Fabulous listening with 1byone Bluetooth 4.1 Wireless In-Ear Headphones
These in-ear Bluetooth headphones from 1byone combine sound quality with comfort and convenience. They sounds just as good as Apple EarPods to me, without the pesky wires and constant falling out.
The Facts
Company: 1byone
Product: Bluetooth 4.1 Wireless In-Ear Headphones
Price: $38.99
Compatibility: any Bluetooth-compatible device
Colors: black, black/green, white/gray
Date: Feb. 25, 2016
Overview
With rumors swirling about the headphone jack disappearing on the next iPhone, many of us will be looking for reasonably priced Bluetooth headphones. Even if the headphone jack stays, there are still many reasons to go wireless. Recently, my daughter was listening to music on her iPhone with the Apple EarPods on an elliptical machine. The handlebars got caught up in the wires, sending her iPhone crashing to the floor. Luckily her AppleCare replaced the shattered phone, but this is a hassle and expense no one needs.
The 1byone headphones ship with three sizes of ear-hooks and three sizes of earbuds for a custom fit. The ear-hooks fit into the folds of your ear, not around your ear as some models do, holding the earbuds in place. I find that Apple’s simple one-size-fits-all EarPods constantly fall out of my ears, whereas 1byone’s stay put. This makes them far more comfortable than Apple’s, and even more comfortable than the over-ear headphones I own. My over-ear headphones squeeze my head and hurt my sensitive ears despite lots of cushy padding, so I can’t wear them very long. I can wear the 1byone headphones for longer than either of my other headphones.
Here is 1byone’s claim about sound: “With Bluetooth 4.1, supported by apt-X HD and 6th generation CVC tech, to ensure high-fidelity bilateral stereo sound and clear speech.” I’m no aural expert, but I found the sound to be perfectly fine, both for listening podcasts or music and for phone calls.
A button strip located on the connective wire contains volume/track control buttons and a multifunction button. The multifunction button allows you to pair the headphone to one or two iPhones. This is also the button you press to deal with phone calls: answer, reject, hang up, and switch between callers. You can see your headset’s battery level right on your phone, next to the Bluetooth symbol when your headphones are connected.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for compact, reasonably-priced, comfortable, and effective headphones, you’ll want to consider 1byone Bluetooth 4.1 Wireless Industry in-Ear Headphones, available from Amazon for $38.99. I own Apple EarPods as well as a good quality set of over-ear headphones, but these will be my primary headphones going forward.
