Sol Republic - Shadow Wireless Earbud Headphones - Rich Gray/Rose Gold

I will start by saying that I have a mild addiction to headphones of all types, mostly ear-buds and over-the-ear. I impulse buy headphones under $150 way too often. However, that gives me the ability to see which ones perform better than others. From an over-the-ear perspective, My UE9000's are my favorite Bluetooth headphones for non-portable listening without cords (but they include cords if you want). In the category of the Sol Republic Shadow wireless ear-buds, I have had the LG Tone, the LG Tone Infinim, JLab Epic, and Motorola S11's. Each had their pluses and minuses. LG was not big on durability or sound, but was great on phone calls. Motorola gave me fit issues with them staying in the ears, and JLab sounded better musically, but people couldn't hear me talk. Then I found these. They are comfortable, very comfortable. I don't even realize I have them around my neck. The sound is fantastic. I thought I might lose some fidelity being wireless versus the Sol Republic Amps I have, and I was mistaken. These sound superb. With the included tips, I found a perfect fit, and I have no problems with them falling out of my ears. The design is simplistic, yet practical. The cords are very durable. Heck, the whole unit is durable, and well made. I love that they are flexible and can be tossed in my bag. They are not rigid or stiff like the others I have tried. No matter what music I queue up to play (hard rock, electronic, classical, etc.), the sound is very solid. People have had no problems hearing me when I am calls, and the battery life is solid. I have had this running constant during an 8 hour work day and never had it run out of batteries. Overall, this is an excellent product for the price. If I had to state 1 con, it would only be for certain users. I have to use a collared shirt with this so it stays in place. I am a big guy. Like 6' 3" 22" neck kind of guy. When I have this on with nothing but a regular t-shirt, it has a tendency to slip down off of my neck if it is not hooked in my ears. That is because when it goes around my big neck, the weighted ends are only 1/2 way around my neck. Movement causes them to slip backwards sometimes. For a user with a "normal" neck size, the ends should fall further down your neck towards your collar bone, and you won't have that problem. I can't blame the headphones for me being a large guy. They will fit superbly for most users. Get these! You won't regret.

I previously owned the LG Tones which are FANTASTIC headphones. They did not hurt my ear with the buds, had a great sound, had great control over what I wanted to do with my music and sound, and stayed on my neck very well. I learned the hard way that they were not sweat proof, hence why I was looking for an economic option that is sweat proof. Pros: - The sound on these 'phones are superb. The bass is remarkable, yet not overpowering. It creates an environment of my own to get lost in my music while working out, or studying. - These 'phones provide passive noise cancellation. When the music is turned off, most of the noise around me is muffed to a point where I might be able to use them as ear plugs, but when music plays (even on a low setting) there is essentially no background noise. - Very lightweight. I sometimes forget that I have them on. They are very comfortable to have around my neck. - Fit very comfortably in my ear. They also come with 3 different sizes of ear buds to try and accommodate all sizes of ear canals. They also boast their free buds for life. If you lose, tear, break, eat, or blow up the ear buds (not the headphones) Sol Republic will send you new ones upon verification of purchase. - ~8 hour battery life. I listen to these headphones all day (from 7am to sometimes 9 pm) and the battery has not given out on me. Granted I do not listen for the 14 hours straight, but I have them on and connected so when I decide to listen to something, they are at the ready. - Dual connectivity. I can connect my phone AND my computer to my Shadow at THE SAME TIME. This is really neat, since I switch between the two often. Very handy to turn the Bluetooth off on one, and have it instantly connect to the other. This is not required, and it can be connected to only one device at a time too. This is completely optional to have two devices connected at a time. Cons: - Neck band seems to be made for smaller necks. I have a larger neck (~12" circumference) and they fit fine if I don't do a lot of moving. As soon as I start working out at the gym (including laying down), playing with my son, or any other movement that will require full arm movements, the band seems to slip off my neck. Running seems to work better, but I still felt it slip a little bit while running. Although this can be fixed with a simple hook, I don't believe it to be needed for a product that says it will stay on your neck, plus it is just another tedious thing to add. - The ear buds simply hang down my torso when not in use. There is no magnet, hook, or other mechanism to keep them from dangling. This may not be a big deal, but since I owned the LG Tones (which have a magnet to keep the buds safe) I was used to having them, and now that it's gone it is like going from driving a Ferrari to an Audi (no disrespect to either car - just an analogy to show that there are features in one that are not in the other, yet both are superior products). - Bluetooth can be a little sticky sometimes. When I connect it to my iPhone it works fine, but sometimes when I move my arm (where I keep my iPhone when I'm exercising), there seems to be a blip in the connection. It doesn't get lost, and it quickly becomes smooth again, but again just something that I don't believe should happen in a Bluetooth headset. When connecting it to my computer, I find more issues with the Bluetooth's connectivity than with my phone. This could be entirely my computer's fault though, so that should not be a high hindrance. - Multi-function button only allows you to skip track forward by pushing it twice, and not in the reverse. So, when I have heard a track that got me motivated and wanted to go back to it, I couldn't press it thrice (like other devices with a multi-function button) to go back. I had to open my phone, and go back to the track. Sometimes, ruining the groove I was in! The nerve of these first-world problems. - Dual connectivity. Yes, a Pro and a Con. While the idea is innovative, there are bugs to be worked out. I have difficulty connecting both devices to the Shadow sometimes, and when I do I don't always get the sound to come from the desired source. I will need to manipulate and play with the devices in order for the sound to work. But when it does, it is a handy thing to have, but it may not outweigh the trouble to connect. All in all, if you are looking for a Bluetooth headset that will give you great sound, and free ear buds for life and don't mind the issues with dual connectivity I would recommend this product. It is not what I am looking for in a Bluetooth headset, so I will be returning it, but it is definitely not because of the qualify of the product. I just find it tedious to keep pulling the band back onto my neck while exercising.

The title can't be too long, so I'll say here: "However... make sure you HAVE an AptX certified device to use the SOL Republic Shadow at its full potential" These headphones are in no way affordable, there are plenty of bluetooth headphones even from name brands, such as Samsung for less than the $99.99 asked for the regular White/Rose and Black versions and especially less than the $119.99 asked for the Tiger Woods Special edition (which I bought, but for half the price.) One thing that will probably make the owners happy though, is that it's cheaper and, in a way or two, better than the LG Tone Infinim. Sure, the LG phones has a retractable cord, while this one doesn't, but the cord connecting the earbuds to the main unit is so flimsy that you know it's bound to break eventually. Also, the main unit from the Infinim is solid plastic, while the Shadow is fully rubberized/silicone, so while the Infinim will stay put on your neck, or when you put it away, the Shadow can be bent and twisted to exhaustion, as the ONLY solid parts are near the controls, and I suspect this is for 3 reasons: To house the battery, to house the circuitry, and to make a weight on your collar so it doesn't move around or fall to your back while you're moving. I bought these headphones for gym use, and I hope they will last long enough, but here's my first impressions: *AptX will ROCK your world. I'm not an audiophile (if I was, I'd be using a $600 wired headphones instead), but I can tell that the quality from these headphones are close, if not superior, to any wired headphones I've ever used, for $150 or less. That's what AptX does, you can listen to your music the way it's supposed to be listened to: High quality, if not Lossless. *Battery Life, these are rated to last at least 8, 8.5 hours, so if you're on a gym, or on an international flight, they've got you covered. *Ease to use, the controls are pretty much straightforward, there are the volume rockers, and the multi function button between them. Wanna Play/Pause, Pick up/Hang up? One press. Wanna Skip track? Two quick presses. And so on. *The Style, don't get me wrong but before I saw the Shadow, I had my eyes on the Infinim, because I needed something stylish, not too cumbersome, with great battery life and with great audio quality, because I'm listening to FLAC files, not AM radio! *The portability. The Shadow, like I said, can be bent and twisted at will, and unlike the Infinim, the cord to the buds is way thicker, but the headphones will fit a small necessaire or a bag with the dimensions of a Galaxy S6 smartphone. By the way, you get one bag with said dimensions with the Tiger Woods Edition. Very high quality bag. *Free ear tips for life. That's the edge of SOL Republic, they promote it because they know it will attract customers who, like me, lost quite a few ear tips here and there and can't find them anymore, even for sale, for a reasonable price. SOL Republic has a form where you fill your information and they'll send the ear tips set for you. If I went with the Infinim, I'd have to take good care of my ear tips, as I imagine they'd be very expensive to replace, if not hard to find. *The weight. I couldn't believe it the first time I used but, yes, you can literally forget you're wearing that in your neck from time to time, that's how light it is.

Ok, so I am historically a huge fan of Beats headphones. I seldom purchase any headphones that aren't Beats headphones. My favorite are in ear headphones, and I have had my Beats Tours for about 3 years now and they sound just as good as they did on day # 1. I bought a pair of inexpensive bluetooth headphones to work out with a year ago, but they weren't always my favorite as the sound quality was pretty poor (it was a great $30.00 Groupon deal). In any event, I wanted a nice pair of bluetooth headphones so I immediately looked at the Powerbeats 2 wireless by Beats. I had the original Powerbeats and I was NOT a fan of them at all. I like in ear headphones that create a good "connection" with my ear canal. The Powerbeats did not do this, so I didn't have high hopes for the Powerbeats 2. I checked the reviews on Best Buy and while they were good overall, they highlighted the two things I really look for that they didn't have - a solid connection in ear and loud volume (I definitely blast my music). That said, I looked everywhere for solid headphones that would meet my needs and came across these Sol Republic Shadow Wireless headphones. On a whim, I clicked on them and read the reviews. They were outstanding. Hmm... Also, they were half the price of the Powerbeats 2. Ok, so I went online and read reviews. Everyone loved them - the only thing that was a minor complaint was that they couldn't go a very far distance when using them or the connection may distort. Considering I use them right next to my phone all the time, that wouldn't be an issue for me. I bought them yesterday, so I am 24 hours in here. All I can say is - What in the BLEEP is with these headphones?! They are INCREDIBLE! They sound amazing, very loud, clear mids, clear highs, deep and rich bass. They weigh nothing, you have no idea you have them in your ears, the neckband is completely lightweight, but weighted enough on the ends to be balanced. When I say these are loud they are LOUD. I am using a Samsung Galaxy S6 edge and while the headphones are at full volume, I am only at about 75% volume on the phone because any louder and I'd be deaf =oP. I used them to watch an entire film, two television shows, four hours of music, and about an hour of phone calls before I got the "low battery" warning. That's about 8.5 hours of use before they needed a recharge. Very impressed. At the end of the day, this is a fantastic purchase! I WISH they came with a carrying case of some sort, but I ended up reusing the little bag that came with my old bluetooth headphones. The neckband is flexible, bendable, foldable rubber material and it folds up to be quite small so it worked out really well. I highly recommend these as a great alternative to Beats. Huge, huge fan. #solrepublic #believer

I just got the Shadow headphones yesterday. I've been looking for wireless headphones to sleep with to block out external sounds that bother me like snoring. So far, with one night of use, these are the best I've tried so far. Here are my initial impressions. First, because of reviews stating various problems with these headphones that developed over time, I also got the 2-year Geek Squad replacement plan. PACKAGING The packaging is very good. I was impressed. OVERALL QUALITY Overall quality seems good. Only time will tell. I bought the Geek Squad plan to hedge my bets. The unit has a very flexible band that goes around the neck. It is very comfortable. It won't break because it is flexible. However, I would actually prefer one a little stiffer so it wouldn't move as much as it does. That said, the only time it moved to an awkward position off my neck was when I was awake. It didn't move out of place and the earbuds didn't come out of my ears while I was asleep. PHONE CALLS Calls with my Samsung Note III worked fine. I could hear other parties very well and they said they could hear me clearly. BATTERY LIFE Battery life has been one of the major issues I've faced in my search for headphones that would run for eight hours. I can attest that these ran seven continuous hours playing an mp3 sound track of waves on the first night. SOUND QUALITY I'm not an audiophile or some sound purist. The sound is okay for me. Perhaps a little light on the bass. COMFORT So far I have only used the basic set of ear tips. I would rate comfort for me and 8 on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being perfect. Most of the time I sleep on my side with one ear on a pillow. I could feel the pressure of the earbuds being pressed by the pillow, more on my right side. However, it was just tolerable in that the pressure didn't keep me awake. CONTROLS The controls are totally enclosed in plastic and thus cannot be affected by water. That's really not an issue for me in the environment I use them. When pressing buttons a sound is played in the earbuds. This doesn't effectively communicate the status of the device. In other units I've tried, a voice provides explicit status like "unit on", "powering off", etc. The Shadow simply plays some notes. It is supposed to provide battery status, however, there is only the musical tones which didn't actually provide useful information to me about the battery state. Perhaps I am missing something.

The Sol Republic Shadow Wireless earphones is a great product for customers who are looking for a pair of Bluetooth earphones to replace those arduous and lengthy wired ones. Especially common with most iPhone 7 users out there in the market currently, there is a need to step up the game on connecting wirelessly without the headphone jack. This pair of earphones are not only water and sweat resistant, making it perfect to match other water resistance devices like the iPhone 7. It looks really good too no matter the color, even the box has a nice touch and packaging to it. However, the sleek design makes it difficult to keep the pair around the neck when performing vigorous activities. This is due to the soft neck surround neckband that can be quite frustrating to wear on especially with a t-shirt; there isn’t an option to place them under the collar of a button down shirt at times. Those earbuds, although quite comfortable, they fall out easily during running too. Not to mention that it does not do well in any noise cancelling or noise isolation, they aren’t meant for that. The battery could last me up to six hours in a fast charge which was pretty sweet. It also allows me to switch between two of my devices seamlessly through Bluetooth and control my calls with the built in mic and remote. Unfortunately, I find the three button remote too tiny and temperamental to operate. Do not expect much of a quality phone call using these too, they excel in music audio only. Next on the most important part of the review, the sound of this pair is above average in my personal opinion. Depending on preference, this earphone works especially well on deep rich bass music only. It has a crisp clarity that sounds better than most wired earphones but not all. If you start comparing it with the wired Apple Earpods, it lacks the clarity, loud noise, and bassy music that the Apple Earpods could produce. Perhaps I have only been using Apple Earpods a lot before this to judge my experience but the Sol Republic Shadow Wireless is nowhere near a wired Earpods. Overall, they are definitely not for the audiophiles, but for pure audio listening they are right on the price. A good value for a cord free piece as long as you are not paying more than fifty dollars for it.

Can you remember a time when you were listening to music on your traditional, wired headphones and felt like the cord was limiting your physical mobility? If you answered yes, then the “Sol Republic Shadow Wireless Headphones” will offer you true freedom of mobility with product benefits that exceed those of competing wireless headphones. These headphones are great for wirelessly connecting you to all of your Bluetooth enabled devices. Use and Comfort The Shadow Wireless Headphones are perfect to use at the gym along with other activities that you love to do throughout the day. The headphones are water-resistant which makes them a durable and long-lasting product which makes them usable in a multitude of varying environments. The headphones were found to be very comfortable to wear for long periods of time and will not hurt your ears. This product is available with three different sizes of rubber ear bud tips giving you multiple options to find the optimum fit for your ear. The soft collar conforms to each user’s neck further amplifying the products’ comfort and ensures a high quality listening experience. Sound Quality This product offers impressive clarity and bass for the overall size of the headphones. They truly let you hear the music to the fullest while cancelling out disturbing background noises. You will find yourself extremely focused and in the zone while using these headphones. The product offers a solid Bluetooth connection to your device as long as it is within 10-15 feet of the headphones. Style and Features The “Shadow Wireless Headphones” are currently available in black or steel gray. The battery provides up to 8 hours of listening per charge and will alert the user via sound when the battery is getting low, giving you time to recharge the product. Other unique features the device includes are a simple to use 3-button remote and an easy-access microphone giving you control over the music, volume levels, and phone calls without even having to touch your device. Conclusion This product has been a very satisfying purchase and has delivered remarkably. They give a truly “free” listening experience that traditional headphones just can’t offer. If you are in the market for a new set of headphones with exceptional comfort, sound quality, and style, then the “Sol Republic Shadow Wireless Headphones” will be a great choice for you.

so, i think these are pretty good for the price. one full charge will last me 5 full days and maybe a lil more. what i mean 5 full days is this, I turn them on while on my way to work, and i shut them down when i get to work. thats about a full hour of usage right there. i use them again when i leave work until i get home, thats about another hour of usage. doing this over the course of 5 work days i still have some juice left for weekend use. so i see a full week of usage for the amount of time i use them for. i'm not sure how everyone else will use them. the audio quality sounds great to me. the earpieces take some getting used to. when you put them in, they really cause a suction in your years so its muffles outside sound a lot. if your going to be talking to someone, better take them off your ears. also if you happen to pause the music and not play music for some time, but the bluetooth headset is still connected but in standby mode, i noticed when i turned the music back on, that there is some lag and disconnects every so often. but once i turned off the product and turned it back on, this issue corrected itself. the call quality is what i was worried about, but its pretty good. not as good as when your hearing music, but i would say they are about a step down in audio quality compared to say apple earbuds. i was able to hear the person on the other end very well, the one slight downside is since the mic port is on the neck portion of the headset and not on the earbud cord, you have to make sure there is no jacket or sweater or scarf covering the mic, otherwise the person on the other end may not hear you. but for the price and audio quality, i think its a purchase worth making.