adidas Sport FWD-001 in Ear Bluetooth Earphones - Night Grey

Product Information

Four pairs of silicone eartips and earfins are included in the box, which is nice for users of different ear sizes. The fit, however, wasn’t as good as we’d hoped, as it felt rather loose while running. We wager that Adidas’ design intent on enabling some passive transparency (basically reducing the ear tip size to let in a little bit of sound for runners to be aware of their surroundings) was what led to the ear tips being loose. This compromise in comfort could be looked into should the German sporting brand decide to produce a sequel to the FWD-01.

Now, Adidas FWD-01 is part of the company’s “Running” line of wireless earbuds. And, as such, it isn’t necessarily the best option if you happen to need to put a lot of distance between yourself and your smartphone. In fact, compared to other earbuds I’ve had the opportunity to review, Adidas FWD-01 performed among the worst I’ve tested on range.While they aren’t the prettiest gym headphones around, when it comes to functionality they easily match competing sets from the likes of Jaybird. Setting that caveat aside, under that range, these earbuds had no trouble connecting. And since I did my cycling — I’m not much for running — with my phone in a bike mount, these earbuds stayed connected with near-lossless audio throughout. We test every headphones we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product. Finally, Adidas includes a fold-to-close carry case. Adidas made that from a mesh material and even added a slot specifically for the charging cable. But it’s also small enough that the accessories just barely fit without being difficult to place inside. So, unlike many other companies’ included carry cases, this one from Adidas doesn’t take up much more extra room than the earbuds themselves would. The lightweight 25g design, combined with the secure fit of the earbuds, mean you’ll likely never have to readjust the earbuds once you’ve put them in – and that’s not something I can say of many wireless earbuds at any price point.

Being Adidas’ first-ever range of audio equipment, the FWD-01 does a decent enough job in the audio department, though it doesn’t yet match up to the likes of Jaybird or Bose, both of which have been in the industry for much, much longer. The base preset EQ is pretty solid, which is by default bass-forward, which certainly pumps some adrenaline in your workout. As such, bass-heavy genres such as EDM and hip hop will no doubt benefit from it. But if that’s not for you, there are other EQ presets available in the app, or it can be manually edited, giving you a bevvy of audio options.Water- and sweat-resistance come in at IPX5, matching the Z.N.E. 01 ANC, which makes them resistant to low pressure and sustained jets of water, while the case is splash-proof at IPX4. The case is an interesting piece of design, with a “breathable” mesh top; if the earphones become wet, it allows the water to evaporate through it (and it works). The FWD-02 Sport are the third in a trio of true wireless buds from the Adidas and Zound Industries collaboration, with this model specifically aimed at runners. From our time using the FWD-01, the controls are satisfactory in terms of responsiveness. Using them isn’t a hassle either, which is good especially when you’re running and don’t want to fuss over the controls too much.

The Adidas Headphones app (for Android and iOS) immediately recognizes the paired earphones and leads you through a tour of their features and customizable options. The aforementioned Action button can be set up through the app, and different actions can be assigned to single, double, and triple presses, but customization is limited to voice assistants and Spotify controls. Perhaps the app's most useful feature is the built-in five-band EQ, with several adjustable presets, as well as a user preset labeled Custom. The mic offers strong intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 8, we could understand every word we recorded. The mic signal was strong and there was even some bass depth to the audio. There was a little bit of typical Bluetooth distortion around the edges, but nothing that did much to alter the clarity. ConclusionsOf course, that means they aren’t necessarily going to be the most audiophile-friendly headphones on the market. But they certainly aren’t the worst either. Especially if you keep the volume below 70-percent of the maximum. Above around 80-percent, the bass does tend to overpower. But under that, the frequency separation and distinction are actually very good. If not the best.

What’s surprising is that the IP rating isn’t higher. Given the FWD-02 Sport have been designed in consultation with Adidas Runners, a community of international runners, the IP rating is rather bog-standard. FeaturesWhen it comes to the audio performance, I feel Adidas and Zound have made some decent-sounding headphones. While I can’t speak for the Z.N.E. 01 model, I was a fan of the ANC version, and the performance of the FWD-02 Sport displays similar characteristics: big bass, lots of energy and smooth delivery. Strike the perfect balance between charging up and winding down in adidas RPT-02 SOL headphones. As a fitness enthusiast and artist, rest is essential to Marcia Kim's active lifestyle. Amplify your workout motivation or ease into your creative flow using the powerful combination of music and light. Where do the new Adidas FWD-01 sport in-ear headphones come in, then? One of the sporting giant’s first forays into the audio market, the FWD-01 is clearly intended for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and runners as its target audience. Since there’s no ANC, battery life matches the Z.N.E. 01 ANC with 6 and 25 hours. This is an area where the Adidas give up a little time to the likes of the Jabra Elite 7 Pro and JBL Reflect Flow Pro. Like the Z.N.E, the figures bandied about are fine for gym use, but they’re just about okay if we’re talking about using them more often.