Gadgetory

add another totally wireless headphone to the growing list of totally wireless headphones this is the SOL Republic amps air and it looks similar to other totally wireless earphones out there such as the braggy dash and Samsung I got X and cost a hundred and eighty dollars like those models you get two independent Wireless buds that are then joined together wirelessly to create a stereo pair design-wise what distinguishes the amp ser is that it's wrapped in a silicone sleeve with tapered grooves that soul Republic says grips the ear like treads on a tire for a comfortable yet secure fit it also allows air flow to reduce sweat build-up during workouts so yes the amps air is being built as a wireless sports headphone and they are sweat resistant they fit my ears well and also managed to hold a city connection both between my phone and the two buds themselves there's a little bit of a lag in the Bluetooth transmission so these aren't going to be good for watching video but they're just fine with music and sound decent if you can maintain a tight seal if you don't get a tight seal you'll lose a lot of bass and the sound comes across as thin and recessed I also thought they had some trouble push that can give certain tracks a harsh edge like competing models battery life isn't great at three hours but you do get a portable charging case with a 2200 milliamp battery that recharges the buds more than 15 times according to Seoul Republic the charging case also doubles as a portable charger for your phone each earpiece has a button on its exterior that allows you to pause and play your music answer calls and access Siri and Google Voice Search the buds automatically turn off when you put them in their charging case and turn on when you take them out you could also just use one bud as a mono headset for your phone I like the design the amp ser and I've found that it worked reliably with minimal hiccups which is an achievement for this type of headphone I'm not sure it really distinguishes itself that much from the competition but perhaps its price will come down with time giving it an edge I'm David Caron for cnet.com thanks for watching