Can't hear them. Like if my neighbor had their radio on at low volume.
They could have the best sound ever output by any device ever... they could sound like God whispering sweet nothings in your ear... BUT THEY ARE USELESS IF YOU CAN'T ACTUALLY HEAR ANY OF THAT.
I had read so many good things about these buds that I was super excited to get a pair at the reduced refurbished price and jumped on it. Imagine my disappointment when I received them and discovered that no amount of tinkering or adjustments through multiple apps and media players, scouring of the internet for the setting or trick that I was stupidly missing that could turn the sound on, would actually make these things audible outside of an underground, sound-proofed, vacuum chamber. Well, I never found any. They'll sit unused until I can work up the strength to throw that $160 in the trash. I don't know why people review these positively. If there is ANY ambient sound (like my dog's non-snoring breathing while sleeping) , it drowns out whatever these buds are playing, regardless of the noise canceling setting. And I'm talking with them pinned in the red. Turnt to ELEVEN. I don't have a problem with ANY OTHER EARBUDS AT ALL, be they $20, $150, free LGs that came with my TV... doesn't matter, all 4 of my other BT earbuds work fine as far as volume goes. Most don't even have ANC, but they don't need it since you can actually hear them at a normal volume setting even in an outdoor city street environment during rush hour. This includes a set of Sony's own WF-C500 buds. They kinda sound like they're in coffee cans, but at least I can hear them. My personal favorites are Samsungs Galaxy Buds Live which somehow manage to simulate bass you can feel in your legs while being the size of a kidney bean. They can be as loud or quiet as you want them, and you can probably get them for <$I00 right now.
I don't know if mine were defective, or they weren't refurbished properly, or other people only use these in their sensory deprivation tanks they have at home, but I HATE these earbuds! Even if only because all of the hype around them got me excited to get my hands on them, only to find that I might as well stick skittles in my ears for the same experience these provide. Seriously, if I'm outside with these, they might as well be turned off. ANC does absolutely nothing as far as I can tell. I would've thought they were DOA if I'd never tried them in a quiet room. I really wish they'd work, because the features they offer are fantastic... or, at least I imagine they would be fantastic when combined with earbuds that output sound. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: Refurbished
