The Jaybird Run are great truly wireless sports headphones, decent enough for most uses. They have a stable and compact in-ear design that stays put thanks to the stability fins and multiple tip options. They isolate well enough for most commutes, and their low leakage means you'll rarely distract anyone around you even at max volume. Unfortunately, their latency is a bit too high for watching videos or gaming. Also, their case and control schemes could be improved.
Our Verdict
The Jaybird Run are decent truly wireless headphones for mixed usage. They're particularly ideal for sports. They're sufficiently comfortable for an in-ear design and isolate enough for commuting and loud environments. They're incredibly stable and breathable, which makes them suitable for running and working out. Unfortunately, they have too much latency for gaming and watching movies, and pairing can be somewhat of a hassle at times. They have a decent sound but can be a bit too sharp for more critical listeners.
- Compact and stable sports design.
- Above-average noise isolation.
- Good wireless range and app support.
- High latency not suitable for videos.
- Slightly too sharp on already bright tracks.
- Mediocre control layout.
The Jaybird Run are decent for neutral listening. They have a well-balanced bass and midrange, but a relatively sharp treble reproduction. Also, due to their closed in-ear design, they have a poor soundstage, which means they won't be the ideal headphones for more neutral listeners. Overall, their sound quality is good enough for most.
The Jaybird Run are above-average for commuting. They're portable and passively isolate from ambient noise better than some noise cancelling headphones. Unfortunately, the bulky case makes them a bit less portable than other truly wireless designs, and their control scheme can be a bit cumbersome to use at times.
The Jaybird Run are great headphones for sports. They're truly wireless headphones with a stable and decently comfortable in-ear fit. They're lightweight and portable, even if their case is a little bulkier than other truly wireless charging cases. They're also stable enough to workout with, provided you can achieve a good fit with the extra stability fins. Unfortunately, their button layout can be a bit cumbersome to use since you have to choose between volume controls and being able to skip tracks, which is a little disappointing.
The Jaybird Run are 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, they don't have many connection options, and their pairing procedure can be a bit of a hassle at times. Also, they have a bit too much latency, and their battery life isn't ideal for long listening sessions.
The Jaybird Run are below-average for gaming. They have a mediocre-at-best microphone, and way too much latency to be suitable for gaming. Their companion app is also not as customizable as most gaming-oriented software.
These headphones aren't suitable for this use.
Changelog
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.1.
- Updated Nov 21, 2019: Converted to Test Bench 1.3.
- Updated Apr 04, 2019: We've updated the comfort section of the review to better reflect a typical use case for an average listener.
- Updated Feb 20, 2018: Review published.
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Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Jaybird Run are good truly wireless sports headphones. They support the MySound app from Jaybird, which gives them good customization options. They're decently comfortable, compact, and isolate well enough for most environments. This makes them versatile enough for most uses, but they're best used for sports. They sound a bit too sharp for critical listening and have too much latency for gaming and watching movies. See our recommendations for the best Bluetooth earbuds, the best noise cancelling earbuds, and the best true wireless earbuds.
The Jaybird Run XT Truly Wireless are an upgraded version of the Jaybird Run Truly Wireless and are slightly better, but may not be worth the upgrade if you have the first ones. The XT have better wireless range and now have an official IPX7 rating for water and sweat resistance, which the original didn’t have. The XT also offer slightly more battery life, but that’s about it. Weirdly enough, the newer XT models have way more latency than the original model, which wasn’t great to start with.
The Jaybird Run Truly Wireless are different but similar in performance to the Jaybird X3 Wireless, especially for sport. The Run are a truly wireless headset that's a bit more compact when out of their case and more stable for running than the Jaybird X3. The Run also have a longer cumulative battery life but a lot shorter continuous playtime. On the other hand, the X3 are a lot easier to use with a full set of controls that's more efficient than that of the Jaybird Run. They also have a better latency and wireless range than the Run. But overall both headphones support the MySound App by Jaybird which makes them customizable and a good choice for sports.
The Jaybird Run Truly Wireless are a slightly better headset than the Bose SoundSport Free Truly Wireless. The Jaybird have a more compact and portable design than the Bose. They also have a customizable app that lets you EQ their sound profile to your liking, unlike the Bose. On the upside, the Bose have a better build quality that feels more durable than the Jaybird. They also have an earbud fit that most will prefer over the fit of the Jaybird. Lastly, the Bose sound a lot better out of the box than the Jaybirds, although they do not have an EQ so you won't be able to edit their sound quality like with the Jaybird.
The Jaybird Run Truly Wireless are a slightly better truly wireless headset than the Sony WF-1000X Truly Wireless. The Jaybird have a more comfortable and stable fit for the gym than the Sonys. They also have a much more customizable sound that you can fully EQ, unlike the Sonys, which only have presets. The Jaybird also have a much better latency performance, although they won't be the best headphones for watching videos since their latency is also fairly high. On the upside, the WF-1000X have a better build quality and a more premium-looking design. They also come with a more portable and sturdy case that also supports NFC pairing. The Sony also isolate more in noisy conditions with their more typical in-ear fit and active noise cancellation, though their ANC is not that strong and should not be the defining feature for getting these headphones.
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