Like the typewriter and source-reviewed news, wires are slowly becoming extinct.
Wireless earphones have come a long way since the unstable connection days of yore. With the “runaway success” of the Apple AirPods, other audio technology companies are realising that the future is indeed wireless and have started churning out top-drawer products. Today’s crop of Bluetooth audio products boast excellent connections, decent aural quality and the ability to remember multiple devices.
It takes something special to stand out, and our favourite wireless earphones featured below are the best in the bunch.
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RAZER HAMMERHEAD BT
Delivering bass by the buckets, the Bluetooth variant of the popular Razer Hammerhead earphones have an impressive battery life. On average, one charge lasts between seven to nine hours. The secret lies in the magnet that hangs loosely on your back, which is actually a small battery pack. Razer included a clip so that you can clip the battery pack to your shirt collar instead of letting it hang uncomfortably around your neck.
Connecting the Razer Hammerhead BT to your smartphone is intuitive and fuss-free, and the voice quality on calls is excellent. The only two downsides to these wireless earphones is that one, the range is smaller than we are used to and two, our Playstation 4 is not compatible with these buds. But they are just minor annoyances in an otherwise great package.
The Razer Hammerhead BT earphones retail for $165
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BEATSX WIRELESS EARPHONES
The days of Beats headphones delivering muddy bass and unbalanced ranges are long gone. The new BeatsX wireless earphones have surprisingly balanced audio and excellent battery life, lasting an average of eight hours with each charge. It also comes with Fast Fuel technology, which purportedly gives you two hours of audio in just five minutes. We tested it and discovered that the power needs to come from a wall socket and not the USB port of your computer.
There are a lot of things to like about the BeatsX. We love the magnetic buds that prevent your cables from tangling and the Apple W1 chip that instantly connects your earbuds to your iPhone without you having to scroll through the Settings interface. But we wish that Apple reduced the length of the cables. They are a tad too long for our tastes.
The BeatsX wireless earphones retail for $198
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BRAGI THE DASH
The Dash by Bragi isn’t so much a pair of wireless earphones as it is a personal assistant in your ear. It acts as a waterproof activity tracker and a music player, and the price reflects its astounding capabilities. While the gestural recognition capabilities could be improved, its other functions worked like a dream.
The earbuds stayed snugly within our ears in spite of our vigorous activities but if you do not like living life on the edge, Bragi offers a leash that is designed to be clipped onto your clothes.
For those simply looking for a pair to listen to music and take calls, we recommend the first two options above. But if you want something more from your wireless earphones, The Dash by Bragi is a strong contender.
The Dash by Bragi retails for $428