I could tell right away when I opened the package that these earbuds were a step up in quality from others I’ve owned. They both look and feel well made, not cheap or flimsy. I’m not an audio expert, but the sound quality genuinely impressed me. Clear, balanced, and strong right out of the box. That said, I specifically chose these because I was hoping they would be smaller than other earbuds I’ve tried. They aren’t. Even with the smallest ear tips, they don’t fit securely in my ears. They sort of rest in place rather than locking in. The weight helps keep them from falling out easily, but the fit isn’t ideal for smaller ear canals. Overall, I think these are excellent quality for the price and would likely work great for someone with average or larger ears. If you have smaller ear canals like I do, the fit may be a challenge. Read more
These are absolutely amazing for small ears. I've been using Samsung Galaxy earbuds for a few years now but they always fall out of my ears even with the smallest ear tips. These fit snugly without being uncomfortable, even when laying on my side. Battery life is great, and a positive in my opinion is limited touch controls. Tapping the left earbud with decrease volume, the right will increase volume, and that's it. Something that frustrated me about the Galaxy earbuds is the constant tactile feedback. Another thing to mention is the noise-cancellation. It is AMAZING. I've had people sneak up on me, and my husband will be talking to me from a few feet away and I am not able to hear him. Something weird I have noticed though is that when I activate the AG audio setting through my computer, the audio quality is absolutely horrible. I don't know if that is inherent to the earbuds or if it's an issue with Windows, though. Pros: Great for small ears. Variety of colors and ear tips. Battery life is great. The case is small and can easily fit into a pocket. Tactile controls are simple and don't activate when you brush your hair or adjust your glasses. Great value for money. AMAZING noise-cancellation. Audio quality is good. Cons: Bluetooth range is pretty limited. If you have bigger ears, they may not fit as well. The AG audio setting on Windows produces atrocious audio. Read more
They came very promptly. I do consider myself a bit of an audiophile, maybe because I have always had much better earring than the average person and was hesitant to get any product that didn't give me top-notch acoustics. Having said that, this is my first pair of earbuds - and why I went for lower priced ones as I first as I wanted them mostly for phone use. I also have small ears. On my laptop I've been using over the ear Bose QC II headphones for about 10 years...sometimes not even needing the ANC feature if environment is quiet. Now to the Back Bay Tempo 30s. First - they cost a little over $50.00 with tax. They are easy to charge, and very easy to pair to my Samsung Galaxy S9+. I opted for the rose gold ones, which are for smaller ears and nice. The smallest silicon already on the buds made for a good fit for my ears, and I was impressed that they felt secure and not like they were going to fall out. Phone calls - first test was in a quiet environment. I called a business number I'm familiar with and then apologized for calling a wrong number. I had the buds at about 40% volume, and was stunned at how loud and clear the other party came in. I turned them down a bit. When I said "Sorry, wrong number," the person on other end had no trouble hearing me. Going to music and videos. I have some favorites I use to test different aspects of sound quality and have eclectic taste in music - from acapello groups like Pentatonix and Home Free, to select Disturbed's songs, pop-opera like Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, Laura Pausini and even some popular Broadway musicals like Elaine Paige's "Memory," for testing. I like to hear the bass, not overpowering but clearly to my bones. It was one reason that I chose the Tempo 30's, as everyone raved about "Bass mode." After listening to one or two songs, I did like Bass mode better. Turning up the volume to hear better bass wasn't always necessary (I heard it well at about 30%), but I did find that wanting to hear the bass was sometimes at odds with causing some sibilance at higher notes. For example in a review of "Rings of Fire" by the acapello group Homefree, I turned up the audio to hear the song and their bass - but then had to turn the volume down quickly at higher pitched voices because high pitched voices hurt my ears. While listening to Disturbed's Sound of Silence video, I needed to turn the whole video down to about 20% for it not to cause me discomfort, and at that level the "extra" bass effect is pretty much negated. The last song I tested was "Vivo per Lei" by Bocelli and Pausini. I could hear them both well and was comfortable at 30% volume, which is pretty impressive. I also noticed some video lag over the bluetooth connection. I'm sensitive to audio delay and the need for lip synchronization, and will also look for this to be corrected. Turning on "movie mode" in the Tempo 30's seemed for the most part to solve that problem. Using movie mode also seemed to help divide, clarify, and simultaneously help the balance playing from left to right earbud, and vice versa. Edit: Added bonuses, while at work and on my feet - if I happen to walk away from my phone which I've set on a table, I hear "disconnected" from the earpods, which is great and helps from losing my phone. Also, since I often work outdoors - parties on phone calls can hear me better with one earpod in then when I use my smartphone put up to my ear. So - wow. For $50.00 these are pretty great. A lot of value in a small package. I can't wait to see and hear everything that this company is able to accomplish. Read more
I have legitimately small ear canals. They say most people fall within a median spectrum even if they feel like their ears are small. I have always had problems with ear buds, injured my ears with foam tips, and had to have custom fitted electronic hearing protection because the “one size fits all” ones were causing issues. Even the professionals said my ear canals were freaky small. So, if you came here looking for something comfortable for small ears, I am one of you and this is the right place! These fit well right out of the box for me, although there are several tip sizes. Sound quality was rich and warm but still crisp in the high ranges. With the bass boost on, it was even better. Connectivity was super easy, no issues, and the controls work beautifully. They feel like good quality design. I had just returned a high quality big name set that cost more than twice this much (because they hurt my ears) and these feel just as nice as those (without the ear pain). Very attractive, even a nice quality case. My only teeny gripe is I’m used to having a lanyard on my case but you can buy a matching fitted carrier case from Back Bay. They stay in well, too. I needed them to not wiggle during exercise and they stay put. I’m very excited to finally find something comfortable! I would be curious to know if Back Bay’s noise canceling models have the same fit but I wasn’t sure so I didn’t want to take a chance. Happy with these. Read more
