Our Verdict
The Jaybird Freedom's are decent headphones for everyday casual use. They have a sleek wireless design that's stable enough for working out and to use on your daily commute thanks to their high, passive noise isolation. Unfortunately, they're not as sturdy as the other Jaybird models and they have a relatively short battery life since using them with the charging clip makes them a bit unstable.
- Great passive noise isolation.
- Minimal leakage.
- Stable and portable design.
- The in-ear fit is uncomfortable for some.
- Charging clip is bulky and inconvenient.
Average for neutral listening. They have a decent audio reproduction with a good bass, mid and treble response. However, due to their closed in-ear design, they have a poor soundstage which won't be ideal for more neutral listeners. On the upside, their overall sound quality is good enough for most and they come with a good parametric EQ.
Good for commuting. They're portable and passively isolate from ambient noise better than some noise canceling headphones. However, you have to find the right fit and get a good seal and their charging clip is a bit cumbersome and limiting. If you forget the clip at home, you won't be able to charge the headphones.
The Jaybird Freedom are great headphones for sports. They have a lightweight and portable design that's easy to have on you at all times. They're also stable enough to workout with, provided you can achieve a good fit with the extra foam and wingtips. Unfortunately, you can't run with them with the charging clip on the in-line remote as they become quickly unstable.
Above-average for office use. They isolate well and barely leak. This makes them suitable to use in a lively or quiet office environment. However, the in-ear design might not be ideal for really long listening sessions.
Below-average for gaming. The Jaybird Freedom have a mediocre microphone, and a bit too much latency to be suitable for gaming. They're also not the most comfortable headphones to wear for long gaming sessions, and their battery life is relatively short.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Feb 16, 2018: Converted to Test Bench 1.2.
- Updated Sep 28, 2017: The microphone has been tested with our new methodology, as explained here
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Jaybird Freedom Wireless are a more lightweight and portable version of the Jaybird design. They're great sports headphones and also have a good customizable app. However, their battery performance and charging clip could and should have been improved. See our recommendations for the best noise cancelling earbuds, the best wireless earbuds for running, the best earbuds for small ears, and the best wireless earbuds for iPhone.
The Jaybird Freedom are a slightly better sports headset than the Jaybird X3, although not by much. The Jaybird Freedom have a slightly smaller and more compact in-ear format that's easier to carry around when the charging clip is not attached. The Freedoms are also a bit more comfortable, breathable, and have a slightly better treble range on their default sound profile. On the other hand, the X3 are better built, have a longer battery life that does not require a bulky charging clip, and they're slightly easier to use with a better in-line remote. Their build quality also feels a lot more premium than that of the Freedoms.
The Jaybird Freedom 2 Wireless 2017 are very close in performance to the Jaybird Freedom F5 Wireless 2016. They have the same overall design and build quality. The Freedom 2 have a slightly more comfortable earbud-like fit than the originals, and they also have better cable management. On the upside, the regular Freedom have a slightly better sound quality out-of-the-box and a more isolating in-ear fit, although both headphones can be easily EQed with the MySound app. They also both come with the same bulky charging clip that's a bit limiting and will prevent you from being able to charge your headphones if lost or damaged.
The Jaybird X2 are a slightly better wireless headset overall than the Jaybird Freedom. The X2 have a much simpler charging port on the back of the right earbud, so you do not need to carry around a bulky charging clip like with the Jaybird Freedoms. The X2 also have a longer battery life, lower latency, and a slightly better-balanced default sound but can't be EQ'd. The Freedoms, on the other hand, have a more portable design (when not using the charging clip) and smaller earbuds that are a bit more comfortable than the X2. They also benefit from great app support so you can customize their sound quality to better match what you are listening to.
The Jaybird Freedom are slightly better sports headphone than the Bose SoundSport WIreless, mostly due to their isolating in-ear fit which might not be as important for outdoor runners. The Bose have a more comfortable earbud fit with a semi-open design that's a bit better suited for running outdoors but won't be as good for blocking noise in louder environments. The SoundSport also have a much better sound quality than the Freedoms with a longer continuous playback time but a shorter battery life overall. The Jaybird, on the other hand, have a better isolation performance for noisy and quieter conditions. They also have easier to use controls and slightly longer battery life overall thanks to their charging clip. You can also customize their sound profile with their app, which you can't with the Bose.
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