Adidas FWD-02 Sport Headphones review

Popping the Adidas FWD-02 Sport headphones into our ears was like slipping on a pair of cushty socks. They felt like they had been custom-built for our ears, with the small, mushy silicone fins sitting deftly towards our internal ears to offer unequalled consolation — to not point out a safe match.

Inside seconds of getting our arms on them, we already knew they had been making an important case to be named amongst our choose of the greatest working headphones (opens in new tab). And so they continued to impress when it got here to their options.

These earbuds have a sweatproof and waterproof IPX5 score, provide an affordable six hours of playback time per cost (boosted to 19 hours with the transportable charging case) and even have an aerated transportable charging case. So, in the event you recurrently run within the rain, your headphones can dry out whereas recharging post-workout. .

Specs

Sensible enabled/compatibility: Sure

Waterproof: IPx5

Battery life: 6 hours (as much as 19 hours with the charging case)

OS help: Sure

Bluetooth: Sure

Noise-canceling: No

We discovered the glossy, discreet and safe match lends itself to nearly any sport — not simply working — and on a superficial degree we actually appreciated Adidas’s customary sporty aesthetic.

The sound is highly effective, with loads of bass to encourage you thru grueling periods. There is not the identical element or readability because the likes of the Bose Sports activities (opens in new tab) and Jabra Elite 4 Actives, so that you may not need them as an on a regular basis earbud. However, for sport, we expect they’re a superb selection.

The Adidas FWD-02 Sport True Wireless Earbuds tested by Live Science

The Adidas FWD-02 Sport True Wi-fi Earbuds have a selection of silicone ideas and fins so you’ll find a mixture to suit your ears (Picture credit score: Future / Harry Bullmore)

Value and launch date

The Adidas FWD-02 Sport True Wi-fi Earbuds had been launched in February 2022. On Amazon they’ve an MSRP of $169.99 or £139.99 within the UK.

Set-up and design

As with all of the headphones we examined, you may merely join these earbuds to your telephone by way of Bluetooth to start out listening. Nonetheless, one thing this set provided that a number of didn’t was customizable parts. Within the Adidas Headphones app, you may play with the EQ settings, customise your contact controls and alter the notice mode (selecting both common listening or an consciousness mode that enables extra ambient noise in).

We had been additionally massive followers of the design.

The Adidas FWD-02 Sport True Wireless Earbuds tested by Live Science

The Adidas FWD-02 Sport True Wi-fi Earbuds sit snugly throughout the ear, so they will not be knocked out throughout train (Picture credit score: Future / Harry Bullmore)

Each the earbuds and case look nice, with darkish grays, blues and the immediately recognisable Adidas emblem contributing to an unmistakably sporty aesthetic. The buds have a premium really feel, with sturdy, textured plastic and silicone fins giving the impression they’re constructed to final. They sit extremely flush within the ear too, so you may barely see them when a wearer head on — helpful for yogis and gym-goers, as they gained’t be knocked misplaced by stray limbs or the removing of a sweatshirt.

The lid of the transportable charging case is connected on the hinge by way of a magnet and might be eliminated fully with out an excessive amount of pressure, so it’s important to watch out to not lose it. The lid additionally has a cloth part to air out the earbuds after a wet run. This can be a neat concept however (although our headphones had been undamaged throughout the testing course of) we had been considerably apprehensive about leaving them unfastened in our equipment bag because of the lack of safety.

Controls

That is the one space we felt these headphones actually let themselves down. The controls are good and easy on the face of it, with one faucet to pause or play your music, two to skip a observe and three to return to the earlier music. You too can faucet them as soon as to simply accept an incoming name, and to finish it, whereas holding the bud will change between remoted listening and the Adidas’ ambient conscious mode.

Nonetheless, we discovered utilizing these controls may very well be a bit hit or miss whereas working, with some single faucets registering as doubles or not being picked up in any respect. Because of this, we frequently discovered we had been going to our telephone when choosing songs.

The Adidas FWD-02 Sport True Wireless Earbuds tested by Live Science

The Adidas FWD-02 Sport True Wi-fi Earbuds have contact controls, however we discovered they did not at all times register once we tapped the body (Picture credit score: Future / Harry Bullmore)

Match

The match of the Adidas FWD-02 headphones was nigh-on flawless. They slipped into our ears seamlessly and supplied a snug, safe match that was unmatched by different pairs we examined.

The mushy silicone fins and buds are so amenable it felt like they nearly melted into place, giving the impression they’d been custom-made for our ears and that means we didn’t expertise any of the same old aching throughout longer wears.

Regardless of these immaculate first impressions, we had been decided to not allow them to have a simple journey. We wore them for bike rides, arduous miles and sprints, donned them throughout HIIT, CrossFit and yoga periods, even subjected them to our regular commute. But, in each case they remained in place, with minimal motion throughout even the best influence actions like a 100m sprint and chest-to-floor burpees.

The Adidas FWD-02 Sport True Wireless Earbuds tested by Live Science

The customizable choices and glossy form of the Adidas FWD-02 Sport True Wi-fi Earbuds helped create a really safe, comfy match (Picture credit score: Future / Harry Bullmore)

Sound high quality

With regards to sound high quality, the Adidas FWD-02 headphones will depart most runners greater than happy. They’ve a robust sound with a strong bass good for high-octane runs and heavy lifting alike.

They don’t have the element of extra audio-centric earbuds just like the Bose Sports activities (opens in new tab), so you could wish to take a look at a separate pair for on a regular basis use (for instance, simple listening or streaming movies). There’s no ANC (lively noise cancellation) both, which is a miss in the event you’re making an attempt to focus in a busy fitness center or countryside run.

Nonetheless, total, we discovered the highly effective sound was an important match for many exercises, with thumping drums powering us by pavement-pounding periods.

The Adidas FWD-02 Sport True Wireless Earbuds tested by Live Science

The case has a ventilated cloth part within the lid, which might be eliminated as it’s connected magnetically to the bottom (Picture credit score: Future / Harry Bullmore)

Verdict

The Adidas FWD-02 earbuds are probably the most comfy working headphones we tried, becoming seamlessly into our ears. The mushy silicone fins meant the buds didn’t trigger our ears to ache throughout longer wears (not like a number of rivals) or transfer round when worn throughout train, staying in place throughout excessive influence actions like sprints. They might lack the element for softer genres and podcasts, however their highly effective sound and booming bass is nice for train.

Alternate options

Jabra Elite 4 Energetic

The Jabra Elite 4 Active headphones being tested by Live Science

The Jabra Elite 4 Energetic headphones being examined by Reside Science (Picture credit score: Future/ Harry Bullmore)

These earbuds are Adidas’ closest contender on the consolation entrance. They forego ear hooks and silicone wings in favor of ergonomic frames designed to take a seat towards the ear and transfer with you, so that they gained’t fall out throughout train (one thing we will attest to after placing them to the take a look at). What’s extra, they sound incredible, provide first rate ANC and have one of the vital cheap MSRPs available on the market ($119.99 (opens in new tab)).

Soundcore Liberty Pro 3 earbuds being tested by Live Science

The Soundcore Liberty Professional 3 earbuds examined by Reside Science (Picture credit score: Future/ Sam Hopes)

We love the match and really feel of the FWD-02s, however they wouldn’t be our go-tos for on a regular basis listening. If you happen to’re a music fan in search of a pair of headphones to put on for each event, the wonderful Soundcore Liberty 3 Professional earbuds may be extra your velocity. Their 3D encompass sound is classy, and the ANC is spectacular too. They’re not probably the most safe, so may not go well with intense exercisers. However in the event you’re after a jack-of-all-trades to put on for decrease influence exercises and walks to work then they’ll do the trick properly.

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