STACK #192 Oct 2020

LIFE TECH FEATURE

visit stack.com.au

Tech for the Body andMind With summer knocking at the door after an interminable and testing winter, it’s time to get busy on the body and the mind. Armed with your smartwatch or fitness tracker, there’s no excuse to avoid clocking up the kms and kicking off the calories. But when it comes to ear gear, is it headphones or earbuds? It’s a personal choice, but here are several options to get your workout underway.

JBL Under Armour Sport Wireless Train What are they? There’s a reason we’re recommending these – we use them every day ourselves. The JBL Under Armours are a tough set of on-ear headphones that fit tightly and won’t fall off during extreme

Bose SoundSport Wireless In-Ear Headphones

What is an IPX rating? An IPX rating is a universal system used to gauge a product’s resistance to environmental conditions such as dust and water. The IP stands for Ingress

What are they? Wireless earbuds are another good option when

working out, especially if you’re prone to losing individual earbuds! Both sweat and splash proof, the Bose SoundSport are very comfortable, providing a secure fit for hard training. Positioned on the outside of the ear canal, you can still perceive external noise when running where traffic is heavy, and the sound is exceptional. Are these for me? There are cheaper wireless earbuds available, but like anything in life, you get what you pay for, and these are no exception to that rule.

workouts, with a soft padding that ensures comfort. Designed with big non-slip controls (for sweaty hands) on the ear cups, the generous 16- hour battery life keeps you moving and the all-important sound quality is excellent, with a foot firmly planted in the bass camp. Are these for me? Well- built and solid performers, these on-ear headphones are the perfect gym buddy.

Protection. The higher the number, the better the resistance.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live What are they? Much has been made of the Buds Live's kidney bean shape, a unique design that perches on the inner ear instead of penetrating the ear canal. A small silicone wing keeps the Buds in place and works surprisingly well. Initial application can be a little fiddly but after that they slip in with ease and, more importantly, stay put even while jumping around. The design creates quite an expansive soundscape, with audio quality Keep Calmand Listen On There are times when we need ear gear for serenity, the ability to unwind with superb audio quality, and the option to cut out the world with solid noise cancellation.

Sennheiser PXC550-II Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones

What are they? Over-ear headphones offer complete audio immersion and that’s exactly what you’ll find with the PXC550- IIs. These comfortable cans are driven via responsive touch controls on the righthand ear cup for skip forward/back, play/pause and volume up/down, and feature adaptive noise cancelling that scans the aural environment and adjusts the cancelling level to suit. Supporting Amazon Alexa voice assist, you won’t be disappointed with sound quality here, or indeed the 20 hours of battery life.

that surpasses many of its competitors. The bass is surprisingly big, with balanced lows and highs rounding out the overall sound package nicely. There’s Active Noise Cancelling for quiet time and all the controls for play/pause skip, etc, are initiated by tapping the earbud. Expect around eight hours of standard playback time from the battery (less if you’re using them for calls) and the small charging case will provide close to 28 hours. Compatible with all standard Bluetooth devices, the Buds Live really excel when paired with – and providing the audio for – the new Samsung Note 20 and Galaxy Watch 3; the dream team. Are these for me? If you don’t like the feeling of silicone wedged into your ear, these are definitely for you. And if you’re part of the Samsung ecosystem, you’ve found your new earbuds of choice.

Are these for me? Premium headphones with excellent noise

cancellation and sound, the PXC550-II work just as well at home as in your travel bag.

42 OCTOBER 2020

jbhifi.com.au