Jaybird X4 Wireless Sport Headphones hands-on: finally a waterproof design

It’s hard to imagine it, but Jaybird’s popular X-line is in its fourth generation with its latest model, the Jaybird X4, which aims to be an evolutionary improvement catering to athletes, runners, and just about anyone with an active lifestyle.

Sporting the signature design that the series is known for, one that’s pretty distinguishable when you compare its design to its predecessors, it’s kind of surprising that it’s just now that they’re introducing an IPX7 rating for waterproofing. We’ll take it regardless, seeing that it can even be submerged under one meter of water for up to 30 minutes. For serious users who intend on putting it through some grueling workouts, it’s comforting to know that it’ll be able to withstand even the sweatiest of workouts.

Speaking of that, we’re happy to report that the Jaybird X4 features a snug fit with its earbuds, which not only suction tightly in our ear, but the winged tips provide additional support in keeping them in our ear during all sorts of movement. There are even Comply Ultra foam tips included in the packaging that’ll keep them in place even more, while providing additional isolation to keep out unwanted ambient noise while you’re listening to music. Using the accompanying Jaybird companion app, users will be able to fine-tune the equalizer settings for that perfect listening experience – a hallmark feature that Jaybird is known for.

In terms of battery life, they’re rated for upwards of around 8 hours with a full charge. Even better, the fast charging technology will provide roughly about one hour of playtime with only ten minutes of charging. However, we’re not big fans of the proprietary charging adapter, as we would’ve preferred a more traditional direct microUSB connection. If you misplace or lose the charger by accident, you’ll have to buy a totally new adapter before you can proceed to charge the earbuds again – an inconvenience in our opinion.

Pricing for the Jaybird X4 is set at $129.99, which is a slight decrease in price versus its predecessor’s starting cost. The Jaybird X4 will be available for pre-order starting on August 30th, with in-store availability sometime in September – with color options consisting of black metallic/flash, alpha metallic/jade, and storm metallic/glacier.