Jaybird X3 Wireless Headphones- An Official MyGolfSpy Staff Review

[GolfSpy Dave]

Dave's Take: Jaybird X3 Bluetooth Headphones

 

The Jaybird X3 headphones are very simple to use, sound great, and come with enough options to fit twenty-four different ears!

 

 

The Bigness of Bluetooth

I remember the awesomeness the first time I took Bluetooth headphones to the driving range. Prior to wireless, I would drop my MP3 player in my back pocket, and run the headphone cord up my back, under my shirt. It worked OK, but was annoying.

 

Then came the golden age of wireless, and I could put on the headphones while leaving my music-playing phone in my golf bag. It's hard to imagine ever going back to wired golf audio. I still use one pair of wired headphones on my tiny iPod Shuffle, and another big pair of noise-canceling, over-the-ears cans, but everything else has shed the cable. Wireless is here to stay, and now I just need to find the right snazzy little audio exporters.

 

Today, I have for you my take on the latest pair of wireless headphones to come across my desk: Jaybird's X3 Headphones.

 

Come along, and let's explore how the X3 can meet the wireless-audio needs of the golfer.

 

 

Jaybird X3: IN THE BOX

• X3 Wireless Buds
• Complyâ„¢ Isolation Foam Ear Tips: S/M/L
• Silicone Ear Tips: S/M/L
• Secure-Fit Ear Fins: S/M/L
• Cord Management Clips
• Cord Shirt Clip
• USB 2.0 Charging Cable + Charge Clip
• Carry Pouch
• Color: Platinum (exclusively at Best Buy)
• Price: $129.99

 

Comfort and Fit

 

So let's start with getting the Jaybird X3s into your ears. While most of you only have two ears, the X3 headphones come with enough attachments to fit twenty-four. In the box, you have three different sizes of foam ear tips, silicone ear tips, and ear fins. My math says that makes twenty-four combinations of tip size and fin size, including the no fins option. Now if you wear one small tip in one ear, and a medium in the other ear, the number of fit combinations jumps to something like 256 combinations!

 

Maybe my math is a little shaky there, but the take home message is that there should be enough versatility in the tips and fins to comfortably fit any set of ears.

 

 

For me, I started with pairing the medium silicone tips with the medium fins. Ultimately, I switched to the medium foam tips, finding them a bit more comfortable than the silicone. The foam tips are still plenty secure, something that I thought could be lost with the switch.

 

Once the tips and fins are configured, you can then use the strap adjustment system to secure the cord behind your head. I did need to follow the included directions on this part. It's not difficult to wind the cord back and forth between the plastic clips, just wasn't totally intuitive for me.

 

 

Once you get the right fit, you should never need to adjust it again, and you, like me, will find the Jaybird X3 headphones very comfortable and secure. Overall, they are very lightweight, both the earpieces and the control element. Once in place, the headphones are very unobtrusive, and I didn't really notice them ever during usage. The sound through them was all I noticed.

 

 

The headphones had no trouble staying in place through practice sessions on the range, or during workouts at the gym. I went for the over the ear configuration, and never once did I feel an earpiece slipping out, the cords tangle, or the control bang against my neck.

 

Light, secure, and comfortable.

 

Ease of Use

 

Getting the right combination of tips and fins can take a bit of trial and error, but once you complete that task, using the X3 to play music is super easy. You hold the middle button to turn them on, resulting in an audio message that they are now powered on and how much battery is left.

 

I love that it tells you battery level when it turns on, but be forewarned that the volume of this power-up message is a bit loud for my taste. I've gotten in the habit now of turning them on before inserting them into my ears. You may not be as sensitive, but I found the volume excessive for my delicate ears.

 

Pairing to my iPhone was as fast as any Bluetooth device I've used in the past, and after pairing, the Jaybird X3 does an excellent job of finding the phone whenever it's powered up. So far, the Jaybird X3 has not dropped the connection during use.

 

Volume and track skipping are controlled using the same buttons on the controller, with short presses changing volume and longer ones (until it beeps) changing the track. Super easy, and responsive. If you have songs at different recorded volumes and tracks you need to skip or repeat, the system works flawlessly.

 

The same controls are used for interacting with phone calls, though I mainly used the do not pick up option when I was wearing these. I'm not that interested in talking to anyone if I'm on the range, the course, or at the gym. I'll call you back...

 

Sound Quality

 

The volume produced by the X3 is louder than any human needs. That's not a knock; it's praise. The Jaybird X3 has volume for days. You will not likely get to the top of the range and be left wanting. If you are, then you may need to get your ears checked. I've maxed out other headphones on the range, or in the gym, but not these.

 

Though not actively noise canceling, the fit of the ear tip into the ear canal is quite snug, and thus blocks out a bunch of the environmental noise. My audiologist said that this is a great way to actually be able to play the music at lower, and thus less damaging, volumes.

 

 

Highs, mids, and lows are balanced. Bass is deep, and booming if you want it. You can also download the free MySound app to tweak the eq sound profile to your liking, or test out a saved sound profiles in the app.

 

Volume is ample, and the sound range is expansive. No complaints across musical genera.

 

Battery

 

The Jaybird X3 is a battery sipper. The specs say that the battery should last for eight hours, but I'd swear it would last longer. I fully charged these, and then threw them in a pocket in the golf bag. Every time I turned them on, the battery level was higher than I expected. They just keep playing and playing. Another battery feature worth noting is that they stay charged for 200 hours when not in use. That's almost twenty days. I've had other brands of headphones that if you left them alone for a week, they would have fully discharged the battery. The X3 hold a charge, and then just nibble current when you use them. Impressive battery, especially considering how light these headphones are.

 

My only gripe with the battery is that charging the Jaybird X3 requires a special cord. I'd like them to just use the same universal USB charging cable that charges everything else. I'm sure that the special cable is required for certain design elements that would not be possible with a standard cable.

 

The charger works great, especially liking the 20 minutes of charge = 60 minutes of music feature. My concern is that I'll misplace the special cable, and not be able to charge the headphones.

 

Jaybird X3 Headphones Review: Summary

 

Though the initial fitting took a bit of time, once the Jaybird X3 was properly configured for my ears and head, it delivered nothing but easy, high-quality sound. Though it does require a proprietary cable, the X3 charges rapidly and retains that charge for a long time. The headphones remained secure through all of my usual golf motions, and even through the dizzy-making irregular motions as I tried to dislodge them.

 

I'm also pretty happy with the value on these. The MSRP of $129.99 puts these in the same conversation with similar headphones from Beats and Bose. Having used the Beats Powerbeats³ myself, I'm totally comfortable saying that the X3 can definitely compete with Beats, and for active usage, I prefer the X3 to the Beats.

 

All in all, the Jaybird X3 headphones have checked all of my boxes, and are now my go to golf headphones.

 

Find out more at the Jaybird website, and at Amazon.

 

 

Detailed Specifications: Jaybird X3

AUDIO

·      Type: In-Ear Style

·      Noise-isolation: Passive

·      Impedance: 16 Ohm

·      Speaker sensitivity: 96 +-3dB At 1KHz

·      Output 5mW nominal, 10mW max

·      Total Harmonic Distortion

·      Audio Format: 16-bit Stereo

·      Codec: AAC, SBC, Modified SBC

·      Response Bandwidth 20Hz - 20kHz

·      Driver Size: 6 mm

 

BLUETOOTH

·      Bluetooth Version: 4.1, Multi-point

·      Frequency Band: 2.4 GHz

·      Profiles: Hands-free, Headset, A2DP, AVCRP, & SPP

 

PAIRING

·      Number of Paired Devices: 8

·      Pairing passkey: 0000

 

INTEGRATED MICROPHONE

·      Type: MEMS, Omni directional, ultra low power

·      Sensitivity: -38dB +-3dB (Test conditions: 1KHz, 0dB = 1V/Pa)

 

COMPATIBLE PRODUCTS

·      Any A2DP Bluetooth stereo device

 

OPERATION

·      Operating: 32F - 113F (0C - 45C )

·      Storage: 14F - 122F (-10C - 50C)

 

WEIGHT & DIMENSIONS

·      Width: 1.1" (28.02mm)

·      Height: 1.09" (27.69mm)

·      Depth: 0.52" (13.42mm)

·      Weight (With Fins and Tips): 0.63 oz (17.9g)

·      Cord Length: 19.29" (490 mm)

 

BATTERY

·      Play Time: 8 Hrs*

·      Standby Time: 200 Hrs*

·      Charging Time: 2.5 Hrs

·      Quick Charge: 20 min = 1 hour Play Time

·      Charging: USB with included charging clip

·      AC power: DC 5V 500mA

·      Type: Lithium Ion

·      Battery Voltage: 3.7V

·      *May vary dependent on usage, device & aging

 

WARRANTY: 1 Year Limited Warranty

 

[Canucklehead]

Nice write up!

 

I have these and they are absolutely awesome!!

 

Pro tip: if you have an android (I have a Sony) the charging cable for the phone works with the headphones. But if you're one of those knuckle dragging apple users, well tough luck.

 

I agree the battery is amazing and I think it lasts longer than 8 hours as well.

 

It can take a bit to get the right sizes but I agree the block out the environmental noise. Would argue bang for your buck, probably the best for Bluetooth headphones.

 

Sent from my E6853 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[MDGolfHacker]

Nice review and I'll definitely consider these. Just ripped the ear piece on my bluetooth ear buds so these might do the trick!

 

MDGolfHacker

[jayjay0808]

These look sweet. Haven't tried them on yet but I have such a hard time finding headphones that stay in thanks to cauliflower ear from years of wrestling and MMA

[GolfSpy Dave]

These look sweet. Haven't tried them on yet but I have such a hard time finding headphones that stay in thanks to cauliflower ear from years of wrestling and MMA

The fin is the key for holding these in place for me. There are three sizes of fins, hopefully one navigates the cauliflower nicely.

[PlaidJacket]

Excellent review and write up Dave. Nice photo work too.

 

This is how music should be listened to on the course.

[Rphall003]

Nice review. I have the X2 headphones and love them. For anybody looking to upgrade to wireless, or upgrade current wireless headphones, jaybird is a win!!!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[Golfspy_CG2]

Well done and thanks for this Dave. I just went the wireless route last month, but I went the cheap route and now paying the price for it. I usually don't cheap out on things. But it was an impulse buy without much, ok any research done. And I said to myself. Really $39 vs $149, there can't be that big of difference.

 

I was wrong

[Camcmart]

Great review, I was actually considering the X3s when I was looking into BT headphones but they weren't quite in my price range at the time. Whenever I'm in the market for some more I'll definitely look into these. I'm a big fan of my BT speaker for the value, though; might write up a review on it

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

[jayjay0808]

You got me looking at these now. Looks like I may stop and pick them up before the weekend... Making me spend money geez lol

[GolfSpy Dave]

You got me looking at these now. Looks like I may stop and pick them up before the weekend... Making me spend money geez lol

These are money well spent though

[mtgrizinmn]

I have the bluebud versions and love them, when I'm connected to my phone. I have noticed that when I connect to them through my apple watch the connection is not so great. I may have to give these a try.

[cshaw15]

I have a pair of these headphones. They sound great and are very easy to use. However the shirt clip broke in about 2 days hitting balls at the range. I found an old beats clip & it's been great every since. Seems silly to order a bunch of the clips but I may.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy