Ride (safely) to a soundtrack with these JayBird wireless headphones

I know I shouldn’t use headphones while I’m on the bike, but a soundtrack at an appropriate volume can enhance my ride, whether it’s an aggressive track that pushes me harder or an ambient instrumental on a relaxing summer cruise. Athletes in an active environment don’t need the cumbersome headphone wires getting tangled up in their gear, so I used to recommend the Ten Technology NaviPlay Bluetooth Headphones, a simple two piece system with an over-the-head style band and a multifit adapter for the iPod, but the company went out of business soon after I wrote the review.

Luckily, JayBird steps up to the plate with their new JB-200 wireless Bluetooth headphones. The JB-200s are an earbud style design with an additional earpiece that ensures a tight fit for an active lifestyle. The right silo houses all the controls you need to change the volume, cycle through tracks, and handle phone calls (as long as your phone is compatible with an A2DP profile). This means that if someone tries to call you as you’re riding along listening to music, the Jaybirds will automatically pause your music and a ringtone will play; from there, you can either pick up the call, ignore it, or send the caller straight to your voicemail- all with the push of a single button. After the call is over, the phone will automatically continue playing your track from where you left off.

The JB-200s offer a more streamlined design over the original JB-100 model, and the only wire on the device is a short piece that goes around your neck and connects to the right earpiece to the left. The audio quality is also improved, and while you still won’t get the thumping bass or sound isolation that comes with canal-style buds (you want to hear traffic anyway), they still emit an even set of balanced tones across the full sonic spectrum. The JayBird JB-200 wireless Bluetooth headphones start at $130 (available here) and are available in three models that accommodate all the popular smartphones including the iPhone, Blackberry, and any standalone audio device that uses a 3.5 mm audio jack.

…justin yu