Review on Adidas RPD-01 Wireless Bluetooth Sport In-Ear Headphones by Dustin Mitchell

Let me preface this review by stating two important things that have a direct bearing on my stance on this review: First, I mostly run to exercise, and when I do it, I run it, I sweat. I will destroy the headphones with this. Second, I had some great headphones. I'm looking for the perfect set. My practice headphones have included Jabra 65t and 75t Actives, Bose Soundsports, Jaybird Vistas, and various sets from JBL, Anker, and others. I was excited to try the Adidas RPD-01 in-ears because I've never owned a set of neckband training headphones before, and while I definitely think I'd probably prefer true wireless, I think the rims in the neckband design are some of the can fix deficiencies. created by other designs. For example, no matter how snug the true wireless headphones fit in my ears, at some point, especially on long runs, I'll have to start adjusting them as sweat and exercise start to loosen the fit. This design allows for a lighter, smaller earbud that should be less prone to movement since the batteries are in the neckband area. With that in mind, I'm going to do something different with this review. I've been playing and listening to these headphones for a few hours now. I'll start with my impressions. In my house, comfy on my couch. I then end my recap with my thoughts after the morning run and workout. Hopefully this gives you a good idea of whether they will work for you. That's all! As others have pointed out, Adidas did a great job with the packaging. You make a good first impression. The headphones are wrapped in paper, and the buds themselves are taped to them with a piece of Adidas-branded tape. Nice gesture! The box includes a variety of silicone tips and wings, so you shouldn't have any trouble fitting them. Pairing is easy. There are two large plastic housings, one at each end of the neckband. The one on the right has two volume buttons that round out the square multifunction button. The multifunction button serves as a power button. To activate Bluetooth, simply press and hold the button until the LED glows blue. There are also beeps that indicate both powering on and pairing. My phone found them quickly and connecting was easy. Once powered on and paired, I put the tiny earbuds in my ears and started playing music. I have to say I was completely unimpressed. Flat and mostly lifeless. Then I read that Adidas developed a companion app called Adidas Headphones. The application does several things. First and foremost, it has an equalizer to customize the sound. After tuning, the sound in the headphones became much better. No flashy attack but actually very detailed with good bass. More than suitable for training. There's no audio codec support, by the way, but I think that's a great omission for workout headphones. Another nice feature of the app is that Adidas has placed a separate 'Action' button on the left plastic case opposite the main controller. In fact, you can assign controls to this button. There aren't many options, but if you're a Spotify Premium user, you're in luck. In fact, you can associate a button with a specific playlist. If you like me and use the workout playlist, that's great! Mine is set to bring up Google Assistant with one tap and my workout playlist with two taps. I like it! The app also lets you manage your music and test your performance. Not the most reliable app but a must have if you buy it. The headphones are very light and I had no ear fatigue. Really comfortable. However, before tomorrow's run, let me voice a few concerns. First, I can swear I can hear a faint amount of cable noise even at home with my headphones. If I get this in my house I will have serious concerns about running. Second, and more importantly, Adidas has opted for an IPX4 rating. It is largely resistant to sweat and light rain. Most real training headphones have a much higher volume. It worries me, but as long as you're not sweating a lot you should be fine. OK, pause here. For a run! So we're back from some pretty intense interval training. I got wet! Here are my thoughts: I have a lot more confidence in the waterproofing. I haven't had any issues and usually get cutouts on the audio front whenever there is a suspicion of waterproofing. Time will tell and I'll let you know if I run into any problems. As I suspected, the lighter weight of the buds themselves is impressive. I had to make zero adjustments to them while running. I can't stress enough how comfortable they are. However, the neck band moves a little (see photo) and has to be adjusted regularly. Remember I was interval running so there was significantly more movement with the running but they still moved quite a bit. However, I prefer a floppy neck strap to drop-down headphones every day. My concerns about cable noise turned out to be correct. I'll play around with different fins and tips to see if I can fix it. However, I only heard it between songs, so it's not a problem for me. This is worth noting if you enjoy working out with podcasts or other quieter options. It's really annoying. Ironically, the app I was raving about stopped working. I didn't connect this morning and the action button I was so looking forward to didn't do anything I programmed. Not so hot what's up. I'll attribute it to an early shudder. I'm expecting an Adidas update later and a strengthening of the binding. I'll update when we get here. In summary, I say the following. Last night I was thinking somewhere between 3 and 4 stars. After putting these Adidas headphones in the spin cycle this morning I was stunned to give them a 5 star rating. I just think those things are enough to justify the rating. I can't say anything about the battery life, but Adidas states twelve hours. I think the percentage was 82% after using it for about two hours last night and forty minutes this morning. Firmly. Between sound, seemingly solid waterproofing, incredible comfort, an app (when it works) that has potential, and battery life, it all does the trick. With a retail price of $99, this is a very solid value. As comfortable as they are, I can also recommend them for everyday use if you don't mind a cable. You surprise me here Adidas. Well done. I highly recommend the RPD-01 In Wireless Ear Buds. ***Update*** I have a few weeks. You have more than 40 miles with me. The app works flawlessly and the earbuds stand up to the sweat test I did with all the earbuds. I will keep updating. As long as you don't mind a collar moving around you, these things are amazing.