Last week I had a Bluetooth speaker review up, based on “field testing” performed by one of my boys on Take Our Kids to Work Day. His brother was also working with me that day, and he chose to test a pair of Bluetooth wireless earbuds, the NuForce BE Sport3s. As I did last week, I’m basing this quick review largely on Jon’s input, along with some of my own observations.
Both Jon and I were impressed by the huge collection of accessories that came in the BE Sport3 box. There’s a nice carrying pouch with a metal carabiner clip, but I don’t think I’ve seen such an extensive selection of ear tips and fins. If you can’t find a size or color that appeals in this pile, you aren’t trying… Note there are different styles of ear tips including NuForce’s custom made Spinfit TwinBlade style, but they are all silicon—no memory foam options.
Jon tried a few combos out, before choosing the fins and tips in the perfect color and fit. He wore them for much of the day and said they were light and very comfortable. He’s been wearing them to school for the past week and says they also stay in place quite well.
The metal and polycarbonate build combined with the flat connector cables (no tangles) and brightly colored accessories make for an attractive look as well.
These are Bluetooth wireless ear buds, so they have a control module incorporated into the connecting cable that does double-duty as a battery pack, It recharges using an included microUSB cable and the charge port is pretty easy to access. NuForce claims up to 10 hours of battery life on a charge, but we’ve been getting a few hours under that. Jon has gotten into the habit of recharging them every third night, after using them an average of two to three hours a day. He still uses his one-ear headphones for serious listening (I don’t know of any earbuds that can match a good set of cans), but these earbuds have seen a lot of use.
Even if they don’t make it to 10 hours (and maybe they would at a lower volume), there is enough power to complete an all-day activity like hiking. The BE Sport3’s are also IP55 rain and dust-resistant, so wearing them during exercise doesn’t run the risk of sweat damage.
I have several sets of considerably more expensive Wireless Bluetooth ear buds from Jaybird to compare them against. The BE Sport3s don’t have an app to tailor the sound, the fins aren’t quite as prefixes, and they lack the Comply memory foam tips Jaybird includes. They also can’t quite match the sound quality of the Jaybird Freedom or X3s. But at $79 on Amazon, the NuForce BE Sport3s cost less than half as much as either of these. If you have kids who want wireless earbuds, or you want a pair for the gym without investing in a high-end set, these offer a good value proposition.
For the price, you get decent sound and the freedom of wireless Bluetooth audio. They’re comfortable, customizable, water resistant, and, according to my 14-year-old, they’re pretty cool too.
