Adidas RPT-01

These sports headphones have a compact, handy design and very hardwearing construction. The adjustable earpiece can be flexibly stretched in all directions. This makes them very adaptable to the shape of your head, making the fit quite tight and therefore suitable for sports. Wearing them for long periods can cause a sensation of pressure, but the firm fit is not uncomfortable in itself and gives a stable hold, even with stronger vibrations and fast, jerky movements. The shielding from sound from the outside world is also quite high. According to the manufacturer, the ear cushions are washable at 30 degrees and can be removed by turning them counter-clockwise. The knitted cover of the frame is protected with an inner band that can be wiped clean.

With a running time of more than 42 hours, the headphones proved to be pleasantly persistent in practice. With no 3.5 mm audio input available, it’s not possible to use them wired. However, the headphones are equipped with a USB-C port and can be charged up very quickly. Complete charging via the supplied USB-C to USB-A charging cable takes just 70 minutes, but it’s a bit confusing that the LED will only indicate that the battery is charged after three hours of showing a green light. An operating manual would have been helpful as the functional range of the headphones can only be found out via the How-to Guides on the support website, a short but informative Quick Start Guide, or simple trial and error.

Device control

Pairing the headphones, which support the Bluetooth 5.0 standard, is done by holding down the rectangular joystick-like control for a long time, switching the system on and into pairing mode. If there is a radio connection, the volume can be adjusted by moving vertically, while horizontal movement is used for title navigation. Pressing the button controls the play-stop function and answering and ending calls, which works well and is intuitive to use. However, care must be taken to ensure that the moving part is pressed straight down, otherwise the remote will not respond.

Additional control options such as calling up the language assistant and, in the case of a Spotify link, playing back albums, artists or play lists are available via the Action button, to which up to three functions can be assigned via the app. This is a useful feature, especially for those of us who use Spotify, as playlists etc. can be changed without having to pick up your Smartphone or tablet. Since the headphones, in combination with various iOS and Android systems, achieved stable ranges of between eight and ten metres within an urban environment, the device does not have to be in the immediate vicinity, meaning that there is freedom of movement. However, it is noticeable that speech intelligibility has limitations when using the telephone, as both sides come across as quite quiet and dull sounding.

Sound

The sports headphones are bass tuned and have a high output, which offers considerable reserves. The full, rich basses reach down to the deep bass range and with their dynamic attack, they are fun to listen to, even if the low-frequency range has a slight dullness and precision is lost. While the mids appear rather reserved, the bass foundation is countered by rather present highs, which do not drop noticeably, but do tend to overdraw sibilants, which can be perceived as sharpness. The overall sound is clear, powerful and assertive, so that this powerhouse is well suited for moving during sports. Also, an appealing liveliness is present and apart from the imbalance in the highs, the headphones sound harmonious and round. Those who are prepared to do without the support of high-quality audio codecs and prefer powerful bass will also enjoy using these headphones in day-to-day life.

App connection

The free Adidas Headphones app is used to assign the action button and the optional link to Spotify. In addition, the app provides a player and an EQ for sound adjustments. If you want a lower bass load and more present vocals after your training session, you can make some adjustments and use either your own settings or ready-made presets. Another advantage is that these headphones can be updated via app.