Anker SoundBuds Slim Wireless Headphones, Lightweight Bluetooth 4.1, Earbuds with Magnetic Connection Nano Coating, IPX5 Sweat Resistant, Sports Headset with Metallic Housing

Well, I resisted as long as I could, but eventually had to face the fact that the headphone jack appears to be on its way out. After much anger at both Apple/Android manufacturers for deciding to make the change, I figured that I might as well try out a wireless pair so that I can get used to it, as it's becoming less and less likely that my next phone will have a headphone jack at all.I have used several pairs of Bluetooth headsets over the years, however those have been used solely for exercise. This is the first set that I purchased as a casual, everyday set, and I intended to use them daily at work. I've purchased Anker products in the past, and figured that I couldn't go wrong with this pair, especially given the price relative to others.Pairing/Connection:Initial pairing was very simple with this headset. Once paired, the Bluetooth connection has been fairly stable, though I do get some skipping audio from time-to-time when listening to something with these while my phone is in my pocket. Usually after powering these up, they connect to my phone within a few seconds (maybe 2-3).Battery:This is one of the main reasons that I chose this set. It's claim of 7 hours of battery life (listen time... so they'll last even longer if you leave them on standby for random periods throughout the day!) was on the higher end of the spectrum of sets that I looked at, and I've pretty much found the claim to be true. I'm able to get through an 8-hour work day just fine with these (with some standby time).Charging:The charge time after use is somewhere between 60 and 90 minutes for me after a day of using these at work. The charging port is located on the remote portion of the in-line controls (just to the side, covered by a rubber cap). The remote has an indicator that lights up red while charging, which then turns blue once charging is completed. It uses a (fairly) standard USB-A to Micro USB cable. The cable is included with the headphones, but there is no power adapter, so you'll have to either use one that came with another device (phones often use these), or plug it into a computer's USB port. Note: This headset can't be used while charging; they automatically turn off when plugged in.Ear pieces:This set comes with 3 different-sized earbud pieces, so it may take a while (a bit of trial-and-error) to find the right fit. Once you do, though, they are fairly comfortable (about as comfortable as one might expect from in-ear headphones). It's important to find the right fit, as noise isolation/sound quality will work best once you do. The ear hooks have also worked well (also come with different sizes), and I haven't had any issues with these earbuds falling out even while walking/climbing stairs, etc.Sound Quality:I must confess that I do not consider myself an audiophile, but for me, the sound on these has been pretty good. After finding the right audio tips that create an optimal seal, these have been comparable to my Xiaomi earbuds (maybe slightly lower quality). I mostly use them to listen to audio books, podcasts, music, or game streams (ie Twitch). After trying these, I picked up a set of Senso headphones for use while exercising, and realized that the bass on these isn't as deep as it could be, though. I also do feel like max volume could be a little bit higher, but it's good enough for most of my listening needs.Cable and in-line audio controls:The cable is a little bit odd, as others have mentioned, but I don't really know what could be done about it. There is a bit of an imbalance due to the in-line control portion of the cable, which often causes the rest of the cable to shift to the right side as I'm walking. The buttons have worked well, though. It includes volume up at the top, power button in the center, and volume down at the bottom of the remote. The power button is also used to play/pause, answer calls, etc. The volume buttons can be held to skip/repeat songs The magnets work well, and are able to keep the earbuds together fairly well. Often, when I set these down on my desk, I'll pick them up to find a few paper clips stuck to the back of one/both of the earbuds!Microphone:I've only made a few calls with this headset, but for the most part they've just been ok with this. I've had a couple of people tell me that I sounded quieter than usual, but they've been able to fix it (for the most part) by turning up the volume on their end. Honestly, most Bluetooth headsets that I've used haven't been too great when it comes to microphone quality, so my expectations in this category are probably pretty low to begin with.Issues/other things I've noticed:-I like to go for walks during my breaks at work, and have noticed a bit of static from these earbuds from time-to-time if I'm walking and listening on these with my phone in my pocket. This doesn't occur when I'm holding the phone, however, so I don't know what could be causing the interference.-Again, these CANNOT be used while charging (they power off when plugged in), so you'll have to make sure that you have a good charge prior to leaving your home with these. Or perhaps (depending on your situation) have a backup pair, since they're fairly cheap.-The audio prompts (i.e. when powering on, turning volume up, connecting to phone, etc) are different from any other headset I've used. Most have a female voice that says things such as "Powered on" when turning on, or "Connected" when they establish a connection with your phone. These have different tones/sounds with no voice.-The only issue I've noticed with the audio cues is when I'm turning the headset to max volume. With this set, there is a loud "Ding" sound that plays over your audio to let you know that you've reached max volume. So if I'm listening to an audio book, I might miss a word or 2 while the ding plays. Other sets that I've used just slightly quiet my audio so that this same "Max volume" ding can play without interrupting my listening.Final thoughts:While I do still mourn the "death" of the headphone jack, I've been fairly impressed with these headphones. I think that, after trying these, I'll be able to get used to going wireless full-time after all! My biggest concern was that I would be unable to listen for a full work day and, so far, this hasn't been an issue. Sound quality has also been more than enough for my uses. At this price point, and with Anker's great reputation when it comes to customer service, why not give this pair a try? Please let me know if my review has been helpful!

3/8/2017. UPDATED REVIEW:I now rate these 5 stars and here's why...After posting my original review (see below) I was contacted by Anker customer service apologizing for their mediocre sound quality and offering to send me a pair of NB10 headphones to try as well as promising to send me an updated pair of the soundbuds slim once they became available.Well, I tried the NB10's and they do have more bass and sound pretty good but really they are more workout specific in that you can't simply put them in as fast and not as comfortably at least...also the battery life is about half that of the soundbuds. One of the best things I like about the soundbuds slim is that they are so small and comfortable plus the battery life is about 7hours.Anker customer service is beyond amazing! Very very good! I thought these so called "new improved" version of the soundbuds slim would be many months away but no, they showed up last week and I've been using them ever since.Ok...I'm not sure how they did it but they most definitely did something to improve the sound because now there is SO much better sound in the midtones as well as the bass. I kept my original set and did side by side comparisons and the new ones are really great!The value you get with these for basically under $30 is unmatched. I pretty much keep them around my neck all day. Once you turn these on they pair with my iPhone 7 almost instantly every time. So far, I have been very impressed with these little things and for the inexpensive price they are totally worth it and everyone should have a set of these. They are really great, really! Time will tell how they hold up but they seem well made and I'm completely satisfied and completely recommend!My ORIGINAL REVIEW on the first pair is below:After having used these new earbuds for a few days now I would tend to agree with the general consensus I'm seeing here with these earbuds in that the build quality is quite nice and the price was certainly right. I received a $6 off coupon via email which brought my price down to $23.99. At that price I cannot complain. I will keep them and use them for watching youtube videos/ Netflix and Spotify at work etc. but as for using them as my "go to" pair for running (even though they are sweat proof) I'm afraid that's a big "no go" on that. The sound quality is just not good enough. Let me say that I have many Anker products and I am a big fan of their stuff which is why I bought these in the first place but really the Bass IS lacking. I've experimented with using larger earpieces and that helped somewhat but not really good enough in my opinion. If there was some way they could increase the bass and the volume levels a fair bit I think they could be an awesome choice. Perhaps these shortcomings are a limitation of the whole small size vs bluetooth vs. battery life vs sound compromise sort of thing? Who knows? But I will hold out hope that future versions get this right, heck I'd pay $50 bucks for these if they sounded better. As for now, they are just ok, not bad but not too good either but you have to weigh the pros and cons and realize they are a $25 option... so not bad. I will also say the battery life is excellent as is the magnets holding them together around your neck when not using them...that alone is probably the best feature. I just keep them around my neck at work and can slip them on quickly when I want to listen to something.Even though I realize I pretty much just painted a mediocre review here I would still recommend them based on price point and as long as you understand they are not going to be the greatest earbuds you ever used, so go ahead and get yourself a set.UPDATE 2: A couple of things have become apparent after my first review. 1. The beauty of these lies in the convenience factor. 2. They are a good choice for watching YouTube or Netflix on your phone. Since these can just hang around your neck they're always at the ready which is really pretty useful. I still stand by what I said above... I wouldn't use them for running (I've tried) . They are good but not great sound quality. I'm waiting on the next version of these because I will bet they get better! The size and battery life are really great as is the build quality! For a $29 set of earbuds they are pretty darn good just as long as you don't expect hi end sound quality.I would also like to say Anker customer service is really something else. They go over and above to make sure you are happy. That's one reason why I always try out their products. They are great and the price point is right on target. These guys really seem to care about bringing a modern and quality product to you for a fair price. Love Anker products. Thanks.