It’s time again here at Techaeris for yet another earbud review! This time, our iHome iB76 review takes a look at an affordable pair of splashproof and shockproof wireless earbuds which boast voice activation features.
Specifications
The iHome iB76 Splashproof + Shockproof Wireless Earbuds have the following features and specifications:
- Bluetooth audio with built-in mic
- In-Line remote control
- Flexible Sport earhooks
- Rechargeable battery
- Bluetooth Siri and Google Voice activation
- IP65 splashproof, sweat proof, and rainproof
- Dimensions: .79″ W x .87″ H x .51″ D
- Weight: .02 lbs
- 1-year warranty
What’s in the box
- iB76 Splashproof + Shockproof Wireless Earbuds
- USB charging cable
- Cable management clip
- 3x pairs silicon ear cushions (L/M/S)
- Drawstring Travel Pouch
Design
The iHome iB76 Splashproof + Shockproof Wireless Earbuds don’t differ all that much from many other wireless sport earbuds on the market. The earbuds themselves are attached with a black cable roughly 20″ in length. An optional cable management clip is included which allows you to shorten the cable to suit your wearing style. At either end of the cable is a four-inch bendable piece which allows you to conform the shape of the cable to fit nicely behind your ears.
On the right-hand side, a 1 ½” in-line remote control sits about 1 ½” from the bendable section. The in-line remote is ¼” thick and houses the micro-USB charging port on the side under a sealable cover. The top of the remote is blue and features a +, iHome multi-function, and – button — which allow you to control music and calls — and a small hole where the microphone and LED indicators reside.
The earbuds themselves are shaped to fit nicely into your ear and sport the blue iHome logo on the outer metal center piece. The main outer shell is fairly strong molded plastic, and the ear cushions are the same bright blue as the iHome logo and top of the in-line remote control.
The iB76 earbuds are also IP65 splashproof, sweat proof, and rainproof rated, so you won’t have to worry about getting them wet while working out or using them during sports activities.
Finally, iHome includes a soft fabric carrying pouch with a drawstring to store and transport your earbuds when not in use.
The iHome iB76 Wireless Earbuds are lightweight and fairly comfortable, however, I did find them to be less comfortable while wearing glasses. Even though the ends of the cable are bendable and adjustable, they just didn’t seem to fit or play nicely with my glasses. When I took my glasses off, they fit much better but, unfortunately, I do need my glasses to see. I suspect that the same would be true for most sunglasses whose arms go behind the ear. That being said, once inserted, the earbuds stayed in my ears even while shaking my head trying to get them to fall out.
Ease of Use
As with most wireless earbuds, the iHome iB76 Splashproof + Shockproof Wireless Earbuds are easy to use. Pairing is an easy process as the first time you use them they automatically enter pairing mode. Using the three buttons on the in-line remote control let you control volume, skip tracks, play/pause the current track, answer incoming calls, decline incoming calls, end a call, transfer a call between the phone and ear buds, and finally redial the last number called from your phone.
Holding the MFB button turns the unit on or off, and the action is accompanied by a “Power on” or “Power off” voice prompt making it easy to know if you are turning them on and off while in your ears.
Sound
Considering the price, the sound was better than expected from the iB76 Wireless Earbuds with pretty well-balanced highs, mids, and lows. Minor tweaks with the equalizer on my phone allowed me to achieve pretty much the exact sound balance I enjoy while listening to music. Voices and music were pretty crisp and clear and even at maximum volume there was no distortion that I noticed. These wireless earbuds also have noise isolation technology implemented and did a very good job of drowning out the outside world while music was being listened to, even at lower to mid-volume levels.
Call Quality/Voice Activation
I’m not one to use my earbuds for calls, but, as always for the sake of testing, we ran the iB76 earbuds through their paces. The placement of the remote control unit when the earbuds are being worn is less than optimal and sits below and slightly behind your ear. As such, while I could hear the other party fine during our test I had to speak quite loudly for them to hear me properly.
The iB76 Wireless Earbuds also boast Siri/OK Google functionality but I couldn’t get it to work properly on my Android devices. The instructions do note that you have to hold the << button (of which there isn’t one) down for three to four seconds in order to activate it. I did try holding down both the – and + button for 3-4 seconds but all that did was adjust the volume.
Battery Life
iHome claims that the iB76 Splashproof + Shockproof Wireless Earbuds should last about 7 hours at a normal listening level. We were indeed able to achieve just shy of 7 hours on multiple occasions while listening to them at medium volume. Once depleted, the earbuds take roughly 1 ½ hours to recharge.
Price/Value
At $49.99USD, the iHome iB76 Wireless Earbuds are very reasonably priced. They’re definitely affordable and given the battery life offer a more than acceptable wireless earbud solution for those in the market.
Wrap-up
The iHome iB76 Splashproof + Shockproof Wireless Earbuds are an affordable, fairly balanced sounding pair of wireless earbuds with decent battery life, although they may be slightly uncomfortable when used while wearing glasses or sunglasses.
