For me, headphones will always be better than earbuds, no matter what. Despite there are some nice wireless additions, I prefer a headset that will provide louder and clearer sound, with better comfort for long-time sessions. Products like Sony WH1000XM2 and the Beats Studio 3 are the two best models for me and if there’s no chance that I could get my hands on them, then I’d go with the earbuds.
However, in the following article, we’ll take a look at some of the best earbuds out there for those who prefer to go with them. Along with Dave Lee, we’ll review the Zolo Liberty Plus, Apple AirPods and Crazybaby Air Nano and will point out the good and bad parts about each and every product.
Zolo Liberty Plus
he Zolo Liberty are pretty small, as you’d expect, since these are truly wireless earbuds. They are mostly made out of plastic, which in most cases this would be an issue, but with truly wireless earbuds, it’s a good thing. The reasoning for that is because plastic is much lighter than metal or aluminum, and you will want earbuds that are lightweight and ones that don’t fall out of your ears easily. So it’s a good choice here. There is a button on either earbud, which can be used for different things like adjusting the volume, switching songs and more. There is a light on the right earbud, which indicates that the earbud is charging, when in the case, or turned on when not in the case. Otherwise, these are quite small earbuds and are in black, so they look pretty stealthy. Now there is a Zolo logo on either earbud, but that shouldn’t really bother you.
The audio quality on these earbuds are not going to win any awards for being the best, but it is good. Zolo is using Graphene technology to give immersive sound on the Liberty earbuds, and it does really sound good, but the bass is not that deep. So if you listen to a lot of bass-heavy songs (like I do), you’ll definitely notice that. Of course, the mids and highs are nice and clear, there’s nothing to complain about on that end. The real complaint is only on the lows or the bass. For most people, the audio in these earbuds are going to be pretty good, and nothing really to complain about, but those audiophiles out there will want something with more bass for sure.
Apple AirPods
Apple’s fully wireless Bluetooth earbuds deliver more or less exactly on what the future has long promised. Of course, that doesn’t mean that they’re the perfect product.Excellent battery life, seamless connectivity, and surprisingly competent audio quality can’t overcome the fact that these headphones rely almost entirely upon Siri for controlling audio playback, and that’s unlikely to ever be the most convenient way of controlling a portable music player.
Apple has a very distinctive style, and the AirPods, for better or for worse, adhere rigidly to this aesthetic.In fact, if you’ve used Apple’s wired EarPods (which come as standard with the company’s phones and iPods) then you’re probably familiar with how the AirPods look since they’re are almost identical, minus any cables.The biggest difference between the two is the small arm which comes down from the earbud section. The AirPod’s arm is significantly thicker than that of the EarPods to fit the device’s battery and microphone.This thickness means that the AirPods aren’t as stylish as the classic Apple ‘buds, which is unfortunate given Apple’s history of treading the fine line between technology and fashion.Sticking with the classic EarPod design also means that the AirPods dispense with modern conveniences like replaceable silicon ear tips that secure the earphones firmly in your ears.There’s also a good amount of space in the soundstage. Instruments are able to share the soundstage without it feeling overcrowded.
Crazybaby Air Nano
Like many other wireless Wi-Fi headphones, Air by Ccrazybaby promises to deliver a secure fit in a smaller, portable package that’s water resistant, is rechargeable on the go and works with any Bluetooth-enabled device.Unlike much of the competition, however, Crazybaby tells us that Air also provides single-button control, a more stable connection, and an EQ customizer via their iOS and Android apps. A single charge on your Air earbuds will provide up to 3 hours of listening time or 4 hours of talk time. Using the capsule, however, will increase your listening time to 15+ hours and talk time up to 20 hours.
According to Crazybaby, they analyzed hundreds of ears during development to ensure Air fit a wide variety of profiles. You’ll also find three, medical-grade Sports Sleeves that are ultra-light, skin-friendly, and help customize Air’s fitment, without adding pressure to your conch or ear canal.Once connected and in place, we’re told you’ll receive a voice prompt, “Your headset is connected.” Alternately, once disconnected you’ll be prompted with, “Your headset is disconnected.”
It seems that Crazybaby’s biggest emphasis for the Air is on audio quality.To accomplish this, we’re told the company’s “electroacoustic legend,” Dr. Yu, partnered with Tsinghua University and Foxconn Associate Labs to develop a proprietary carbon nanotube diaphragm that allows the speaker driver to remain compact and durable.This delivers “ultra-fast responses for elegant, sophisticated sound,” including “dynamic highs and reverberating lows.”
