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A Guide to Earbuds
By Darren Hong
When you have gone on a jog or run, have you ever wanted your own soundtrack? Look no further! With this extensive guide, you can rest easy knowing that the highest quality of sound will reach your ears!
First, you have to make an important decision between wired and wireless. On one hand, wired earbuds generally have better sound quality and last longer, since they don’t need to charge. However, wired earbuds might limit your movement, which means that while they are great for walking and running, biking may present a greater challenge. On the other hand, wireless earbuds allow greater range of motion, due to the lack of wires, and prevent tangling that wired earbud users have to deal with. However, the battery life of wireless earbuds is a major limitation, since trips lasting longer than 5-6 hours can leave you without your favorite playlist.
Keeping these factors in mind, we at Natural Highways want to make some product suggestions that limit the downsides of earbuds. First, the Apple Airpods Pro is the clear choice for Apple. Some features of the wireless earbuds are the sweat and water resistant casing, Bluetooth connection, and noise cancellation.
However, users must be careful to remember charging, as they have a battery life of about 4.5-5 hours. Additionally, these earbuds come with a price tag of $199.99 USD. A wireless earbud for Samsung users that we can recommend is the Bose SoundSport Wireless In-Ear Headphones. Coming in aqua, black, and citron, these weather resistant earbuds connect with Bluetooth and additionally have eartips to keep them snug inside your ears. Most importantly, the battery life boasts an impressive 6 hours of battery life, all at the relatively lower price of $129.00 USD .
For wired earbuds, we recommend using JBL Endurance RUN - Wired Sport In-Ear Headphones. Similar to the Bose SoundSport, these come in a variety of colors and are sweatproof. Additionally, the earbuds are magnetic, which helps immensely with cable management. The main feature of the JBL Endurance RUN is the ability to wear the earbuds in-ear or behind the ear, which can help users find a more comfortable position. At a starting price of $19.95 USD.
Finally, the earbuds that I personally use are Sony MDRXB55AP earbuds, which come with 4 different earbud size tips, to help fit more snuggly in your ear. Coming in black, blue, and red, these colorful varieties also boast an impressive bass, which can help users enjoy the beats in their favorite music. The main downside that I have experienced and difficulty untangling the wires when I leave it in my pocket.
Hopefully, this guide has helped you find a perfect fit for your ears to listen to your favorite soundtracks while on the trail. Happy hiking!