When you’re working out, doing yard work, or otherwise exerting yourself and getting sweaty, it almost always helps to have music playing. Whether it’s to distract you from hearing yourself huffing and puffing at the gym, or just as a way to relax during a normally very mundane task such as mowing the lawn. The 808 Audio EAR CANZ Sport earbuds offer a sweat-proof way to get your tunes. Keep reading to see how they perform.
Specifications
The 808 Audio EAR CANZ Sport include the following features and specifications:
- Track, play/pause, and volume control
- Ergonomic design earhooks for customized fit
- Water resistant
- USB charging cable, ear tips in 3 sizes, and quick start guide included with purchase
- Built-in microphone
- 9 hours battery life
- Dimensions : 1.97″ wide x 1.93″ tall x 1.16″ deep
- Weight : 0.05lbs
What’s in the Box
- 808 Audio EAR CANZ
- Extra Ear Tips
- Charging Cable
- Quick Start Guide
- Travel Pouch
Design
The first thing you’ll probably notice about the EAR CANZ Sport wireless headphones is the large over-ear earhook and the body of the earbud itself. The earhook bends so you can shape it however it needs to go in order to best fit your ear.
The body of the earbud is mostly rectangular, with rounded corners on the side where the eartip attaches and a hexagonal print. The opposite end is angled slightly, and the 808 logo is on this angled section. The wire connecting the two earbuds attaches just below, while the earhook attaches just above the 808 logo, and the R/L indicator is on the inside of the earbud opposite the 808 logo. The body is relatively large at about 1 ⅓” long, ½” wide, and ¼” thick, but the headphones are still exceptionally light and fit very comfortably in your ear.
The eartip attaches to the body of the earbud via a round section about ¼” thick. I know all of these dimensions seem like they’d add up to something very large, but it all just works very nicely. The eartip obviously sticks into your ear, the round section sits in the open area just outside your ear canal, and the body of the earbud lives comfortably outside while the earhook keeps everything nicely in place. That’s really what’s important, especially in an earbud designed for sports/workouts/etc. where you’ll be moving around a lot. Once these guys are in place, they hardly budge.
The cable connecting the earbuds is approximately 18” long, and is a flat tangle-resistant cable. About 3” down from the right earbud is the control box with the +, -, and play/power/multi-function button. There’s a small LED indicator between the power and – button, and the MicroUSB input is located on the side next to the – button, while the microphone is on the back almost directly behind the + button. The cable is likely long enough for most people to wear it behind their neck. I generally wore it around front though because I found the cable would stick to my neck when I turned my head when sweaty. Keeping it up front was just easier than repositioning the cable or jerking my head around in order to free it from getting stuck.
The EAR CANZ Sport wireless headphones have an overall very solid design. While they might look as though they’re going to be big/heavy they really aren’t, and the design works very well for its intended purpose.They’re quite comfortable to wear, and really barely move once you have them in place. The 808 EAR CANZ Sport wireless headphones are currently available in grey or neon green, though the model sent to me for review is a bright blue color.
Ease of Use
By now, pairing devices via Bluetooth should practically be second nature, and pairing the EAR CANZ Sport to your device is as easy as can be. Simply hold down the power button for a few seconds to enter pairing mode, open the Bluetooth controls on your phone or other device, select “808 EarCanz Sport” when it pops up on your list, and you’re ready to go.
After the initial pairing, just hold down the power button for a few seconds to turn on. You’ll hear an audible cue and a voice saying “Device Connected” letting you know that you’re paired successfully. The + and – buttons work as you’d probably expect. Tapping either will raise or lower the volume on your device (no independent volume control, unfortunately) while holding either button will skip to the next or previous track. The play button will also answer a phone call with a tap, or ignore a phone call when held.
Hold the power button for a few seconds and a descending audible cue will let you know that the headphones are turned off.
Sound
I put any headphones that I review through a set playlist of songs. I have a pretty diverse set of music in that setlist, with everything from pop to heavy metal, jazz, dubstep, EDM, punk, and more, each with specific things that I want to listen for. This allows me to have a consistent point of comparison with which to listen.
So how do the 808 Audio EAR CANZ Sport handle your tunes? Really well actually. Their snug fit in your ear provides pretty good noise isolation, while the earbuds themselves put out some pretty big sound. Bass isn’t overwhelming, but there’s enough there that even dubstep and EDM sound adequately heavy where necessary. These earbuds can pump out the bass without over-emphasizing it as some headphones are prone to do.
Mids are emphasized maybe just a little more than highs here, though that helps give the earbuds a fuller and bigger sound, which works well with the noise isolation to keep you hearing your music rather than listening to yourself breathing heavily on the elliptical machine at the gym. Toning that stuff out really does help you work out harder. I mean, who wants to listen to themselves panting while they’re working out?
That’s not to say that the high end is absent, but it’s definitely overshadowed just a little bit by the midrange. You’re really probably not going to notice that too much though, as the beefier mid-range gives you a really big, strong sound.
Overall, these are some really good sounding earbuds though. Especially considering the price, these put out better sound than you might expect for $50.
Reception/Call Quality
Call quality was as expected. Callers could hear me clearly and I could hear callers quite well. These tests were all completed while sitting still, and results may vary if you’re mid-exercise when answering your phone, but the mic ends up sitting pretty close to your mouth so you shouldn’t have too many issues.
Battery Life
808 Audio pegs the battery life for the EAR CANZ Sport at 9 hours, and that’s pretty accurate based on my testing. Even with some standby time in between, these headphones lasted through four bouts of lawn mowing and six trips to the gym before needing to be recharged. You should easily be able to go a week between charges with moderate daily use (i.e. wearing for an hour at the gym every day) or through a standard work day if you’re wearing for extended use during the day. Recharging is pretty quick, taking about two hours to fill up from empty.
Price/Value
The 808 Audio EAR CANZ Sport headphones are available for $49.99USD, and that’s really a pretty great price for what you’re getting. These earbuds feature a solid, very comfortable design, big sound, and very good battery life. Not to mention they’re water/sweat resistant and will stay in your ears even during your most strenuous workout.
Wrap Up
There are loads of options available when it comes to wireless Bluetooth sport earbuds. The 808 EAR CANZ Sport earbuds offer a great mix of performance and price and easily walk away with a Techaeris Top Pick for 2017.
