SMS Audio In-Ear Wireless Sport review

Headphones designed for exercise are a must-have for anyone serious about sport and fitness, especially those who want a soundtrack to accompany their routine. They need to be sweat resistant and rugged enough to survive the rigours of exercise – an area that the SMS Audio In-Ear Wireless Sport gets right.

Its wireless Bluetooth connection removes the tangle of wires that can be a distraction and its rubberised build, which SMS Audio describes as having ‘Nano Coating’, make it sweat and water resistant – meaning you can give them a wipe down when the headphones get grubby. The In-Ear Wireless Sport is available in black with either pink, blue or green colour accents depending on your tastes.

However, beyond this, there are a lot of elements of the In-Ear Wireless Sport that actually detract from your workout. The comfort and fit, in particular, let them down. Each earphone is long and bullet-shaped, meaning they protrude considerably from your ears after the silicone tips are inserted into your ear canal. This not only looks unappealing but also means there’s a natural gravitational pull away from your ears. There’s a persistent sensation that the headphones will fall out – and they do.

None of the three different sized silicone tips provided a comfortable fit in my ears. They also all provide an isolating seal and there’s no foam-based option to allow some ambient noise in, which is useful for road-runners who need to still be able to hear some outside noise such as traffic.

Wing tips are included that are designed to help keep the earphones locked in place by catching on your outer ear, and three different sizes are included, but these also do a poor job of securing the earphones. This meant that constantly through a workout the earphones would fall out of place or become loose. When you’re deep in concentration, whether that’s running or weight training, this is frustrating. There’s a constant paranoia that the earphones will come loose at any time. A 3-button remote is also included below the left earphone, and the additional weight also contributes to the feeling that it will fall out at a moment’s notice.

The In-Ear Wireless Sport has a neckband design and the cable connecting the two earphones is at least reasonably supple, rather than the overly-stiff cabling we’ve seen elsewhere – but it is also incredibly long. A cable clip is included to shorten the length but we actually managed to lose ours during a run as it came loose and fell off.

Sound quality from the 6mm micro drivers was at least respectable. With a good seal there was reasonably impactful bass and the mids and trebles were well represented. However, for the premium price we would have expected more clarity and detail. As it stands the headphones produce a sound that is far from delicate. If you’re going to be listening to a lot of electronic or hip hop in particular, the In-Ear Wireless Sport do a good job of at least bringing the needed energy and excitement to your exercise soundtrack.

Comfort and a secure fit are vital for a good pair of sports headphones and this is an area where the In-Ear Wireless Sport comes up short, especially as they’re so expensive. Our preferred sport neckband-style headphones remain the BlueAnt Sportbuds HD or Plantronics BackBeat FIT, which are both far more secure.