Hot take: I was reviewing earbuds all wrong for a year

I always tested new earbuds in my quiet home office in Chicago. Then last week, I was walking my dog near a busy street and tried a pair I'd just called 'great'. The wind noise was so bad I couldn't hear the podcast at all. I never thought to test them outside. How do you guys test audio gear to make sure it works in real life, not just a quiet room?

3 comments

3 Comments

reese_singh872mo ago

Oh man, that's not even a hot take, that's just how you're supposed to do it! Testing in a quiet room only tells you half the story. I make a point to use new buds on my commute, at the gym, and while doing chores with the sink running. If they can't handle real noise and wind, they're just fancy quiet-room toys. The best review is how they work when your life is loud.

jason1122mo ago

Totally agree with the "fancy quiet-room toys" line. It's like how people test cars in a showroom but never on a bumpy road. Same with phones, they review the camera in perfect light but never at a kids' party in a dark room. @simonmoore has the right idea with the treadmill, that's a real world test. We treat a lot of tech like it exists in a lab, not in our messy lives. The best gear just disappears and works when things get loud and crazy.

simonmoore2mo ago

Exactly, my treadmill test is the real deal-breaker for any pair.