Singapore's National Day that falls on 9 August is just around the corner! Folks take time to get festive by sporting the colors of red and white in the streets and this year is no different. What better way to set a patriotic tone than to sport red headphones to go with your attire? That said, here's five stylish headphones /earphones to set the mood for the occasion.

1. Beats Solo3 Wireless
Price - SGD 398 (USD 299)
The (Product) Red campaign in raising awareness for HIV has been going on strong for 11 years now. In the process, you get some great looking red colored products. The Beats Solo3 Wireless is already a great looking pair of on-ears to begin with and certainly made even more striking by the red finish.
Read - Beats Solo2 Wireless review

2. Bose SoundSport Pulse Wireless
Price - SGD 319 (USD 199)
Bose made its foray into wireless sports in-ears last year and upgraded the original SoundSport Wireless (SGD 239) with the 'Pulse' functionality. This adds a heart rate sensor and relays this information to the Bose Connect app. It looks pretty much the same as the non-Pulse version and comes in a single color variant - *drumroll* Red! 
Read - Bose SoundSport Wireless review

3. Jaybird X3 Wireless
Price - SGD 215 (USD 129)
Jaybird's latest buds are generation 3 of their huge selling X-series of sports in-ears. They upgraded from the original (named Bluebuds X) with the Jaybird X2 and now the latest incarnation comes with app support. The red variant is called Road Rash and looks pretty darn striking. 
Read - Jaybird X3 Wireless review

4. Plantronics BackBeat FIT
Price - SGD 129 (USD 84)
The Plantronics BackBeat FIT has been around for a while and while there are some new colors that were launched in late-2016, the original red version with a greyish hue looks great. Like the name implies, it fits great and makes for a great companion when jogging. 
Read - Plantronics BackBeat FIT review
5. Sony MDR-XB950BT Extra Bass
Price - SGD 269 (USD 198) 
Sony's Extra Bass series of headphones has been quite a seller for them and the sheer volume of reviews on Amazon (2000+) for the XB950BT can attest to that. They have a newer version called the XB950B1 but hey, there's nothing like the classic version, eh? They, of course, have a red variant.

Beats is a company that needs little introduction to the MTV (or now YouTube) generation. If somehow you have been living under a rock, the quick summary is that record producer Jimmy Iovine teamed up with rapper Dr Dre in the 2006 to come up with the brand that now manufactures the best selling headphones in the world thanks to a whole string of tie ups with big time celebrities. With Apple acquiring them in 2014, they came up with a trio of headphones in late 2016 of which the BeatsX headlines the range. Being the company's first neckband headphones, we eagerly put the BeatsX through the paces with a thorough review!

Type - Neckband Headphones (Wireless)
Price - USD 150 / EUR 150 / SGD 198

Trivia - The BeatsX is the first Beats headphones with a Lightning connector.

Read - Beats and Apple's 2016 Audio Lineup

Pros (+): Excellent ear fit; Comfortable neckband; Compact carrying case.
Cons (-): Cable needs to be adjusted to reduce microphonics; No voice notifications.

In The Box
The BeatsX comes in 4 colors - Black, Blue, Grey and White. For the purposes of our review, we got the Black variant.

The packaging is quite similar to their Powerbeats range. You need to tear a strip from the bottom of the packaging and pop open the lid like a clamshell to get access to the BeatsX. 

Unveiling the packaging contents, you'll get:

• BeatsX neckband headphones
• Charging cable (USB to Lightning)
• Carrying case
• 4 x Silicon tips (S / M / L / M double-flange)
• 2 x Wing tips (M / L)
• User Guides
• Warranty Card
• Apple Music Card (3 months free)

Design
The BeatsX are neckband headphones (did we already mention that?) and are characterized with a malleable portion, called Flex-Form cable, that is designed to wrap around your neck, quite unlike the traditionally solid collar neckbands like the LG TONE or Bose QuietControl 30. Punctuated by two elliptical plastic protrusions at either side, these function as stabilizers and serve as the charging point (on left) and hold the power button that incorporates an LED for notifications (on right). The flat-type audio cables (non-retractable) lead out from the stabilizers to the earbuds. When not in use, the earbuds can magnetically latch together but if music is playing, well the beat goes on.

Lightning Port:
The clearest indicator that we are dealing with the first new Beats headphones under Apple's wing is the Lightning port on the BeatsX. Why so? Sure there were two other Beats products launched on September 2016, namely the Powerbeats3 Wireless and Solo3 Wireless. However being legacy Beats products with internal upgrades, the overall aesthetic of these two remains the same so that explains why they are still using the micro-USB interface. Is having the Lightning port a big deal? Well, if you're an Android user, that's one more cable to carry around. If you're an Apple, that's one less :)

Carrying Case:
The compact rubberized carrying case is undeniably well designed. While the oval shape looks similar to the Powerbeats case, that's where the similarities end. The BeatsX case has a small slit at the top where you have to wind the neckband once to slot it nicely within. It's very convenient as you no longer have to zip the casing (as what is done for the Powerbeats) while juggling the earphones. 

Features
The in-line remote, marketed as RemoteTalk, sits on the left audio cable. The 3 buttons for playback / call and volume control click firmly upon actuation. You have to double and triple press the center button to skip tracks forward and backward.

Bluetooth:
The pairing process is straightforward - 

• For iPhones running iOS10 / Macs with Sierra (10.12), just hold the BeatsX power button and a pop up confirming the BeatsX pairing appears. 
• For other devices (Android phones, for example), turn on your smartphone's Bluetooth, hold the BeatsX power button until it flashes white, select 'BeatsX' from your phone and you're done. 

Note that the neckband headphones only link to one device at any one time.

Notifications:
There are useful LED notifications that indicate power (white), pairing in progress (blinking white) and low power / charging (red). Sound notifications are basic as you'll only hear power on/off and when the battery is low while voice notifications are unfortunately non-existent.

App Support: 
Interestingly, there is NO app support for the BeatsX hardware. It's quite surprising given quite a few manufacturers have forged ahead in this domain and that the Beats Pill+ app had been developed previously. In a sense there is app support but from Apple Music - Apple / Beats throw in a free 3 month subscription to Apple Music that can be found on a card within the packaging.

Performance
Let's talk about the different ear and wingtip experiences first:

Eartips and Wingtips:
Beats provides a decent range of 4 eartips (S / M / L / M double-flange) and 2 wingtips so you can customize the fit to your ear accordingly. After some fiddling, I found the default M eartip and L-size wingtip worked best in terms of fit and noise isolation. Frankly, if used by themselves, the eartips were actually sufficient for my purposes as they lodge in the ears snugly. 

The wingtips are interesting 'cos other manufacturers usually use a single material but for the BeatsX, they use a rubberized texture for the wing while the circular portion is made of hard plastic. While inserting them, do make sure you are slotting them to the correct side else you'll have some difficulty removing them. If you want that added layer of assurance, well, that's what the wingtips are for.
How To Wear:
It may seem like a no brainer. It's simply a matter of slinging them around the neck and you're good to go? Wrong. It's not complicated though you realize what the issue is after attempting to run for the bus. The audio cable linking the neckband to your ears should be twisted AWAY from your neck as opposed to toward. The reason is the microphonics (or cable rustle) is blatantly apparent when this same cable brushes against your neck. To prevent this, do a simple twist of the cable away from the neck and you're good to go. 

In case we didn't emphasize this earlier, this is NOT a solid collar neckband but a malleable one. There is an excess of wires stemming from the relatively long audio cables. If you don't like cables, the BeatsX may not be for you. That said, do try it out to see if the speed of wearing them suits you.

Sound Quality:
In true Beats style, the BeatsX is a bass hitter with decent treble clarity, completely unlike the Powerbeats2, with it's overwhelming low frequency emphasis. A sample of One Republic vs Alesso's If I Lose Myself (EDM) reinforces this notion. Even taking a slower paced electronica track, the build up in Disasterpeace's beautifully creepy Detroit (from It Follows OST) give the impression that the highs and the lows are able to gel quite seamlessly. 


Charging:
The BeatsX delivers an 8 hour battery life on about at 90 minute full charge and if you simply can't wait, then a 5 minute charge gives you a very healthy 2 hour playback time. Compared to its neckband headphone peers such as the Sony MDR-XB70BT (9 hours) and the Bose QC 30 (10 hours), this is actually an decent but average figure.

One of aims of the W1 chip that Apple has been talking about is to provide an increased battery life for its wireless devices. While there is no benchmark for the BeatsX (being a new product), the Solo3 Wireless and Powerbeats3 have indeed seen a battery life boost from their predecessors. 

Overall
The BeatsX neckband headphones do add a spark of color to the range of Beats / Apple portable audio gear. Sure, there are no voice notifications and the audio cables may be little long. However, if you get to the basics of what you may need, the ear fit is more than comfortable for train journeys to work and a more than decent sound profile to engage.  

Where To Buy
The BeatsX is available from Apple Stores worldwide at the following price points - USD 150 / EUR 150 / SGD 198. 

Alternatively, if you think this review has been helpful, feel free to purchase from our Amazon affiliate link. 

Credit to Beats, Apple for an evaluation unit. 

Neckband headphones (aka behind-the-neck earphones) are an increasingly common category of portable audio devices. In 2014, you'd see everyone with conventional wired earphones plugged in or maybe even corded Bluetooth buds. Now in 2016, you may be starting to see a stronger take up rate of neckband headphones. 

Popularized by the LG TONE series that sold an astounding 10 million units as of July 2015, it's easy to understand why other manufacturers want a piece of the pie. Among those who've taken the plunge in 2016 are Beats and Bose.

What Are They?
Behind-the-neck headphones are basically audio devices with a collar that hang snugly around your neck. Almost all of them have Bluetooth capability to connect to your phone for music playback. The earbuds are connected to the collar by a cable. 

So what's the appeal to this? There are many opinions on this. It's futuristic looking (think Star Trek), undoubtedly striking and possibly a fashion statement. One important reason is the convenience. Just plug your buds into you ear and when done, take 'em out and hang them around your neck. All this without needing to wind or stash them into your bag.

Now let's dive in to see what are the...
Top 5 Neckband Headphones of 2016

1. BeatsX
Price - SGD 198 / GBP 129 / USD 149
Launched in Apple's September 2016 Keynote was the BeatsX. While much attention was on the AirPods, these mark the very first neckbands from Beats. It comes in white or black and has a battery life of 8 hours or 2 hours on a 5 min quick charge.

2. Bose QuietControl 30 (QC30)
Price - USD 299
The Bose QC30 is a stylish marriage between neckbands and the wired QC20. It provides noise canceling capability and ambient sound adjustment while retaining comfort and convenience. It lasts 10 hours on a full charge and gives 1 hour of playback with a 15 minute charge.

3. LG Tone Active (HBS-850)
Price - SGD 189 / USD 69
We reviewed the LG HBS-850 in early 2016. These are sweat-proof neckband buds and boast retractable earbuds. They come with good app support that allows voice prompts of messages. Excellent sound too.

4. Motorola VerveRider+
Price - USD 79.99 
We previously did a first take of the Motorola VerveRider+, a sports neckband pair of buds. The buds magnetically latch onto the ring for easy storage and last for a decent 12 hours of music playback.

5. Sony MDR-XB70BT
Price - USD 99
First seen at IFA 2016, the MDR-XB70BT boasts 12mm dynamic drivers and comes in 3 vibrant colors. It weighs 43g and can play music for up to 9 hours.

This was an incredibly exciting week for audio tech, with IFA 2016 held last weekend and Apple's Special Event just yesterday where the iPhone 7 was launched. 

I was itching to send out a couple of articles out but I decided to refrain. I was in Krabi, Thailand (yet again) for the past week but with two babies in tow this time round. It was a wonderful experience where time could be spent as a family and a conscious decision was made to live as a digital hermit. I feel that sharpening the saw gives new perspectives to life and this trip definitely reinforced this view.

And now that I am back in SG, with a keyboard proper, let's dive in to check out what Beats and Apple have in store. I'll tear away the marketing talk and attempt to present a balanced view of these new products.

What's The Big Deal?
Well, the talk of the town centered on the iPhone 7's headphone jack (or lack thereof). We had talked about this sometime last year, but now that the removal of the 3.5mm jack is cast in stone, Bluetooth earphones are now a much more interesting proposition. Sure, Apple made a Lightning connector but the SGD 14 (USD 9) accessory seriously looks daft to use considering that you can't charge the phone simultaneously. So with that, there are 4 products to check out - 1 Apple and 3 Beats, all wireless and powered by Apple's W1 chip that promise more power on a single charge.

1. Apple AirPods
So we found out that the rumors were true. This is Apple's first attempt at truly wireless buds that Earin, Bragi and Samsung have all already released. They weigh an ultra light 4g and promise a 5 hour (listening) battery life on a single charge, better than most we've tried, and up to 24 hours in total when combined with its 38g charging case. Its design appears to mimic the mono Bluetooth headsets (remember those?) worn in the early 2000s. Could be a hit or miss. We'll look on in anticipation at how it fares.

Battery Life - 5 hours / 15 min Quick Charge for 3 hours
Colors - White
Price - SGD 238 / GBP 159 / USD 159
Availability - October 2016

2. BeatsX
This is the first Beats product with a new industrial design since the Apple merger and they are in-ear neck-phones, a category popularized by the LG TONE. They should sit comfortably around the neck, come with wingtips for better fit on the go and the buds magnetically latch to each other when not in use. 

Battery Life - 8 hours / 5 min Quick Charge for 2 hours
Colors - White/ Black
Price - SGD 198 / GBP 129 / USD 149
Availability - Autumn 2016

Read - BeatsX Neckband Headphones Review

3. Beats Solo3 Wireless 
It appears that you've seen these 215g on-ear headphones before. You sure have because it looks identical to its predecessor, the Solo2 Wireless that we reviewed. The big diff is the Solo2 had 12 hours of power whereas the new Solo3 Wireless boasts a more impressive 40 hours. All the colors are designed to match the new iPhone 7 range. Oh, and price is almost SGD 100 down (SGD 490 to SGD 398). 

Battery Life - 40 hours / 5 min Quick Charge for 3 hours
Colors - Gloss Black /Gloss White /Silver /Rose Gold /Black
Price - SGD 398 / GBP 249 / USD 299
Availability - Out now


4. Beats Powerbeats3 Wireless
The design of these sports wireless in-ears is practically the same as the Powerbeats2 Wireless (also reviewed), apart from the color accents being applied to different areas for the Active Collection range (Blue/ Red/ Yellow). The battery has doubled from the 6h of its predecessor to 12h. Price-wise, it's more agreeable at SGD 268 instead of SGD 310.

Battery Life - 12 hours / 5 min Quick Charge for 1 hour
Colors - Black /White/ Flash Blue/ Siren Red/ Shock Yellow
Price - SGD 268 / GBP 169 / USD 199
Availability - Autumn 2016

The Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless was initially launched in June 2014, just weeks after Apple announced the Beats acquisition. Since then, these SGD 310 wireless earphones still headline Beats' sports in-ears and have recently spruced up the product with the Active Collection three color lineup. 

As Part 1 of the Wireless Sports Audio series of articles, we give a full breakdown of what the Powerbeats2 Wireless offers.

Pros (+): Iconic design; Thumping bass; Snug fit around the ears.
Cons (-): Not for audio purists; Pricier than its peers.

Design
As usual, we start with a fav segment - the unboxing!

While the initial launch saw 3 colors (white / red / black), there's now a full suite of 10 colors to choose from, including the Active Collection (Shock Yellow / Siren Red / Flash Blue), added in late 2015. We were kindly provided the Flash Blue variant.


After peeling the strip at the bottom, flipping open the cover unveils the earphones beneath a layer of transparent plastic with clear details on how to charge 'em up. Flipping the tab, with the arrow, upward gives you access to unwind the cord. 

On taking out the cardboard backing and peeling out the eartips, you finally have the product at your disposition.

The packaging content comprises:
- Powerbeats2 Wireless
- 4 x Earbuds (S / M / L / M double-flange)
- Charging cable
- Carrying pouch

Update (27 Jun 2016)
We had mentioned that there was an XS earbud size. This has been corrected to state 'double-flange'


The Powerbeats2 Wireless look great and I daresay, iconic in their design. To illustrate the point, I visited Phuket recently and it was the only headphone brand where imitations were peddled every 300 metres. Copying is indeed the best form of flattery. 


At 24g, the Powerbeats2 Wireless is not as featherweight as the Jaybird X2 Wireless (13g) though it's worth noting this is a clip-on type as opposed to the conventionally lighter under-the-ears models. For ideal placement, push the tip of the earhooks and slot them behind your ears.

For the record, the grey buds (sold separately) are Comply Foam Isolation tips. Will we review them? Damn right but only in the Wireless Sports Audio Verdict :)

The already attached but easily removable circular cable management clip is useful to tighten the cord around your neck to reduce microphonics.

The sturdy oval-shaped carrying pouch was a highlight for me. It was solid and protected the Beats earbuds within incredibly well. And oh, there's a band to hold the zip from dangling about. Nice touch.

Features
Its IPX4 rating means it's sweat resistant. We'll put that to the test shortly :)

Bluetooth pairing is a breeze. After holding the power button for 4 seconds, the blinking LED prompts you to initiate pairing with your device. Select 'Powerbeats Wireless' from your source and you're good to go. Only niggle is it only connects to a single device.

The in-line remote, aka RemoteTalk, lies on the left side and comes with the usual volume up / down buttons that flank a multi-function switch. Really liked the rubberized feel that made it easy to grip while on the move.

The voice commands, or lack thereof, were sorely missed. To give an example, I was using the Powerbeats2 Wireless casually and it just powered off...just like that! Sure there is an LED indicator that shines white / red (under 1 hour playback), but when you're using it, you ain't gonna be taking off the unit just to check how much juice the earbuds still have.


Performance
We tested these sports earbuds in three areas when jogging:
1. Fit - Did it fit into the ears snugly? Did the weight of the cord tug on ears causing it to fall out?

2. Noise Isolation - We checked out if the degree to which external noise is blocked. This is what you'd deem as 'passive noise cancelation'. 

3. Microphonics - This is basically the sound of the cable rustle when there's any kind of friction, be it wind friction or the cord swishing when running. 

And on to the test run!

Out of the 4 eartip sizes provided, 'M' suited best so this was a constant during the jog. 

I went for a 3km jog around the very scenic Bukit Chermin Boardwalk in Labrador Park facing Singapore's southern islands. 

Jogging along Berlayer Creek and Buket Chermin Boardwalk

For the fit, I'll declare myself as one who wears glasses. While stationery, the ear hooks kinda feel a bit tight at the back of your ears. I appreciated them helluva lot better during the jog on 2 counts - they didn't drop out and neither did my glasses! However, no matter how hard I inserted the earbuds, I could not get an optimal seal for an ideal noise isolation. Apparently, this is to get a balance between ambient sound and music. After adjusting the cable management clip close to my head before the jog, I didn't get the sense the cable rustle was very obvious. Apart from some minor wind swishes, I was pretty satisfied. After the jog, I can safely say they are sweat resistant but I didn't foolishly dunk them into water for the simple reason that they are not water resistant!

You'll either love or hate the sound quality. It's all about the bass - an overpowering resonance that ain't the punchy sort. Locust's Aerospace was sublime once the bass kicked in but the mid-range and high frequencies are somewhat flattened out. It's excellent for music types like dub-step and house. Classical? Nahh...you shouldn't even be listening to this during your workouts, yeah?

Charging is a piece of cake - simply pull back a flap under left ear piece and plug the cable to the micro-USB slot. The single LED shines bright red when charging and white when full. For a quick charge of 15 minutes, you get 1 hour of playback and a full charge of 90 minutes gets a moderate 6 hours of juice.


Overall
The Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless is to me, a enjoyable music device for jogging. If you're an audio purist, this is not for you but if you jog / work out a lot, the heavy bass does a great job in pumping you up to go the extra mile. Even if you simply use this on the streets, it's an iconic looking pair of buds that's a head turner. 

Where To Buy
You can purchase the Powerbeats2 Wireless in various retail outlets in Singapore at SGD 310. Alternatively, if you like what you have read, you can support me by buying from Amazon from USD 150 via our affiliate link. This is a much better deal (it's SGD 202!).

Audio Sources
Aerospace (Probspot Remix) - Locust (Spotify 320kbps MP3) on Samsung Galaxy S4

Credit to Apple and Beats for an evaluation unit.

Wireless Sports Audio Series 
Part 1 - Beats Powerbeats2 Wireless 
Part 2 - Sony NW-WS413 
Part 3 - UA Headphones Wireless - By JBL 
Part 4 - Bose SoundSport Wireless
Part 5 - Jaybird Freedom Wireless F5
Part 6 - The Verdict (TBA)