The Jaybird Vista are true wireless headphones geared towards athletes. They come in at under $200, and for the price, they're a great value for the tech they contain.
We've done a hands-on test of the Vista, and this Jaybird Vista review will break down everything we love (and hate) about these headphones. We'll also talk about who these headphones are good for, and who should look elsewhere.
The Bottom Line:
Here's the basics you need to know about the Jaybird Vista before deciding whether or not they're right for you.
Pros
Cons
Our Overall Thoughts:
If you're looking for a compact, lightweight pair of wireless earbuds for working out with a secure fit, great sound isolation, durability, and usability, the JayBird Vista should be on your radar. The super-compact design of these headphones and their carrying case, combined with their good quality sound and features, make them an excellent choice for athletes and casual music listeners.
Who The Vista Are Good For?
The JayBird Vista headphones are some of the best wireless earbuds for athletes or casual listeners who value the compact durability of the Vista over truly awesome sound quality. Now, that isn't to say that the Vista headphones don't sound good, they're just on par with other Bluetooth headphones we've tested. Nothing special in this department.
Where these headphones shine is their durability and usability for exercise. They're waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof, which makes them great for things like cycling, trail running, and using at the gym.
If you're looking for a compact pair of headphones that sound good, can take a beating, and won't distract you while you workout, the Vista are a solid choice. We had NO issues with these headphones falling out while running or lifting weights, and sweat, rain and water aren't an issue at all.
Overall Usability
The first step to using the Jaybird Vista headphones is to connect them to your phone. You have two options with how to do that. The first option is to open the case, and hold down the center button. This puts the earbuds into pairing mode, and you can then see them appear on your phone as a device.
The second option is to download the Jaybird app. I recommend downloading this app because it does more than just pair your headphones.
Once you have the app downloaded, set up an account and go to the "headphones" option. Again, put the headphones into pairing mode by holding the small button in the middle of the case until it starts blinking. Once the Vista are visible, you'll see them show up in the app, select them and you're ready to go.
App Customizations
Button Customizations
By connecting using the app, you get a few customization options.
The first thing I did when opening the app was check out what customizations you can add to the button presses. By default, you can only start/stop music or answer and hang up calls by pressing the button on either bud once. If you press either one of them twice, you skip to the next track. You skip forward regardless of if you press the left or right bud twice.
I didn't like that the default configuration didn't allow you to skip backward. To me, it makes sense to have the left skip back, and the right skip forward, but within the app you can configure this quickly. You can also choose to have either double or single press control a voice assistant.
You can switch between shutting the buds off, or volume control with a long press on either earbud, however, you can't have both. There's some additional options under "custom", but nothing actually very useful. The only custom options are playing different playlists.
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Sound Customizations
When it comes to customizing your sound, there are a ton more options than you have for customizing the button functionality.
Within the app, there are hundreds of EQ presets that you can browse on the fly. Switch between them to compare and see what you like best.
You can also manually create an EQ setting, or use one of our favorite features, the "personal EQ". This setting plays a series of tones, which you raise and lower the volume of so the app figures out what frequencies you hear best. It then uses this information to create an intelligently customized EQ setting, which you can tweak to your liking.
Jaybird has always led the way when it comes to EQ customizations with headphones, and they're the first we've seen with this type much of a personalized touch.
Are Jaybird Vista For Exercise?
In short, yes. The Jaybird Vista are excellent for exercising. One of the biggest things you normally see with other true wireless earbuds is issues with the headphones continually falling out. This isn't the case with the Vista.
The Jaybird Vista are one of the most secure fitting true wireless earbuds we've tested so far.
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You can use them for running, cycling, lifting weights, and you can even do inverted stretches without having to worry about them coming loose.
You can also quickly start or stop music and skip tracks, which is good when you need to cycle through tracks on your playlist and don't want to grab your phone.
How Long Does The Battery Last?
The Jaybird Vista have an average battery life of just under 6 hours on a full charge. This is about average for Bluetooth headphones. However, the case acts like a battery pack and holds an additional 10 hours of battery, which is an awesome feature on the go.
The case also offers a quick charge feature that gives you an extra hour of battery life after 5 minutes of charging in the case.
How Does The Mic Sound
The quality of the microphone in the Vista left things to be desired. The microphone didn't do a bad job of picking up my voice, but it also picked up everything else around me too.
If you're planning on just using these headphones for talking to friends and family, they'll do just fine. I wouldn't recommend using these headphones for taking business phone calls, though, especially in areas with a lot of background noise.
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Should You Buy The Jaybird Vista?
The Jaybird Vista aren't meant for audiophiles, but they're a great choice if you're looking for a compact, durable pair of earbuds.
When you consider the extra 10 hours of battery you get with the case, they offer an impressive overall battery life compared to other types of Bluetooth headphones.
I would recommend the Jaybird Vista for commuters, or athletes looking for a reasonably priced pair of true wireless earbuds.
