Jaybird has been pretty busy lately. First they released their slightly updated Jaybird X4, which has a cult like following and then shortly after they released their new entry level Jaybird Tarah. And then shortly after those they released their new Jaybird Tarah Pro… And given that I still prefer wired bluetooth earbuds over truly wireless earbuds for working out… I didn’t expect to like the Tarah pro as much as I do.
Im a really big fan of JBL’s portable speaker line up… they sound great and you can take them anywhere cause they’re pretty durable and they have long lasting batteries. But a portable speaker means you’re paying extra for that added durability and built in battery. And if you just want a speaker for at home use all you’re really concerned about is sound. So thats where something like the Marshall Stanmore 2 comes in. its a little bigger than the Xtreme 2 but gives the boombox a run its money when it comes to sound quality and bass.
I feel V-moda is currently best known for their V-moda crossfade II wireless headphones. And for the longest time V-Moda has tried to establish themselves as that cool Audiophile brand. So thats why I was a little surprised when V-Moda announced their new Bassfit Wireless. Their first wireless headphones for the gym. And I gotta say, for their first time they did a very good job… and besides some minor nitpicks I think they’re pretty good.
The Audio-Technica ATH-M50x have the been the go to headphones for both normal consumers and professionals just looking for well built, and good sounding headphones. But now we have the Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT… they have the same styling as before but now they’re wireless, they have a touch pad, and they have on board media controls. And these headphones are so good that they’ve joined the Sony WH-CH700N in my most recommended $200 headphones club. But I like these for a whole other set of reasons and would recommend them to a very different type of person than I would recommend these to.
When Samsung first announced their new Galaxy Note 9 they had a promo where if you pre ordered their new phone they would throw in a free pair of AKG N60 NC On ear headphones, a $300 value… or you could get 15,000 V-Bucks. And for those who don’t know, AKG is to Samsung like Beats is to Apple. But now we have the AKG N700NC’s, a pair of Over Ear ANC headphones that competes directly against the Beats Studio 3, Bose QC35’s and Sony 1000XM3. But after getting to use the new AKG N700NC’s I would honestly prefer to take the V-Bucks, over these ANC headphones.
Unlike most other tech companies lately, Microsoft did a pretty good job of keeping leaks to a minimum for their October surface event, cause I was genuinely surprised when Microsoft announced their new Surface Headphones. And even though it was a very good first try, the Surface Headphones still have a lot of growing up to do in this increasingly competitive ANC Headphone market.
Even though I expected more, for the last few months the JBL Xtreme 2 has been one of my favorite speakers period. Its not too big, it has a decent battery life, I can take it anywhere, and more importantly it sounds really good. And the Xtreme 2 has done a good job of out performing similar speakers that were released after it. But today we’re going to put the Xtreme 2 up against 2 more large portable speakers. Lets see if the Sony XB501G or Marshall Kilburn 2 can finally dethrone the JBL Xtreme 2.
Even though its pretty small, the Marshall Kilburn 2 packs an impressive amount of sound and a long battery life in a very small package. And even though there is a lot to like about the Marshall Kilburn 2… there are just some things about it that just make me wondering what the heck was Marshall thinking. Heres everything I like about the Marshall Kilburn 2 and everything I hate about the Marshall Kilburn 2.
