-I'm Washington Post tech columnist Geoff Fowler,
and I've figured out the best way to test headphone fit --
headbanging with them.
And I've brought in an expert to help me do it --
Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Famer Sammy Hagar.
-That would be me. At your service.
-Thank you, sir.
Sammy has 50 years of experience rocking out.
And if anyone can shake loose a pair of wireless earbuds,
it's him.
Are you a gadgety person? Do you got a lot of gadgets?
-No.
Well, I have a lot of gadgets, but I'm not a gadgety person.
-So for Sammy's debut review, we've got three contenders --
Apple's popular AirPods, the brand-new Powerbeats Pro,
and the Bose SoundSport Free.
♪♪
So, Sammy, what music should we use to test headphones today?
-I have a new record out called "Space Between,"
and I think that would be the best way to go -- and it rocks.
-Let's do it.
First a word about ears.
They're all really different.
They can vary in width by up to a third of an inch
and even more in height.
Same goes for the inner part, too.
Many women have smaller ears, which is why we brought in
a female perspective for our test today --
Sammy's wife, Kari Hagar.
-And I'm ready to rock.
-Round 1 -- Apple AirPods 2.
These are the ear danglers you see on more and more people,
and they're one-size-fits-all.
What's remarkable is how many people they do fit,
even if they end up feeling a little loose.
-Test coming up when the drums come in.
[up-tempo rock music plays]
Hey!
♪♪
Go, Geoff! Go!
♪♪
-Glasses came off, but everyone's AirPods stayed on.
Round 2 -- the Powerbeats Pro.
These have a very different way of staying on the ear --
by wrapping around the back.
The Beats came with different- sized silicone earpieces
to make a seal around the ear canal.
What's great is they don't put any pressure
on the middle part of the ear, which can get sensitive.
The downside is getting them off can be a bit of a hassle.
-You couldn't get these out of your ears if you had to.
♪♪
-Round 3 -- the Bose SoundSport Free.
These don't wrap outside your ears.
They have wings to help them grip inside.
♪♪
-Uh-oh. -Uh-oh.
-Uh-oh. -Oh, no.
Okay. Relock. Reload.
♪♪
-Unh-unh.
♪♪
Hunh!
-Oh, no!
-Sorry about that, folks.
♪♪
[laughs] Looks just like the video.
♪♪
Geoff, you need to wear a wig for this.
[laughs]
-Which headphones would you buy,
assuming the prices were about the same?
-First ones.
-What did you like about the AirPods?
-I like how small it was.
And I like the fact that it was just easy to pop in.
There wasn't, like, any twisting.
There wasn't any, like, you know, maneuvering.
They stayed in. They sounded good.
And the last ones, the Bose,
I like the sound of them, and they didn't come out,
but I just feel like they were a little bulkier.
-Sammy. -For me, same thing.
The first ones -- That would be my go-to for two reasons.
One, they felt like nothing in my ear.
They disappeared real fast.
When you first put them in,
you say, "Okay. I put little things in my ears."
But they honestly didn't have any sensation
of being in your ear.
The second ones, they really felt, like, secure in there.
They were not gonna come out.
The last ones -- I'm sorry -- the Bose, for me --
obviously, it fell out.
I just feel like they're just too clumsy,
sticking out there like that.
-So how do they stack up?
The AirPods were the surprise favorite,
while the Beats were the most secure for headbanging.
And although the Bose had trouble staying in,
we all thought it had the best sound.
Remember, when you're shopping for headphones, fit matters.
And you won't always have a professional headbanger around
to help you test.
♪♪