JayBird JB-200 review

JayBird JB-200 Review

Reviewed by: Nate Lanxon

Reviewed on: 5 June 2008

One of our favourite pairs of Bluetooth earphones are the Etymotic ety8s, but even now they're priced well above £100. The JayBird JB-200s clock in at £79 and they should work with any Bluetooth-enabled audio device, including mobile phones, MP3 players and PCs. We decided to take the JayBirds for a test flight.

The JayBirds will go on sale next week. 

Design
These earpieces hook over the ear like many Bluetooth headsets -- it's a much more secure fit than the slightly unusually-designed ety8s, and we'd argue they're more than secure for use in the gym. Plus, the flexible plastic design should suit most ear 'designs'. If you wear glasses though, you'll have to endure their arms fighting over ear space with the JayBird earpieces.

But they're resistant to water and sweat, so at least when running in the rain, you shouldn't experience any moisture-related disasters. Be warned: they're not waterproof, and as such cannot be taken in the pool.

As snug as they are, they're not the most comfortable 'phones we've ever worn. Their silicon tips are reasonably unintrusive, but the enclosures themselves gave us noticeable fatigue within an hour. When taking them off we enjoyed that moment of relief akin to taking off hard-soled shoes after a day walking around a shopping centre. For the hour or two you spend jogging or lifting weights though, it's doubtful this will be any more an issue than wearing a helmet on a bicycle.

Features
Bluetooth 2.0 can deliver pretty decent sound quality, and the JB-200s employ the A2DP technology to give you headphone-esque stereo performance. They can also be used as a typical hands-free setup with a mobile phone -- albeit through just the left earpiece -- and they play nice with MP3 players that offer built-in Bluetooth, such as Samsung's YP-P2.

If you want to use an iPod, JayBird Gear -- the manufacturer of JayBird -- offers a Bluetooth adaptor that plugs neatly into an iPod's docking adaptor. A similar accessory is available for adding Bluetooth functionality to any audio device with a 3.5mm socket. These cost £30 each, but neither come bundled with the JB-200 by default.