Jaybird X2

Jaybird's audio gear has an exercise focus, and the new X2 Bluetooth earphones go above and beyond the norm to ensure you get a secure fit. At $179.95, the X2 are on the expensive side, but for the price, you get a plethora of eartips and fit accessories. This alone would be enough for those with exceptionally rigorous workout regimens, but the sweat-proof X2 also deliver solid audio performance, with deep bass response and clear highs. The lows are boosted but not ridiculously pumped up—if there's deep bass in the mix, you'll hear it, but the balance isn't destroyed. For their superb fit and high-quality Bluetooth audio, the Jaybird X2 easily earn our Editors' Choice award.

Design
The look of the sweat-proof X2 is, appropriately, very sporty. Available in six color combinations with Game of Thrones-style nicknames (Alpha, Charge, Fire, Ice, Midnight, and Storm), you can choose from fairly muted tones to neon yellow. The flat, linguini-style cable is black on all of the models and features an inline remote control with three buttons—two for controlling volume (the volume works together with, not independently of, your mobile device's volume) or navigating tracks (depending on how long you press the buttons), and a central button that controls playback, call management, and power.

Let it never be said that Jaybird doesn't care about a secure fit—the X2 can be worn two ways, and ships with six pairs of eartips (small, medium, and large pairs in both silicone or Comply foam), three sets of ear fins that stabilize the fit against the ear, and three cable clips to eliminate cable slack. Jaybird cares so much about fit that it's committed a cardinal no-no for audio snobs—it doesn't specify the left or right earpiece. The online manual tells you to use the earphones with the inline controller on the left side when wearing them with the cable looping up and over the ear, but a video demonstrates them being worn with the controller on the right side when the earphones are on with the cable descending from the ears and resting on the neck, behind the head. Sure, this is to facilitate a great fit, but for anyone wanting to hear the mix the way it was intended to be heard, this is a very annoying oversight. (Our tests show that the earpiece that has the controller closest to it is the true right earpiece.)

Now that we have our audio geek complaint out of the way, it's time for some high praise—the design otherwise gets everything right. If you can, try to use the Comply foam ear tips—they block out such a tremendous amount of room noise that these might as well be noise-canceling earphones. And Comply foam tips, which expand gently inside the canal, like memory foam, provide the securest fit you'll ever get from earphones that aren't custom-molded.

Jaybird claims the X2 gets roughly 8 hours of battery life, but your results will vary with your volume levels. The earphones can store up to 8 different Bluetooth devices in memory—they will automatically re-pair with the most recent device connected when powered up. They will also go into standby mode when music is paused or stopped for a long period of time.

In addition to the ear fit accessories, the X2 ships with a USB charging cable (the micro USB end connects to the earpiece near the controls—the port is protected by a snap-shut cover when not charging). There's also a well-intentioned but bizarre carrying case—the lid pops off, but can also pop inward accidentally, and then you have to fish it out of the rubberized, semi-flexible container. Still, the case is large enough to hold all of the included accessories. 

Performance
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the X2 delivers some serious thumping low-end. At top, very unwise listening levels, the lows do not distort, and at moderate volumes, you get a definite sense of powerful bass. 

See How We Test Headphones

Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with less in the way of deep bass, sounds full, but not exaggerated in the lows. His baritone vocals get plenty of high-mid edge to keep them crisp despite plenty of low-mid presence. The drums on this track, which can often sound unnatural and overwhelmingly booming on headphones the boost the lows too much, sound natural here—there's a pleasant, subtle thump, but nothing like the manufactured thunder you get from a seriously bass-heavy pair.

On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop's attack gets plenty of high-mid presence, allowing it to stay sharp and pierce through the multi-layered mix. The sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the loop are delivered with some serious depth—bass lovers will be pleased. In fact, for an exercise-focused pair, this is a notably accurate-sounding pair of earphones. Deep bass, when it exists in the mix, is delivered with gusto. When it's not really in the mix, as with the Bill Callahan track, the X2 doesn't invent it. 

It's hard to say anything bad about the Jaybird X2 earphones, other than the fact that the price is high and the lack of left-right ear labeling is a minor annoyance. If you're looking for an exercise-friendly Bluetooth pair but want to spend less money, we are fans of the Jabra Sport Coach, the Plantronics BackBeat Fit, and the JLab Epic Bluetooth Earbuds, all of which offer varying degrees of exercise-focused features and big bass response. If you prefer an on-ear/headphone experience, the Sennheiser MM 100 is a solid option that can be used for exercise. At $180, the Jaybird X2 earphones aren't cheap, but the company has taken great care to ensure they stay in place during tough workouts—and the audio experience is bass-forward without being overtly bass-heavy. These earphones sound as good as plenty of non-exercise-focused models in this price range, and thus easily earn our Editors' Choice.