This year, there have been some nice trends in the best outdoor Bluetooth speakers: 鈥淭rue stereo,鈥� which lets you pair two speakers at once and play the left channel in one and the right in the other, is available in more and more models. While it may be a clever way of selling you two speakers instead of one, it makes the experience more like sitting in front of your home hi-fi system. Meanwhile, battery life keeps on improving across the board, and it鈥檚 kind of stunning how water-resistant these devices have become: All of the speakers below have an ingress rating of at least IP57, which means they can be submerged in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. If you鈥檝e ever combined a swimming hole and a large dog in the same outing, you know why this matters. All of which makes the new speakers highlighted here some of the best ever for your adventures.听Here are reviews of seven of our current favorite outdoor Bluetooth speakers, depending on your needs and budget.

Update July 2025: We鈥檝e tested and selected new Bluetooth speakers in two of our seven categories, including a new best all-around pick of the Brane X, and updated prices and availability for all.

At a Glance

• Best Overall:听
• Best Value:听
• Most Portable:听
• Most Rugged:听
• Best for Audiophiles:听
• Best for Parties:听
• Best for Travel:
• How to Choose
• How We Test
• Meet Our Lead Tester

Best Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker Overall

Brane X

Pros and Cons
鈯�听More bass than you鈥檒l believe possible
鈯�听Wi-Fi connectivity
鈯�听Makes funny noises on startup
鈯�听Touch controls are overly sensitive

It鈥檚 rare that a product has so much crossover appeal that it鈥檚 nearly impossible to categorize鈥攍abels be damned. The Brane X is an ingenious piece of technology that transitions neatly from a bookshelf-style speaker for your desktop to a backyard DJ boom box to a travel companion for a remote lakeshore, where, as one tester said, it produces bass that can 鈥渟care away the bears.鈥� This versatility and its surprising power are what led our testers to name it the best outdoor Bluetooth speaker we tested.

The reason this 7.7-pound unit has such outsize power is magnets. Specifically, it鈥檚 the first Bluetooth speaker with a subwoofer, which relies on a Repel-Attract Driver (RAD), a patented technology that employs specially designed magnets that cancel internal air pressure and allow it to produce deeper bass than was previously possible.

In practice, the results are impressive: Played at lower volumes, it produces fine detail that is as good as anything that comes out of a Bose product. But when you pump up the volume, you can hear bass notes that reach lower into the audio spectrum. It鈥檚 safe to say nothing we鈥檝e seen at this size (under ten inches wide) has been able to create such a rumble way down deep in your belly.

The Brane X can connect with your home Wi-Fi, eliminating the problem of your Bluetooth speaker glitching out during a party because you stepped outside to fetch ice. This feature also makes streaming music over a subscription service or using the built-in Alexa voice assistant easier and more reliable.

And yes, despite its urban looks, the Brane X can withstand water, dust, and a fair bit of rough handling: Its IP57 rating means it can survive in three feet of water for up to 30 minutes. A 12-hour battery life is respectable, given its power. And the Brane app makes it easy to set up and equalize, for less bass, more bass, or more more more bass. Listening to jazz with a double bass, one user said, 鈥測ou can hear all the subtle squeaks of the player鈥檚 fingers on the strings.鈥�

If there鈥檚 a drawback to a speaker this good, it would only be that it makes the windows rattle. Said one tester: 鈥淚t makes other portable speakers seem like toys.鈥�

Best Value

Fender x Teufel Rockster Go 2

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Sound fills the room
鈯�听Long battery life
鈯�听Controls not all in same place

The German audio engineers at Teuful got together with the American guitar and amp brand Fender to make this thing of beauty. The sleekly designed Rockster Go 2 is smaller than a hardcover airport novel, at eight by four inches, but it pumps out some of the best, bassiest sound in this size range. Much like Bose鈥檚听鈥攚hose latest version weighs in at 1.3 pounds and costs $149鈥攖he 1.6-pound Rockster Go 2 amazed us with its 鈥渟traight-ahead sound quality and musical vividness,鈥� as one tester put it. It goes one step further than Bose with a button that engages what鈥檚 called Dynamore virtual stereo sound, an impressive, non-gimmicky feature that seems to magically move the music to the corners of the room. The speaker is unidirectional, but the Dynamore feature does a lot to make it sound good from the front or the back.

The Rockster Go 2 is supposed to last for up to a whopping 28 hours in Eco Mode (which reduces the bass), though you鈥檒l probably get more like the 15 hours it promises in regular mode at medium volume. Quick charging, however, gets you out the door faster if you forgot to plug it in the night before. A short carry strap enables easier toting, and GoPro users will appreciate the quarter-inch threading on the base, which is compatible with camera mounts. Although its range is only 30 feet, one reviewer remarked that 鈥渨ith a design that鈥檚 worthy of residing on your bookcase plus its rugged build, this may be the ideal indoor/outdoor speaker in the midsize range.鈥�

Note: The Rockster line includes two other, larger sizes: the $180听听and the monster $480听.

Most Portable

Ultimate Ears Miniroll

听

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Very compact
鈯�听Impressive sound for its size
鈯�听Bungee strap is useful
鈯�听Can get only so loud

Over the past decade, the 鈥渕ini speaker鈥� category has been relentlessly trying to reach a level of sonic quality that sounds so much better than your laptop speaker that it warrants a purchase. With the Miniroll, we may have achieved the singularity. At less than 10 ounces and a fits-in-your-hand five-inch diameter, this grab-and-go disc produced some moments of startling loudness for its size. Physics wouldn鈥檛 allow it to be in the same acoustic class as the others in this test, but testers were impressed by what it can do.

Think of the places it can go: With its eminently handy built-in rubber strap, the Miniroll can bungee right over your bike handlebars, onto your belt loop, or鈥攁 habit I鈥檝e acquired solely on account of this portable Bluetooth speaker鈥攐ver the shower curtain rod, so I can keep clean while keeping up with the news. As secure as the strap is, a bouncy bike ride might eventually dislodge it, but with its sturdy build, we wouldn鈥檛 be too concerned about damage鈥攁nd its crazy-long range of 131 feet means you won鈥檛 lose connection when you turn around to retrieve it. A PartyUp feature lets you pair multiple Minirolls together for more power or a stereo effect.

Anyone debating whether to pack a speaker for an overseas flight or strap it to a backpack for playing podcasts on a hike can be confident that the Miniroll, with its 鈥渞oad-friendly size and shape,鈥� is well worth the consideration.

Most Rugged

Turtlebox Gen 3

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Extremely tough
鈯�听Easy to tote
鈯�听Smooth sound
鈯�听Not cheap

Like Pelican and Otter, Turtlebox thinks in terms of durability that will see you through any terrain on earth, if not other planets. Case in point: The company claims that they were able to park a six-ton monster truck on this speaker, to no ill effect. Encased in super-hard plastic and completely waterproof (even floatable), the Gen 2 has quickly garnered a following among fishermen and watersports enthusiasts for more than being tough. The 120-decibel speaker is 鈥渂oth incredibly loud and impressively refined,鈥� one tester observed. Indeed, our team was hard-pressed to find many differences in audio quality between the Turtlebox 2 and the other top scorers in this year鈥檚 test. The unit plays for 25 hours at lower volumes and about six hours at max volume, such as what you鈥檇 need for a big party.

During LCD Soundsystem鈥檚 鈥淭ribulations,鈥� the bass tones flowed smooth as silk and distortion-free, thanks to the 6-by-9-inch woofer, and, to our surprise, the high and midrange sounds also came across with great clarity. With five color options and an ideal form factor鈥攁 lunchbox-size 9.5-pound boombox with a hard nylon handle coated in rubber, plus rubber bumpers on the undercarriage鈥攖he Turtlebox Gen 2 gets just about everything right, and its fairly high price tag is less scary when you consider its durability.

Best for Audiophiles

Bose SoundLink Max

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Very rich, loud sound
鈯�听Long battery life
鈯�听Easy to pair
鈯�听Needs 5-volt charger; standard USB-C is slow

For those who were wowed by Bose鈥檚 1.3-pound SoundLink Flex (our 2022听Editor鈥檚 Choice winner), this larger and far more powerful 4.9-pound edition of the SoundLink will be true love. It punches above its weight, with rich bass and perfect balance in the higher registers. While the addition of a rubber-coated rope handle is both convenient and cute, the sticking-to-basics features from this classic brand made it a bit less fun than other party-ready units in this test. Where Bose beats them, though, is with more subtle orchestral and ambient tracks. Max Richter鈥檚听The New Four Seasons听came through with a dynamism and presence that was a notch above.

Battery life is 20 hours, range is a passable 30 feet, and Bose鈥檚 app is more versatile than those that accompany most speakers, with EQ settings to suit your tastes and listening environment. IP67 water and dust resistance means it鈥檚 fine being dropped in the pool for up to 30 minutes. The SoundLink Max does cost a lot for its size, but for those among us who like to just sit and focus on great music, it may be the most ideal鈥攁nd ideally sized鈥攑ortable Bluetooth speaker to date.

Best for Parties

Treblab HD-Max

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Loud volume when wanted
鈯�听Great value
鈯�听One-dimensional sound
鈯�听Confusing LED modes

If you鈥檙e looking for a speaker to churn out volume in a big crowd for a fair price, the HD-Max delivers. The sound is not as detailed or three-dimensional as the others in this guide, but that matters less when it鈥檚 about a crowd and, as the evening wears on, they鈥檙e getting down and boogying. Treblab鈥檚 newest offering has the power to fill a sizable outdoor space, and if you want to go a notch higher, a bass-boosting feature adds even more thump. 鈥淚t makes you feel like dancing,鈥� said one reviewer.

Two other fiesta-friendly novelties are a pair of multicolor lights on either end that can be turned off and on, and a bottle opener on the removable carry strap. It鈥檒l get 20 hours of play time if you keep it at 10 percent volume, but at 100 percent it鈥檚 certified for only 6.5 hours鈥攕till, enough to get you through the night, or, if not, you can always plug it in. (And the power goes both ways: If your phone is running out of juice, the HD-Max can charge it.) One thing that could use improvement: It鈥檚 hard to tell when you鈥檙e in indoor, outdoor, or bass mode; they鈥檙e indicated by a clunky system that involves deciphering a series of blinking LED lights.

These are small trade-offs when you consider that the HD-Max is a tough-built five-pound, foot-wide boom box that retails for $200鈥攂ut can be found for 30 percent less than that. Others in its class, like Ultimate Ears鈥櫶�, usually set you back $350 or $400. When the fun is over and it鈥檚 back-to-work time, the speaker has a built-in mic that performs well for conference calls, with an average range of 33 feet. One tester praised the HD-Max for its 鈥渃ombination of sound quality, volume, and portability.鈥�

Best for Travel

Marshall Emberton III

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Solid, compact, travel-friendly build
鈯�听Room-filling sound
鈯�听No bass/treble controls on unit

Don鈥檛 let the throwback looks of the Emberton III fool you: This technology is far from basic. Marshall鈥檚 newest travel Bluetooth speaker has better, more robust sound than its predecessors while adding some new features like Bluetooth LE鈥攁 more efficient form of Bluetooth that sucks less energy鈥攁nd Auracast, an incoming technology that will soon have you wirelessly linking several of your speakers and headphones at once, making a connected life more seamless.

The Emberton III is that one piece of gear you鈥檒l wish you鈥檇 packed for your family reunion on the lake this summer. You鈥檒l realize this when you go to play home movies on your tablet with its anemic speaker. You鈥檒l hardly notice the Emberton III in your luggage, at a little over six inches from end to end and only 1.5 pounds鈥攖hree percent of your checked-bag limit. But you鈥檒l notice it when you fire it up, because, in the words of one tester, 鈥渢his little thing cranks!鈥�

As with other Marshall speakers, the Emberton III achieves a deceptively dynamic sound quality through 鈥淭rue Stereophonic鈥� multi-directional technology, which replicates the experience of being on a soundstage by moving different tones to different areas of the speaker. One tester noticed the 鈥渞ich bass notes鈥攏ot much thump, but clean and clear.鈥� And the well-rounded sound is just as good from the back side as the front.

A whopping 32-hour battery life makes it even more travel-friendly, and a 20-minute quick charge provides six more hours of battery life. The range (thanks to the Bluetooth LE addition) is an excellent 100 feet. And an IP67 rating lets you drop it in the drink (up to three feet deep) with no repercussions (although no testers reported trying this).

One tester summed up his report, 鈥淚 love the retro looks and small package. It makes a cool statement on the shelf but is small enough you can slip it into your pocket on the way out the door.鈥�

How to Choose the Best Outdoor Bluetooth Speaker

When shopping for a new outdoor Bluetooth speaker, your first move is to check its听听to get an idea of how much water and dust resistance it offers; these are typically reliable. Next, think about how much you鈥檒l be carrying it around鈥攂etween house and backyard, say, or moving from campsite to campsite鈥攁nd whether you鈥檒l be on foot (carrying a pack or duffel, or not) or on wheels. Then consider what makes sense in terms of weight and dimensions. As a general rule, the heavier a speaker is, the more volume you鈥檒l get out of it, but playing it loud isn鈥檛 always a necessity鈥攕ome of you will be entertaining large groups, but others will just be setting it up for mellow creekside cocktail-hour listening with your partner.

If you鈥檙e someone who moves around a lot, a portable Bluetooth speaker with long battery life might also make a difference. These days most new models will play for a good 10 hours or more even at high volume, but some are longer-lasting than others, as detailed in the models reviewed here. Finally, more and more models offer 鈥渢rue stereo鈥� linking, where two or more speakers can be paired to play at once but in stereo; this makes smaller models with this option a little more attractive than before, because if you later decide to invest more, you can give your soundscape an appreciable boost.

Finally, don鈥檛 assume that if one of the speakers in this list doesn鈥檛 sound great to you, it鈥檚 your fault. Different folks have different tastes, and some types of music sound better鈥攐r worse鈥攐n certain speakers. If you make a purchase and are feeling lukewarm afterwards, keep an eye on your return window and don鈥檛 feel guilty if you have to exchange it.

How We Tested Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers

• Hours of Testing:听419
• Test Environments:听Hiking, pool parties, stand-up paddleboarding, yardwork, movie watching, car camping, making dinner, conference calls
• Highest Elevation:听10,152 feet, Leadville, Colorado
• Lowest Elevation:听5 feet underwater in Lake Pleasant, Arizona
• Most Listened-To Tracks:听Bon Iver: 鈥淒ijon,鈥� Charli xcx featuring BB Tricks: 鈥淐lub Classics,鈥� Childish Gambino: 鈥淟ithonia,鈥� Drugdealer and Kim Bollinger: 鈥淧ictures of You,鈥� Flock of Dimes: 鈥淒ay One,鈥� Fontaines D.C.: 鈥淔avourite,鈥� J Dilla: 鈥淲orkinonit,鈥� Kenya Grace: 鈥淪trangers,鈥� The Hold Steady: 鈥淪tuck Between Stations,鈥� Magdalena Bay: 鈥淚mage,鈥� Prince: 鈥淓lectric Chair,鈥� Puentes: 鈥淎mor y Unidad,鈥� Kathleen Smith: 鈥淚 Can See for Miles,鈥� Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross: 鈥淐hallengers鈥�

The first thing we do with any Bluetooth speakers is attempt to pair them with our phones without consulting the user manual: The quicker, more intuitive, and easier the sync, the more points scored. Then we put them through hours of testing doing the kinds of things听国产吃瓜黑料听readers do鈥攕oaking in remote hot springs, inviting friends over for outdoor dance parties, playing audiobooks while riding a bike, etc.

Our team turns in reports on each product tested, providing a score of 1 to 10 for five different measures: sound quality, pairing and connectivity, fit and comfort, rain and drop protection, and user friendliness. Scores are averaged, with more weight given to sound quality and (knowing our audience) how well they stand up to the elements. Note: Battery life estimates in these reviews are based on manufacturer specs; it鈥檚 difficult to confirm those numbers, given the time involved and variances among user habits (different volumes, different uses, different functions enabled). Actual results may be 10 to 20 percent lower, judging from averages experienced in general testing.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Will Palmer has been testing gear for 21 years for 国产吃瓜黑料, where he was managing editor and copy chief for nine years. Based in Santa Fe, he has been a runner since 1984, and while the mile counts have decreased over the years, he鈥檚 kept motivated to head out the door on the hottest, coldest, and wettest days by the opportunity to test the best new products鈥攁nd to commune with the junipers and pi帽ons.

The post The 7 Best Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers of 2025 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

When I was younger I had a high-adrenaline running playlist that I carefully curated to pump up my heart rate: Arctic Monkeys, Jay-Z, Rage Against the Machine. As my preference shifted toward podcasts, I seized the opportunity to explore ideas while chasing my weekly mileage goals. What remained constant was my appreciation for the best sports earbuds on the market. I鈥檝e tested dozens of pairs, ranging from wired to wireless, with features like active noise cancellation and customizable tap-activated controls. Here are the seven sport earbuds we liked best, whether indoors or out, on land or in the water, on city sidewalks or remote trails.

Update July 2025: We鈥檝e tested the best new sport earbuds tailored to every activity, awarding a place to four new models鈥攊ncluding our new best overall pick, the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2鈥攁nd updated prices and availability for all.

At a Glance

• • Best All-Around:听
  • Best High-Fidelity:听
  • Best for Runners:听
  • Best Open-Ear:听
  • Killer Value:听
  • Best for Water:听
  • Most Innovative:听
  • The Hottest Trend in Sport Earbuds
  • How to Choose Earbuds
  • How We Test

Best All-Around

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2

Pros and Cons
鈯�听 Secure fit and comfort
鈯�听 Push buttons that you control
鈯�听 Too trebly at times
鈯�听 Heart-rate device pairing takes some work

The second generation of the Powerbeats Pro is a big step up from the first, and it quickly gained go-to status for every member of our test team. 鈥淎ctual buttons you can feel and click, paired with rich sound, comfy fit, and a microphone that canceled the noise of the windstorm I was walking through while talking on the phone? Wow,鈥� enthused one tester.

This model is loaded with features not seen on the first鈥攏otably active noise cancellation (ANC) and heart-rate monitoring capability. Battery life is a superb 10 hours on a charge, which adds to their everyday-wear appeal. The case, which now allows wireless charging, supplies a total of 45 hours before you need a plug-in.

As with everything Beats (and parent company Apple), the acoustics shine: Adaptive EQ on the Pro 2 reads the environmental factors around you and adjusts the frequencies in your music for optimal sound. That sound is full and rich, without too much bass鈥攂ut a bit too harsh on the treble end for some testers.

The ANC in the Pro 2 shows just how far that tech has come. 鈥淣oise canceling made the city disappear until I had to cross traffic, then鈥攑op!鈥攆ull awareness,鈥� one tester noted. We also appreciated the push-button controls, which not only provide a satisfying haptic response so you know when the button has been pushed, but also eliminate accidental pauses when you brush your finger against the earbud (a huge annoyance for many users). The buttons also make it easy to toggle from one connected device to another without swiping to your Bluetooth controls, and they can even be pressed with a tilt against your shoulder, which comes in handy in the kitchen or whenever both hands are occupied.

The IPX4 rating stands up well to sweat and rain, and the lighter profile (vis a vis the first gen) and soft rubbery coating makes them comfortable through long hours of use. The flexy ear hooks鈥攐ne of the big attractions for any athlete鈥攁re extremely well designed, fitting each tester鈥檚 ears perfectly and not budging a millimeter during HIIT workouts. Even the new color palette is alluring, with new orange and purple options. All told, the Powerbeats Pro 2 represent the state of the art in active-user earbuds. As one tester reported, they 鈥渢ransition seamlessly from workout to travel to urban navigation.鈥�

Best for Audiophiles

Bowers & Wilkins Pi8 In-Ear True Wireless Earbuds

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Pristine sound quality
鈯�听Non-frustrating touch controls
鈯�听Not cheap

鈥淭he most audiophile worthy of all the earbuds I鈥檝e tested,鈥� one of our veteran reviewers gushed after a month with the Pi8s. Through hours of listening sessions on planes, on trails, on couches, and on city sidewalks, this was the pair that invariably impressed everyone on our test team, with their 鈥渋ncredibly balanced and musical鈥� sound quality.

The $400 price鈥�$150 above Apple鈥檚 ubiquitous AirPod Pros and $100 north of the Bose QuietComfort Ultras鈥攎eans you have to be serious about your music, and about taking good care of them. They鈥檙e IP54-rated, able to handle sweat and a misty rain, but are not the pair you want to bring to the gym each day. While the four sizes of ear tips help them sit pretty securely and comfortably, they will fall out on occasion. All the same, we won鈥檛 discourage you from ever bringing them on a run on a sunny day, where their high-fidelity clarity is sure to put a little more oomph in your step.

The active noise cancellation on the Pi8s is excellent, similar to that on the Bose QCII, with touch controls for toggling between on, off, and transparency mode. The touch controls work better than in most earbuds we鈥檝e seen, with a satisfying light noise that鈥檚 akin to a mouse click. We also love the pearlescent finish on the outer surface of the Pi8s, which come in four colors. A robust companion app lets you turn off the touch controls and has a five-band equalizer so you can tweak the sound profile to your liking. Battery life here is an average 6.5 hours, and the charging case holds two additional charges (13.5 hours).

Another nice feature is something called retransmission. This allows you to use the included USB-C-to-3.5mm cord to plug the unit鈥檚 charging case into an external device like an in-flight entertainment system and the case will send the signal into the buds, so you鈥檙e not stuck listening on that plastic-wrapped pair the flight attendants hand out with the peanuts.

One reviewer reported, 鈥淚 listened to an album with two double basses鈥斺�淏ut Who鈥檚 Gonna Play the Melody?鈥� by Christian McBride and Edgar Meyer鈥攁nd I could hear their fingers and the pull of the bow on the strings in ways I hadn鈥檛 before.鈥� That鈥檚 a good example of what makes these shine like few have before them.

Best for Runners

Shokz OpenFit2

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Great volume despite open ear design
鈯�听Long battery life
鈯�听Sound not as rich as high-end models
鈯�听Might not fit large ears

鈥淪o comfortable, I forgot I was wearing them,鈥� said one fan of the latest release from Shokz. This, and the smart minimalist design of the ear hooks, made them our favorite trail companions this year鈥攐n both shorter runs and longer hikes. And they鈥檙e another entry in the fast-improving open-ear category.

One distance runner in our test group said, 鈥淭hese are my new favorite for running: no distracting foot-thudding sounds resonating through an earbud, no whooshy wind sounds, and full awareness of the aggro downhill bro bombing up behind you.鈥�

The soft rubber on the ear hooks, combined with the open design, make them one of the most comfortable to wear for long hours鈥攁nd the OpenFit 2 will play for up to 11 hours per charge and 48 hours from the charging case.

It鈥檚 clear that Shokz put a lot of thought into this model. The handy companion app allows you to equalize treble and bass or customize the controls鈥攂oth push-button and touch can be turned on or off. Where the Bose Ultra has one speaker, this one comes with a pair of speakers that get more volume into your ears, making them louder than Bose, if a touch less refined. Like the Bose Ultra, they have multipoint pairing so you can switch between devices with a single push or tap.

IP55 water resistance is a notch higher than most models here, keeping water and dust at bay. And the nicely compact case and overall superlight package make them even more appealing for runners with limited pocket space.

Best Open Ear

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Deceptively rich sound
鈯�听Impressive companion app
鈯�听Microphones were subpar
鈯�听Bass is underwhelming

When I first saw this newfangled design鈥攁 mini speaker held in place by clamping around the side of your ear 鈥擨 didn鈥檛 know what the Bose people were thinking. Is this an earbud or jewelry? Turns out, they put plenty of thought into these surprisingly powerful earbuds. The Ultra Open Ears, small and featherlight as they are, somehow grab onto your ear and stay there even in high-impact sprints or multi-position yoga鈥攁ll while churning out the dynamic blend of sound you鈥檇 expect from Bose.

For audiophiles, the ongoing problem with open designs has been inadequate volume reaching our eardrums鈥攚e鈥檝e enjoyed them for podcasts, but for music, not so much. By shifting the design, Bose has managed to get the speaker a bit closer to the ear canal, while also leaving an ample gap for ambient sounds to get in. Which, of course, is the whole idea: enjoy your audio while also hearing that tourist on an e-bike coming up from behind.

Bose鈥檚 excellent app goes a long way toward making this possible. An easy-to-adjust equalizer lets you dial in the bass, mids, and treble to your exact preferences. The app also has an Immersive Audio setting that shifts the sound profile from left to right as your head moves around so it feels like the sound is coming from the same source the whole time. One tester called it 鈥渄ownright supernatural, making music sound like it鈥檚 coming from a speaker somewhere around you.鈥�

The IPX4 rating gives it good water resistance, whileand the seven-hour battery life (total of 48 in the case) is only average,good and (although immersive mode will reduce this). (If you’re looking for longer battery life in an open-ear model, consider the , which goes for 12 hours per charge.When we want crazy long battery life, we turn to , which run for 38 hours on a single charge.)

For runs, walks, and bike rides, testers found the extra awareness of their surroundings worth the trade-off in volume, which probably isn鈥檛 the best thing for your ears in the first place. Open designs will never provide the same fullness for music-philes as in-ear, but nothing before this has come so close.

鈥淓ven my wife, who is allergic to trendy tech, was won over,鈥� said one user.

Killer Value

Back Bay FirstClass 50

听Currently Sold Out

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Excellent noise canceling
鈯�听Robust sound quality
鈯�听Slipped out of some users鈥� ears
鈯�听Touch controls aren鈥檛 the most intuitive

鈥淪eriously: $40,鈥� said our Aspen-based tester. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 less than a hamburger in this town.鈥� While we don鈥檛 envy those restaurant prices, we all concurred that the Back Bay FirstClass 50 is one of the best sport earbuds for the price.

Boston-based Back Bay has created something like a day-for-night version of Apple鈥檚 AirPods: similar size and shape but in black, and with sound quality that comes eerily close to that perennially pricey fave. Since Back Bay cuts out a lot of costs by selling straight to consumers, their quality products鈥攁ll certified carbon-neutral, to boot鈥攄on鈥檛 bear any of the marks of cheapness, unlike many similarly priced items.

Even at the bargain price, they deliver excellent sound quality and also offer active noise canceling. Seriously: One itinerant tester said, 鈥淪itting in the noisiest seat on the aircraft鈥攁ft of the wing, and in front of two worked-up toddlers鈥擨 could make it all disappear with a click.鈥� The company claims these earbuds block 97% of noise. We鈥檙e not sure how that鈥檚 possible, but they do the job as well as almost anything we鈥檝e put to the test for a fraction of the price.

While battery life is an average five hours per charge (with 25 hours overall in the case), they offer a 15-minute quick charge to add two hours of playtime. The IPX5 water protection keeps them going in a storm, and while the fit isn鈥檛 as secure as others in this review, they one-up AirPods in this regard by adding rubber tips to help them stay secure.

Best for Water

H2O Audio TRI 2 Pro

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Totally waterproof
鈯�听Onboard memory
鈯�听Song transfer is slow
鈯�听Can cause tickling

Have you harbored dreams of funneling techno into your auditory nerve while windsurfing on San Francisco Bay, then voice-commanding to switch over to an incoming business call? One member of our review crew put three models of waterproof earbuds through this very test and, while the process stands to be improved through future innovations, it worked fairly well, with the TRI 2 Pro coming out on top.

H2O Audio has been selling good products for swimmers and the like for years鈥攊t takes a special approach, not least because they need to be IPX8, able to go 12 feet underwater for as long as you want them to鈥攍ike this model can. And, of course, a Bluetooth signal won鈥檛 travel under the waves with you, so tracks need to be stored locally, either on a waterproof MP3 player or an even better solution, like this unit鈥檚 8GB of onboard memory that can store 130 hours of tracks. (It can move your own mp3 files over or 鈥渞ecord鈥� music from a streaming service like Spotify, though this is a slow process.)

The TRI 2 Pros employ bone conduction technology, which makes them great for podcasts while out on a run or bike ride, but a little less ideal when trying to rock out in said open-air activities: Then they can start to tickle. Still, H2O Audio and other companies are making these units sound better every year. And it鈥檚 underwater that they really shine: When you use the included earplugs to neutralize the water noise in your ears, it鈥檚 surprising how smooth music sounds, and at much more moderate volumes. They鈥檙e a minor godsend for lap swimmers, snorkelers, and triathletes (presumably the core audience for the Tri line) who like to enhance their life aquatic by playing their favorite symphony or devouring an audiobook. The headset will play for up to nine hours in Bluetooth mode and six hours in memory mode and comes with a zip case (which is rather bulky) that provides two and a half refills.

Back to our windsurfer: The TRI 2 Pro worked under a helmet (and this success was replicated on the ski slopes), which also secured them in the event of a fall. Playing tunes when the wind was low was enjoyable, but in high wind it was a challenge: 鈥淚 could hear the music, but the output of the headphones had to compete with the roar of wind in my ear canals. It鈥檚 simply a matter of physics.鈥� This also meant the tester鈥檚 hopes of 鈥渢urning sales meetings into sails meetings鈥� by joining conference calls were largely dashed. Listening worked fine, but the microphone couldn鈥檛 pick up his voice from deep inside his helmet. Maybe one day.

Most Innovative

Denon PerL True Wireless Earbuds

Pros and Cons
鈯�听Rich, dynamic sound
鈯�听Impressive app
鈯�听Customizable sound profile
鈯�听Chunky size

鈥淓ach product is hand-tuned by our sound master,鈥� Denon says of the PerLs, and while we don鈥檛 know exactly what that means, it speaks to the Japanese DNA in these premium-sounding buds. Take the accompanying software, for instance: The first thing you do with these wireless buds is download an app that streams a series of sounds and frequencies into your ears to measure how you hear, then creates a personalized profile that transforms how good music sounds. It鈥檚 one of the best uses of a headphone app we鈥檝e seen.

The PerLs came across as lively but not piercing on the high end, with realism and verve. There鈥檚 even a high-gain option on the app that boosts volume for quiet recordings, which one tester called 鈥渁 welcome feature that I would love to see in a lot of sometimes anemic Bluetooth earbuds.鈥� These capabilities are made possible by a series of ultra-sensitive microphones, which probably explains their rather enormous size鈥攐ne reviewer called them 鈥渟harp-edged Alka-Seltzer tablet earbud bodies鈥� and noted, 鈥淚 had to remove the supplied fin attachment before these felt okay.鈥�

Others liked the fit and found them great for running, where they kept the adrenaline flowing with some of the best full-on rocking-out sound in the test. 鈥淪t. Vincent and Spoon sounded like I was listening to vinyl,鈥� one tester said. The active noise cancellation is decent, the six hours of battery is average (with two more charges from the case), and an IPX4 rating means they can handle a light rain. Given the quality and attention to detail, we consider these a true bargain at $139 or less.

The Hottest Trend in Sport Earbuds

This year, for the first time in our testing history, open earbud models outnumbered traditional in-ear ones among our test candidates. The open design allows you to hear far more of what鈥檚 going on around you, and I鈥檝e been slow to take a liking to them. There鈥檚 no doubt that they make a lot of sense for people who run along the roadside or, even more so, cyclists who go anywhere near cars鈥攇enerally a very bad time to be canceling the noise around you.

Since I live in the desert and rarely pass another living soul on the trails, I don鈥檛 prioritize hearing what鈥檚 going on around me, and open earbuds will always be challenged to sound as good, or as loud, when they鈥檙e handicapped by having to reach your hearing by alternative methods. So for music, they鈥檙e not my favorite; for the spoken word, I鈥檝e learned to appreciate them.

During this year鈥檚 tests, one of my fellow reviewers said he appreciated that the open design allowed him to hear not just passing cars but songbirds. Which sent me into a brief panic: Am I missing all the birdsongs? Sadly, there aren鈥檛 a lot of birds on my trail, but this summer when I鈥檓 hiking above 10,000 feet and the dark-eyed juncos are chirping in the high branches, I鈥檒l be putting that theory to the test.

Open earbuds work in one of two ways: either with the transmitter positioned near your ear canal but not in it (the , a previous winner, is a prime example) or through bone conduction (found in the , named Best for Water this season), which bypasses your eardrum, sending sound directly to your inner ear by way of your skull bones. More recently, a new design has popped up, which I refer to as the clip-on earring style: these fall into the first category but use a more diminutive design that grabs onto the lower part of your ear. The that won the category this summer is one example, but lower-priced models from and use the same concept, all with good results鈥攎eaning they manage to get enough clear sound into my ears that I enjoy hearing music on them.

In the meantime, many closed-ear models these days (see ) let you employ a transparency (or awareness) mode that enhances ambient sound. This can be a nice in-between solution if your need for awareness isn鈥檛 so much life-and-death as it is a courtesy to the runner or biker 鈥渙n your left.鈥�

How to Choose Earbuds

Earbuds are more like shoes than most other gear categories: so much depends on the right fit. What comfortably fits one person鈥檚 ears may not suit another鈥檚, and there鈥檚 more to it than size. The internal anatomy of the ear makes certain designs actually sound better to one person than the next. If you can鈥檛 try them out at a store or borrow them from a friend, it may be best to buy them from a retailer with a good return policy. Once you have them in hand, do some real-world tests with the different tip sizes, and trade them in if you aren鈥檛 in love.

If you want to get serious about the perfect fit, consider aftermarket foam eartips, like听. In addition to helping with a more secure fit, they provide passive noise isolation, which can improve the experience with both ANC-equipped and ANC-less earbuds. Should fit issues persist, consider a model with behind-the-ear hooks like the听.

Also give some thought to which features do it for you: Some people like sleek touch controls, others prefer old-school push buttons; some like to tap for quick pausing, others would rather forgo that feature and pull out one bud to ask for directions, so as to avoid the annoyance of unwanted pauses every time your fingers go near them. And if you live in a rainy climate, be sure to choose ones with an听听ending in 4 or higher (as all the models here do).

Finally, be aware that there are more specialized designs emerging and getting better each year鈥搇ike these earbuds for听, others for听, and听听for those who want to stay more tuned in to their surroundings.

Also see: How to Clean Your Earbuds

How We Test Sport Earbuds

• Hours of Testing:听419
• Test Environments:听Running, hiking, dog walking, cycling, windsurfing, swimming, skiing, rock climbing, HIIT workouts, plane rides, gardening, shoveling gravel, grocery shopping, making dinner, car camping, conference calls, video calls, video streaming, noisy coffee shops
• Highest Elevation:听10,152 feet, Leadville, Colorado
• Lowest Elevation:听5 feet underwater in Lake Pleasant, Arizona
• Most Listened-To Tracks:听Bon Iver: 鈥淒ijon,鈥� Charli xcx featuring BB Tricks: 鈥淐lub Classics,鈥� Childish Gambino: 鈥淟ithonia,鈥� Drugdealer and Kim Bollinger: 鈥淧ictures of You,鈥� Flock of Dimes: 鈥淒ay One,鈥� Fontaines D.C.: 鈥淔avourite,鈥� J Dilla: 鈥淲orkinonit,鈥� Kenya Grace: 鈥淪trangers,鈥� The Hold Steady: 鈥淪tuck Between Stations,鈥� Magdalena Bay: 鈥淚mage,鈥� Prince: 鈥淓lectric Chair,鈥� Puentes: 鈥淎mor y Unidad,鈥� Kathleen Smith: 鈥淚 Can See for Miles,鈥� Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross: 鈥淐hallengers鈥�

The first thing we do with any earbuds, headphones, or speakers is attempt to pair them with our phones without consulting the user manual: the quicker, more intuitive, and easier the Bluetooth setup, the more points scored. Then we put them through rigorous hours of testing doing the kinds of things听国产吃瓜黑料听readers do鈥攆rom dog walks to HIIT workouts, from fireside listening to our day jobs, which for one of us is at the local woodworking shop. Our testers, who range in location from Alaska to Berkeley to Aspen to Santa Fe to New York City, spent hours in them, bouncing up and down on trails, treadmills, and trains.

Our team turns in reports on each product tested, providing a score from 1 to 10 for five different measures: sound quality, pairing and connectivity, fit and comfort, rain and drop protection, and user friendliness. Scores are averaged, with more weight given to sound quality and (knowing our audience) how well they stand up to the elements. Note: Battery life estimates in these reviews are based on manufacturer specs; it鈥檚 difficult to confirm those numbers, given the time involved and variances among user habits (different volumes, different uses, different functions enabled). Actual results may be 10 to 20 percent lower, judging from averages experienced in general testing.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Will Palmer has been testing gear for 21 years for 国产吃瓜黑料, where he was managing editor and copy chief for nine years. Based in Santa Fe, he has been a runner since 1984, and while the mile counts have decreased over the years, he鈥檚 kept motivated to head out the door on the hottest, coldest, and wettest days by the opportunity to test the best new products鈥攁nd to commune with the junipers and pi帽ons.

The post The 7 Best Sport Earbuds (Summer 2025) appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The winners of this year鈥檚 audio tests came from brands that range from three-year-old startups to longtime audio stalwarts, a testament to how dialed the technology has become. Each year we see more and more bargain models on the market that, if you didn鈥檛 check the price tag, you might think went for $100, or twice that. And every year brings more new and clever features, like in-ear detection and sound profiles to suit your taste for bass vs. treble. Then there鈥檚 active noise cancellation (ANC), which first came to earbuds some five years ago but has become commonplace, perhaps an indicator that the world around us really needs to shut the hell up, and that we all鈥攚hether running, doing yoga, or commuting鈥攃an best find our sweet spot when alone in our particular sound cave. One thing 国产吃瓜黑料 readers can appreciate is the increasing ruggedness and water resistance in basically any pair of buds you might acquire鈥攅ven those that don鈥檛 have high are likely able to survive a walk in the rain or a drop into a puddle and still keep doing what they do. With less and less to separate high-end products from low-end, the differentiators are becoming more a question of how much care and attention to detail are put into the product.

Read on for our winners, from deserving buds of all shapes and sizes to the best premium travel headphones.

Updated August 2024: We’ve updated the formatting of this guide and updated the retailers and pricing of our picks.

At a Glance

• Best All-Around:
• Best for Runners:
• Best for Smaller Ears:
• Killer Value:
• Best Travel Headphones:
• How to Choose Earbuds
• How We Test
• Meet Our Lead Tester

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside. Learn more.

Best All-Around

Marshall Motif II ANC

Pros and Cons
鈯� Top-notch, dynamic sound
鈯� Rockin鈥� design
鈯� Highly grippable stems
鈯� Shorter-than-average battery life

The Motif II ANCs have the same popular stem design as Apple鈥檚 beloved AirPods Pro but cling to your ears even better. Like the AirPods Pro, they sound fantastic, with faithful, crystal-clear highs, mids, and lows (and no artificial, random bass boosting), and come with a versatile app that includes a custom equalizer (where, yes, you can add more bass). But unlike the AirPods Pro, the Motif II ANC earbuds carry Marshall鈥檚 pedigree classic rock aesthetic, which is actually very useful: the grippy metal stems make them much easier to handle, and the textured vinyl case feels indestructible. They even come in at $50 less than Apple鈥檚 counterpart. In testing, connectivity proved flawless, and their active noise cancellation (ANC) was very effective, though a step below Apple鈥檚 model. One tester did find that their robust design meant they needed occasional fit adjustment during runs, and their IPX5 protection means they鈥檙e not rated to keep out dust and solids, but they will do fine with heavy rain, sweat, or sea spray. Battery life is the only real downside: They play for just 6 hours with ANC engaged or 9 hours without (similar to the AirPods Pro but 2鈥�3 hours less than competitors like Sony, Sennheiser, and JLabs) and the case holds four extra charges. But with the 鈥渂est sound quality of all the buds in this test,鈥� according to one tester, and a design that made everyone take notice, the Motif II A.N.C.s take home our top prize for their character and quality.

Read our full review of the Marshall Motif II ANC.

Best for Runners

Beats Studio Buds +

Pros and Cons
鈯� Easy to use
鈯� Secure fit
鈯� Consistently good sound
鈯� Limited grip area makes them easy to drop

The well-engineered Studio Buds + are our top pick for runners because of their light weight and small profile, staying in place well while you bob about. One tester, who even used them while paddleboarding, found that they 鈥渇it really well immediately out of the box and never fell out or needed adjusting.鈥� They didn鈥檛, however, boast the lockdown security of the 鈥渨ingtips鈥� that came built-in on the earlier (and still available) . The Studio Buds + are an improvement over their predecessors (same name sans the +), with upgrades that include better ANC and longer battery life (6 hours with ANC on, 9 hours without). With an IPX4 protection rating, they held up against sweat and light rain. This model put extra oomph in our strides with bassier but nice 鈥檔鈥� clear sound, similar to that of the Apple AirPods Pro. ANC on the Studio Buds + is only middle of the pack but did a decent job blocking out the chatter in a crowded coffeehouse, and Beats tripled the size of the microphones for a call quality that impressed testers. We also liked the push controls on the outside of each bud, which never accidentally paused tracks the way touch controls sometimes do. Similarly, they don鈥檛 have in-ear detection, a feature some of our testers find aggravating. Forgot to charge them? A five-minute plug-in adds a quick hour of playback time. While their diminutive size can make them hard to grasp when plucking them out of the magnetic case, we nevertheless found ourselves reaching for them routinely, especially when heading to the trail. And as you鈥檇 expect from the brand, the Studio Buds + look sleek and wholly of the moment鈥攚e especially approved of the transparent option, but the ivory and black/gold opaque models are also appropriately sporty.

Best for Smaller Ears

Raycon Fitness Earbuds

Pros and Cons
鈯� Extreme portability
鈯� Surprisingly bold sound
鈯� A bit on the fragile side
鈯� More likely to be lost

The magic in the straightforwardly named Fitness Earbuds lies in their barely-there size. Both the lightweight buds and the case鈥攚hich fits in the palm of your hand and slips discreetly into any pocket鈥攁re tiny. This makes it all the more impressive that they can pump out rich, deep sound for 12 hours on a charge (with ANC off) and hold 44 more hours of recharging in the case. One of our testers, a runner with several ear piercings, said 鈥渢hese felt the most comfortable and secure in my ears,鈥� a fact that is helped by the soft stabilizing fins that cleverly slip on and off depending on your preference. Folks with larger ears enjoyed them too but did have occasional trouble with them falling out. The Fitness Earbuds come with helpful touch controls for volume, ANC, and even three different sound profiles (more bass, etc.), and their multipoint feature lets you connect to both phone and laptop at the same time. IPX7 water-resistance means they can handle rain and even short periods of total immersion. One tester who works as a carpenter wore them at work and 鈥渘ever had any issues with them being affected by sweat or sawdust.鈥�

Killer Value

JLab GO Air Sport

Pros and Cons
鈯� Exceptional value
鈯� Secure fit
鈯� Infrequent pairing issues
鈯� Some tunes can sound tinny

For those who put their buds through hell, there鈥檚 nothing to dislike in this smooth-sounding unit, given that they come with a replacement cost that is barely more than a pizza with all the toppings. Their comfortable, bendy, ear hooks all but guarantee a secure fit during workouts, even if your workouts involve handstands. With an IP55 rating, they can handle dust and moderate rain. 鈥淭hese were my go-to earbuds for durability,鈥� said our Anchorage-based tester. 鈥淚 tested them on trail runs and hikes during misty Alaska rains. They are very durable and did not fall out of my ears or seem to be affected by rain or sweat.鈥� While one runner on the test crew found the relatively large case a bit cumbersome to carry in a pocket, the 8-hour charge was adequate for most workouts and daylong activities (and the case provides another 24 hours). As for that case: We like that it has its own built-in USB charging cord. The touch controls are nice to have but don鈥檛 always perform as expected, and the earbuds do not come with ANC, though at this price that shouldn鈥檛 be an expectation. Based on their durability, clear sound, reliable connectivity, and price, they make perfect sense for more rough-and-tumble activities or as a backup to pricier headsets.

Best Travel Headphones

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2e

Pros and Cons
鈯� Excellent sound
鈯� Invitingly discreet design
鈯� Not suitable for adventures

鈥淭hese are the best-sounding over-ear wireless headphones I鈥檝e experienced,鈥� one of our veteran testers exclaimed. In a category dominated by the likes of Bose, Sony, and Apple, it鈥檚 refreshing that this year鈥檚 most inviting travel headphones come from a legendary British audiophile brand, founded in 1966, known for its excellent but pricey and historically not rugged headphones. The Px7 S2e addresses both of those issues, quietly going about its business with a solidly built and thrilling-to-listen-to product at a price that is perfectly reasonable. We gave them style points for a nice range of beautiful, nature-based color options, from the standard Anthracite Black to Cloud Grey, Ocean Blue, and Forest Green. The active noise cancellation, while not best in class, does a decent job, using four microphones to adapt to your surrounding soundscape, and they come with a barebones but serviceable app. Battery life is a stellar 30 hours, and a 15-minute charge provides seven additional hours. While testers wished they could reach slightly higher volumes, bass-heavy head-bopping isn鈥檛 what these are made for. 鈥淚f you want balance, resolution, accuracy, transparency, and deeply pleasurable naturalness, this one delivers,鈥� a tester wrote. They do fall short in packability鈥攐ne tester noted, 鈥渋t would be nice if they folded鈥濃�攁nd we wouldn鈥檛 advise wearing them in a downpour, but the Px7 S2e comes with a sturdy protective case that will stand up to a certain degree of rough handling. Just remember to pack it in your carry-on.

How to Choose Earbuds

Earbuds are more like shoes than most other gear categories: so much depends on the right fit. What comfortably fits one person鈥檚 ears may not suit another鈥檚, and there鈥檚 more to it than size. The internal anatomy of the ear makes certain designs actually sound better to one person than the next. If you can鈥檛 try them out at a store or borrow them from a friend, it may be best to buy them from a retailer with a good return policy. Once you have them in hand, do some real-world tests with the different tip sizes, and trade them in if you aren鈥檛 in love.

If you want to get serious about the perfect fit, consider aftermarket foam eartips, like . In addition to helping with a more secure fit, they provide passive noise isolation, which can improve the experience with both ANC-equipped and ANC-less earbuds. Should fit issues persist, consider a model with behind-the-ear hooks, like the JLabs GO Air Sport reviewed here.

Also give some thought to which features do it for you: Some people like sleek touch controls, others prefer old-school push buttons; some like to tap for quick pausing, others would rather forgo that feature and pull out one bud to ask for directions, so as to avoid the annoyance of unwanted pauses every time your fingers go near them. And if you live in a rainy climate, be sure to choose ones with an IP rating ending in 4 or higher (as all the models here do).

Finally, be aware that there are more specialized designs emerging and getting better each year鈥搇ike these earbuds for , others for , and for those who want to stay more tuned in to their surroundings.

How We Test

• Number of Miles Run During Testing: 255
• Number of Dogs Walked: 8
• Yoga Sessions: 7
• Hours of Podcasts Consumed During Travel: 28
• Coldest Temp: 鈥�3, Anchorage, Alaska
• Warmest Temp: 90, Santa Fe, New Mexico
• Most Remote Testing Location: Antarctica
• Most Listened-To Tracks: Japanese Breakfast: 鈥淧aprika,鈥� Bob Marley and the Wailers: 鈥淣atural Mystic,鈥� Wet Leg: 鈥淐haise Longue,鈥� Danger Mouse and Black Thought, feat. MF Doom: 鈥淏elize,鈥� Kelly Lee Owens: 鈥淢oebius,鈥� Brian Eno: 鈥淒iscreet Music,鈥� Sam Fender: 鈥淗ypersonic Missiles鈥�

The first thing we do with any earbuds, headphones, or speakers is attempt to pair them with our phones without consulting the user manual: the quicker, more intuitive, and easier the Bluetooth setup, the more points scored. Then we put them through rigorous hours of testing doing the kinds of things 国产吃瓜黑料 readers do鈥攆rom dog walks to HIIT workouts, from fireside listening to our day jobs,听which for one of us is at the local woodworking shop. Our testers, who range in location from Alaska to Berkeley to Santa Fe to New York City, spent hours in them, bouncing up and down on trails, treadmills, and trains.

Our team turns in reports on each product tested, providing a score from 1 to 10 for five different measures: sound quality, pairing and connectivity, fit and comfort, rain and drop protection, and user friendliness. Scores are averaged, with more weight given to sound quality and (knowing our audience) how well they stand up to the elements. Note: Battery life estimates in these reviews are based on manufacturer specs; it’s difficult to confirm those numbers, given the time involved and variances among user habits (different volumes, different uses, different functions enabled). Actual results may be 10 to 20 percent lower, judging from averages experienced in general testing.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Will Palmer has been testing gear for 20 years for 国产吃瓜黑料, where he was managing editor and copy chief for nine years. Based in Santa Fe, he has been a runner since 1984, and while the mile counts have decreased over the years, he鈥檚 kept motivated to head out the door on the hottest, coldest, and wettest days by the opportunity to test the best new products鈥攁nd to commune with the junipers and pi帽ons.

The post The Best New Sport Earbuds and Headphones of 2024 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

The story goes that in the early 1960s, John Entwistle, bassist for The Who, couldn鈥檛 hear his instrument over the clamorous drums of his maniac bandmate, Keith Moon, so he asked London drum shop owner Jim Marshall to build him a louder amplifier. This resulted in guitarist Pete Townshend needing a louder amp from Marshall so he could hear his guitar over Entwistle鈥檚 bass鈥攁nd thus was Marshall able to go into business making history鈥檚 most beloved amps.

Updated August 2024: We’ve updated the formatting of this review and updated the retailers and pricing of the product.

Marshall Motif II ANC

Pros and Cons
鈯� Top-notch, dynamic sound
鈯� Rockin鈥� design
鈯� Highly grippable stems
鈯� Shorter-than-average battery life

If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.听Learn more.

Sixty years later, the Marshall company has smartly reapplied its rich pedigree, bringing its engineering know-how to today鈥檚 consumers by producing (in conjunction with Zound Industries) a stellar line of headphones, earbuds, and Bluetooth speakers, like the Emberton II, the best speaker in our roundup last year).

This year our attention was captured by Marshall鈥檚 Motif II ANC true wireless earbuds, which in shape and size are very similar to Apple鈥檚 AirPods Pro, except they鈥檙e all decked out in black, the Darth Vader to Apple鈥檚 Stormtrooper.

The Apple-pioneered stem design has found its way into lots of other companies鈥� offerings, which testifies to how the design, despite looking clunky, manages to stay firmly lodged in your ears, through some kind of ergonomic alchemy, during most basic activities.听The stem also makes for a nice place to grab onto them, which, if you鈥檙e a big-handed person on a cold day, can make smaller, rounder earbuds a pain in the ear.

The Motif II ANCs, however, one-up Apple by adding textured plastic on their stems (with an attractive gold touch on the tip), which makes them even more grippable and seems to help hold them in place while you鈥檙e wearing them鈥攕omething our testers universally appreciated. On the outside of each earbud is a touch control that allows you to pause, skip tracks, turn on active noise cancellation (ANC), and employ Spotify Tap, which lets subscribers play from the music service without opening their phone.

As for the ANC in its name, while their noise canceling is not as robust as Apple鈥檚, Marshall鈥檚 earbuds did a pretty good job of blocking out wind while running and loud talkers in caf茅s (though no amount of ANC would be enough to cope with Keith Moon). They also have IPX5 ingress protection, meaning they鈥檙e not rated for their ability to keep out dust and solids but will do fine with heavy rain, sweat, or sea spray. One tester found that they needed occasional fit adjustment during runs, though it鈥檚 worth noting that they weigh less than the AirPods Pro鈥攁t 4.3 grams per bud, compared with Apple鈥檚 5.3 grams.

But design isn鈥檛 what made these our favorites. Listening to our favorite tracks on the Motif II ANC was a consistently pleasant experience. Where some brands use artificial bass boosting or other gimmicks to make it feel like you鈥檙e at a rave at 4 a.m., these delivered clear, faithful highs, mids, and lows鈥攑roducing more of a sense of sitting inside a sealed-off recording studio, hearing every note and nuance. Should bass really be important to you, that can still be achieved by downloading Marshall鈥檚 app and playing around with its equalizer.听More versatile than the typical companion app, Marshall鈥檚 lets you dial in exactly the balance you like, and you can even program multiple EQ settings and then use the touch control to shift among them.

Marshall also nailed the design of the charging case. Made from 70 percent recycled plastic, the case鈥檚 textured vinyl surface evokes the classic Marshall amp stacks, and it鈥檚 built tough鈥攚e鈥檝e dropped it and sat on it and it didn鈥檛 crack. The case gives you four charges of six hours each, in addition to the six hours of initial playing time you鈥檒l get in the buds with ANC turned on (or nine hours without). This is about average: in line with the AirPods Pro but two to three hours less than competitors like Sony, Sennheiser, and JLabs.

The Motifs were our 2024 pick for Best All-Around earbuds, for their build quality, consistently impressive audio, everyday versatility, and sheer character. Our Gear Guide testing team spent some 35 hours with them, happily grabbing them when heading out on runs, hikes, ski tours, and cross-country travel, and they also performed admirably when making phone calls, washing the car, and tinkering in the workshop. With what one tester called the 鈥渂est sound quality of all the buds in this test鈥� and a design that made everyone take notice, they鈥檙e a prime example of the state of the art of Bluetooth earbuds today.

The post We Loved the Classic Look of These Earbuds from Marshall. Then We Were Wowed by Their Sound Quality. appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Meditation. It鈥檚 not a New Age thing anymore, or a Buddhist thing, or even a David Lynch thing. It鈥檚 gone mainstream and secular, and now, like everything else in your life, it鈥檚 available as an app.

The catch term these days is mindfulness. This is in fact a slightly different pursuit than meditation. As , it鈥檚 sort of the opposite, since traditional meditation is a mind-emptying practice. But documenting the positive effects of meditation and mindfulness, from the obvious鈥攕tress reduction, help with anxiety and depression鈥攖o the not-so-apparent, like stronger immune systems, lower risk of heart disease, better relationships, and overall increased happiness.

Smartphone technology鈥攖oo often the greatest enemy of enjoying the present moment鈥攃an help you get there. There are apps that aid with relaxation, breathing exercises, and 鈥渕indfulness-based stress reduction.鈥� You can find screen after screen of effective methods to help people feel better and work more productively, whether in New York cubicles or NFL training rooms. What you鈥檒l find below is the best of what鈥檚 available now on iTunes and Google Play.

What Qualifies as the Best Meditation App?

We focused on apps that have a human feel, with voices offering instruction and guided meditation. The following apps feature real people whose experience is apparent and who have a good bedside manner. We steered clear of the cloying, the motivational-speaker-esque, and those unmotivating sleep-inducing instructors who sound like they鈥檝e enjoyed a little too much weed and can鈥檛 pronounce their consonants.

But a lot depends on your own personality, the vibe you go in for, and the techniques that work for you. So take some time to play around with various apps; the ones here all cost less than a digital streaming service. (Note: most of these require additional purchases once you鈥檝e run through the included content鈥攆rom single fees per meditation to $10 or more for an annual subscription.)

And don鈥檛 forget one key fact: You do have time. I need to remind myself of this whenever I get too caught up in the rush. Every minute invested in resting those neural pathways will pay itself back鈥攜ou鈥檒l need less sleep, and you鈥檒l be sharper and more efficient.

Best Meditation App for Your Mindfulness Goals

Best All Around: Buddhify

Buddhify calls itself 鈥渕odern mindfulness wherever you are.鈥� It鈥檚 designed for those who鈥檝e always been curious about meditation but haven鈥檛 known where to start. A brilliant, colorful design and wide array of situation-focused meditations make this app engaging and useful for experienced meditators as well. What sets it apart is the rainbow-hued spinning dial that asks what you鈥檙e doing now. Trying to sleep? Sitting in a park? Exercising? There are 16 such categories, and a small handful of guided meditations to choose from within each. It offers a variety of enjoyable instructors, plus a solo option, a stats page to track your progress, and the option of social sharing for those who want to feel they鈥檙e part of the community. Who knew meditation was this much fun?

Best for Beginners: Calm

This intuitively designed and supremely accessible app puts learning front and center, and includes helpful Masterclass information where mindfulness experts explains some of the science behind meditation. Included are several no-nonsense guided meditations that focus on a single concept, like relieving stress. Best of all is the check in screen that asks you to pinpoint your current mood and emotions, then recommends different meditations or mindful activities based on your answers. Additionally, a progress page tracks the time you spend meditating, and the app also includes other meditative tools, like bedtime stories read by celebrities, mindful movement exercises, and a white noise simulator.

Best If You Already Meditate: The Mindfulness App

This simple, clean app combines a lot of the best features from all the others on this list: a handful of guided three- to thirty-minute meditations led by instructor Catherine Polan Orzech, who teaches Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction; the option of self-guided silent meditations in the same increments, or in whatever length you specify; optional daily reminders to put down the mouse and get your butt on the cushion; and additional 99-cent meditations from leading teachers. A smart feature is the timer showing no numbers but only a circle of dots that slowly move around to 360 degrees, so the math part of your brain doesn鈥檛 have a chance to obsess.

Best Host: Headspace

Andy Puddicombe: first off, best name among wellness practitioners. (I鈥檓 talkin鈥� to you, Deepak.) Puddicombe is a minor celeb in Britain, where he consults for the government and appears on BBC. A former Tibetan monk, he now preaches the merits of taking ten minutes every day for mindfulness. This Take 10 program is the centerpiece of the Headspace app. Puddicombe鈥檚 guided meditations are intelligent and thought-provoking and offer what the best teachers can鈥攊nstilling enthusiasm while speaking to you at your own level. The design has a few odd, clunky moments, but it makes up for it with excellent graphics.

Best Free Meditation Apps and Tools

These apps offer specific features for those who don鈥檛 need a guide but do want tools to facilitate their practice.

Breathwork

For breath training (a great skill to develop not only for relaxation but also for yoga and increased VO2 max), try , which gives you visual and aural cues to inhale and exhale.

Relaxation

Relaxing sounds can provide a great backdrop, particularly at the office or if you live in a noisy city. Apps like , , and, well, offer sounds like waves on a beach or songbirds that put you in the mind of a rainforest, and you can also use them as an alarm clock if you鈥檇 rather wake up to a thunderstorm than to Apple鈥檚 default 鈥淥pening鈥� tone (the one that sounds like that song in American Beauty).

Duration

Finally, there are meditation timers that serve one simple purpose. My favorite is , an elegant design that allows you to set a specific duration and drift off, without overthinking it. (Bonus: it also tracks your progress, helps you build a routine, and includes several free guided meditations added daily.)

The post The 4 Best Meditation Apps to Build a Steady Practice appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

It鈥檚 hard to believe that a few years ago, we were all still plugging earbuds into our phones using things called 鈥渃ords.鈥� The advent of Bluetooth, with its ability to pack into itty-bitty cordless speakers that reside in our ears, has changed things fast. Every year, the sound gets better. Nice touches like hear-through to let in ambient sound, in-ear detection that halts playback when you remove one bud, and active noise cancellation鈥攐nce seen only in travel headphones鈥攈ave expanded earbud versatility. Even battery life keeps improving. Today there are dozens of excellent-sounding, snug-fitting, water-shunning models out there, and teasing out the differences gets harder all the time. Our winners for 2022 are the ones that have the most intelligent design and most useful tech features, stand up to the elements, and, best of all, sound the sweetest.听

Jaybird Vista 2 ($150)

Best for Harsh Weather

Like the first-gen Vista, these clear, robust-sounding earbuds have real outdoor cred. They鈥檙e IP68 dust- and waterproof and meet U.S. military shock and crush standards. What鈥檚 new: active noise cancellation and a volume control that lets you listen to music without blocking out the outside world. They go for eight hours, with two more charges in the case. Bonus: the app can find your buds on a map if you drop them.

Edifier TWS 330NB ($80)

Killer Value

Like the look of Apple鈥檚 AirPods but shopping on a budget? Look to Edifier鈥檚 TWS330 NB. Despite the affordable price tag, you鈥檇 be hard-pressed to find anything cheap about them. Sure, with active noise-cancellation turned on, the battery life is only five hours on a charge (plus 15 more hours from the charging case). But they boast solid sound and a sturdy build, with IP54 dust and water resistance. They even boast an AI algorithm that makes calls clearer by enhancing the other person鈥檚 voice.

Shure Aonic 215 True Wireless Sound Isolating Earphones, Gen 2 ($229)

Best for Audiophiles

Sure, this pair has a higher price tag, comes with a much larger case, has only IPX4 splashproof-ing (no waterproofing), and takes more effort to hook around your ears. But if you鈥檙e seeking a hi-fi experience, you鈥檒l find them a step above the competition. The earphones have excellent equalizers that can be controlled from Shure鈥檚 Play app, which also lets you modify the amount of ambient sound and customize what the buttons at the base of the over-ear hooks do. As for those hooks: they also make these the most secure-fitting pair in this list. These buds last for eight hours per charge, with three more charges in the case, for 32 hours of total run time.

Beats Fit Pro ($200)

Best for Everyday Use

Though the Fit Pro are a slight step down in durability from the Jaybirds and Jabras (it鈥檚 rated IPX4), they鈥檙e an excellent go-everywhere model with loud, heart-pumping sound. We love their compact design (these are the smallest buds on the list) with flexible wings to hold them in place. Battery life is six hours, with three additional charges from the palm-sized case. A five-minute charge restores an hour of playtime. Mac and iPhone users will like how they quick-connect without needing to open your Bluetooth settings.

Jabra Elite 7 Active ($180)

Best for Runners

Like the Jaybird Vista 2, the Elite 7 Active is a smooth-sounding unit built for the trails, with eight hours of battery life, 22 more in the case, and app-controlled active noise cancellation. They鈥檙e slightly less burly: waterproof only up to one meter (but still functionally rainproof), and have no fit wedges to hook inside your ear, which makes them easier to drop and lose. But in testing, they stayed in place just fine). But they offer a particularly significant feature that all trail users will love: a mono mode that enables you to leave one ear open to trail sounds without sacrificing audio quality. You get both sound channels coming into one ear, leaving your second bud free to charge in its case.

The post