Suggest Bluetooth earphones that don't fully go inside ear canal, primary usage is work calls

raksrules

raksrules

Oracle
I am using Samsung Level U2 earphones as my primary earbuds for my work calls. I love them because they don't go fully inside ear canal and I can just rest them on my neck when not in use. This way, even if I am not on calls but earbuds is in ear, I don't feel any issue and most times I forget I have them.
For such gadgets I usually keep a backup pair and I went to Amazon to find and to my surprise it is OOS. Infact it is OOS at almost every website and even Samsung website. I fear it has been discontinued.
So I am looking for earbuds that dont fully go inside ear canal. Something like airpods (not airpods pro) design. I did find one that seem to tick all boxes, the jbl tune 215bt but want to ask if there are any other that are available?
Cannot buy airpods as they are pretty expensive. I think there are some earphones in TWS category of this type but not sure if there is one that is good.

My primary usage is office calls on teams. Absolutely no music at all other that rare times when I am doing some monotonous work and listen to some songs. Once in a blue moon.

Please suggest.

Edit: Calls is usage with Microsoft Teams on Laptop (Dell).
 
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TWS mics aren't any improvement from what you're currently using iirc (unless they've magically improved to levels of line mics on wired earbuds). JBL 215bt is slightly worse to your samsung level u2 but not by much, as long as your work enviroment isn't noisy, it should be more than enough. Couldn't find any other neckband earbuds aside from the JBL 215BT as well, I suppose that is basically your only option. There are loads of earbuds still with good mics but they are wired. A neckband earbud is an even bigger niche.

But the jbl 215bt should suit your needs. Incase that also ever disappears, you'll have to hop on taobao or something and buy one of those unbranded ones lol
 
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Sony Linkbuds are extremely comfy - possibly the most comfortable TWS i have had the pleasure of using.
As an added benefit, the Mic quality for calls is at par with Airpods and significantly better than the average TWS in the market including quite a few significnatly more expensive ones.

And while they arent dirt cheap, they do come on deals from time to time under 5K
 
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superczar said:
Sony Linkbuds are extremely comfy - possibly the most comfortable TWS i have had the pleasure of using.
As an added benefit, the Mic quality for calls is at par with Airpods and significantly better than the average TWS in the market including quite a few significnatly more expensive ones.

And while they arent dirt cheap, they do come on deals from time to time under 5K
Click to expand...
These ones?

www.croma.com

Buy SONY Link Buds WF-L900 TWS Earbuds (IPX4 Water Resistant, 17 Hours Playtime, White) Online – Croma

Buy SONY Link Buds WF-L900 TWS Earbuds (IPX4 Water Resistant, 17 Hours Playtime, White) online at best prices from Croma. Check product details, reviews & more. Shop now!
www.croma.com www.croma.com

yeah these went on sale for like 5k once and a member on this forum bought it and got some used piece unfortunately

Croma retail deals

I registered the PCI wifi card, it shows warranty till July 2024, have uploaded the bill manually. Directly contact their customer care via email with attached pics of invoice & serial no. sticker on box.
techenclave.com techenclave.com

Or are you talking about the S ones? Are they really that comfy? Seems to have dropped to around 10k on amazon.


Another suggestion that popped up actually

Koss KSC35​

but it's quite uncomfortable compared to the koss ksc75x with it's mic (literally night and day on wired mics)

​

 
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blr_p said:
How much are they? These really are your best bet with an iPhone
Click to expand...

I totally understand but my teams usage is in my office laptop which is Dell. So although I can login to my meeting from 2 places like phone + laptop and talk through phone but screenshare etc through laptop but I would rather not do that. Mic needs to be good for calls.

But as you are saying, I also don't want to fall in a pit where I buy 3-4 earphones to see which works best and end up spending close to what airpods would have cost me and probably should have bought that in first place.
I need to research of how well they work with non apple laptops.

Also, I am also worried because these things are essentially "made to not last" so 2 years and they are in trash so it will hurt more if I have to throw a 20K earphones as against a 2K one.
 
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raksrules said:
I totally understand but my teams usage is in my office laptop which is Dell. So although I can login to my meeting from 2 places like phone + laptop and talk through phone but screenshare etc through laptop but I would rather not do that.
Click to expand...
What are your team colleagues using for earphones?
 
blr_p said:
What are your team colleagues using for earphones?
Click to expand...

Haven't asked them but to be honest, some literally take calls from laptop speakers which is worst way to do with all able to hear. Many use wired earbuds but I don't want wired at all.
People using wireless ones use the one they use with their phones for music etc and 99% of those are in ear canal ones.

I do have Jabra headset which are on ear and have excellent mic (boom type) but those are wired and regular USB type so that keeps me tethered to laptop which I don't want and those foam thing causes perspiration on ears even after a 45 min call.
 
Try checking with your company's IT team. The big companies especially have IT sourcing that can probably get you a plantronics/poly buds; even if they don't give it to you for free they might be able to source it much cheaper.
 
Rezep said:
yeah these went on sale for like 5k once and a member on this forum bought it and got some used piece unfortunately
Click to expand...
I had got mine from Amazon
Cant rememebr the price paid but was mostl likely under 5K and had received new/sealed unit.

With these earbuds, It’s kinda pointless to look up online reviews. They do not offer SQ for music thats anywhere comparable to the competition in the price segment they launched in (close to $200 i think) and the avg/negative reviews reflect that .

Having said that, I have a bit of a a problem with headsets/headphones and I have ended up collecting way more than what I needed :(
These linkbuds are what I end up picking up most of the time (Comfort/ size/ good mic/ decent SQ for casual music playback)
unless i am going out on a holiday or such..
 
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I am in a similar predicament where the company provided headset is on its last legs and a replacement is not forthcoming. At home, I simply use my Bose headphones wired/wireless depending on importance/duration. For office, I carry the Samsung AKG Type-C earphones.

I tried to use my WF-1000XM4 in office but it simply picks up too much ambient sound, to the extent that people on the other side can hear other calls. Same used to happen with my Samsung and Sennheiser buds before, so I have given up expecting any TWS buds to be good enough for professional use.
 
superczar said:
I had got mine from Amazon
Cant rememebr the price paid but was mostl likely under 5K and had received new/sealed unit.
Click to expand...
Can you clarify the model number?

As its not clear which link buds model you're referring to

I seriously doubt the S variant which is 15k odd unit would ever appear at under 5k and who would trust it.

The earlier (non S) variant might...
t3chg33k said:
I tried to use my WF-1000XM4 in office but it simply picks up too much ambient sound, to the extent that people on the other side can hear other calls.
Click to expand...
Pretty lousy for the price paid that Sony can't figure out how to use those 4 mics for sound cancelling during a call

Didn't any of the reviewers you watched highlight this point?


Ken did this one. The food court shows how much noise it let's in
 
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blr_p said:
This is what queers everything. It has to work on a laptop and he doesn't want to use a wired headset


Have you tested with a laptop?

Click to expand...
i havent bought this model but i bought other model from portronics. its almost same as this and it connected fine with my desktop and phone simultaneously and other side could hear me fine in zoom.


www.amazon.in

Check out this Amazon review of Portronics Harmonics Z5 Wireless Bluetooth Stereo Headset with 33Hrs Playtime, Double EQ Mode, 14.2 mm Dynamic Drivers, Click Action Buttons(Black)

Dual connectivity!!!
www.amazon.in
 
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blr_p said:
Pretty lousy for the price paid that Sony can't figure out how to use those 4 mics for sound cancelling during a call

Didn't any of the reviewers you watched highlight this point?


Ken did this one. The food court shows how much noise it let's in
Click to expand...
ANC is precisely the reason the microphones suck as noise cancellation is tuned to specific frequencies and the same mics cannot pick up voice well. It is the reason that the latest headphone models have switched to having separate mics for ANC and voice. However, that is a lot to ask for within the limited space available for TWS, so usually one of the two suffers.
 
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