Everyone does different things on their phones, and I'm one of those people who uses mine as music player more than a camera or social media machine. I'm also kind of particular when it comes to my headphones and have been a holdout who uses a USB C adapter so I can still plug in my beloved wired headphones.
This was important when I used to carry around an LG V10 or HTC 10 as a music player. Both of those phones did justice to a good set of headphones while paired with high-quality music files. However, that's just not the case anymore. You can still buy a great-sounding music player, and some phones sound better than others, but in a world where Bluetooth or dongles are the norm, it makes no difference what the audio on the phone sounds like because it's not being processed there.
I'm still bitter about losing the headphone jack, but I'll leave this fight for another Don Quixote.
This became even more apparent when I lost my dongle, so I had to just use the phone speakers. I needed to find another way to use a set of headphones since the audio on the phones I have doesn't sound that great, and almost every company that makes portable electronics wants me to use Bluetooth products. So, that's what I'm going to do — toss out all my better judgment and just get a good set of wireless earbuds.
Man, shopping for Bluetooth headphones of any type is ridiculous. Every brand has its own set of made-up words that sound like they're describing pro-grade audio equipment that should cost thousands of dollars. They all claim to be the best, and are all probably made in the same two factories in Shenzhen. So I did what any normal person would do and asked someone — in my case, it was Andrew Martonik.
Andrew is a runner, and when he's out-running crocodiles or whatever else incentivizes someone to run 15 miles, he uses earbuds. If you knew Andrew you would also know that he is the type of person who will try 10,000 different things until he finds something he likes. That makes him the perfect person to listen to when it comes to finding earbuds that aren't going to fall out of my head and also don't sound like crap.
If you know someone who is a little particular when it comes to gear, that is who you ask for advice. I know two of those people. Win-win.
Andrew told me that Anker's Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro True Wireless Earbuds were exactly what I was looking for. They fit well, sound good, and won't slow you down if you're running away from hungry crocodiles. They also charge via USB-C or wirelessly and last a good long time between charges.
After a quick peek, I saw that Daniel Bader — who also has a known headphone addiction — actually reviewed them and called them "an incredible pair of true wireless headphones that are easily worth their steep $150 asking price." There was zero doubt about what I wanted to get. Safety from crocodiles and Daniel Bader approved is all anyone could ever ask for when it comes to earbuds.
More: Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro vs. Liberty 2: Which true wireless earbud should you buy?
I also like Anker stuff in general, so I'm hopeful that this is going to work out well for me. I also know that how earbuds fit is different for everyone, so I'm also going to ask you fine folks for other suggestions. It may take spending way too much money if I have to try a handful of different models, but if I can find something that fits and sounds at least passable I'll consider it a win.
What wireless earbuds are you using, and why? Help me out, because this is all uncharted territory for me!
Great buds, right price
Anker makes great accessories and these earbuds are no exception. Built to fit comfortably and deliver great sound, they might be exactly what you're looking for, too.
