- Table of Contents
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- Comparison
- Best Headphones
- Conclusion
- Discussions
Updated Feb 15, 2019
By Marc Henney
Best Jaybird Headphones - 2019
Reviews
We have currently reviewed 9 Jaybird headphones. They're a popular brand that makes sports-oriented headphones ideal for running and working out.
Test results
Updates
- 04/09/2019 Jaybird Run XT Review
- 01/31/2019 Jaybird Tarah Pro Review
- 11/12/2018 Jaybird Tarah Review
- 29/10/2018 Jaybird X4 Review
- 08/08/2018 Jaybird Freedom 2 Review
- 20/02/2018 Jaybird Run Review
Compared to other brands
- Compact and Portable Designs. All the Jaybird headphones are in-ear models that easily can fit into your pants pockets. They have a portable design that's made even more compact with some of their newer models, thanks to their removable charging clip.
- Stable for Sports. The Jaybird headphones come with multiple tip sizes and additional stability tips to help you find a comfortable and stable fit. They'll rarely fall out of your ears and they're stable enough to go running with.
- Above-Average Sound Quality. All the Jaybird headphones we've reviewed so far have an above-average sound quality. They typically have an excellent frequency response, which is somewhat offset by their poor soundstage due to their closed, in-ear design.
- No Variety. Jaybird does not make a lot of headphone types. Most of the headphones available on their website and that we've tested have been in-ear models. They do fairly well for mixed usage, but they have no specific models for critical listeners or listeners who prefer the fit and comfort of an over/on-ear design. If you do not find in-ears comfortable, then despite the multiple tips that Jaybird provides with its headphones, they won't be the ideal brand for you.
Overall, Jaybird makes sports headphones, and they do it well. Most of their headphones are compact, easy to carry on you, and stable enough for working out or running. They are decently well-built headphones that passively isolate better than some noise canceling models. However, they only provide in-ear designs that may not be comfortable for everyone.
Best Jaybird Headphones
Jaybird only has two lineups for now: the X series and the Freedom series, which are both in-ear lineups.
- X = The main Jaybird lineup, which consists of versatile sports headphones.
- Freedom = A more compact variation of the X series that makes the headphones lighter, but adds an external charging clip.
Best Jaybird Headphones for mixed usage
Usage Ratings -
Version 1.2
Test Benches:
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2017
- 0.9: Winter 2016
7.2
Mixed Usage
What it is:
This is the combination of the different use cases to evaluate how versatile the headphones are. Therefore an everyday headphone should be well-rounded enough to adapt to most situations and environments without significant losses in sound quality, design ergonomics or isolation.
Score components:
- 25% Critical Listening
- 25% Office
- 25% Commute/Travel
- 10% Sports/Fitness
- 9% Gaming
- 6% TV
Score distribution:
7.1
Critical Listening
What it is:
The level of audio fidelity a headphone can reproduce. Therefore a balanced and true representation of bass, mids, treble, soundstage and imaging, as well as a comfortable listening experience, is essential for critical listening.
Score components:
- 80% Sound
- 10% Build Quality
- 7% Comfort
- 3% Breathability
Score distribution:
7.5
Commute/Travel
What it is:
How well the headphones handle the loud environments involved in commuting or traveling. Therefore your listening experience should be comfortable, hassle-free and as isolated from noise as possible.
Score components:
- 24% Noise Isolation
- 14% Sound
- 11% Portability
- 10% Comfort
- 9% Build Quality
- 9% Battery
- 6% Wireless Range
- 4% Controls
- 4% Breathability
- 4% Leakage
- 3% Microphone
- 1% Multi-Device Pairing
- 1% NFC Pairing
Score distribution:
8.2
Sports/Fitness
What it is:
How well-adapted the headphones are, to use while doing sports or strenuous exercise. Therefore the headphones should not be too cumbersome and deliver a stable and comfortable listening experience.
Score components:
- 24% Stability
- 23% Portability
- 11% Sound
- 10% Breathability
- 8% Comfort
- 6% Wireless Range
- 5% Controls
- 5% Battery
- 4% Noise Isolation
- 4% Leakage
Score distribution:
7.3
Office
What it is:
How well the headphones can deliver a comfortable and isolated listening experience in an office-like environment. They should not leak much and should block the noise of a busy office.
Score components:
- 24% Comfort
- 21% Sound
- 16% Noise Isolation
- 8% Leakage
- 7% Battery
- 7% Wireless Range
- 5% Breathability
- 4% Build Quality
- 4% Microphone
- 2% Controls
- <1% Multi-Device Pairing
- <1% USB Audio
- <1% PC Compatible
- <1% Latency
- <1% Analog Audio
- <1% Line In
- <1% USB Input
- <1% PC Compatible
- <1% Power Supply
- <1% Dock Charging
Score distribution:
5.9
TV
Score components:
- 22% Sound
- 17% Comfort
- 15% Default Latency
- 10% Wireless Range
- 5% Breathability
- 5% Build Quality
- 4% Optical Input
- 3% Battery
- 3% Analog Audio
- 3% Leakage
- 2% Noise Isolation
- 2% RCA Input
- 2% Multi-Device Pairing
- 2% Line In
- 2% Line Out
- 2% Power Supply
- 1% Dock Charging
Score distribution:
5.7
Gaming
Score components:
- 20% Sound
- 20% Default Latency
- 15% Comfort
- 12% Microphone
- 5% Breathability
- 5% Battery
- 5% Base/Dock
- 3% Build Quality
- 3% Wireless Range
- 3% Microphone Control
- 2% Channel Mixing
- 2% Wired
- 2% Volume Control
- 2% App Support
- 1% Bluetooth
Score distribution:
The best Jaybird headphones for mixed usage are the Tarah Pro. The Tarah Pro are the most recent iteration of the Jaybird lineup, with a great sports design that has an official IPX rating. The Tarah Pro also support the Jaybird MySound App, which gives you access to a parametric equalizer that allows you to customize and personalize their sound profile to your liking. You can also share your configuration through the app with other Tarah Pro users.
Best Jaybird Headphones for sports
Usage Ratings -
Version 1.2
Test Benches:
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2017
- 0.9: Winter 2016
6.8
Mixed Usage
What it is:
This is the combination of the different use cases to evaluate how versatile the headphones are. Therefore an everyday headphone should be well-rounded enough to adapt to most situations and environments without significant losses in sound quality, design ergonomics or isolation.
Score components:
- 25% Critical Listening
- 25% Office
- 25% Commute/Travel
- 10% Sports/Fitness
- 9% Gaming
- 6% TV
Score distribution:
6.8
Critical Listening
What it is:
The level of audio fidelity a headphone can reproduce. Therefore a balanced and true representation of bass, mids, treble, soundstage and imaging, as well as a comfortable listening experience, is essential for critical listening.
Score components:
- 80% Sound
- 10% Build Quality
- 7% Comfort
- 3% Breathability
Score distribution:
7.2
Commute/Travel
What it is:
How well the headphones handle the loud environments involved in commuting or traveling. Therefore your listening experience should be comfortable, hassle-free and as isolated from noise as possible.
Score components:
- 24% Noise Isolation
- 14% Sound
- 11% Portability
- 10% Comfort
- 9% Build Quality
- 9% Battery
- 6% Wireless Range
- 4% Controls
- 4% Breathability
- 4% Leakage
- 3% Microphone
- 1% Multi-Device Pairing
- 1% NFC Pairing
Score distribution:
8.0
Sports/Fitness
What it is:
How well-adapted the headphones are, to use while doing sports or strenuous exercise. Therefore the headphones should not be too cumbersome and deliver a stable and comfortable listening experience.
Score components:
- 24% Stability
- 23% Portability
- 11% Sound
- 10% Breathability
- 8% Comfort
- 6% Wireless Range
- 5% Controls
- 5% Battery
- 4% Noise Isolation
- 4% Leakage
Score distribution:
7.0
Office
What it is:
How well the headphones can deliver a comfortable and isolated listening experience in an office-like environment. They should not leak much and should block the noise of a busy office.
Score components:
- 24% Comfort
- 21% Sound
- 16% Noise Isolation
- 8% Leakage
- 7% Battery
- 7% Wireless Range
- 5% Breathability
- 4% Build Quality
- 4% Microphone
- 2% Controls
- <1% Multi-Device Pairing
- <1% USB Audio
- <1% PC Compatible
- <1% Latency
- <1% Analog Audio
- <1% Line In
- <1% USB Input
- <1% PC Compatible
- <1% Power Supply
- <1% Dock Charging
Score distribution:
5.5
TV
Score components:
- 22% Sound
- 17% Comfort
- 15% Default Latency
- 10% Wireless Range
- 5% Breathability
- 5% Build Quality
- 4% Optical Input
- 3% Battery
- 3% Analog Audio
- 3% Leakage
- 2% Noise Isolation
- 2% RCA Input
- 2% Multi-Device Pairing
- 2% Line In
- 2% Line Out
- 2% Power Supply
- 1% Dock Charging
Score distribution:
4.9
Gaming
Score components:
- 20% Sound
- 20% Default Latency
- 15% Comfort
- 12% Microphone
- 5% Breathability
- 5% Battery
- 5% Base/Dock
- 3% Build Quality
- 3% Wireless Range
- 3% Microphone Control
- 2% Channel Mixing
- 2% Wired
- 2% Volume Control
- 2% App Support
- 1% Bluetooth
Score distribution:
The best Jaybird earbuds for sports are the Run. They do not have the sweat resistance and IPX Rating of the Tarah Pro and the Jaybird X4, but they are truly wireless with a stable fit in the ear that makes them great for running and working out. They have a shorter continuous playtime than the other Jaybird models, but last longer overall thanks to the charging case, Overall, they're a compact, easy to carry around headset, stable for sports, and they sound good and block enough noise to use casually on your way to work.
Best budget Jaybird Headphones.
Usage Ratings -
Version 1.2
Test Benches:
- 1.2: Winter 2018
- 1.1: Summer 2017
- 1.0: Winter 2017
- 0.9: Winter 2016
6.9
Mixed Usage
What it is:
This is the combination of the different use cases to evaluate how versatile the headphones are. Therefore an everyday headphone should be well-rounded enough to adapt to most situations and environments without significant losses in sound quality, design ergonomics or isolation.
Score components:
- 25% Critical Listening
- 25% Office
- 25% Commute/Travel
- 10% Sports/Fitness
- 9% Gaming
- 6% TV
Score distribution:
7.0
Critical Listening
What it is:
The level of audio fidelity a headphone can reproduce. Therefore a balanced and true representation of bass, mids, treble, soundstage and imaging, as well as a comfortable listening experience, is essential for critical listening.
Score components:
- 80% Sound
- 10% Build Quality
- 7% Comfort
- 3% Breathability
Score distribution:
7.4
Commute/Travel
What it is:
How well the headphones handle the loud environments involved in commuting or traveling. Therefore your listening experience should be comfortable, hassle-free and as isolated from noise as possible.
Score components:
- 24% Noise Isolation
- 14% Sound
- 11% Portability
- 10% Comfort
- 9% Build Quality
- 9% Battery
- 6% Wireless Range
- 4% Controls
- 4% Breathability
- 4% Leakage
- 3% Microphone
- 1% Multi-Device Pairing
- 1% NFC Pairing
Score distribution:
8.0
Sports/Fitness
What it is:
How well-adapted the headphones are, to use while doing sports or strenuous exercise. Therefore the headphones should not be too cumbersome and deliver a stable and comfortable listening experience.
Score components:
- 24% Stability
- 23% Portability
- 11% Sound
- 10% Breathability
- 8% Comfort
- 6% Wireless Range
- 5% Controls
- 5% Battery
- 4% Noise Isolation
- 4% Leakage
Score distribution:
7.2
Office
What it is:
How well the headphones can deliver a comfortable and isolated listening experience in an office-like environment. They should not leak much and should block the noise of a busy office.
Score components:
- 24% Comfort
- 21% Sound
- 16% Noise Isolation
- 8% Leakage
- 7% Battery
- 7% Wireless Range
- 5% Breathability
- 4% Build Quality
- 4% Microphone
- 2% Controls
- <1% Multi-Device Pairing
- <1% USB Audio
- <1% PC Compatible
- <1% Latency
- <1% Analog Audio
- <1% Line In
- <1% USB Input
- <1% PC Compatible
- <1% Power Supply
- <1% Dock Charging
Score distribution:
5.2
TV
Score components:
- 22% Sound
- 17% Comfort
- 15% Default Latency
- 10% Wireless Range
- 5% Breathability
- 5% Build Quality
- 4% Optical Input
- 3% Battery
- 3% Analog Audio
- 3% Leakage
- 2% Noise Isolation
- 2% RCA Input
- 2% Multi-Device Pairing
- 2% Line In
- 2% Line Out
- 2% Power Supply
- 1% Dock Charging
Score distribution:
4.8
Gaming
Score components:
- 20% Sound
- 20% Default Latency
- 15% Comfort
- 12% Microphone
- 5% Breathability
- 5% Battery
- 5% Base/Dock
- 3% Build Quality
- 3% Wireless Range
- 3% Microphone Control
- 2% Channel Mixing
- 2% Wired
- 2% Volume Control
- 2% App Support
- 1% Bluetooth
Score distribution:
The best Jaybird headphones for a lower budget are the Tarah. They lack a few features when compared to the Tarah Pro, their build quality does not look as good as the Pro, and they last a bit less on a single charge. On the upside, they have all the essential makings of a great sports headset and they are versatile enough for casual everyday use. Like most Jaybird headphones, the proprietary charging dongle may be a bit bothersome, especially since it doesn't match the rest of the X series. For the price, they offer a better value than the Jaybird Freedom.
Conclusion
Jaybird makes great sports headphones that are versatile enough for everyday use. They have sleek-looking in-ear models with an above-average sound and portable design that easily fits into any pocket. However, their lack of variety means that if you don't find in-ear headphones comfortable, then they may not be the best brand for you.
See our recommendations for the best earbuds, the best headphones for working out, and the best wireless earbuds for running.
