Optoma has released new fully wireless headphones under its ‘NuForce’ audio sub brand, the BE Free8 earbuds[1]. These are like Apple’s AirPods, requiring no wire to connect them, and they connect via Bluetooth to any device. The charging pod they ship with even has a similar design to the AirPod case, and carries three backup charges for powering up on the go.
The NuForce Free8 carries up to four hours of use in the batteries built into the buds, and they come with a range of silicon tips to fit different ear canal shapes. They fit snugly in my own ear, and I was able to use them comfortably both when walking, and when running and working out, without any fear of them falling out.
While they don’t feel like super premium devices (the plastic used doesn’t feel nearly as premium as that used in competing products, including the Bragi line and Apple’s own AirPods) they have withstood a lot of high intensity use, including wear in light rain and a lot of sweat testing. Their durability seems proven, and I’ve had a few weeks with them to identify any problem spots.
The other area where wireless earbuds tend to fall down is in connectivity – Bluetooth headsets are one thing, but totally wireless buds have two connectivity challenges to deal with. The NuForce Free8 performed well here, too, with very few dropouts during normal use. The one caveat here is that I did very occasionally have audio interruptions when my phone was in my right pocket front pants pocket, since they maintain their Bluetooth connection with your smartphone from the left earbud. These dropouts were very few and far between, however, and even the small number that did...
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