For such a long time, I have been a fan of wired headsets to use during workout. The ones I use has superior bass, which I find essential when lifting as it raises my energy and pumps me up. For more than a year, I’ve been using the Xiaomi Piston V3 In-Ear Headset, but when you start doing circuits and cardios, wired headsets aren’t that comfortable: they get pulled out of your gadget / mp3s accidentally while on a treadmill, and you might accidentally break your phone when you pull weights and the wires pulled your phone out of your pocket.
So I have decided to try another Bluetooth headset, but it wasn’t an easy find.
I have never tried anything AWEI before. I had my first Bluetooth device, and it was a Jabra. The sound was crisp and perfect, but it was very costly and it didn’t last long that it broke at less than a year (so I won’t mention the particular model anymore).
Also, I’m not really particular in terms of style, and long as the headset brings good sound and excellent autonomy, they can take my money. Affordability would be a plus.
I came across this brand at an online shopping store and searched for different models. In the end, this particular headset appealed me: The AWEI A980BL Bluetooth Sports Headset.
Surprisingly, this headset comes with a very low price. And for us living in the Philippines, we always thought it would be a red flag because quality might be compromised. But this one is an exception….
My AWEI A980BL Bluetooth Sports Headset Review
The AWEI A980BL Bluetooth Sports Headset comes in a variety of colors: red, green, black, silver. But the red one won, simply because I like red — it’s sporty and fashionable.
The two earpieces are interconnected with a thin flat cable of around 50-60 centimeters in silicone. The controls made of plastic is situated near the right ear side. Controls are composed of plus an minus buttons (volume control and track change when you long-press), and a power/connect button. The charger post is sealed with a rubber lock, making the entire headset almost water and sweat resistant, which is perfect for sports like running or biking.
The LED indicators on the control are pretty straightforward and are common to almost every Bluetooth headsets: Blue is on full charge, flashing blue means ready to pair, red is charging, and flashing red is low battery.
AWEI A980BL Bluetooth Sports Headset connects via Bluetooth 4.0, making it super fast to connect to devices compared to my previous Bluetooth, which only supports 2.0. Oh, and the Bluetooth distance from connected device is remarkable. I have walked at around 8-10 meters away from it and the sound quality is still as good.
Now let’s go to the important factor: how it fits, how it sounds and how long does it last.
AWEI A980BL: On Sound, Battery, & Fitting
The most probable weakest spot of this headset is the battery life. I’ve been using this here at the office as of this writing and I normally charge it thrice. That means on my shift, it lasts at around 4 hours with 50% on music (around 2 hours). Resting charge though is around 4-5 days (which means if you’re solely using this for calls).
As for the fitting, as long as you use the right size of plugs, it’s all good. the only thing you’ll probably feel OC’d about is the fact that the control buttons dominate the entire weight of the headset, which means you’ll feel the headset swinging on your right because of it. But no big deal for me.
The sound is very strucking. For a wireless device, this one’s packed with deep lows and clear high frequencies and it’s is what makes AWEI A980BL stand out among others. Volume is also maximized that you can’t hear anymore outside noise when listening to max volume. Bass is very crisp and I’m loving it because I like intense bass when lifting, like I said it pumps me up! The overall quality of the music though will always depend on the equalizer your device is configured. I have tested this and currently using on iPhone 7 and it’s a big go!
AWEI A980BL Bluetooth Headset Final Rating: 3.8 / 5
Pros: Price, it’s super affordable! Superior bass quality too.
Cons: Battery life questionable, might not last a marathon-long run.
My conclusion is pretty clear — it’s a good buy. Personally, I am very satisfied with this, and I’m a first time AWEI customer myself. I have compared the sound of this headset to most of the earphones I’ve used, and this is in line with them. One thing that this particular brand killed against the competition is the price. For around P750.00 – P900.00 at Shopee or Lazada, this product is worth it. Give it a try!
Buy your AWEI A980BL Bluetooth Sports Headset at LAZADA here.