GADGETS by Gregg Ellman :: March 3, 2021
The original Earin’s was the first true wireless earbud I tried way back in 2016. Earin was the first-ever company to launch true wireless, a category that was new to everyone. True wireless uses no cables, wires, or anything to connect the left to the right to the music. Bluetooth takes care of the connection.
Now Earin’s third generation of the true wireless earbuds are out with the launch of the A-3. The tiny earbuds, which Earin states are the smallest and lightest on the market, are a complete package with outstanding clarity and crisp audio quality along with an attractive design.
The A-3’s have a stemless design and sit comfortably in your ears. Each has a customized 14.3mm dynamic driver. I’m not one for keeping music at head-banging levels, which makes the A-3’s a great choice. Even when I took the music to the higher levels, the sound was as consistent and clear
Each ergonomically designed earbud is charged with the included magnetic Qi wireless case, giving about 5 hours of playtime and 30 hours total with the charging case, which also has a USB-C connection. A full earbud charge takes 1.5 hours and the case itself takes 3 hours with the USB connection.
A nice feature I found with the A-3’s is there’s no specific designation for left or right earbuds, making each universal. Once you pair them with Bluetooth (5.0), just pull them out of the case and they are ready. Autoplay has them starting when in your ears and the music stops when you pull them out. Auto standby mode kicks in when it detects that the A-3’s are not in use for over 5 minutes
Earin’s patented left and right earphones detection automatically tells each earbud which ear they are in. On-ear controls are touch sensors, controlling all the basics including hands-free calls and music choices.
With an IP52 rating, the A-3 are sweat, water, and dust resistant.
www.Earin.com $199
The Euro BC SkiTooth Bluetooth handsfree kit for skiers is not something I was going to try in the environment it was created for, since I’ve never skied. Instead, I entrusted my friend, Jeff Swinger, who is a skiing enthusiast in Utah who has tried and tested several other similar devices while skiing.
Some of Swingers’ thoughts of the SkiTooth headset: “Over the past few years I have tried multiple types of headphones in my helmet while skiing, from standard wired earbuds to other Bluetooth devices. But with the SkiTooth, it snapped in for a quick installation into my helmet in seconds as well as pairing with my iPhone via Bluetooth.”
The headset installs to the sides of the helmet with the audio facing your ears and the controls facing out. Once it’s paired with your device it’s easy to change volume and song choices as well as use the integrated microphone for phone calls – all without removing your ski gloves. The sound was impressive with a better than average base.
I’m thinking the SkiTooth wireless headset works great for most types of helmets, but likely best with helmets that do not have pockets for headphones. Since they don’t install inside the built-in pockets of the helmets they get a little bulky on your ears, which is similar to the old-style foam walkman headphones
The SkiTooth features dual microphones for hands-free calls along with a speaker for each ear connected on a durable wire. A rechargeable battery is rated for 15 hours of use. Euro BC expects the SkiTooth to be available later this year.
by Gregg Ellman (@greggellman)
