I tested the Raycon The Fitness headphones this week with attention to its sound quality, fit, and functions. Not only was it a great musical companion on my long, leisurely walks, but it was also useful for getting me pumped to work out at the gym. Their comfortable fit and various sound functions stood out to me—keep reading for my detailed review!
Unboxing the Raycon The Fitness headphones
Inside the box, you’ll find the headphones with a pair of black, leather ear cushions already attached. Design wise, these headphones have “RAYCON” written in grey at the top of the headband. The Raycon logo is printed on both sides of the ear cups. With those being its only visual features, these headphones have a practical look.
There are also two extra sets of ear cushions. One comes in a marbly, blue design. The other is a standard black ear cushion. Each cushion has a big “R” or “L” labelled in the centre, making it easy to determine which side is for the right and which is for the left. This didn’t seem like a big deal to me at first, but after swapping the ear cushions in and out, I began to appreciate these labels. Speaking of cushioning, the headphones themselves are also cushioned at the bottom of the headband, giving a comfortable fit.
The box also includes a type C charging cable and an auxiliary cable. I imagine the auxiliary cable would come in handy when wanting to plug these headphones into a headphone jack, say on a flight. There’s also a user manual that briefly goes over the basic functions, such as switching songs, adjusting volume, and pausing sound.
Setup of the Raycon The Fitness headphones
Since my pair came already charged, it was ready to use right after unboxing. The Bluetooth setup was also incredibly easy. When I pressed the power button which is the middle button on the back of the right ear cup, my phone immediately picked up on “The Fitness Headphones”. And with a single click on my phone’s Bluetooth setting—voilà! The connection was made. Throughout my time using these headphones, I never had to reconnect the Bluetooth.
In terms of setup with the headphone jack, I did try plugging these into the only electronic device I own that still uses a headphone jack, my laptop. Because the Bluetooth connection was so quick and simple, I almost found having to plug both ends of the auxiliary cable into their appropriate ports more of a hassle. In any case, it worked just fine. I do appreciate Raycon providing this backup option for situations where Bluetooth connectivity isn’t possible. I also found the length of the auxiliary cable to be just right. It wasn’t too short to make working at my laptop while sitting at a desk uncomfortable, but it also wasn’t too long that the cable would start becoming annoying.
Fit of the Raycon The Fitness headphones
Aside from the choice of cushions, Raycon’s headphones come with an adjustable headband. When you pull on the adjustable part, you’ll see the extra length numbered from 1 to 7. When I pushed or pulled the headband, I heard a tiny click at each step, informing me that it’s been secured at that exact length. While I didn’t need to use this function as the original unadjusted headband worked well enough on my head, I can see how it’d be useful for finding the most comfortable fit.
Another way to personalize the fit is changing the ear cushions. To remove the ear cushions, gently twist it counter clockwise to unlock it from the attachments. To attach the ear cushions, try matching the attachment nodes with each other, then secure the new cushion by twisting clockwise. The first time I switched the cushions, it took a bit of fidgeting around to figure out the right angles. But after the practice, changing cushions became quite easy. I also made sure to change one cushion at a time so that I wouldn’t confuse the left for the right ear. Being the daredevil that I am, I did wear the headphones on the wrong ears, and they still felt comfortable, so I’m not entirely sure if the right and left distinction is all that significant.
All three cushions felt comfortable even after continuous wear that lasted over an hour. The leather cushion has a snugger fit, and the two other fabric ones felt lighter on the ear. Out of the three, the leather one was my favourite because it gives the feeling of the ear cups gently hugging my ears. I enjoyed playing around with them and choosing the best option depending on whether I was doing sprint intervals, going for a stroll, or just sitting in front of my laptop. I prefer the leather one for the more sedentary activities, and the lighter cushions for more intense exercise.
Functions of the Raycon The Fitness headphones
The functions on Raycon’s The Fitness headphones are straightforward and hassle-free. On the back of the right ear cup, there are three buttons. Press and hold the middle one for around 3 seconds to power on or off. Press the top button once to increase volume, and the bottom button once to lower volume. To skip a song, press and hold the top button for two seconds. To return to a previous track, do the same with the bottom button. I liked how the functions are actual buttons as opposed to sensors, making them easy to locate, especially if exercising with these headphones. Once I remembered the different functions, I found these headphones easy to use.
Sound and noise cancellation functions
On the front of the right ear cup, there is one button that maneuvers between three sound functions—balanced, bass, and pure sound. The same button also activates noise cancellation or the awareness mode. To change between the sonic themes, press and hold for around one and a half seconds. To activate noise cancellation or the awareness mode, you only have to press once. When switching between these options, a voice will come up, letting you know which function is now operating.
With the active noise cancellation on, I couldn’t hear much chatter even sitting inside a busy café. It was also pretty good at blocking out outside noise when I used it on my walk, but of course, for safety purposes, I much prefer the awareness mode or just having the active noise cancellation turned off if I’m anywhere near traffic. I also tested these functions on the treadmill. The ANC blocked out most of the noise—even the sound of treadmill. With the awareness mode on, I could hear my feet hitting the treadmill.
Sound quality of the Raycon The Fitness headphones
I really loved the sound quality of these headphones, partly because Raycon gives you options to personalize your soundscape. There are three sonic modes: bass, balanced, and pure. I liked using the bass function when I’m at the gym because it amplifies the beats of the song, energizing me for a workout. In contrast, the pure sound emphasized the singer’s voice, and I found myself reaching for this function when I wanted to have a (private) sing-along. My favourite out of the modes was the balanced sound. When I used this function with the ANC mode on, I got that surround sound experience that allowed me to zone in and focus on whatever I was working on.
Final thoughts
I really like these headphones and can see myself using them in a variety of situations. The long-lasting comfort provided by the ear cushions is great for work sessions or long walks. The fabric, breathable ear cushions worked well at the gym when I wanted a lighter feel to my headphones. Since these headphones are also IPX4 water resistant, they worked well even when I was a sweaty mess at the gym. As for the battery, they are marketed as having up to 45 hours of battery life. I had no issues with the battery during long work sessions, and the headphones were still ready to go the following days.
If you’re looking for a set of new headphones, check out the Raycon The Fitness headphones at Best Buy.
