Wireless headphones help

Not very tech savy. I need some help upgrading to wireless headphones. Not looking for anything flash.
Anything that's android compatible, comfortable in my small ears. I mostly just listen to podcasts or make calls.
I see Samsung Galaxy Buds Live are on special for $100, would those be the best option for me? I've tried searching for reviews online but it's quite overwhelming and confusing to be honest.
Thank you in advance :)

Comments

  • It's a bit of what suits you may not suit someone else. I think what you are referring to is earBUDS not 'headphones', (which are generally the 'OVER ear' old style headphones as compared to earbuds which go IN your ears).

    Anyway of recent I've bought two sets. And owned some which came with phone purchases.
    One type, a while ago and so I can't recall the brand, hurt my right ear a little bit.

    The best fit ear buds I've found are the ones which have the silicone tips on them. They supply you with 3 different sizes usually and that's a big help. The firm molded ones either fit YOUR ear or they don't. Personally they don't normally fit mine so the silicone tips are far superior as they are flexible and mold to my ears.

    Depending on what/where you want to use them you might want good ANC built in, (this is 'active noise cancelling), some buds are better than others. Currently my buds are Jabra Active Elite 75t & Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. The ANC on the Jabra seems considerably superior to the Samsung ones however that is also somewhat to do with how well the silicone tips seal into your ears. I work around running turboprop heilcoptors and passenger planes a lot and the Jabra buds are damn near as effective at reducing noise as my Class 5 Industrial earmuffs. The Samsung ones are not so good at that.

    However each has it's advantages etc.
    The Jabras are waterproof, so are the Samsungs. Different buds have different waterproof ratings. The higher the IPX rating the better. Sound quality on both is pretty damn good.

    Functionality of the Jabras is good, they have click button surfaces which are easy to use. Also you can setup your phone to auto answer for bluetooth devices. You can vary the ANC also and they have an initial hearing test that they run which sets the buds up for your ears, so if you are a bit deaf in one ear it'll play louder to compensate etc.

    The Samsung ones have 'touch' surfaces which seem to work ok - mostly. They have a very good function that you can turn on or off which reduces the sound playing in your ears, or cuts the ANC out if you speak. This is great because you can have ANC on to keep the outside noises down, or be playing your music, (or both at the same time), but when you need to speak to someone it just reduces the music playing to very low volume - or cuts the ANC off so that you can hear someone talking to you. This setting is able to be changed in the software.
    The Samsung ones have excellent audio enhancement thru 'ambient sound' in case you are a bit deaf. Really works well for me. The Jabra ones have 'hear through' which enables you to hear outside noises but it doesn't amplify them.

    I like both my buds for different reasons.
    If you are mostly going to be using them indoors, or at least NOT in extremely noisy environments as I do, then the Samsung Galaxy Pro Buds should be good.

    One word of warning with these though is that there has recently been reports of them causing issues with some people who seem to react to the metal on the charging points and have bad trouble with ear infections because of it. I don't. Your experience may or may not be good or bad.

    Ps: the advice and info I've given is for android users. Apple - stick to apple buds.

    One more thing. The Jabras, if you want to use only one bud they only work with the right hand bud. The Samsungs will allow you to use either bud individually

  • Good price $209 delivered - about $50 cheaper than I paid and these are 'normally' $385

    https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/HSTSAM00019000/Samsung-Gala…

  • +1

    Fit is one of the most important things. If you have alien ears like mine then something like the Samsung live won't fit well but Samsung buds 2 will work well.
    Also, how pressure sensitive your ears are. Some people have pressure sensitive ear or believe its not good to have earbuds fitting too tight (otherwise it may cause issues with ear canal in longer run - speaking of preference and not scientifically).
    Now that we are over it, these are my recommendations.
    My pick based on current deals - Samsung's galaxy buds live. They use 12 mm drive which is often spotted in higher end earbuds, case is small, charger is usb-c.

    Best sound - Sony XM4 (fit tight, active noise cancelling)
    Great sound - Bose sports earbuds (do not fit too tight but fit most ears) beware of the large charging case though
    Apple airpods - if you switch between apple devices often
    Best fit - Samsung buds 2 (Bose aren't too bad either)

  • +1

    Don't forget Jabra Elite series. They are reviewed as one of the most comfortable to wear and have good quality overall for music, voice, durability, ANC etc.

    https://www.cheapies.nz/node/30799#comment-102576

    I own Jabra Elite 75t Active and use it daily. Love the multipoint connectivity for simultaneous connection with my laptop & iphone. Also, they are very comfortable to wear. Just ordered 85t from above deal as it is the best price you can find for a $200+ earbuds else where.

    • You may find with Jabra that it will NOT connect to a computer. My J\abra Active Elite 75t's don't. Jabra say their buds/software isnt' designed to connect with computers. Dunno why.

      • I am aware of the issue. I think I am the lucky few who got it working so far. Have been using it for more than 3 months now.

      • Sorry to hear that. I recently got the 85T's, and they connect to everything so far really easily

    • +1

      Its been a while since I compared all leading earbuds but as far as I remember the base in Jabra Elite 75T was very high by default. Even if it could be decreased by software options, it was never low.

  • I just use a pair of chinese ones I got from earfun which are probably the same as the aliexpress ones (about NZD65 delivered). They connect every time and I'm not too fussed if I lose them or bump them. I think the sound is great and the battery life has worked well. I have small ears and have found them to be comfortable where quite a few other earbuds have caused me discomfort after a while.

    The mic isn't the best in windy situations so that's a real con for them. But indoors they work just fine.

    If you are looking for something that lets in more ambient noise for sports etc, the aftershokz are a bit more niche. Poorer sound quality but lets ambient noise in.

  • Would recommend the Jabra Elite 85T.

    But I think its worth mentioning, whether you go with Apple, Sony, Jabra, or Samsung etc, the most important thing might be the fit. It depends on the shape of your inner ears. If you can try a friend's pair on in advance, do so. If you can't, then Jabra and Apple have a decent reputation for comfort. I found the following head-to-head informative: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/apple-airpods-pro-vs-jabra-el…

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