Otium Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds - IPX7 Waterproof Sports Headphones with 15H Playtime, Noise Isolation for Gym Running & Workout | Perfect for Fitness, Commuting & Outdoor Activities

For no reason in particular, it took me a while to make the switch from wired earbuds to wireless. While I've had a couple of Bluetooth mics over the years, they were all the single-ear models with mini boom mics that only worked for phone calls and made you look like a stock broker or Hollywood agent about to throw a fit at the Starbucks barista. Respect your food service workers, they put up with a lot. In any case, I figured I might as well try headphones that I wouldn't fall asleep on/get snagged on a door handle and mess up my phone's headphone port/strangle me.Not knowing what exactly I should expect with wireless headphones, I figured that for the time being, I should get something relatively cheap so I could get an idea of what I did and didn't want from a headset. Plus, I travel and run outdoors a lot, so the potential for losing something that was normally physically tethered to me and my device was high. I've paid good money for headphones before (I have a couple of very coddled Sennheisers for when I really want to try and feel impressive to strangers), so I was all for paying less than $20 for what was essentially a test drive set that I'd wear to death (see my history with headphones above).PACKAGING:There isn't much to say about the box. It arrived unharmed. Production value was fine enough. The logo and packaging wasn't that far removed from the Beats by Dre sets. As someone who saw a lot of knockoff Beats in bazaars in Afghanistan, it struck me as funny but not a red flag. Those ones weren't half bad either (or so some buddies claimed, during their mid-deployment career transition to retail wholesaler). Good enough branding to catch a well-meaning grandma shopping for her grandkids off guard. You'll end up with these and some Transmorpher DVDs.The carrying case was nice, kind of a faux carbon fiber external and a soft fuzzy interior. Pliable enough to where you couldn't use it as a bludgeon, but firm enough to where you'd notice if you started to sit on it. Just don't sit all the way on it - it isn't really carbon fiber. It fit the headphones, and a 3-inch charging cable that I never really used because only Luddites don't have at least one micro USB cable magically appear in your junk drawer.After the headphones, tiny cable, and case, the only other item was the instructions. They were not written by someone who speaks English as their first language. Probably not second, either. Whatever. Google Translate did the best it could.SET UP:Translation problems aside, the quick start guide was simple enough that you'd get the gist. Actually pairing them to my Galaxy S9 was also simple, although I had to do it three or four times until the two devices actually got to know each other. I'm an introvert, so I didn't hold it against them. Once paired, reconnecting was easier, but still not instant. I'd say the rate of automatically pairing on the first try was about 90%. I'd have to turn on the headset and set my phone to scan at pretty much the same instant, but that was easy enough to learn (I don't set my phone's Bluetooth to "always-on," so perhaps I'd do better if I had). Exact same experience pairing the set to my Alienware home computer and Apple iPad mini (4th gen, I think - it was a gift that was new in 2018). So, it pairs easily across Windows, Android, and iOS hardware as if they were the same.CONNECTIVITY AND EASE OF USE:The button layout is pretty standard if you've ever had headphones with phone control functions. There's a single multipurpose button on the right bud that handles power, playing/pausing, and answering/hanging up calls. Above that is a volume rocker that handles previous/next track with a long press. Each button has a satisfying, tactile click to it that leaves little to the imagination. Response is immediate, you know when you've pressed the right buttons. Sensual and effective. Good times.The range is better than I anticipated for what I paid. I live in a 600 square foot/65 square meter apartment, and I've neglected to realize that I set my phone down on the table by my front door while listening to music in my bedroom down the hall and on the other side of a wall. It's never broken its pairing with my devices. That being said, I've probably never tested the range beyond 50 feet/15 meters. Beyond that, I'd probably permanently lose one or both devices to the ether. I won't risk it. I'm forgetful sometimes.It will, however, skip repeatedly at random. This is my biggest problem with this set, and it loses half a star for it. I'd be listening to music with the phone in my left pant pocket and the sound will cut out or "skip" like if you bumped an old CD Walkman. Sometimes, it would last a split second, sometimes it would garble for five or six seconds. Holding my phone directly next to the headset would always improve it, but if I put it back in my pocket, it was 50/50 whether it stayed normalized. After fuzzing out for a minute or so, it would self-right itself and I'd be good for the next few hours until it repeated itself. I could never find a rhyme or reason for why it went when it did, but it seemed to get worse the more I used them for phone calls and not just music. Calls were a mess, and I had to ask a caller to repeat themselves at lease once or twice every conversation. However, as much as I listen to music, phone calls were a very small portion of the headset's workload. Honestly, it was a minor inconvenience, but given that it only has two functions (streaming audio and streaming calls), it's a glaring one.Another small issue is the low battery warning. A voice tells you that the battery is low, and you'd be lucky to make it more than ten minutes before it shuts down. The battery's good for six hours, and since I'm pretty good at topping off my devices, it was rarely an issue.AUDIO QUALITY:As a disclaimer, I'm not an audiophile that can lecture on the specifics of sound quality. I can't debate the merits on one brand over another. I can't afford recording studio-quality. I've tried many headphones over the years, with price points ranging from "no-name-found-only-at-gas-stations" to "well-to-do-but-definitely-not-country-club-member." I do know the difference between bass and treble, and not much else. For reference, I have some Sennheisers that proved my all-time personal gold standards for headphones (an HD 558 for home use and a CX 300B MK II for travel, with a MX 365 for daily use).These are not Sennheisers. They're probably not even Jbuds.I'm not saying they're bad. Actually, they're quite good - for the price point. Basses are good (when they're occasionally there), but tend to get drowned out by normal street traffic. Everything else is sharp and vocals are clearly defined but it all feels muted to a degree. If I were to sum it up, it's as if I were listening to a decent headset through a dense pillow. I'm confident the problem isn't my sound settings on my phone. I've never really tried to fiddle with the equalizer, but I've used both my wired Sennheiser earbuds and a JLab J4 wired to much greater effect under standard settings.Audio quality during phone calls is hit-or-miss, and I suspect a lot of that was because of the "skipping" issue mentioned above in the Connectivity section. Since conversations aren't constant streams of audio like songs are (mine aren't, at least - no judgment on you fast talkers), it's harder to gauge. Voices sounded tinny a lot of the time, but clear. I've been told I sounded fairly clear when I talked through them. I only ever had trouble hearing callers when I was walking down a busy street.IN CONCLUSION:I still don't know enough about the performance gap between wireless and wired headphones, if there is one at all anymore. It is 2020, after all. That being said, my experience with Otium was far more positive than negative. Despite connectivity issues that led to some occasionally garbled audio during music and calls, the ease of use, good battery life, feather-light weight, and solid construction make this a great choice for someone looking for a simple wireless headset at an entry-level price point.Sadly, I lost my headset after accidentally leaving it in the back of an Uber. Considering I bought it for $17, owned it for about a year, and it would cost me at least $15 in fees to Uber to retrieve it, I chalked it up to a loss. That being said, if I still had it, I could easily imagine owning it for at least a year after that, something that I'd never consider with a wired headphone at the same price. The performance was totally consistent throughout that year. On the plus side, this gives me an excuse to get more in-depth with the range of wireless headsets out there. I'm using my $20 wired Sennheiser MX 365s for now, but I definitely miss the qualities of being tangle-free. Even if I don't return to Otium, they definitely helped me get my foot in the door. I'll definitely give them a lot of credit for that.I been buying these cheap sports ear buds every year for the last 4 years. I work maintenance so they usually last a little over a year before I do something and break them. They have never been the same brand, yet I feel they are all made by the same manufacturer. Honestly, I just find this style for under $30, make sure they have the water resistance and press buy, but they are all look and operate the same regardless of the name of the brand. I think one manufacture makes these and then just lets other companies toss their brand on it and that's fine saves me from trying to find exactly what I purchases the year before.So this review is for every headset that looks like this pair and has the same features.With that said, they keep getting better every year. They have always been comfortable and come with 4 total size ear moldings for a good enough fit, I get ear fatigue very easy and highly dislike earbuds in general, but the ear band keeps them in so I can worry more about comfort than them falling out.The initial connection to my phone has gotten so quick, the mic quality has become better where my contractors don't even know they are on a headset (compared to my first pair where I had to turn it off to talk) the battery life has always been amazing for the price, I get a full 8 hour day worth with plenty of juice left to spare. I wouldn't go for 2 days though unless they're only in use half the day. They aren't the loudest but you'll hear your music while using power tools, you'll just also hear your power tools also. I do get "jump scared" a lot if someone comes up behind me and doesn't yell. These also have never failed me in the rain either.All in all if you want a cheap pair of "throw away" headphones and you like the "sports loop" and the wire that you can drape them over your neck while not in use, then these are 5 stars. Just don't overpay, as I said, you can find these same pairs from $20-$50 all over Amazon and I fully believe they are all made by one manufacture regardless of the brand. I pay (on average) $25 for these.I’ve had apple AirPods and klipsch ear buds. Both fell out constantly. Hated them. These are great! They stay in and if they fall out, at least there is a wire around the back of my neck so I don’t loose them.What prompted me to order something with ear wrap and a wire? Picture walking the dog, constantly fidgeting with the stupid AirPods. It’s dark. It’s winter so there’s snow and slush. One AirPods falls out of my ear and to the ground. 3 minutes of patting the ground looking for it, including in the shushy puddles, to hear the dog crunching the fallen AirPod in his mouth.These were a fraction of the cost and I’m impressed. Would recommend.So the sound quality is OK. They fit quite nicely in my small ears. You do get different sized buds to change them for better comfort if you need it. The ear supports fit nicely next to my glasses which is a bonus as my last pair were so uncomfortable. Easy to use decent enough for people onna budget. The block parts that the controls are a little bulky for my taste but these will do while I'm training.However. I ordered BLUE headphones and got sent PINK! I may be a girl but as a vampy purple loving goth I'm very anti pink and deliberately ordered the blue for that reason. I can't send these back as the time scale it takes means I'll be stuck training without music which is no fun so now I'm stuck with the pink ones that I didn't want ?‍♀️I was looking for headphones that would not completely block the noise to feel safe using them in the streets and who would not fall every 2 min and are comfortable to wear with glasses. These headphones fit the bill perfectly.Sound quality is horrible. Bulky just yuck! And if I didn't accidently chucked the box I would've send it back already! How can someone sell this rubbish.24/04/2022 - since my review the company has contacted me and send a new set that doesn't have the same issues. Mine quite possibly was a faulty one. Glad that I was able to get a new one and thanks to the company for reaching out cause I thought without the box I won't be able to do anything about it!Headphones are good but the black hooks could be stiffer IMO. I have small ear holes which is generally a problem with all headphones for me, so they struggle through a 60-minute sweaty workout on a cross-trainer... Great for the price though and have a good sound quality