The Jaybird Tarah are the Jaybird’s entry level headphones coming in around $99. We’ll be taking a look to see if they float in a market flooded by wireless headphones. Do these waterproof headphones provide bulletproof sound? Well, they do bring the fight.

The Jaybird Tarah, wireless headphones for those on the move. Foo Conner | Jekko.

The box includes: Tarah Wireless Headphones, eargels for 3 differenct sizes of ears, the charging cradle, short clip, and a speed cinch. The Tarahs enjoy a IPX7 water rating which means they withstand sweat, rain, and occasional dips in the river. (Up to 1M). The audio quality behind these tiny buds are best friends with the other offering from Jaybird and similar buds in this category.

The Tarah’s audio provides clear podcast listening and crisp details in hip hop. Don’t expect a lot for the bass; there is an EQ if you need more or less of it. We did experience some latency issues between iPhone and Android devices but for those with current or last generation phones Netflix and YouTube should be fine.

The Jaybird Tarah Controls can be navigated blind folded, but charging requires a proprietary cord. Foo Conner | Jekko.

The higher end Tarah Pro boasts 14 hours of battery life. The Tarah Wireless only has 6 hours battery life. Practically speaking sports professionals and those who hate charging items every few days will notice a difference. The Tarah itself performs well between Subway commutes and gym power songs. While this won’t get you through fifteen hours of the recently leaked Radiohead mini-disks, it will get you through your day. When the battery does run out, there is a small notice (not a screaming voice) that alerts you.

The Jaybird Tarah fitting snugly into the ear, the cable wraps around the back of the neck. Foo Conner | Jekko.

Overall, the Jaybird Tarah is put together well. Tradeoffs are active choices and they chose well. They provide strong sound and good EQ options for daily life. The packaging and design might be basic, but you’ll never see it once you put them in. The Jaybird Tarah is the perfect entry level into the wireless headphone space.

Pros

  • Jaybird App is a Pleasure – Works well and optimizes listening.
  • Battery Life – Six hours; Marathon runners might complain, but it’s good enough for normal use.
  • Budget Friendly – The trade offs for price are excellently balanced.

Cons

  • Proprietary Charging Cable – Don’t loose it!
  • No Carrying Case – Pockets were made for a reason, right?

Jean-Luc Park is an avid technologist with experience in Venture Capital dating back to the 90's. On this site he uses his MBA in Entrepreneurship from CMU to give in-depth financial analysis to emerging...