Xdr-8000 Vertical in Ear Ultralight Sport Running Headband Headphones

I wear glasses and it's very hard to find a headset that is comfortable over long periods. Generally, after less than an hour my ears hurt and I have to quit. These are very adjustable, very comfortable, and have great sound quality - surprising for their size. They are so lightweight that you hardly notice you are wearing them and I have no problem wearing them for hours. Love these so much I bought a second pair in case something happens to the first one I bought.

So the last time I purchased these I purchased the added warranty, and I was definitely glad I did. The customer service was AWESOME. I got 2 pairs of headphones sent back to me after I returned the broken one. So the main issue with these headphones is that after awhile ( id say give or take 6-8 Months) the audio in one of the earbuds stops working. Its happened to every single headphone of these I've used. It may be that I just sweat alot lol but just want to put it out there that if you are looking for extremely durable headphones, look elsewhere. However, if you are looking for relatively cheap headphones that stay on your head while running or doing elliptical or what have you and don't make you look like a doofus with those GIANT over-ear bluetooth headphones that squeeze your ears to the point they feel bruised, then THESE are the headphones for you.

I started running years ago with Sony MDR headphones and those are my gold standard but they are now discontinued. I don't like bluetooth - I end up messed with battery issues, or connectivity issues, and instead of running, I'm just messing with my headphones. Wired just works. But I am apparently in very small company with my opinion because after Sony discontinued theirs, there are not a lot of alternatives. These SonXTronic are the best that I have found but I have a like/hate relationship with them. I like the fit and the comfort and the fact that it is wired. But I just go through them. The earpieces will snap off if you aren't careful and I have had the in-ear speakers go out if they get too wet (which happens frequently while running). I've gone through a lot of sets of these things. It feels like I buy one set a year for the last 7 or 8 years. At any given moment, I will have one working pair, then it will fail usually on the day of a planned big run - so I'll run in silence for like 2 hours - and I'll order another pair. Like I said it's a "like/hate" relationship. They just so flimsy. But they are the best that I've found. And the price isn't outrageous when you figure I use them twice a week every week for a year. But it feels like they should be a bit better constructed... and yet, as soon as I finish this review, I'll buy my 8th or 9th pair. Because there aren't a lot of choices and this is the best of a bunch of bad options.

I grew up using partial over the ear but this style is difficult to find these days. I use the headphones when exercising, during yard work, or fix-up projects around the house. I wear an extra large male hat size. My favorite is the Maxell SL-3, hp-200. I like the way they feel as they are the most comfortable of the group. The sound is well balanced throughout the frequency range. The over the ear component aligns with the middle of each earpiece so the angle feels good. One potential drawback is that the cord is a straight plug connector as opposed to the firm rubber right angle plugs that are more common. I remember having many of these straight connectors that eventually went bad at the connection. My second favorite is the Sonxtronic XDR-8000. These have ends that go into the ear. They are comfortable. These are lacking in the base and low frequency range and require a higher volume setting to achieve the same sound as the padded Maxell and Panasonic headphones reviewed. The sound is a bit “tinny”. I am keeping these because while they don’t sound the best, they don’t have the foam pads and thus will hold up much better for those times when I am sweating heavily. My third favorite is the Panasonic RP=HT21. These headphones have the overall best sound and have a very full stereophonic sound. They have the best bass and low frequency sound. They have a very good 90 degree connector plug. The cord is a great length. The problem is that they are narrow and sized for a person with a smaller, narrower head than mine. Furthermore, the over the head portion attaches to the earpiece at its front section. This design causes the earpiece to flare away from the back of the ear and the sound suffers. If you hold the earpieces to your ears with your hands the sound improves significantly. In addition, this design results in a pinching effect that is very uncomfortable. If the headpiece connected to the mid point of the earpiece I believe the problems would be solved and this would jump to the #1 favorite position. At the price I am willing to keep them and see if they become more comfortable with time, but I am very doubtful. Totally unacceptable is the Sony MDR-A17G. Although they say Sony on the item, I doubt they are really made by Sony. The earpiece quality is terrible and had extra plastic that scratches the ear. The overall quality looks very cheap. The sound is terrible, with a very tinny sound and no bass. These will be returned.