I've had cheap Bluetooth wrap-around earbuds and Bluetooth headsets from Walmart.com (about $10) and Bluetooth headsets from Skull Candy (about $60) and all eventually meet a similar fate in less than a year: untimely death. The cheaper sets from Walmart's online marketplace (I suppose you can find them on Amazon too) either no longer charge after a few months of use, or the earbuds no longer deliver sound. I expected more out of the Skull Candy set, which was incredibly comfortable to wear on long runs in extremely hot weather or torrential downpour. I'd rate the Skull Candy headset as the most lightweight and comfortable with the best sound, but they lasted for less time than the cheap counterparts from Walmart. This set overheated while charging (for maybe about just under five minutes plugged in) and turned itself and its charger oven-hot. The charger still works but the headset itself is dead and won't charge. I'm using regular old wired earbuds now for my runs, and it's kind of annoying as my phone tugs on the cord, causing discomfort in my head and neck. I'm kind of looking at the Samsung IconX wireless earbuds, as it seems to have some pretty decent reviews. The price is obviously a huge deterrent (close to $200) and my luck with wireless sets is quite abysmal. Anyone swear by any Bluetooth headsets?
I'm unable to find a Bluetooth neckband on their site. The listed Bluetooth headphones are full size. And are far beyond my budget. :/
Based solely on your description of how your Skullcandies died I think your problem may be overcharging rather than the actual headphones.
I don't know how. I literally plugged the last set in after a run (after drying it off and and letting it sit for maybe 15-30 minutes) for maybe five minutes or less before it overheated. I don't charge them overnight or anything.
well it may come down to how much you value sound quality vs. fashion. naturally everyone will jump on the i hate you for thinking fashionably train, but perhaps practicality plays a part? if so stay away from apple and save your money.
I was using the Smokin' Buds 2 Bluetooth neckband/earbuds. They can hold their charge for something like 7-8 hours. My runs usually go for about an hour, but I use them for an additional hour or an additional hour and a half if I'm also going to the gym. So I usually charge them afterwards and promptly remove them from the charger when the LED light indicates its fully charged. The last time I used them, they did indeed die (which I thought was odd--they died on me while I was at the gym and there's no way that I used them for 7 hours without charging them). And then overheated within minutes of being plugged in.
Well that's lame. Anyway, as for inferior sound vs style--it's actually more about practicality. I used to run all the time in my younger years, but I never used headphones (much to the confusion of my friends) because the wires always annoyed me (which is my current predicament now that all my Bluetooth sets have died or are dying). The Bluetooth head/neck bands are more comfortable, imo, and don't have any wires that bounce around or get tugged by my pocketed phone. The trade-off on sound quality (imo, barely worth mentioning with some sets) is definitely worth the comfort. It's not like I'm listening to music with these things for the entire day--just for the duration of my workout.
The comfort zone for batteries is half charged. If you want them to last long you try to always keep them between 40 and 60%.
Does this apply to most things? PCs, smartphones? I was under the impression that overcharging was no longer a prevalent issue with new tech.
This applies to phones and computers, yes. It's not so much an issue of overcharging as phones are supposed to be able to charge overnight, and laptops are made to be used plugged and unplugged interchangeably. But the battery degrades faster the further the charge is away from the center, in both directions. My laptop, for instance, has a setting to stop charging when the battery reaches 60.
If you're like most people, you probably should be wearing a helmet while running. I recommend ski helmets or a motorcycle helmet That's why this surround sound system for your helmet is the perfect answer: http://beheadwear.com/products/be-link-helmet-audio-system
Hmm. My old Windows Phone used to have a great battery. I could easily go two days without a charge on it. But I started letting it charge overnight, and after a couple years, the battery couldn't go a day without nearly draining completely. With my Galaxy S7, I've been keeping the charge around 90% and never charge overnight for fear of the same problem. Anyway, I decided on Philips Freshtones Bluetooth earphones. They're about $30 and essentially just the set of earphones connected together by a single wire that goes around behind your neck. It's pretty comfortable. However, on a trial run--a literal run--this morning, the earphones kept popping out of my ears (they're hard plastic, not changeable rubber earbuds), and as a result of them popping out, the entire unit would eventually slide to one side before falling to the ground. Pretty damn annoying on a 3 mile run. I'm just going to return these, bite the bullet and buy another Skullcandy and focus on not overcharging it. Without a doubt, the Skullcandy SB2 were the best bluetooth earphones for long runs, imo.
