Ive been a Sony fanboy forever and usually swear by my XM5s for everything but man they are a disaster at the gym lately. My logic was that the ANC would be perfect for drowning out the loud music but they just slide right off my head the second I start sweating during incline work. So I was thinking about switching to buds. Looked at the LinkBuds S but Im worried they wont stay in during cardio. I need a pair by next Tuesday for my sessions at Gold's and I've got about 200 bucks to spend. Do the XB series buds actually stay put or should I just stick with a cheaper over-ear model that I dont mind ruining...
I saw this earlier but just now getting around to replying... honestly I'd be super careful about just grabbing any random pair of buds for Gold's. I went through three different pairs before I realized that silicone tips and heavy sweat just don't mix well at all. They get slippery and pop out right when you're mid-set. I actually tried using some cheap over-ears for a bit thinking it wouldn't matter if I ruined them, but the heat buildup was miserable. Eventually, the sweat seeped into the drivers and they started crackling. I would suggest looking at the Sony WF-1000XM4 Noise Canceling Truly Wireless Earbuds if you can still find them on sale. They're usually under that 200 buck mark now. The reason I like them for the gym is the foam tips. They expand in your ear canal and stay put way better than the silicone ones on the LinkBuds. Another weird but solid option for stability is the Sony Float Run Open-Ear Wireless Headphones WI-OE610. They don't actually go inside your ear, they kind of hang off, so they literally cannot fall out during cardio or incline work. The sound isn't as punchy as the XB line, but if you're worried about them sliding off your head like your XM5s do, these are basically bulletproof for fit. Just make sure to check the return policy if you go with the XM4s, cuz some people find the foam tips a bit scratchy at first. If you really wanna go cheap and just beat them up, the Sony WF-C500 Truly Wireless In-Ear Headphones are decent, tho they lack ANC.
I unfortunately had issues with Sony LinkBuds S Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds stability at the gym. Try these instead, they are much more secure:
Late to the thread but I totally agree with the guy above about the tips... sweat turns silicone into a slip-and-slide lol. In my experience over the years, the material matters just as much as the earbud shape for gym stability. If you want to stay Sony and keep it under that $200 limit, definitely look at the Sony WF-1000XM4 Noise Canceling Truly Wireless Earbuds. They are usually on sale since the newer ones came out. I've tried many and these have a bit more surface area to grip your ear. Plus you get the Integrated Processor V1 and LDAC support so you arent sacrificing audio quality for the gym. Quick tip tho: swap whatever they come with for Comply TrueGrip Pro Foam Tips for Sony WF-1000XM4. Foam handles sweat way better than silicone and wont budge during incline work. Its a cheap fix that saves your gear.