Jaybird x3 vs Bose SoundSport Wireless

In the Jaybird x3 vs Bose SoundSport Wireless fight, it can be hard to declare a real winner. Both sets of wireless headphones are leading their respective markets, and those who prefer one over the other haven’t made that decision lightly.

Typically, the clear winner of the battle is decided by which set of earphones appeals to the consumer the most.

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Within this review, we’ve highlighted several of the pros, cons, and features that can help any buyer in the market decide which is the better option for them.

Whether you’re an athlete or fitness junkie in need of good beats to get you through, or you’re a music fan who loves the crisp clarity and convenience that wireless earphones offer, you will soon find that these two brands are evenly matched.

Which Brand Will Win – Jaybird or Bose?

Jaybird X3 Wireless

PROS

• They offer a snug fit.
• The design is streamlined and slim.
• You can adjust the cord length around the ears.
• The audio quality is excellent.
• You get a remote and microphone with them.
• Sound settings can be adjusted in the Android and iOS Jaybird app.
• The soft silicone ear fins and tips are comfortable.
• They are quite affordable.

CONS

• You can’t separate the ear tips and fins.
• The remote isn’t user-friendly due to its large size.
• Bluetooth connectivity isn’t as advanced as other models.

Bose Soundsport Wireless

PROS

• They are very comfortable.
• They are affordable.
• Excellent sound quality.
• They are sweat-resistant.
• Has winged tips to help them stay securely in your ears.
• Has an auto-off function for preserving the battery.

CONS

• The battery life isn’t as good as Jaybird x3.
• Bluetooth connectivity isn’t as advanced as other models.
• The buds protrude from your ears.

Jaybird x3 vs Bose SoundSport Wireless

1. Features

When you’re looking to discover, in the competition of , which earphones will be a better option for you, it’s helpful to know what features are on offer, and which earphones shine brighter. There are many different things to take into consideration.

2. Color

For some people, color is an important feature. Many people like to match their earphones to their devices and even their workout gear. While color isn’t overly critical, it can make a difference.

What’s more, different color options for different earphones can also vary in price. Typically, black is a more cost-effective option, but vibrant colors can help you stand out from the crowd.

With Jaybird x3 earphones, the options are aplenty – much to the delight of many. You can choose from Blackout and Sparta, Alpha and Road Rush.

All colors compliment each other nicely, while also bucking the trend of other earphones. Typically, you will not find these color combinations available with any other brand.

While the color selection for Bose SoundSport Wireless earphones is not as vast, the colors do work well.

Bose has gone for a more simplistic approach but, once again, has produced colors that are a little outside of the square. You can choose from black, aqua, red, and citron. Citron is a beautifully bold color that appears to be a favorite with many consumers.

3. Battery Life

In the Jaybird x3 vs Bose SoundSport Wireless battle on battery life.

Jaybird x3 is a clear winner. Jaybird was onto a good thing when they produced the X2, so they maintained that long-life battery design through to their x3 model, and with great success.

This model claims a battery life of eight hours, and even though these claims are typically mostly exaggerated, with Jaybird x3, it wasn’t too far off the mark.

You could expect just under eight hours of playback time if you were to put the volume at mid-range. This equates to an average office worker’s entire working day from start to finish, without needing to charge them.

With SoundSport Wireless, the battery life is quite underwhelming. Given the technology that is available, you would expect it to be on-par with Jaybird, if not slightly better given its freshness to the market.

However, at a mid-range volume, you can achieve, at best, four to five hours of playback time. You then need to charge it fully again by plugging a USB cord into the micro-USB port on the left earpiece.

4. Sound Quality

If you were to compare sound quality in a head-to-head, it would be difficult to declare an all-out winner.

With SoundSport earphones, you’ll enjoy a punchy, powerful sound that almost screams at you in an aggressive yet pleasant way. These earphones bring music alive, are dynamic, and offer a crisp, clear clarity you sometimes require to make the most of the tune.

What’s more, these earphones do what they are supposed to do – provide you with “get up and go” audio effects.

Whether you’re on your way to work or pounding the pavement, you’re sure to give the sound quality of Bose SoundSport earphones at least an 8 out of 10.

Jaybird x3, on the other hand, is so technologically advanced that it would be hard not to rave about it. Given that Jaybird x3s are priced competitively and are, of course, wireless, the sound quality is exceptional.

It seems that no stone was left unturned in ensuring the sound quality was just right – right down to the use of materials in the earbud.

The silicone tips not only provide a more effective seal than the previous foam tips but ensure you receive that crystal-clear clarity you’ve come to know and expect from Jaybird. While comfort may be compromised, the sound quality isn’t.

What’s more, you don’t have to settle for stock standard. When you purchase Jaybird earphones, you gain access to the MySound Android and iOS app that enables you to customize your listening experience.

You can play with acoustics, check out the sound profiles of other Jaybird earphone users, and even opt for a range of presets. When you find one you enjoy the most, you can save it to your earphones rather than your device, ensuring that no matter which device you use your earphones with, it will remember your sound preference.

5. Isolation

You can hear the traffic around you as you pound the pavement, and those sitting next to you on public transport will undoubtedly listen to what you’re listening to as well.

6. Bluetooth

Both the Jaybird x3 and Bose SoundSport Wireless aren’t market leaders when it comes to Bluetooth, but that’s not because they didn’t try.

While the technology was available to make the Bluetooth connectivity of these earphones something incredible, they didn’t use it to their advantage. Therefore, when you purchase either of these earphones, you’ll experience just the bare basics.

Bose SoundSport earphones are Bluetooth-only, which means they don’t use a dock or an audio cable.

• These earphones also don’t support multi-pairing which is unusual given that almost the full range of Bose earphones do. They also have insufficient memory for auto-pairing.
• However, not to put too much darkness on Bose’s sunshine, they do have decent NFC support, enabling the pairing of them to smartphones far more seamless than many other options on the market. If you’re watching movies or playing games, however, expect a substantial amount of latency.

Jaybird x3 earphones aren’t much better.

• They connect via Bluetooth, but you have to turn them off then on again before they sync. They also don’t pair that easily, don’t have NFC, and experience substantial latency if you’re playing a game or watching a movie.
• As previously mentioned, the technology was there for these main players, but maybe they decided to focus on sound quality, skimping on connectivity in the process.

7. Comfort

Last but not least, comfort is critical when you’re deciding whether Jaybird x3 or Bose SoundSport wireless earphones are for you.

Jaybird x3 earphones are in a neckband style for your comfort and convenience, and you can enjoy many “come back” features such as cable clips from previous Jaybird models.

• There is a lot of versatility with these earphones, meaning you can have the cable around your neck, or looped over your ears, shortened using the cable clip. As a result, you can expect a very secure fit.
• But it’s not just the cable style that will appeal; the wingtip options will as well. These accessories lock the earphones to your outer ear, and you can choose from a range of tips in either silicone or foam to suit your preference.
• Silicone offers better audio quality but doesn’t provide as secure a fit, while the foam tips provide better isolation and are more comfortable.

Bose SoundSport has adopted a more traditional style.

• They have a neckband cable, remote housing that is easy to reach without being cumbersome, and are seamless in design for better comfort.
• What’s more, the remote is so lightweight that, unlike other models, doesn’t weigh the earphones down.
• The silicone buds fit securely into your ear and are suitable for use when you’re pounding the pavement or in the gym.

In conclusion

You should buy the Jaybird X3 IF:

• You’re after a snug, comfortable fit.
• You’re happy with a few color options from which to choose.
• You want to spend less money.
• You want to be able to adjust the cord length with ease.
• You prefer soft silicone for additional ear comfort.
• You want to adjust the sound quality.

You should buy the Bose SoundSport Wireless IF:

• You are after affordable earphones.
• You want premium audio quality without worrying about adjustments.
• You prefer seamless earphone-to-smartphone connectivity.
• You want peace of mind that your earphones are firmly in place.