During CES 2020, I acquired several pairs of TWS Earbuds. My goal was to try them with a bluetooth device called the Legend by Racing Electronics. This device has a scanner feature so I can listen to teams, drivers, officials and race commentary. Having one less wire around me as I carry my gear around to cover the sport makes such a big difference. But, its difficult to find good bluetooth headsets that provide enough sound isolating. I dove deeper in making my own custom ear molds with ok results.
These are the brands of TWS earbuds I worked with for the spring race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway:
Mpow: M20, M10,
Ifrogs: Airtime Sport and Air Time
Pamu: Pamu Slide mini
I also worked with a few corded blue tooth headsets, but they had issues so they will not be mentioned. One I thought had really great potential, but, I could not keep them working.
I did not test the Mpow M10 or the Pamu Slide Mini at the track due to the design, (more like a earpod by Apple) I was not able to make a custom ear mold for them. However I will review them because they are both very good sets.
All of the others, making a custom mold was fairly easy, Though none of the earmolds I made gave really good sound isolation. Granted, The areas of the track I often work, I am not more then 5-10 feet away from cars going 190 MPH. All of the devices I tested worked great in the stands.
Battery life: All of them had enough battery life for a normal race day. Of course, this race weekend was not a normal. Plenty of rain delays, and rare back to back races. I had to switch pairs out close to the end of a very long day. Another thing I like about all of the TWS sets where that they all had a charging case that gave extra power, easy to slip in to charge between events IF I did not have custom ear molds attached.
Down to the nitty gritty!
IFROG AIRTIME
iFrogs were the first up. I have been working with ZAGG, the parent company of iFrogs for many years. I first tested the AIRTIME Set. The design has changed just a little, mostly the rubber piece that helps keep it in the ear
I found that the rubber pieces were a little uncomfortable when I was not using the custom ear molds. The most comfortable set of the rubber pieces I promptly lost one at the track. I have put a pair of foam buds on them which help keep them in the ear. The new design, which is pictured above look to be more comfortable.
What blew me away was the sound quality. It felt like there was deep bass, and all the tones would meld to give a great sounding experience. Like wise when listening to just talking (like listening to the radio broadcast), Everything was clear even at a high power. They do have a EQ feature that i never used. The size was perfect, and did not feel cumbersome in my ear. I would like an opportunity to try out the new rubber pieces and see if they are more comfortable for everyday use. Unlike all of other sets, I am able to keep the foam tips on while charging.
To turn on and off, and to control features like answering phone or activating Siri, the button gives a satisfying click. Pairing was simple and painless. As soon as you pull them out of the case, the pair instantly.
You can find AIRTIME here: https://www.zagg.com/en_us/airtime-truly-wireless-earbuds
MPOW 20
The next pair I tried out was the MPOW 20. These I think were my favorite. They were the most comfortable, and stayed in my ear. The body almost felt they were molded just for my ear.
The Rubber tips that came with them were comfortable enough, though I am partial to foam tips. The biggest issue with the foam tips is that most cases do not have enough room to keep them attached to charge.
Sound was also great, much like the Airtime. The bass was rich, and listening to music, it just seemed to put you in your own little world.
As a bonus, the case it self can be used to give you an emergency charge on your phone or other device. I did not use this feature yet, I am also a huge fan of My Charge which I will review in a later post.
Other great features of the M20 is has a IPX7 waterproof rating, so if your caught in a rain storm you don’t have to worry. Each change gives you about 6 hours of life. For us older folks that need to feel that click when you press something, the MPow 20 does not have it. It takes a little while to get used to not feeling a satisfying click.
The worst part of the M20 by Mpow, is that I put the set in my pocket with out the case. While pulling out my keys (I think) I lost one. I have not checked to see about a replacement, or if i need to replace the whole set. They can be found on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Mpow-Headphones-Bluetooth-Waterproof-Cancelling/dp/B08181ZBTT
Third up is IFROGS Airtime Sport
These are the pair I grab when I am working out in the garage. You tend to forget they are there, they are that comfortable. You don’t have the feeling they may fall out of your ear. The sound quality while is very good, just not as great as the Airtime or M20. By no means does the audio sound like a cheap set of earbuds. Again, when using them it takes you into your own little world. The case has the same issue for me, where the foam tips must be taken off to charge. Though a 10 minute charge will give you another hour of play time. I was able to keep these charged for an entire day of racing, just popping them in for a charge during a caution, or if I went to the media center to download images. These are true wireless. just set them on a wireless charging pad and the case starts to charge. No more cable hunt to plug them to charge.
Pairing again, was simple, and when I take them out of the case, they pair automatically.
These are the pair you want if your moving around a lot, brisk walks, jogging, or rolling around under a car. You can grab a set at https://www.zagg.com/en_us/airtime-sport-truly-wireless
To sum it up, all three of these pairs were beyond my expectations. All three sets worked for what I had hoped: A custom ear mold, and to work while photographing a NASCAR race. For me, the M20 and the AIRTIME Sport are the most comfortable to wear. With out the rubber pieces and foam tips, the AIRTIME set is as comfortable, but there is that fear they might fall out. Every one if different. What is comfortable to me, might not be to others, and vice versa. I had planned to also test on a overseas trip, but Covid-19 canceled my travel plans. I will update once we are traveling again.
I can only imagine if i had great sets of custom ear molds!
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