Mpow Swift Bluetooth 4.0 Wireless Sport Headphones Sweatproof Running Gym Exercise Headsets-Green

~~ Review of the mPow Swift LIME GREEN Bluetooth 4.0 headphones ~~I found myself really enjoying these headphones, but also finding flaws and thinking more critically about them. Along the way I managed to write a small book about them. If you don’t like lengthy reviews than the paragraph below above may be all you need to know. If you’re the kind of person who really wants all the details though, then then grab a pot of tea and read beyond it.TL;DR: Impressive, doubly so for the price. Solid bluetooth implementation, solid sounds, easy controls, solid battery life and reasonably comfortable and secure fit that keeps them in place during short runs, yoga and a variety of weight lifting. Only reservations are cable length and fit and security for my own ears, as compared to Yurbuds. I would highly recommend these to anyone value oriented who wants to run or exercise indoors. These are not aerated and when fully inserted block out quite a bit of ambient noise so I'm hesitant to suggest them to outdoor runners, bicyclists, construction workers or anyone else needing situational awareness.IMPORTANT EDITS 9 MAY 2015:I've been using these for about 4 months now. I need to note that the discomfort using the little wings went away pretty quickly, and they became extremely comfortable in my ears. I think I just needed to get used to them.HOWEVER they have experienced sudden death. About 2 weeks ago while running on a treadmill they just went dead. No low battery warning, no static, nothing just gone. After my workout I took them home and plugged them in and they started charging. So I thought that the issue was simply that the battery died ... although I could have sworn they give you a low battery warning. Next workout, take them fully charged, and they died 10 minutes into my run again. This time I was pissed; no TV at the treadmill, no music, it was torture. Took them home, plugged them in to charge them again, the charging light would come on for a second and go out ... they're dead Jim. They apparently have an 18 mo warranty that I will try out, and I'm back to running with my wired Yurbuds. Those too are great buds but I want my wireless back !__________________________Please not that when I bought these, the product page brilliantly had no less than three different model headphones on it. Now it has two. This review applies very specifically to the mPow Swift Bluetooth 4.0 Lime or Acid Green colored headsets. There are bright orange ones that look like they are same model. I bought this product myself, there were no samples, preview models or other such thing at play, and I would expect that the product I received would be the same anyone else received. I also couldn’t help but notice that mPow, SoundPeats, Senbowe, and Jokeret all have essentially identical models.These are single driver in-ear headphones powered by a micro-usb rechargable battery that implements Bluetooth 4.0 with Aptx using the A2DP, AVCRP, hands-free and headset, oriented towards listening to music while exercising.Packaging and Included contents:They arrived packed smartly in a catchy box *charged* ready to go, so I was able to pair them to my phone instantly. The box includes a short manual, and several ear-fit attachments along with a micro USB cable. It does not include the charger adapter itself; you will have to use an existing one (that provides USB A out) or buy one separately.BT Pairing:The pairing process was flawless and took maybe 10 seconds to pair it with my HTC One M7 .I didn't need the manual to pair, connect or figure out how to use them. If you've ever used any similar bluetooth devices these will be very intuitive to you. The manual states it will pair with two devices although I didn't test that. well, meaning you can share these with a friend or use multiple phones with them (work phone,personal phone ? ). I've since flawless paired these headphones with an HTC Evo (2010) implementing BT 2.1, as well as a Nexus 4 and 5 (BT 4.0) as well as other random devices. I was able to pair it to no less than 4 devices at the same time. I didn't have any additional devices free at the time, but you may be able to pair more.BT Connecting:People confuse pairing with connecting - pairing means pre-associating the devices so that they're allowed to connect. You usually only pair the devices once upon set, then they connect automatically. Pairing you should only have to do rarely, but the connection you want nice and fast. I found that these connect with my devices as quickly as any other. For instance on both my HTC One M7 as well as my HTC Evo and Nexus 5, I found that with the headphones on, and bluetooth OFF on the phone, turning on bt on the phone will connect to the headsets in about 4 seconds. However, if bluetooth is already turned on then telling your phone to connect to the headsets will result in a connection in about a second.DO be aware that how gracefully your phone applications deal with bluetooth is really dependent on your phone and the app. For instance, on my HTC One M7 it really doesn't want to redirect Spotify's audio out to bluetooth if I connect when Spotify is already running. But then, I have all sorts of issue with this M7, and will probably be relocating it to the testing heap soon in favor of a Nexus.I was able to connect - not just pair -with 2 phones at a time. Newcomers weren't able to connect until I dropped one of the existing ones. This would allow you to potentially connect them to one device for music, another for calls, etc. mPow calls this feature “Multipoint” and the idea is that with their devices featuring this technology you can be connected to both work and cell phones at the same time (they obviously haven’t been hit with the BYOD wave that we have been in the US).Voice feedback:When powered one a British female voice says "powered on". There are also voice responses for "powering off" "connected", and "out of range” and “low power”. A really nice additional touch mPow could add here is to have the voice read off the charge level when powering one, such as “Powered On, 50% battery” but alas it doesn’t.Controls:All controls are on the right-hand side. In the close up you can more easily see the volume control, which is the larger forward facing green rectangle. Towards the back you'll find the multi-purpose button that pauses/resumes music, and powers the device up and won. Generally speaking the controls are easily accessible and having them on the actual ear piece means you can bury the cord under a jacket or tuck it into your shirt and still have ready access to them. I find that my fingers find the volume controls a little easier than it does the smaller pause/resume button. The volume button does track fwd/back via pressing and holding either the volume up or down. A single push on either controls the actual volume. The volume is graduated; if you want to increase it "several notches' you press the button several times.I do have some gripes about the controls:- They are small, and require some dexterity to locate and use. This sounds like nothing, but when you're sweaty and shaky (ie, just finished a run and are lifting hard) this is a consideration. I think they could benefit by making it easier to find by feel, either by changing the texture or raising them further. Because of this, I find the "single button control" that hangs on my Yurbuds to be easier to use.- Skipping tracks requires holding the volume buttons; holding volume up for skip ahead, or volume down to skip back. It has a delay of about 2 counts. Not bad, but when I'm running hard and easy listening suddenly pipes through my head, 2 seconds is an eternity to get it back onto some rock. I would have preferred a double-click that can be done at any speed I want.- Using the buttons moves the earbud, even if ever so slightly. I haven't had this change the fit yet, but using the multifunction button means pressing directly toward your ear. While this isn't a problem for me at all, anyone with smaller ears and an already-uncomfortable fit might find this irritating.Charging and Runtime:The lid on the charger port is tiny and snug; I could have used some longer finger nails to open it. The device will power off when plugged in to charge and cannot be used while charging. I found that it fully charges in roughly 2 hours. It displays a red light when charging and a blue one when full. In terms of runtime, I haven’t timed it with a timer, but I must have listened to these at least 5 hours total between work and gym. Other’s report around a 6 hour timeframe and that seems right with what I’m experiencing. I end up having to charge my phone before these.Waterproofness:No claims of watertightness nor accompanying certifications or ratings. They seem tight enough for running in the rain, but I definitely wouldn't swim in them. I don't consider anything fit for intentional water exposure without a JIS rating, regardless of marketing claims.Phone Use:This model presents limited telephone capability as they’re intended for music while exercising. There is a tiny microphone below the volume controls, but while the Swifts support redial (by double-tapping the multifunction button) I haven’t found a way to activate voice commands or other dialing.According to the manual, however, you can:- Answer or reject calls- Mute and unmute calls- RedialThey do have other models that act more as a traditional hands free, including voice commands.Range:I measured line-of-site over 25 feet with no signal drops, and then literally ran out of house space to measure in. With my phone on the floor in my family room I was able to turn the corner without any signal loss; about 15 feet walking, 10 feet straightline with 2 sheets of drywall in the way. It wasn't until I turned the corner again, now completely on the other side of a powder room, that the signal started to suffer. I've used these successfully with my phone in my coat, in the car, in my back pocket and am duly impressed with the range and reception. You should have no problem keeping them in a nearby gym bag, an arm band or a bike mount. I did however notice an anomaly in front of my stove in which the headset things the phone is out of range (despite being in my pocket). I haven't figured out what's so special about my stove, but it's reproducible. That's the only issue I've had though, and I don't take my stove to the gym with me.Sound Quality:These are bluetooth earbuds; you can't expect them to have the same quality as professional kit. That said however the sound quality truly surprised me. While testing, I did learn that you get much better bass response with them fully insert into your ear canal, versus resting on the outside or only partially insert. This actually makes a huge difference in the bass response by increasing conduction. It's also important to remember that when comparing headphones, you're actually comparing not just the headphones but the headphone amplifier as welland all amps can be quite different; so the sound you'll get of your high end AKG's plugged into a Bunson will be different than when plugged into say an RME ... all of which are like 5,000% better than that tiny headphone driver that runs on a battery.Just like at the gym, I used Spotify over WiFI, with the earbuds fully inserted into my ear (I keep mentioning that because it's important and makes a difference ) and am very, very happy with the sound quality. On some acoustic Zeppelin I hear fret buzz, and fingerboard scraping; nuances I honestly didn't expect to pick up with these. On RATM's "How I Could Just Kill A Man" Tim's bassline thumps through heavily and clearly seperated from the other channels. Even relatively heavy bass beats like Black Star's "Definition" thumps through well enough.I don't normally do this, but after reading one review which mentioned a lack of bass, I couldn't help but A/B these with some other equipment I had lying around. SO, using these mPow Lime Green Swift's on my HTC One M7 over Bluetooth with Aptx, but *WITHOUT* BEATS Audio enabled I compared these to multiple headphones plugged into the ONE M7's wired headphone jack. I compared to my: -Shure SRH840's - a $200 "flat" mixing cans designed to not emphasize any particular frequencies. These are respected entry line mixing headphones. Nothing compared to some of the high end AKG's, but decent cans all the same. -My YurBud Inspired headphones, aproximately $40. These are wired headphones made specifically for fitness, and are still my current reigning favorite for comfort and security. - Some crap Yamahas I had Lying Around- not the actual model name and not actually bad cans, just regular consumer stuff. I usually kept them in a gig bag in case I suddenly had to play sound guy or something; I didn't mind them getting beat up.When A/Bing them, I looped several sections of multiple songs: RATM's Killing In the Name, BombTrack, Reel Big Fish's Everything Sucks, and Phish's You Enjoy Myself (MSG, NYE 95). While I can't say my ear is particularly tuned right now, and probably a bit fatigued from wearing these so long, after multiple tests, I was surprised to consistently find these bluetooth headphones providing the fullest and deepest sounds. On Killing In The Name they actually sounded better than my flat monitor cans by adding more punch to the bass and was fully inciteful. With YEM I found the eq closer to my Yamaha's, and while the 840's definitely have an edge in crispness and clarity, the difference between the bluetoof's and the 840's two was not as big as you'd think. Phish was nuanced and full and still completely funky; when Mike kicked in his envelope filter it hit me Right.Here and Trey's extended solo in the middle was still full of humbucker glory.Both cans definitely offered better clarity and detail, of course, these mPows definitely brought the low end. Using this video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yzrx84QWqI over Bluetooth 4.0 with Apt-x, without Beats Audio, I'm able to hear 30k on these Mpow Swifts. Oddly enough, my Shure SHR840's wouldn't pick anything up below 40k.How could 200 dollar headphones be less sensitive than 40 dollar wireless ones ? Especially when said headphones are spec'd to 5 hz ? Simple - it's the driver. My HTC One M7 simply doesn't send anything below 40 hz out. When I used the same Shure on different drivers, I was able to hear much lower - lower than the Mpow's in fact. BUT, I'm reviewing these Mpows for fitness use, not audiophile use in the living room; if that's what you're after I would suggest a quality headphone amp and good cans instead.So, ultimately I suppose both the bass sayers and the nay-sayers are right - depending on what you're comparing these too, these may not have much bass. I compared them to 200 dollars headphones wired into my phone and they actually had MORE bass because my phone wasn't sending the same low frequencies out through the headphone jack that it sends via Bluetooth. When I plugged the Shure's into my computer speakers (which are also utter crap) I easily perceived bass lower than the mPow's. On better equipment, I’d get even more range, but for the sake of comparing the mPow’s to other audio sound I can get on my phone, these have way more bass and I’m happy with it.Remember, fit is important to the bass reception. I was able to hear 30 hz paying attention with a good snug fit and lots of conduction going on. 40 hz was obviously present, not attention required. By slipping these out to only halfway inserted, I quickly lost perceived low end. This testing was all done in a small office with lots of computer fan noise.Also, eq counts. These definitely seem skewed towards bass and mids, but if you try them out and don’t like the bass response than take a look at your eq; if may just be that your used to headphones that exaggerate certain frequencies, and your ears are trained to that mix.Nope, I don't have a bad word I can say about the sound quality. Drive me to Firenze.Edit: Seriously, I’m listening to Free (Brooklyn 2006) while proofing this and am totally able to lose myself in the breakdown. I have zero issues with the sound quality.Fit Comfort:These use the type of earbud that go inside your ear canal versus resting on it, and the portion that goes in your ear is angled forward sharply for a more secure fit. They ship with a total 9 different accoutrements: three sizes of buds, three sizes of wings and three sizes of stabilizers.Fit comfort is my biggest issue, although it's (hopefully) a personal issue. My first night I fiddled around quite a bit with the different attachments trying to find a comfortable and secure fit. Now, 2 days of fiddling later, I realize that with these headphones, for my ears, it's an either or. I just can't get both. For the sake of security I have to use the "wings", but the tips of even the smallest ones starts to irritate one of my ears in just a few minutes. Over the course of several hours, that irritation becomes exaggerated, just like having a nail brushing your shoes isn't a big deal unless you’re running 10 miles with it. In short order this will determine whether I keep them or not, but this is a highly personal decision and honestly you shouldn’t let my fit issues ward you off; this is just one of the things you get used to buying online, and why etailers know that they *have* to have reasonable return policies or no one would buy anything with a “fit” online.Fit Security:After experimenting with attachments, I found that using the smallest buds and the smallest wings provides me with the most security fit. They survived 3.5 miles of cow-pig sweating (according to the lady on the treadmill next to me), yoga, weight machines, free weights, ab work; the whole nine yards. I even squatted in them (every day is leg day). I do recall having to "touch them up" a few times, but just a few times over the course of a couple hours. Are they as secure as my Yurbuds ? No. As comfortable? No. Sufficient? I think so. You can't have your cake and eat it too - for this sound quality, wireless, and the same price point as wired headphones I think they hold on admirably well and didn't present any interruption or distraction.The Cable:The cable is TWENTY TWO BLOODY INCHES LONG. While I suppose this is what gets the remarkable reception distance (for which other wireless earbuds are denounced) there's no getting over the fact that this is, frankly, an awkwardly long cable. I personally prefer to bring them down my ear, then back around my neck rather than letting it hang like a necklace. When wearing a t-shirt (ie working out) the cable actually doesn't present any issues that way, but when working around the house or outdoors it can be awkward with shirt and coat collars. Instinctively I want to tuck it in, but that creates enough drag to destabilize the headphones, so I leave it out draped down my back. Depending on what I'm wearing though it can still snag and destabilize the headphones.The cable itself is rubberized which, on unboxing, seemed like nice flair but as it snagged on my shirt collar and pulled an earphone out I decided it probably wasn't the best texture. Fortunately I was able to relieve some of snagging by running it through my fingers after using some moisturizer. It snags noticeably less now.One advantage to the longer cable I suppose is that you can flip it from your front to back without unplugging your phones. This became useful when I realized I had my barbell on the cable during squats.Microphonics:When fully inserted into your ear with a pretty solid earbud to ear contact these can be somewhat microphonic. At lower volume or no music playing, you'll hear cable drag. This gets drowned out at about mid-volume. When I tap on the side ( not something you'd normally do unless you were testing microphonics) the tapping is intrusively loud until about 3/4 volume. If you only slightly push the earbuds in and achieve less of a seal, the microphonics are highly diminished. I think the microphonics are high enough to be an annoyance to folks who are listening at low volumes or want pristine sound, perhaps listening to audio books or meditative music. For my purposes, listening to rock music while running I've already decided I can live with it and just two days later my mind is already ignoring it.Volume:The volume on these is understandably quiter than my comparison SRH840's fed directly off my phone's headphone driver. However, despite being lower volume than my comparison phones, they were plenty loud, and I couldn't comfortably turn them up over 3/4 volume with my phone volume at full. At full volume, there was the same level of muddying I would expect with any earbuds, although I didn't hear any actual speaker distortion. These literally get louder than I like, so no qualms there. Please note that these are very "isolating" and higher volumes may not be necessary if you're used to aerated intentionally-ambient phones.Audio Latency:In reading reviews of other products I saw complaints of latency for folks who use earphones to watch video, so I decided to test it out. I fully expect loads of latency, and again was very pleasantly surprised and was able to watch Netflix over Wifi with a strong signal with low enough latency that that I actually couldn't tell if the audio was out of synch or not. When watching Netflix over a data connection (as in using the cellular data stream, not a wifi) there was noticable, but not egregious synch displacement. I think these would be fine for watching audio and quite possibly many forms of gaming.Live Music UseStop that. If you're a live musician no cheapy IEMs for you. Seriously, ask your engineer about compound latency and save up for the real thing.Ambient Noise:These are NOT aerated, and when fully inserted you will have very little ambient noise mixed in. If partially inserted you get more ambient noise, but these are not "ambient mix" phones. If performing any kind of activity that requires situational awareness such as city running, biking, construction work, close quarter/dynamic entry than in my opinion you would have to have these only partially inserted with the volume low. I find that with these fully inserted, and a little Mos Def at higher volume, I can't hear the rest of the family at all. I'm enjoying that test. Treadmill runners, especially in loud gyms will likely appreciate the isolation these provide. IMO, honestly despite being a treadmill runner in a loud gym, would rather have more ambient mix.Helmets, Glasses, and other Stuff:Out of just random curiosity, I decided to try these on with some cheap shooting glasses and a pair of ancient Gun Mufflers. My mufflers are a pretty tight fit already so it wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, but it worked and didn't impair the bluetooth connection. Now I can listen to RHCP while punching holes, yay. I don’t think new low profile active’s would be comfortable. And remember these things are NOT ear pro.They fit fine with a couple half-dome helmets I tried on, and even a pro mask. Unfortunately at this time I can’t put hands on a full face helmet, but given that these stick out pretty far I would imagine them to be very uncomfortable in any helmet that applies pressure on your ears. So sorry, no hollywooding the lz. I haven't found that any interference or change in the fit/security wearing these with glasses with or without around the ear temple pieces.Build Quality:The build quality is considerably better than I expected. The earphones themselves are a glossy finish. Colouring is high saturation and textures are consistent. All fits are snug, and I found no blemishes. The overall build quality is honestly much higher than I expected and perfectly satisfactory.Country of Origin, Company Location, Certifications, etc.I haven’t been able to determine where these are made, or where mPow is located. Their website, xmpow.com doesn’t offer any clues either, but on the box is printed “Our comfortable service is available for your any requirement” so I’m guessing they aren’t in an Anglophone country ;) The box carries FCC, C E, and ROHS logos. I guess that means they’re relatively safe.Bottom Line:While I'm having comfort issues with mine, these things honestly are awesome. I hadn't realize how high quality even inexpensive bluetooth gadgets had gotten; to be able to get what is IMO good audio on bluetooth headphones is a game changer. While these definitely aren't as comfortable nor secure as my Yurbuds - something that definitely has me thinking - the overall quality and value of these just can't be ignored, and I'm really glad I took a chance on them. Despite the comfort issue and having multiple high quality audio options available to me around the house, I find myself reaching for first because wireless. Ultimately though something as personal as "hey how comfortable would it be if I shoved this thing into my ear" can't be determined over the 'net, so if you're shopping for high quality, inexpensive bluetooth headphones I'd say give these a go.Ultimately you'll have to give them a try to see if they fit you - there's really no way you can determine the comfort of something like this online.With a shorter cable without sacrificing reception, slightly improved controls and more comfortable fit these would have been 5.5 stars.So there ya go, more than you ever wanted to know about these headphones.

Bought cheap bluetooth headphones & received them. Picked these up on-sale @ $14 and... kept them. The sound quality is just fine for my undiscerning ears. They work. I'm just going to make a list of the downsides for me, in order of irritation:1) Whenever I pair, I have to re-pair. My phone recognizes the connection, the headset says "paired", but audio comes out of the phone speakers. If I repair, it's no problem. If I do nothing, the headphones say "Disconnected" (from a phone two feet away), immediately reconnects, and works fine. It's kinda of a pain.2) The buttons. The controls are all on the right-side earpiece. They have a nice, tactile "click" -- you know you keyed the button -- but they don't really need this click, if you're wearing them. With the earpiece in, that "click" may be the last thing you hear. It's a bit of hyperbole, but it was so loud that I ripped the headphones off, fearing some sort of malfunction.3) Battery life is pretty poor, and there's no way to check it. I usually get ~5hrs of listening on a charge, and I don't expect headphones this small to run for 48 hrs. (where would they put the battery?), but 5 hrs. doesn't seem great. What really irritates me is that there is no way to determine the charge level. You get a "battery low" caution via audio about 15 minutes before they shut off. It's irritating and (I may be wrong) I suspect it's something that could be handled with software, as there must be a circuit to regulate -- and therefore measure -- the remaining charge.4) The main "mPow" button. It's pretty awkward to press while you're wearing them; you either have to grasp the whole earpiece while awkwardly keying the button, or just remove it from your ear. If it gives you an idea, doing the latter is easier by far.5) Call quality. The microphone is functional, but not very good. I couldn't really speak as to the quality of the noise reduction feature. As with all headphones of this style, the mic is in one of the earpieces and I think it's just too far from your head to pick up audio properly. Not really mPow's fault... I don't think.6) Charging port is difficult to access & connect to. The micro port takes a little wiggling to access, once you've spent ten seconds trying to pop the rubber cover off. 10 seconds, not a big deal, but it is poor design. It's also of concern that, with how often these will need charged, the port cover could become damaged & disconnect from the plastic fairly easily.7) The rubber of the cord seems to be adept at gripping your neck, slowly working the headphones out of your ears. This is a real pain sometimes, especially if you're only listening to one earbud.Minor nagging: The LED behind the mPow logo is junk. It's impossible to see in even moderate sunlight, sometimes even difficult indoors. It's also... either it is off-center behind the transparent portion of the button, or there is a wire shifted so as to block a portion of it. Yes, I have a little OCD going.On the upside, these have reasonable range... I'm not too sad about them at my price, but I would have returned them immediately if I paid $22. There are better options in the cheap bluetooth market.

Bulky, lousy sound quality. Waste of money. Really...

Love them, great sound, great price and great quality. The battery charge last long as well I am very impressed by them.

Amazing! I cant believe the quality for the price!