I am not a big fan of the Apple earbuds that came with my phone, so I am always searching for replacements. Monster is looking to replacing your earbuds with the $79.95 ClarityHD High-Performance Wireless Earbuds. Not only is Monster looking to improve earbud performance, but to also cut the cord with this Bluetooth option. Let’s see how they fared!
Let me start by saying that Carly reviewed the wired version of these earbuds that you can read here. She had a problem getting the earbuds to fit even while changing out the different size buds. Luckily, I have not run into this problem. The ClarityHD fit me fine and are actually comfortable. I am really liking being cord free from my phone.
The ClarityHD earbuds are super light despite their large appearance. The buds themselves each house a battery plus the drivers. While this is a positive for battery life and sound, some might find them to be rather large looking for their tastes. I have had no trouble wearing them for long periods of time and have not experienced any ear fatigue while using them.
The earbuds sport a short wire that includes a three button ControlTalk Universal remote. The remote easily adjusts volume and tracks as well as phone call control. The wire can be worn behind the neck or in front like a traditional headphone. I wear in front because I feel phone calls work better that way.
The earbud’s batteries charge via micro-USB plugged into the remote. Monster claims 5+ hours of listening when fully charged. I would have really liked to see some sort of battery level indicator whether it be a light or an announcement in the earbud.
Connecting the ClarityHD the first time was a breeze. Simply hold the center button on the remote down and listen for the “Power On” announcement. The device is called ClarityHD Wireless in the Bluetooth settings. Once paired, the device automatically connects each use. When done listening, I recommend turning the earbuds off in the same way they were turned on to save battery life.
Making a phone call is easy. Double tap the center remote button to activate Siri and give the command of who to call. I just got off the phone with my wife and could hear her loud and clear. She did not know I was talking from headphones until the end of the conversation and said she could not tell the difference and my voice was clear.
As you can see, the ClarityHD Wireless Earbuds are easy to use and fit me well, but what about sound? No headphone/earbud is worth a darn if audio quality is lacking. I always use a variety of audio when reviewing headphones since everyone’s tastes are different. For the review I listened to Drake, Chris King, Jared James Nichols, and a couple of different podcasts. The audio quality of each genre can be best described as clear. Monster named the earbuds correctly I guess. Lows are deep but not overwhelming while highs are crisp and clean. The mid levels come in just right, not overriding any of the other levels. If you like a balanced audio experience, you will like these earbuds. At full volume, while most of the time too loud for me, the audio stays true to my observations and never muddy.
The Monster ClarityHD Wireless Headphones have passed my tests for audio clarity and phone call use. In fact, they are in my game backpack and will make the trip with me to our basketball playoff game tonight. While the drivers are pretty large, they are light and never caused any ear fatigue. With three sizes of tips, most should find a fit that works for them. I really like having quality earbuds while being free from wires connected to my phone. Give these a look if you are looking for something similar!
Available for $79.95 from the Monster website.
Source: Manufacturer supplied sample
What I Like: Awesome sound while being wireless.
What Can Be Improved: As seen with Carly’s review, there may be fitting problems.