U2 Joshua Tree, side 1, cut 2
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| Jaybird X3 Bluetooth Headphones |
Distance running is lonely business. We become lost in our minds as time and distance swirls by and by. We run through pain, boredom, and joy... and it gets lonely. Within this loneliness we learn to let go, to forget, to be at peace, and to love oneself in spite of our flaws.
Music simply dulls the boredom and takes our mind from the pain.
My current non-bluetooth Bose earbuds sound very good albeit a little heavy on the bass, but that's a Bose thing. As good as they are, the fit is poor. The weight of the cord and the friction of my sweaty running shirt pulls them from my ears. They are good for light runs with a toque to hold them in place, but for longer runs I'm forever cramming them back into my ear canal. Not cool.
Being the modern man that I am (insert sarcasm emoji), I thought I'd go Bluetooth. Fun fact, Bluetooth is named in honour of 10th century second king of Denmark, King Harald Bluetooth whose claim to fame lies in uniting Scandinavia. I don't make this stuff up, Check it out here if you don't believe me.
While shopping at Best Buy I texted my friend Steve for his opinion. He returned my text with a phone call within 30 seconds.
I trust his word because he's fussy like me and he's researched hours into Bluetooth earbuds. His recommendation to me is Jaybird X3 with the caution the range is less than 20 feet. This is a sore point for him as he uses them to watch his tv screen while logging miles on his treadmills. His complaint is the sound is sometimes lagged with the video. This isn't a problem with me as I'll be using them exclusively for running outdoors with my iPhone. Be warned.
These aren't your parent's headphones! The sound quality is exquisite and the bluetooth convenience is a huge asset. The charge lasts about 8 hours which is more than enough for a 50 km run. A 15 minute fast charge will provide one hour play time. The sound can be customized from a number of presets or you can create your own sound. Pump up the bass? No sweat! Max out of the highs? Ezy pzy! Create a warm sound? Yup you can do that too! Loving The Clash? Rock out!
The down side is it takes time to customize the fit. There's several variables which take time to figure out. I'm at the end of week one and I'm still not satisfied with the fit after numerous variations of fitting. There are many fitting options far too complex to get into here.. G-it and dozens of websites and youTube tutorials pop up. What you need to understand is patience is required to find the proper fit. It is absolutely not a plug and play device.
I'm really close to finding my perfect fit, but still haven't found what Im looking for. Patience will prevail and it will be worth the effort.
I have Broken Social Scene and The Bahamas lined up, just waiting for the next lonely run.
Would I recommend these headphone? Absolutely yes!
Are they for everyone? No, they are designed for the discriminant audiophile with a deep pocket.
Will they help me achieve a PB at the MB Marathon? Nope, but they will relieve the loneliness of the distance runner.
It's a good day to be alive.
Mike
