Quick question (ok two)- I got some Fairbuds-XL at the same time as my new FP6 early this year.
I used them on some calls so as not to disturb other people and it seemed like they worked sometimes and sometimes not. However there is an issue with the phone microphones and I can’t see on the Fairbuds description whether they have bone conduction microphones or not. I was assuming yes from the way the phone was some distance away but work calls still worked. But maybe I am being stupid and the phone mike was just having a good day?
The only reference I can find is here in the FAQs- “Can I use the Fairbuds XL without a battery? You can use them with a cable when they run out of battery or if you remove the battery. Additionally, the microphone will still work when connected via an audio jack cable, even without battery power.”
Second- it seems to be very hard to pair them with anything other than the phone (like my laptop- unfortunate as which is what I mainly bought them for, to make lots of zoom meetings more comfortable for a damaged ear/hearing). They rarely show up on the bluetooth devices list even when fully charged and happily on. Have I missed a key step or is there a fix that anyone knows?
The FAQ pages only really cover basic use so I haven’t been able to find much info. Thanks for any advice!
Sorry bit of extra info- using the headphones on a call often (but I’m not sure if always) seems to result in a lot of clipping so the other person complains. Obviously I stopped using them for important calls/work which is most calls I make but I will start using them again to try and work out what is happening. Also obviously if they have no microphone then this is actually the phone microphone problem(s) I already know about, perhaps.
If they do have a microphone(s), are there any fixes that improve that?
The Fairbuds as well as the Fairbuds XL have “normal” microphones built into the respective earpieces. In my experience they work quite well on the XLs - less so on the smaller Fairbuds.
In fact, I’m using the XL for practically all of my work meetings on my laptop and sounds seems to be absolutely fine.
Also, I never had issues pairing them with my various computers. If anything, sometimes they reconnect to those a little to eagerly when I’m not even in the same room and turn them on to listen on my phone.
If something seems off with them, you should probably check with support (contactsupport)
Not sure it could help, but I had ideas of things to try while reading your post:
Could they be hard to pair because they already are connected to your phone? Try to turn off bluetooth on your phone before you try to pair them with your computer. My wife’s Fairbuds XL automatically connects to her “main” devices: if I watch TV with them and she opens her tablet, they disconnect from the TV and automatically connect to the tablet…
Have you tried to use them with a usb cable instead of bluetooth. It could help to check if there is something wrong with the headphones or your connection. When you say there is a lot of clipping, do you use them with your computer or your phone? I would try both the phone and the computer and I would try cable and bluetooth, just to check what works or not.
Good luck! Both my wife and my daughter are happy with their Fairbuds XL, I hope that you will like them too!
Thanks Chrisse- the audio clipping was when paired with laptop and phone bluetooth off I though but will redo and check!
The audio on calls is also bad but my phone has issues anyway which make it harder to work out which issue is which.
One more thought regarding the “clipping”: The Fairbuds XL cannot really handle simultaneous audio input from more than one source - even though they can be connected to two devices at the same time!
This causes the sound to (randomly) cut out and you cannot understand a thing any more. If this is your problem, try disconnecting the device you’re not actively using right now.