Jaybird slates Freedom, X3 Bluetooth 4.0 athletic headphones for Q2 2016

Jaybird, maker of the popular sweatproof X and X2 Bluetooth headphones, has announced two new models planned for release in the second quarter of this year. Designed to appeal to athletes, the X3 ($150) and Freedom ($200) have both been redesigned from earlier, similarly-named models, and now use power-efficient Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology for full compatibility with the latest Apple and Android devices. Each will be available in five colors, and work with Jaybird’s MySound app to create user-defined equalizer settings…

Apart from darker color options, X3 looks substantially like its X-series predecessors, with fairly large earplug-style enclosures large enough to offer seven-hour battery life. As an easy upgrade for fans of the prior model, X3’s sound profile can be adjusted using the MySound app, storing your preferred balance of bass, mids, and highs directly in the headphones. Jaybird promises that an improved antenna design will improve wireless performance outdoors.

By comparison, the new Freedom earphones are a radical rethinking of an earlier, significantly clunkier Jaybird model. They now borrow the shapes, metal, and feel of Klipsch’s sleek Image X10 earphones, now paired with Jaybird’s athletic ear stabilizers and Comply ear tips to fit even the smallest ear canals.

Due to the smaller size of the earphones, Freedom will offer only four hours of battery life per charge, plus an additional four hours when connected to an included charging clip. When they’re released later this year, each version will come with an integrated remote control, microphone for phone calls, pouch-style carrying bag, and USB charging cable. The current-generation X2 model remains available in multiple colors from $140 and up.