longer than about 10 minutes without significant ear pain.

The PROS are really good. The Sonys are rated as good or better than the AirPod PROS for in ear, noise cancelling ear buds.

I've had 5 pairs of AirPods Pro's, because I like them.

1st pair (1st gen) replaced because they had a design flaw that caused them to squeak that was covered under a recall.
Bought pair two (1st gen) because I didn't know about the recall.
Pair three (1st gen) was because I found out about the recall and got them for free.
Pair four (2nd gen) was to replace one of the two pairs (1st gen) I had that I accidentally ran through the washer.
Pair five (2nd gen) was to replace another pair I accidentally ran through the washer and then later found out they(2nd gen), in fact, survived the washer.

So I have 3 working pairs, one new in box.

They are great.

McNasty said:

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Plantronics bbfit series

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Do they still make these?

I have AirPods Pro for daily use Shokz for cycling. Saturday I did Hotter N Hell 100 with the Shokz and they were perfect. Long battery and the sweat doesn't both them at all. My daughter is a runner and ha sworn hers on a couple of half marathons and all the training runs and loves them. For sports you'd be hard pressed to do better.

I've also had pain/itching from wearing AirPod Pros. What made the difference for me, in a good way, was to get aftermarket memory foam tips (from Amazon) to replace the silicone tips that came on the AirPods.

lb3 said:

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My AirPods Pro 2s went through the washing machine a year ago and still going strong. I think that qualifies as sweat proof.

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I ran my through the wash at least 4 times before any damage occurred, and that damage was not being able to speak on calls - the sound still worked fine.

I on my second pair of Jabra Elite Active earbuds. Great sound quality and ANC, also IP68-ish rated. I used my first pair almost exclusively on a Peloton with sweat soaking into my ears. They took a ton of abuse and held strong for 5 years.

ETA - missed the tethered requirement, so these don't qualify. Regardless, they've never fallen out on me in 6 years

chap said:

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McNasty said:

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Plantronics bbfit series

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Do they still make these?

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Looks like I bought some right before they stopped. There are some different looking ones on Amazon, but the reviews are not good.

I just remembered I have some of those Plantronics bbfits. Need to dig those up.

Google Pixel Buds Pro for me.

I'm an Android (Galaxy) guy, so I've tried Samsung's newer variety that came when getting an upgraded phone. They were decent. Some of the tips weren't the best, but you can buy aftermarket "foam" ones that fit your ear pretty good. Downside to the tips is that they will occasionally tear and cause a bit of "ear fatigue".

I got the Pixel Buds Pros after my last pair of Samsung went missing on a plane.
I like the active noise canceling and transparency modes on these, however it eats the battery (not too bad) vs. normal setting. Upside is you pop them back in the case and get a pretty quick recharge.

Wow!

Thanks for the all of the advice and experiences. I appreciate it!

+ Aftershokz
Love the fact you can still hear things around you when exercising. Not quite as loud as my noise canceling Sony buds, but they don't fall out either.

Look at Anker Soundcore, there's a range of sizes and they aren't expensive

AirPods Pro 3 are rumored to be announced September 9th

https://www.amazon.com/SHOKZ-New-OpenRun-Pro-Mini/dp/B0D2HHDKTD

I bought these for Mr Dubi as a prime day sale and he wears them much more than his ear pods pro. They do have a "mini" for those with a smaller head.