I just recently revisited one of my first reviews, so it’s only fair I also take another look at my Jaybird Vista earbuds and tell you what I like and don’t like about them. And I can tell you all of that because I have been using them for close to a year now. It’s definitely been at the very least six months, that much I know for sure.
I’m still using the Jaybird Vista on an almost daily basis. They’re not perfect and I do have a few complaints, but for me and what I do, they are a solid 9 out of 10.
I’m not an audiophile by any stretch of the imagination. So I can’t give you any exact details on how good or bad they sound. To my ears they sound fine. No complaints in that area. I’m mainly a podcast listener and have never had any issues understanding voices. And when I do listen to music, they’re fine. I don’t have any reference I could compare them to except for my own hearing, so I’d suggest you look up another review if that’s the kind of thing you’re looking for.
My Jaybird Vista complaints
Let’s move on with some of the complaints I have. The Jaybird Vista is still rubbish for calls. If it’s any more than windstill the person on the other end of the line will have problems understanding you. There’s no changes there.
Another issue I occasionally experience is that one of the earbuds won’t turn on when I take them out of the case. It’s just a minor thing and a quick push on the button will activate it.
Jaybird Vista controls
Speaking of the button. I fully understand why they went with a button and not a touch interface. These are meant to be used by sweaty and sometimes gloved hands. Touch interfaces will often struggle if there’s any liquids on them. But the button does mean that you’re jamming them into your ear every time you want to skip a track or change the volume. That can be a bit uncomfortable.
Jaybird Vista firmware updates
One of my earlier complaints about these earbuds and relating to the button has luckily been fixed. And I want to praise Jaybird for actually listening to their customers. Previously you couldn’t change the control independently. Meaning the two buttons were basically treated as one. But now, thanks to a firmware update, I can control the volume and tracks in both directions. I’d like to think that my earlier video helped Jaybird come to that decision.
Jaybird Vista durability
So far they’ve also held up to any physical and environmental forces. I’ve dropped them a few times and they don’t seem to have taken any damage. They’ve also survived the chilly temperatures of a Swiss winter.
When I say I dropped them I don’t mean they fell out of my ears. That hasn’t happened once. I’m merely clumsy sometimes when I get them out of the case. Once they’re in my ears nothing will shake them out. They have a really good fit and thanks to the little squishy wings, they’re also quite comfortable. Speaking of the case, battery life has been perfectly acceptable so far. I charge them once or twice a week and I’ve never had them die on me.
The sound isolation issue
One complaint I have heard pop up now and again is that you can hear the thumping of your feet hitting the ground when running. As mentioned, I listen to podcasts when I’m running and can keep up with what is being talked about without any interruptions. What I did have to do is try out all three tips that shipped with them. After I found the best fit, I had no such issues.
Then there’s the issue of isolation. And I can see this being a real problem for people who run and bike in busy places. These earbuds isolate really well. Like really well. They don’t have any active noise cancelling but honestly, the way these isolate, they don’t need it. But the seal these make around your ear canal does mean that you won’t be hearing upcoming traffic. And that could of course be quite dangerous. I wished Jaybird could do something with the microphones to let in ambient noise. That would immediately fix the problem. But then again, if you are worried about that, you do have the option of only using a single earbud.
I don’t really run in heavily trafficked areas, and as such the isolation isn’t an issue for me but more of a bonus. But I could see this being a deal-breaker for some.