So I must have picked up the right lucky penny, because I've been having a great run of luck lately! Most recently, I won a pair of JLab Audio EPIC Headphones in Gold Glitter, just for letting them know the next color they should make is pink (duuuh).
The cool thing is, I actually already own a pair of these, and they are by far my favorite headphones I've had- just now in cooler colors! I had a pair of Adidas headphones for a long time, and they finally fell victim to the Florida humidity when I visited my friend. This set me on a long, arduous journey for a new pair of headphones. I went through pretty much every pair I could imagine, from super expensive Bluetooth sets to cheap-o $5 pairs from the dollar store. I had criteria:
1. I wanted them to have a remote that controlled tracks OR be wireless with a long battery life. This seems simply but it isn't! I don't own an iPhone, so finding headphones that have a remote that work for a Windows phone was so hard. Bluetooth sets work great, but many of them only have about a 3.5-4 hour battery life when listening to music, and my bike rides and runs are often longer than that on the weekends.
2. I wanted them to be sweat proof. I don't mean kind of sweat resistant, or made for sport but will fry if you get water near them. I mean fully prepared to be doused in water when I dump it on my head to keep from over-heating in the Texas heat.
3. I wanted them to fit inside my ear. I have tried over the ear, ear hooks, etc. and I just didn't like any of them. I wear sunglasses and headbands all the time and anything around my ears adding more bulk is just too much.
4. I wanted them to have great sound. I'm not an audiophile, but I do notice the difference between hollow, tinny sound, and a good full sound that captures everything in a song. I'm not that concerned with full noise cancellation vs. being able to hear external noise, because when I'm training in a situation where safety is a concern, I leave one ear bud out anyhow, but I wanted quality.
5. I wanted a fit that wouldn't fall out. I hate constantly adjusting headphones on the run- huge pet peeve!
I finally found the EPIC headphones on Amazon. I had tried JLAB products in the past and liked them, and knew they at least had a reputation for good customer service. Before, they had been more than I was willing to spend, but after my long search, I knew it was time to bite the bullet, and at least these had a lifetime sweat warranty. They retail for $70, but I did catch them on sale for $50, so not too shabby. Here's how they stacked up to my requirements.
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| How they arrive in packaging. |
1. Remote or wireless: The EPIC come with a remote on the right side that controls tracks, pauses the music, and allows you to take phone calls. The controls are easy- one click to pause and answer a call, two clicks to skip forward, three clicks to skip backward. It works great with my Nokia Lumia, even with my Pandora app, which is perfect. Taking calls isn't important to me, but I have done so and they sound great.
2. Sweat proof: Done and done. I have literally put mine through the washing machine on accident. Twice. They work perfectly. That's all the proof I need.
3. Fit in the ear: These are ear bud style headphones, and they come wish so many options! There are three sizes of hooks- called cush fins- and tons of sizes of ear buds, making is impossible not to find a perfect fit. I played around with the options for a few runs, finally settling on the mid-sized cush fins and the buds that came on the headphones in the box. They're comfortable and secure, whether running or biking.
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| Inside of the packaging- check out all those ear tip options! |
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| Out of the package so you can see the carrying case that comes with them. |
4. Great Sound: These ear buds sound great. I can keep my music on a reasonable level- about halfway- and they still have a full, rich sound that includes good bass. Since they stay put in your ear, you don't have to worry about the sound going in and out either. I also like that when I have them in, people around me can't clearly hear what I'm listening to. I don't need everyone on the trail to know when I'm rocking out to TLC (but really, they probably do anyway since I also lip-sing while I run, hah!)
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| How they fit in my ears- works great! |
5. A fit that wouldn't fall: I have run a marathon in these things and I literally still had to tug them out of my ear at the end. However, they never got sore. They kind of appear big at first, but the part that goes in your ear is actually quite reasonable. I have tried the Yurbuds before since they are touted as the best, but I hated the way they sat in my ears. These are loads better.
I really love these headphones. The only two things I would change for newer versions are adding a clip and making the headphone jack fit just a little tighter. I currently use a clip from an old set to clip them to my t-shirt or bra when I run, which eliminates any rubbing noise. The plug-in part fits just fine, and isn't too wide for my phone case, which is great. However, the fit is looser than other headphones I've had. This is only a problem when I'm pulling my phone in and out of my Flip Belt, as it has a tendency to unplug. However, it's not a huge deal, because I don't do that very often, it's just something I noticed.
If you're looking for a great pair of headphones, I definitely recommend checking these out!
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| Austin locals- contact me about this great deal and help out Austin Pets Alive!! |
Don't forget- coming up on June 3 is the showing of Half the Road: The Passion, Pitfalls, and Power of Professional Women's Cycling. Reserve your ticket today!
Don't forget about my Reason 2 Race! Help out pets in need!
This blog is following my training as I get ready for the Athleta eSprit de She event season. Three events happen in Texas, the Duathlon in Dallas, the Katy 5k & 10k, and the Cycle Tour in Austin. I'll be doing Austin and Dallas, come join the fun! Enter Comp Code EDS57 for the chance to win some cool prizes!
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