Adidas RPD-01

A big plus point of the sports headphones is their high wearing comfort as the fit is not only very comfortable, but also has stability suitable for sports use. This is ensured by the tight-fitting silicone neckband and by the ergonomically adapted attachments with wings that fit in the ear itself. As the EarWings and EarTips are each supplied in four sizes that can be combined freely, the fit can also be adjusted to suit you. The low weight of the delicate housings also contributes to the fact that these in-ears are hardly noticeable when worn and even after prolonged use, there are no complaints about pressure. Another advantage is that the earpieces do not protrude and can be easily accommodated under a cap if required. However, this positive overall impression is clouded by cable noise, which occurs as soon as the connecting parts between the neckband and the housings come into contact with clothing or skin, which is mainly disturbing at low to medium volume. The fact that these earphones can be worn like a chain around the neck, thanks to the integrated magnetic closure, comes in handy for sports and everyday use, as these in-ears do not need to be stowed away when not in use.

Battery

The RPD-01 proved to have good endurance values in our battery test, with a runtime of more than 15 hours at a moderate level. However, these in-ears must be fully charged via the existing USB-C port, which takes about two hours. The LED of the battery charge indicator lights green after 90 minutes, but this corresponds to a capacity of 80 per cent. However, conveniently, the quick charge function allows spontaneous use of up to two hours after only 15 minutes of power supply.

Device control and app connection

Pairing these sports headphones, which support Bluetooth standard 5.0, is achieved by holding down the middle remote button for a few moments, this turns the system on and then puts it in pairing mode. If a wireless connection is active, simply pressing the multifunction button controls both playback and accepting and ending calls with good speech intelligibility. A double-click also allows you to skip forward to the next track and a triple press will skip back, while the upper and lower buttons are used to adjust the volume, and overall this works perfectly. There were also no problems when connecting to various Android and iOS devices, however, dropouts occurred increasingly after six to seven metres, which means that the range is rather limited.

The action button offers a successful extension of control options. Up to three additional functions can be assigned to this button via the free Adidas Headphones App. By default, this is used to launch the Voice Wizard. In addition, a link to Spotify enables playback of artists, playlists or albums. In addition to button configuration, the app can also be used to update firmware and make individual sound adjustments via EQ. For this purpose, several ready-made presets for rock, pop, hip-hop or electronic and spoken content are available for selection, and you can also save your individual settings here.

Sound

These in-ears have a powerful, dynamic bass response that sounds well rounded and pleasantly defined. Just right for powering you up for doing sports, especially since bass-oriented productions with depth get the benefit of the fact that even the lower ranges are reproduced. At the other end, there are present highs, but these offer less continuity and drop off in the upper frequencies. Also, with increasing volume, a tendency to exaggerate sibilants is perceptible, so that there are certainly minor weaknesses in the high frequencies. Otherwise, the tuning seems balanced and impressed us with clear, lively vocals and lead instruments. The proportions of the stage, which doesn’t seem too narrow, also appear harmonious. In this respect, these headphones are versatile for sports and everyday use, even if the support of high-quality audio codecs is not available.