The Best and Worst Headphones
...they're the same pair. Kevin surprised me with some Jaybird Bluebud X bluetooth headphones last week.
The concept is really cool. The bluetooth ability means there's no bouncing cord as you're running and you can even switch them to over-ear configuration so the short wire is behind your head.
I decided to try them out at the half marathon on Sunday (I had previously worn them around the house for 10min or so only). I checked the battery and it was 75% charged, what I thought was plenty for a 2 hr race (the website claims an 8 hr charge).
I turned them on 5 minutes before the race start and they were totally awesome. Good sound, no bouncing, perfect fit. Then I got my first low battery warning at mile 5, after less than an hour. They were dead by mile 8. What a bummer, but I figured I should have charged them.
Yesterday I mentioned my broken headphones. I had tossed my new ones on the charger and grabbed them to go run without testing them. When I got out to the preserve, I tried to turn them on and...nothing. After trying to charge them again today and doing some research, I found it's a common problem for the control panel to crap out. But after ONE use? Seriously? How disappointing.
I'm hesitant to get a replacement pair based solely on the fact they broke so amazingly fast. I didn't abuse them, sweat more than normal (the race started at 6:30am in SF, not exactly a heat wave) or do anything extreme. I think I'll stick to my $9.99 earbuds I picked up in an airport that have worked for nearly a year with no issues.
So, fellow runners, purchase a pair of these at your own risk and be sure to keep the box to send them back when they break.
