In 1979, Sony introduced the Walkman — the world’s first portable music-listening device — with the Madison Avenue‑generated advertising slogan “There’s a Revolution in the Streets.” It was a prescient tagline; the gadget forever changed how people consume music. Its invention also prompted engineers to reimagine headset designs, which were commonly clunky, heavy, and uncomfortable. Today, stereophonic headphones come in all shapes, sizes, and levels of quality. In fact, the selection is so expansive, it’s hard to decide which ones to purchase — in-ear buds or noise-canceling headphones, tethered headsets or Bluetooth-capable ones? To help music lovers whittle down the choices, I tried out two mid-priced Bluetooth earbuds on the market, Rowkin Earbuds and FRESHeBUDS Pro.
Rowkin Bit Stereo
If gorgeous design tickles your fancy, then you’ll love Rowkin Bit Stereo earbuds. Not only are they easy on the eyes, they are a technological marvel. “Our goal was to create the world’s smallest earbuds using true wireless technology,” said Anson Liang, Rowkin president. The petite devices fit nicely into your ear canal (three sizes of tips are included) and the absence of wires gives them a super-cool James Bond feel. Although diminutive, they provide an excellent aural experience — a pleasing mix of high-end and bass tones come through. The most challenging aspect of creating the compact earbuds? “Fitting all of the features (like great sound and battery life) you would find in a set of full, over-head headphones into two of the world’s smallest earbuds,” Liang said. “You won’t find smaller earbuds on the market today with such high-end materials and the look and feel of a luxury item at an affordable price.”