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Apple’s new BeatsX headphones are a better buy than AirPods — here’s why (AAPL) http://ift.tt/2mb8oit
Apple made it a point to push the world toward wireless audio with the iPhone 7, but it has yet to launch a pair of headphones with genuine mass appeal. The Beats Solo 3 Wireless are perfectly solid, but cost a hefty $300. The Powerbeats 3 Wireless are strictly aimed at the gym. And the fully wireless AirPods, the “cultural phenomenon” Apple most wants you to buy, feel like a dry run for a still-distant future. The BeatsX, the latest wireless earphones from Apple’s juggernaut subsidiary, aren’t a no-brainer either. But they do get closer to that status than the rest. For $150, they lap the AirPods in every area that counts, while using the same fancy wireless tech that’s become those earbuds’ biggest selling point. They also cost $10 less than AirPods. Right now, all of this makes them the best buy among Apple-made headphones. Here’s a closer look. The BeatsX are a “neckband-style” pair of in-ear headphones. This kind of design has become increasingly fashionable among audio companies in recent years, but Beats’ take is thinner, lighter, and more flexible than most of its peers. They’re more than comfortable enough to leave wrapped around your neck all day.I wouldn’t call the neckband shape normal at this point, but it’s more ubiquitous than the fully wireless design used by the AirPods and others. You won’t get too many stares — especially since the earbuds themselves are nice and small. But even if you do, the neckband shape is more practical than it looks. You never have to deal with tangled cords, and you never have to go through the process of carefully pulling tiny earbuds out of a tiny case. If you need to take a call, you have the earbuds right there. When you’re done, you just take them out. It helps that the back of earbuds magnetically stick together, which erases what little chance this design had of getting unruly. The trade-off with that light weight is that you have to deal with cheaper-feeling plastic and rubbery material. That’s easier to swallow here than with the $300 Solo 3 Wireless, but it keeps the BeatsX from feeling capital-N nice.You’ll also hear a little bit of cable noise any time you rustle the cords reaching for the built-in remote or power button. That's annoying. On the plus side, they do have that remote, which makes it easy to adjust volume and change tracks. Beats says the whole thing water-resistant, too, so you can take them to the gym without too much worry. (Though they’re not outright sweatproof.) And while the materials feel inexpensive, they don’t come off as flimsy or loosely put together. If my month of daily testing is any indication, they should prove durable. They’re bendable enough to fit into a small carrying case, too — though the one Beats puts in the box is a dust magnet. One area where Beats nails it is noise isolation. Once you find the right fit, the BeatsX’s eartips create a tremendously tight seal. That means they let in very little outside noise when you have the music playing. If you don’t want or need to shell out for full-on noise-cancelling headphones, this is a fine alternative.Beats puts four different-sized sets of tips in the box — plus a couple of “winged” tips that help keep the earbuds in place while running — so getting comfortable shouldn't be hard. The rubbery material used on those tips is soft, so it isn't a struggle to keep the earpieces in for hours at a time. Again, this is a more relaxed fit than it looks. See the rest of the story at Business Insider See Also:
SEE ALSO: These tiny earbuds are the wildest pair of headphones I've ever used — here's what they can do Business via Business Insider http://ift.tt/eKERsB March 5, 2017 at 02:33AM
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