For a few years now, Back Bay has been producing some super affordable earphones with excellent battery life. The Boston-based company’s latest offering is the new Back Bay Runner 60, a stylish pair of true wireless sporting earbuds for outdoorsy types who love running and exercising in all weathers.
When I first saw these earbuds, I assumed the Runner 60 moniker meant they offered a staggering 60 hours of playtime before their storage case would need recharging. But I was wrong. These earbuds can play for up to 80 hours before the charging case needs topping up. I think that’s probably the longest-lasting battery life I’ve ever come across for a pair of true wireless earbuds.
For regular gym-goers, these earbuds are probably be good for up to 40 visits to the gym before they need topping up. The real-world figure might be slightly less than that, but I reckon they’d be good for up to three weeks between charges with daily use for a couple of hours.
The charging case for these earphones can be replenished using the supplied USB-C charging cable or by popping the case on a standard Qi wireless charging pad. The case is a fairly chunky affair but it can still fit in the palm of a hand. The size of the case is partly down to its large battery but also to the design of the earpieces which incorporate large ear-hooks that keep the earbuds in place even when the wearer is undertaking vigorous exercise.
As well as having a Herculean battery life, the Back Bay Runner 60 earbuds are waterproof to IPX-7 standard and designed to withstand sweat. There’s also support for aptX and AAC audio codecs, which makes them ideal for iOS and Android users. The sound quality is truly excellent and there’s a choice of differently sized ear tips to suit all ears.
Earbuds that use an ear hook to keep them in place can sometimes be difficult to push into the ear canal to create a good acoustic seal, especially if the wearer has ears that are unusually deep. For those with problematic ears, Back Bay supplies a splendid selection of ear tips in both long and short fittings so almost anyone should be able to get a comfortable fit.
I listened to Diana Krall’s The Dream Of You album to put the Back Bay Runner 60s through their paces. There’s an excellent level of bass created by the 8mm dynamic drivers but it’s by no means a thick and syrupy bass, unlike many cheaper earbuds. If you’re the type of listener who likes lots of bass, a triple-tap on the right earbud will put the Back Bay Runner 60 into Bass Mode and you can sit back and enjoy an even bigger and lusher bass response. I tried the bass boost function and it sounded pretty good, even if it does slightly pinch the midrange.
The midrange of the earbuds is spot on and the treble response reproduced the sensual drum brushes on the track “Almost Like Being In Love” with real delicacy. In fact, for a sensibly priced pair of sports earbuds, there’s nothing to criticize about the sound quality of the Back Bay Runner 60. The volume levels could be a smidge louder but turning them up solves that problem for most situations.
The Back Bay Runner 60 have two built-in microphones for giving commands to a voice assistant or for taking those all-important phone calls while you’re puffing and panting on the treadmill. The microphones can pick up voices well and are fine for making a phone or video calls, just so long as there’s no wind about, but that’s the case with all earbuds.
Each earbud features a touch control pad that responds to finger taps for doing things like changing the volume levels, pausing the music, skipping tracks and answering phone calls. There’s no smartphone app to go with the earbuds but basic earbuds like these don’t need one. Stick the Back Bay Runner 60 in your ears and just start running.
Verdict: For a basic pair of sports earbuds at such an amazing price, the Back Bay Runner 60 are close to perfect. The sound quality is superb, thanks to support for aptX and AAC audio codecs. The battery life is stupendously long at up to 80 hours and being waterproof to IPX7 standard makes them excellent for exercising in the rain or in a sweaty gym. The fit is secure and ideal for exercising, plus they feel relatively comfortable even if worn for long periods. Add USB-C and wireless charging into the mix and you have a pair of sports earbuds that are almost beyond criticism. If you’re looking for a pair of great-sounding earbuds to use at the gym or on the daily commute to work, the Back Bay Runner 60 will take some beating.
Pricing and availability: The Back Bay Runner 60 earbuds are available now from Amazon and Walmart for $49.99 / £35.67 / €41.25
More info: www.backbaybrand.com
Tech Specs:
- Bluetooth version: 5.0
- Driver sensitivity: 110±3dB（IEC-711,1kHz @1mW）
- Output maximum: 5mW
- Impedance: 16Ω ± 15%
- Total Harmonic Distortion: ≤5(@1000Hz）
- Audio codecs: aptX, AAC, SBC
- Profiles: HFP, HSP, A2DP, AVCP
- Frequency range: 20Hz – 20kHZ
- Driver size: φ8mm
- Microphone: 2 x MEMS, omnidirectional
- Microphone sensitivity: -42±3dB（@1kHz ref 1V/Pa）
- Waterproof rating: IPX-7
- Battery type: Lithium-Ion
- Battery: 3.7 V
- Earbud playtime: 8 hours
- Total playtime with charging case: 80 hours
- Recharge time: About 1.5 hours
- Earbud Battery Capacity: 60mAh x 2
- Charging case capacity: 1,200mAh
- Charging port: USB-C and Wireless Qi Charging
