ULTIMATE TECH GUIDE
THE BEST... HEADPHONES
Power up your run with these clear and crisp stay-put headphones
SONY NW-WS413
£79, sony.com Anyone born before the 80s will probably remember trying to run with a Sony Walkman. Lugging the bulky cassette player around on a run was more like resistance training than anything akin to a pleasurable listening experience. Worse yet, portable headphones were terrible back then – they were at least two-thirds sponge. Music and running weren’t compatible. Fast-forward a few decades and things have changed. Sony has evolved its Walkman range from cassettes, to CDS, via MiniDiscs and MP3s. Except now the digital files don’t sit in a separate player – in the case of the NW-WS413s, 4GB of music can be stored in a set of wire-free headphones. The NW-WS413s are bigger than your average set of headphones, but are comfortable to wear and stay in place when you up the intensity of your workouts. And, for those of you who lean towards the tri side of training, these headphones are a real boon. They’re completely waterproof, so you can wear them in the pool – and they allow you to hear ambient sounds, making them safer to cycle with. The sound quality is brilliant, even in the water. The controls on the headphones are easy to navigate and adding music is simply a case of dragging and dropping files. For people who want to train to music, these headphones are an easy way to access the tunes you need to get motivated.
BEATS BY DRE POWERBEATS 3 WIRELESS
£169.95, beatsbydre.com Beats by Dre has taken over the headphone world with its slick designs and crisp sounds. And the latest addition to the Powerbeats line is no different. Sound quality is excellent, they’re a snug fit and they don’t pop out while running. They’ve also got a sturdy design and are easy to set up.
JBL REFLECT MINI BT
£75, uk.jbl.com The main requirements for runners when looking for earbuds are that: a) they stay in your ears, b) they don’t entangle you in several feet of wire and c) they sound good, even over the noise of your laboured breath. The JBL Reflect Mini BT Bluetooth earbuds tick all of those boxes. They come with a range of different size ear-tips that fit comfortably. The cord is also reflective, adding a little extra visibility if you’re running at night.
MONSTER ISPORT FREEDOM
£199.95, monsterproducts.eu If on-ear headphones aren’t your cup of tea, Monster’s iSport Freedom might just change your mind. Despite appearances, they’re impressively lightweight, and the headband’s rubber interior sits snug against your head, so you don’t have to worry about them falling down mid-run. Controls on the right earcup are easy to use – allowing for Bluetooth synching, volume control and track selection. Usefully, they can also be rinsed under the tap after a sweaty run.
SNUGS ACTIVE CUSTOM-FIT EARPHONES
£199, snugsearphones.co.uk We’re willing to bet that you won’t find a better-fitting pair of headphones. That’s because before you can buy a pair, an audiologist measures the inside of your ear (either visit a Snugs store or pay for them to come to you) so that the ear tips can be custom made – to your design preference – and delivered within a few days. All that comes at a hefty price, of course, but the result is silicone moulds that fit perfectly in your ear and stay in no matter the intensity of exercise.
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