Best Ear Buds for running/working out

Status
Not open for further replies.

trigun500

Golden Member
Apr 18, 2006
1,056
0
71
i've gone through so many ear buds over the years. I normally just get the cheap $10 ones at walmart (those gummy colorful ones). But now I'm officially tired of having them break in the middle of a run. Is there a good brand of ear buds/headphones good for working out that won't break after 2 months of use? When I say "break" it's when audio only comes out of one speakers and I have to move my cable around to get them both working. It's a pain and never works.. Thanks a lot.
 

gar655

Senior member
Mar 4, 2008
565
0
71
Sennheiser makes a lot of different types and they seem to work pretty good. If you're running outdoors I would try to avoid the in ear models with the tight seal. You can't hear traffic and it can be a little dangerous.
 

rcpratt

Lifer
Jul 2, 2009
10,433
110
116
Love my CX 300-II's and I got a pair for my sister and mom for xmas, actually.
 
May 13, 2009
12,333
612
126
Two months isn't horrible. I've tried all kinds. My favorites have been the ones that come with the sandisk mp3 players. My wife bought a bunch of Sony earbuds and they suck but we have a few to go through before we try new ones. Skull Candy is decent.


And I would not spend over $15 on any earbuds you will be running with. The constant tugging and sweating in them is too much for any headphones. Just look at them like shoes. Once they wear out replace em.
 
Last edited:

Mfusick

Senior member
Dec 20, 2010
500
0
0
NO contest at all

KLIPSCH S4i or S4

I dare anyone to find a head to head review that it was not the clear cut winner for sound or build quality..

Nothing under $100 can touch it...
 

blamb425

Senior member
Mar 30, 2007
545
1
0
Probably the Klipsch buds, as have been mentioned. Sennheiser is great, but they particularly excel in headphones, not ear buds.
 

thatsright

Diamond Member
May 1, 2001
3,004
3
81
NO contest at all

KLIPSCH S4i or S4

I dare anyone to find a head to head review that it was not the clear cut winner for sound or build quality..

Nothing under $100 can touch it...

AGREED!!! I have the S4's and if they charged $200 for them I'd still gladly pay. They are that good! I bought mine at best buy and one of the buds went bad. They have a two year warranty so all I did was take my receipt back to best buy (6 months after I bought em) and they just gave me a new pair.

Check out the reviews:
http://www.amazon.com/Klipsch-IMAGE-...3212341&sr=8-1
 

f4phantom2500

Platinum Member
Dec 3, 2006
2,284
1
0
the sennheiser adidas OMX 680/PMX 680/MX 680 are supposed to be good for exercise, and they're supposed to sound decently good as well. from what i've read, the pmx 680 are supposed to fit very securely (probably *if* they fit you correctly, but all i've read about them regarding fit is very positive...granted i haven't read very much about them).

also lol @ ppl saying that nothing can touch the klipsch s4 at the sub-$100 price point; nowadays there are quite a few IEMs and earbuds that sound *very* good for under $100. nothing against the klipsch, i've read great things about them, but they're definitely not the end-all-be-all that these people are saying, and i really wouldn't recommend spending that kind of money on a headphone that wasn't meant for exercise, and then exercise with it, even if they are still under warranty. most headphones aren't designed to be sweat on all the time.

http://www.yurbuds.com/ybcart/earbud_enhancers?category_id=0

i bought those for use with my earbuds (yuin pk3/yuin pk1/final audio piano forte ii). you submit a picture with your earbud in your ear, then they use some proprietary software to analyze the photo and size your ear. then they send you whichever of the 6 sizes matches you closely. the idea is that they make earbuds fit more securely and prevent them from getting sweat in them. from my experience, they do those things wonderfully. additionally, like IEMs, they isolate the sound and channel it directly in your ear canal. however, they arent as invasive as IEMs, and thus are more comfortable, and still allow external sound in. worth it for $20, if you like earbuds. i use them even when i don't exercise.

in any case, you can find any info you would ever want on headphones, and more, at www.head-fi.org
 

VulgarDisplay

Diamond Member
Apr 3, 2009
6,188
2
76
Don't buy skullcandy ever. The razer earbuds are suprisingly good for their price.

For other cheap earbud advice check out head-fi.
 

TechBoyJK

Lifer
Oct 17, 2002
16,699
60
91
Sony's $10 earbuds you find at walmart are alright. Good for the money, plenty of bass.

Not saying they are the best, but for the money, it's good. They generally stay in my ears pretty well.

Don't use the ones with the soft interchangeable ear plug covers. They come out easy.

The pair I use are the buds with the ear hooks (to keep them in place). JVC's. Not sure of the model but they were only $21 at best buy. I'm not going to spend much more than that for something I run in.
 

boomhower

Diamond Member
Sep 13, 2007
7,228
19
81
For running the Sennheiser MX85's are by far and away the best I have every used. No, your not going to get audiophile sound quality of of them. But for their intended purpose they are perfect. They stay in your ear rock solid but don't seal around your ear canal so you can still hear car horns, etc. easily enough but no so much that external noise interfers with the music. They come with plenty of attachment sizes that you will get a good fit. I have these and their precursers(MX75's) and love them both. I will not use anything else for working out or running.

http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-MX8...774505&sr=1-22
 

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
49,987
6,299
136
I switched to wrap-around headphones - the cheapo kind like this:

http://www.amazon.com/Stereo-Wraparo.../dp/B003MSOLRK

I got like 3 three-packs off Woot one time, so when they break I just pull out another pair. They don't fall off and hold up to running, using the elliptical, exercise bike, etc. They stay on your ears really well.

I also have in-ear earbuds, some Etymotic 6i's or something. I don't use them during exercise unless I'm on a stationary machine because #1, you can't hear anything around you like cars or dogs, and #2, you can't pull them off - your brain will pop out of your ears due to the suction, so it takes longer to pull them out properly.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.