Sound Advice: New sport earbuds raise the bar

Q: I bought some Sbode sport wireless earbuds that you recommended many years ago, and it is time to replace them. I really liked that they were affordable, sounded good and had an ear hook that kept them in place — earbuds typically don’t stay in my ear by fitting the earpiece alone. Do you have any new recommendations?

A: The Sbode wireless earbuds definitely would have a place in the Sound Advice Hall of Fame, should I ever decide to make one. I was sorry to see them discontinued, but time and technology move on, and I saw some earbuds at the Consumer Electronics Show that you should enjoy even more.

EarFun earphones have been getting a lot of positive press lately and have become one of the top reviewer recommendations for performance and value. I’ve had good experience with them, and reader feedback has been very positive as well.

They had quite a presence at CES in January, and one of their top new product launches was the EarFun OpenJump earphones. These earphones combine some of the best qualities of a bone-conduction earphone, an open-back over-the-ear headphone and a traditional earphone, all with that useful and comfortable ear hook you are looking for.

They are true wireless earphones, but without the connecting cord of your Sbode earphones. The adjustable ear hook is substantial and keeps the earphones in place reliably. They are an open-ear design where the speaker end is actually a bit outside your ear, rather than in the ear canal. This allows you to hear what is going on around you while still experiencing satisfying, high-resolution sound with good bass.

I was especially impressed with the phone call and microphone functionality, which was exceptionally good for both myself and the person on the other end of the phone call. I could see myself using them while cooking given the excellent phone performance. Because I am not sonically isolated from my surroundings, I can still have a perfect conversation.

The EarFun OpenJump earphones list for $79.99 and are an excellent value at list price. They are available at $49.99 launch promotion pricing by using the code OpenJump at myearfun.com, with free shipping. Just in time for spring, they are a great sport earphone and also represent something new and different for earphone fans to check out.

Q: I have an old Philips CDR785 audio CD recorder that still plays well, but the remote control no longer works. I tried new batteries, etc., but I had no luck. Can I get a new remote somewhere, or do I just give up? I am looking at the TEAC PD-301-X as a possible replacement. Does that unit play multiple CDs?

A: Don’t give up. If you need a remote for an old piece of equipment, eBay is your friend. Searching under the “CDR785 remote control” found your exact remote in working order for $23 delivered.

The $329 TEAC PD-301-X is a single-disc CD player with an integrated FM tuner. It plays only one disc at a time, but if you rip multiple CDs to a USB flash drive, you can play them through the USB port.

I’ve had a lot of great questions about CDs and CD players lately, so there is more coverage on the way in upcoming columns. Stay tuned!

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.