Jabra Halo vs BeatsX vs AirPods vs Bose Soundsport
Positives and Negatives of Jabra Halo
- Sound is average. I’ve heard better and worse. +0 stars
- Wind-noise reduction is a bit better than most (Platronics is much better though). (+0 stars)
- noise cancellation is average (again, Platronics and AirPods beats them out) (+0 stars)
- water resistant IP54 rating is great. (BeatsX and others don't have this… AirPods are said to be just sweat resistant) (+1 star)
- Magnets in earbuds are too weak and do not hold together (BeatsX which does a better job) (+0 stars)
- neckband is not comfortable and often slides to the side (BeatsX much much much better) (- 1 star)
- earbuds tend to fall out (BeatsX and AirPods are much better) (-1 star)
- 17 hrs. Talk-time (more like 15 in real life) and 15 hrs. ( more like 14 hours in real life ) of music playback is above average (I get about 7 hours of music listening on my BeatsX). (+2 stars)
- BT range 33 feet is average. Does drop connection more often than I like (BeatsX and AirPods does better and has the Apple BT chip embedded). (+0 stars)
- Cost is reasonable (however, Bestbuy has BeatsX on sale for $109 and is a much better product … worth the extra cost) +0 stars
Halo TOTAL = 2 stars
SUMMARY COMPARISON
The biggest strong point for the Halo's are the great battery life. Other than that, its hard to justify getting these. In a perfect world, for business purposes, I have found that you need more than one pair of BT earbuds (one in use while the other is being charged and preferably different ones that have different strengths and purposes). The Halo's are Ok for the price but BeatsX on sale is a much better value. In my case, I don't use my Halos anymore. I use a combination of AirPods and BeatsX. The combination gives me all day and evening coverage on battery. The BeatsX has quick fuel function if needed in a pinch if my AirPods are depleted. The BeatsX are way more comfortable than the Halo. The Halo are annoying most of the time as they often fall off my neck, pinch, or the earbuds fall out when I turn my head. I also have a pair of Bose Soundsports (first generation). These are the best sounding out of the four. I use these for running because they are sweat proof unlike BeatsX (note: Apple states that the AirPods are sweat proof also… I run in those as well with great results… they have never fallen out while running… a little nervous to use them riding my bike without 3rd party ear clips) (also note: Bestbuy cannot offer protection plan on the BeatsX or AirPods since they are an Apple product - bummer). There are two problems with the Bose. 1.) they stick out too far (think of Star Trek's Lieutenant Uhura). I don't care about the looks as much as the wind vortex created when running and especially when riding a bike. Very hard to hear the music even at the loudest volume and just plain annoying. Sitting still or lifting weights has no issues. 2.) believe it or not, out of character for Bose’s great reputation for quality, the SoundSports are not designed to last (at least the first generation). The rubber around the earbuds unsealed / unglued and started to dangle after 6 months of light use. The rubber control bar started to malfunction as well. The collar/clothing clip is absolutely great but easily lost (my broke). You can replace for $5 but Bose should have included an extra one or two in the box. Perhaps Bose has worked out these issues on the second generation. Thankfully I purchased the BestBuy protection plan. Highly recommend the protection plan if going with the Soundsport.
BEST USES FOR HALO:
- ok for business conference calls (although Best Buy sells Airpods or Plantronics Voyager 5220 Bluetooth Headset are in my opinion much better options for calls). The Halos would keep falling out of my ears or off my neck during business calls (not acceptable)
- ok for music listening but BeatsX and especially Bose Soundsport sound much better.
- cost conscious consumer
STILL SEARCHING FOR EARBUD NIRVANA:
- Unfortunately after trying many earbuds, I found there is no perfect earbud that does everything I want it to do. I was looking for something comfortable that stayed in my ear, sounded awesome with rich base, had a long battery life, quick / easy / seamless / and 60ft BT connectivity, water and sweat resistant for working out, great wind and background noise reduction / cancellation that sounds like your in the office during a conference call when your really in your car, etc. etc. For me, this required multiple devices. AirPods for in-office business calls and to take on-the go. BeatsX for listening to music during the day when the AirPods are being charged. And Platronics for critical business calls in the car or loud environments. Normally I keep the Platronics in the car, put the AirPods in my pocket , the BeatsX around my neck and head out the door. That covers me all day in various situations for sure.
FAVORITES IN ORDER (if I could only have one and excluding Platronics which are specifically for remote business calls):
1. AirPods - absolutely hands down my favorite (yes, I was very skeptical at first). Short battery life but workable with the charging pod. Would absolutely be ecstatic if these gave me 4 hours of continuous battery life. The BeatsX don’t sound that much better so the AirPods are good for music also. (Note: If you are in a loud environment the SoundSport does a much better job at blocking out external environment sound… the BeatsX does this pretty well but not as good as the Soundsports.) I can use AirPods for working out (Apple says they are sweat resistant and the BeatsX are not). They look a bit funny but you can put one earbud in instead of both to minimize onlooker stares if it bothers you that much (and doubles the battery life if you just need one AirPod for mono use (i.e. phone calls). Also they flawlessly connect with the iPhone and have great range (the BeatsX connect without issues about 80% of the time… still good). The best thing about the AirPods is the portability. I can stick them in my pocket easier than the BeatsX. The AirPods are the most versatile of the bunch and best all around solution (and can be purchased at BestBuy). If I had to have one, AirPods would be it.
2. BeatsX - my second favorite. What would make them better? I wish they sounded as good as my Bose SoundSports. I also wish they had 10 hours of batter vs 7. I really like the comfort (don’t even notice they are on my neck). The apple BT chip is great. The BeatsX paired along with the AirPods is a great solution.
3. Halo - I don’t think I would buy these again. If you can afford the extra $40 to $60 I would definitely go with the AirPods or BeatsX. The battery life was awesome, but they sounded mediocre and are very uncomfortable.