We're about halfway through 2016 and there have been a number of great products announced, so we decided to take this time and update some of our bests lists starting with this one. After long tears and sweat I present you my favourite pair of bluetooth earbuds in 2016!

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated, paid or endorsed by any of these companies. This is a non biased post and I am not profiting off this in any way except through the Steemit engagement.

This is an extended, clean and structured version of the review of the Jaybird's at SoundGuys

The best Bluetooth earbuds you can get so far in 2016.

I'm Adam Molina and we've got a few pairs of new earbuds to add to this list, some that are new and we've gotten a chance to take a look at over the past couple of months and some that aren't so new but are still impressing us everyday. I have spent the last couple hours preparing this review so I hope you enjoy it!! :)

Jaybird Freedom

The first category we're going to look at is best overall and shocker, not really, we went with the Jaybird X2's here. Many can argue and rightfully so that the X2's aren't the best in any category but their top contenders in all of them, and that's what makes them the best all around. 

Source: Jaybird - Freedom F5 In-Ear Wireless Headphones on Amazon

     They have a good sound, they're lightweight and durable, they easily fit into most ears thanks to the multiple ear and wing tip combinations, and they're also sweat proof so you can use them while exercising. Though the X2's look similar to their predecessors, there are a few more improvements here behind the scenes. For one, battery has been increased with the X2's actually reaching the projected eight hours that Jaybird claimed for the Bluebuds X, which we only got around six point five hours with. This is impressive considering that the earbuds are relatively similar in size. It seems like Jaybird taught these headphones how to sip a little less battery life while in use which is always a good thing. The next time we update this video the Jaybird X3's and the Freedom buds will likely be released, but until then the X2's keep their top spot. 

SoundPEATS QY7's

     SoundPEATS might not be a name you're familiar with, unless you're one of the twelve thousand people who gave it a 5/5 stars on Amazon. 

Source: SoundPEATS Bluetooth Headphones on Amazon

The QY7's are a wireless pair of earbuds that have been impressing people in terms of connection, fit, and sound. They're mainly considered a great pair of running earbuds, but there are plenty of people that seem to get along just fine using them for day-to-day activities. That said, they are sweat proof so you can definitely use these for a run and you'll be just fine. Probably the most important feature of these earbuds is their price tag. 

The prices vary depending on the color you choose, but the cheapest can be had for only nineteen dollars. Battery life is around five hours of battery which isn't the greatest by any means, but on the bright side that these do have fast charging technology, so if you have the right charger you can get a significant boost in battery life in a short amount of time. 

That said, there have been a few complaints about their connection and that it stops working after about two or three months, but again, at only about twenty bucks we figured they're worth the risk, especially considering how many people seem to love them.      

Jabra Sport Coach

The next category that we're going to take a look are which earbuds are best for running, and few brands have aligned themselves with fitness as completely as Jabra. One of the products they seemed to have found a home with runners are the Jabra Sport Coach. These earbuds have an IP55 rating making them sweat and weather proof. They're not entirely water proof so dropping them in a pool will pretty much destroy them, but anyone who has ever been caught in a rainstorm while running knows how essential weather proofing is for electronics. These come with a fairly modest battery life at only five point five hours, but it should be enough to get the average runner through a few days of running before they need to charge up. 

Source: Jabra SPORT COACH (Blue) Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds for Cross-Training on Amazon

The Jabra Sport Coach earbuds get their name from their primary feature, which is a built-in coach kind of. They collect data and provide real-time coaching via the headphones directly into your ears. There aren't too many pairs of headphones that will talk you through your fitness goals, and then go back to playing your music as seamlessly as these.

Plantronics Backbeat Go 2

 If you don't think you need a little voice whispering your progress in your ear, you can always opt for the Plantronics Backbeat Go 2's. The Backbeat Go 3's did just come out, but that means that 2's got a significant price drop, making them perfect for this bang for your buck pick. The control module has three buttons, a plus, a minus, and a square one right in the middle. All of these buttons are technically multifunction buttons, giving you different controls depending on how many times they're clicked and how long they're held down. 

Source: Official Website

The headphones have a battery life of roughly four hours, so if you tend to go on longer runs you might want to charge these often, but you can always purchase the model that comes with the charging case, which is supposed to add another fourteen and a half hours to the battery life. Of course if you forget to charge the case itself then you're out of luck, but if four hours just isn't acceptable for you then this is one way around that. In terms of sound quality these are known to have a lackluster bass, but on the flip side they have decent mids and highs, so if you listen to a lot of vocal music while exercising these might be worth a look. Plantronics also made it a point to say that these have a nano-coating that protects against the moisture and spills. Overall, these are a pretty decent pair of headphones that pretty much own their new price range. 

The best headphones for running might not be the same best headphones for working out in the gym and vice versa. 

     

Even though the previously mentioned headphones would probably work great at the gym the best earbuds we've tested in terms of working out have to be the UA Headphones Wireless. Under Armour is one of the most trusted brands in workout apparel, so when they decided to team up with JBL for a pair of wireless earbuds we knew that we had to check them out. Though they do have their flaws, like any other pair of headphones, the pros heavily outweigh the cons. For one, the UA Headphones Wireless are great at staying in your ears. Instead of relying on external wing tips or ear hooks like some other audio brands, they decided to give these JBL's new TwistLock technology. Basically this means that when you insert the earbuds into your ears and twist them they wedge themselves in your ears locking them into place. Sounds painful but it's really not. These come with a battery life that lasted us about eight and a half hours during testing. That's not double digits, but it is a solid hour or two better than most of their competitors. 

Source: Official Website

     If you're looking for a durable pair of earbuds that won't fall out of your ears, the UA Headphones Wireless are definitely the way to go. Of course, not everyone is a fan of straight up in-ears when it comes to working out. Some people prefer earbuds of the clip-on variety and one pair that does that very well are the Jabra Sport Pace Wireless. Jabra knows what it takes to make a good pair of workout headphones, so of course these come with an IP54 rating. That means that they're rain, sweat, and dust resistant. Like the previous pair of Jabra headphones that made this list the Sports Pace Wireless come with an integrated training app that can provide you with a short summary of your progress during your workout. They'll tell you your pace and distance if you're running, along with calories burned and the duration of your workout. It's not exactly the specialized coaching that comes with the Jabra Sport Coach earbuds, but if you just want occasional updates on your workouts the Sport Life app should do fine. 

Source: Digital Trends The Jabra Sport Coach earbuds motivate with music and coaching tips

     Pressing the button on the outside of the earbuds allows you to communicate with the app in a variety of ways, including tracking your workouts and informing you how much battery is left during usage. Speaking of battery, these only have about five hours of juice which isn't the best. Knowing that battery life wasn't exactly the strong point of these headphones, Jabra included a quick charge feature where fifteen minutes of charging time gives you about an hour of playback time. Simply plugging them in while you do your pre-workout stretches should give you enough juice for a solid workout. If you just want a comfortable earbuds regardless of what you're doing, well then there's the Beats Powerbeats2. Let me explain. Beats has been around long enough at this point that people have realized not all of their products are bad. Whether or not they're overpriced is a conversation for another day, but they do make a few pairs of headphones that are surprisingly good at what they do, the Powerbeats2 being one of them. When it comes to exercise, accurate sound often takes a backseat to other features that makes some headphones more desirable than others. 

Source: CNET Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless review

     The Powerbeats2 for example come with an emphasized low end which is preferred by a good amount of people, but they also have another thing going for them. They're very, very comfortable. If you're not familiar with them they also have ear clips to fit easily around your ear. The cable is flat to avoid awkward tangles, and the control module on the wire has all of the usual suspects in terms of playback control. Battery life is a decent six hours and similar to the Jabra Sport Pace headphones we previously mentioned, these also have rapid charging. There are plenty of things that are subjective when it comes to headphones, like sound for instance, but one thing that's just as subjective is comfort. If you don't trust audio companies and other customers to decide what's comfortable for you, maybe you'll trust NASA. The Sol Republic Shadow Wireless are a pair of Bluetooth earbuds that were designed using anatomy research performed by NASA. Yeah, they guys that send people into space. 

Source: CNET Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless review

     The biomorphic neckband is made of a soft and flexible plastic that rests easily around your neck, and the two earbuds come with a few extra pairs of ear tips that get the best fit possible. Since Bluetooth headphones are perfect for exercise, these are also sweat and water resistant, but they're mainly just really comfortable. On the neckband you'll find a few basic playback controls, but in the neckband you'll find the battery that gives you about eight hours of constant playback. If you want a pair of headphones that will adjust to get you the best fit possible, the Shadow Wireless by Sol Republic are definitely worth checking out. The last category we're going to take a look at is arguably the most important category depending on what your needs are. Sound, and we think the best sounding headphones we've tested so far are the LG Tone Platinum's. These are the newest Bluetooth buds in the LG Tone series, which you probably already noticed if you're familiar with any of their previous models. Like the rest of the headphones in the series, they have everything built into the neck piece, but the Platinum's aim to give listeners a more premium experience. 

Source: Fonearena - LG Tone Platinum Bluetooth Stereo headset

     Not only do they look pretty with a sleek design and retractable earbuds, they also have Qualcomm's new aptX HD codec which lets you stream 24-bit audio to compatible devices like the LG G5. If you don't have G5 you'll have to settle for standard CD quality streaming at roughly 16-bits with compatible devices. Battery life is stated at ten hours and they also have dual noise-canceling microphones so your calls will be crystal clear in noisy environments. If you download the app you can even set custom actions for some of the sliders and buttons, like having the headphones read you your most recent SMS message. It's clear that LG packed these headphones with some useful features, but if you don't really care about features and fitness tracking and you just want the best sound quality possible, the LG Tone Platinum should definitely be on your shortlist. When it comes to sound quality, Sony is always a name that's mentioned, and though the SBH80 headphones might not have some of their newer Hi-Res advancements, they do have some solid technologies that make these a great bang for your buck pick. 

Source: Stereo Bluetooth Headset SBH80

     The SBH80's are have a slightly unusual design compared to some of the other wireless buds we're used to seeing. It does have the familiar neck piece with the two earbuds attached to it, but there are two control modules on each wire instead of one. One of the modules lets you answer and end phone calls while the other has all of the playback controls on it, but separation of power isn't the only reason for the dual modules, they also both have microphones built into them for clear voice calls. In terms of sound these also have the aptX codec responsible for CD quality streaming assuming you have a compatible device and microdynamic drivers that pack enough of a punch to make fans out of plenty of audio files. If you want good sound for less than a hundred dollars definitely give these a listen before you make any decisions. That's about it for our mid-year update of the best Bluetooth earbuds you can get in 2016. 

The end

     We'll be sure to keep the companion article updated, so you'll always have the newest picks and information. If you have a favorite pair of headphones for any of these categories that we didn't mention, or if you have a new category altogether, definitely let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading

Written by Adam Molina at http://www.soundguys.com/best-bluetooth-earbuds-2014-2638/