The Search for the Best Budget Earbuds is On
I like listening to music when I run. I have used several running headphones before but they don’t really last long. Usually, they get broken within a year. Some would last longer but none has lasted more than two years. The common problem is spotty signal, dead battery, or damaged due to sweat or rain.
Last December 2019, I decided to try a True Wireless Speaker (TWS) or a wireless earbud. After reading reviews and recommendations, I settled for the Jaybird Vista. The Jaybird Vista was designed for the outdoors with an IPX7 rating to make sure it can withstand sweat and even a rain downpour. It had one of the highest IPX rating at that time. I bought it for 299.99 SGD or about 11,500 PHP last 2019. It came with a free Jaybird Tarah Wireless Sports Headphones. I think it was a good deal.
The music sounds good on the Jaybird Vista. The battery life is up to 5 hours. It has a compact charging case, and has earbud fins for a comfortable and secure fit. They feel comfortable in the ear while running but it does feel tiresome after wearing them for longer than 2 hours.
However, my overall experience using the Jaybird Vista was disappointing. It started having problem after two months. The music gets cutoff even if my phone was just nearby. A firmware updated fixed it. But later, the problem appeared again.
I was expecting the Jaybird Vista to last more than 2 years but after 16 months, the charging case stopped working. It doesn’t charge the earbuds so I can no longer wear it. Using it from December 2019 to April 2021 seems long enough, right? But considering 2020 happened, I was actually not using it as often as I intend to.
I am now looking for another TWS earbuds that I can use outdoors for runs, walks and rides. Of course, there are great options based on reviews like the Jabra Elite Active 85t, Sony WF-SP800N, and the Bose Sports Earbuds. But I don’t want to spend more than 10,000 PHP again for a pair of earbuds. Well, not now… 😁
Surprisingly, there are plenty of budget TWS earbuds in the market today. I was surprised by their prices. For less than a thousand, they have a rating of IPX5 already. For less than 2,000, some can have ANC capabilities with the updated Bluetooth 5.0 already.
So I am now in search for the best budget TWS earbuds. The choices are overwhelming so I am narrowing it down to the following must-have features.
- At least IPX4 rating
- At least 5 hours continuous battery time
- Must be below 3,000 PHP (based on sale price)
- No stemmed design (like the Apple Airpods)
- Optional: Noise Cancelling
- Optional: Earbud Fins
It is correct to say that instead of buying 10 budget earbuds for 2,500 each, I could have bought the more expensive and better one in the market already. But I decided that for my sports earbuds, I will be not be after the best sounding TWS earbuds. The sounds quality doesn’t matter that much while running or cycling anyway. If I want to listen for pleasure, I would reserve that for an over-the-ear headphone (like the Sony WH-1000XM4 or the Sennhieser Momentum Wireless), or for my dream hi-fi audio system (like Sonos or the . My goal is to review them someday, as well.
Besides, I find these budget TWS earbuds intriguing. They have the specs of a high end earbuds at a price so low. These options were not easily available two years ago. It’s too good to be true. Will they sound good? Will they last long? Will they provide value for money? Or am I just getting what I paid for? This is what I want to find out. I find this more fun than buying “The One” wireless earbud.
So far, here’s the budget TWS earbuds I have bought. Click on each one to read the full review. The price stated are the sale prices, not the SRP.
