I see new AirPods 2 have been announced by Apple. They are supposed to have a stronger wireless connection using a H1 chip. I wonder if this means they will work with the 645M without drop-outs?
I'm still wary of using them for running though, no button remote and they are not rain or sweat proof.
I've been using the originals since launch (December 2016) for about 6 runs per week and haven't had any issues with rain or sweat. The major drawback is battery – I used to get close to five hours per charge and now I'm lucky to get two.
I've been using the originals since launch (December 2016) for about 6 runs per week and haven't had any issues with rain or sweat. The major drawback is battery – I used to get close to five hours per charge and now I'm lucky to get two.
I tried AirPods but got slight drop outs every 30 sec or so with wearing 645 on left wrist. Nothing major but enough to be annoying. I then brought a set of Jaybird Tarah Pros - the sound quality is on another level and the Bluetooth 5.0 connection is strong and stable. Also, no worries about them getting damaged by sweat as they are fully waterproof. That said, I still love my AirPods for the gym or for casual use, but I can use my iPhone then so the connection is not an issue.
I tend to take my Apple Watch with me even when I wear the Garmin for music and LTE, so I've only had to contend with the Garmin dropouts when testing music. I have other wireless headphones (Bose and Aftershokz) but the AirPods are more convenient for me.
Just bumping this up, has anyone tested AirPods 2 with this watch yet?
I finally had an opportunity to try the AirPods 2 with my Fenix 5+. I ran a slow 6 miles outside for about an hour and noticed about 6 small stutters. The music was comprised of mp3's transferred with the Garmin Express Mac app.
I also had a Stryd paired with my watch. And I'll note that I'm running the latest Fenix 5+ beta, which includes an ANT/BLE/BT update.
Though not as perfect of a connection as when using AirPods with an Apple Watch or an iPhone, it was totally fine. Hopefully you'll find the same with the 645.
Forerunner 645 Music, not ready for prime time. The Airpod 2 pairs up ok, but the software on the watch gets a little wonky. When the watch is "connected" the headphones don't receive the BT signal. If I go into the watch and disconnect the headphones, the music suddenly starts transmitting. Each time this happens, the volume is too loud, so be ready for that. If I "connect" the Airpods, the music stops. Odd behavior but somewhat workable. The connection seems strong, no dropouts so far, though just walking around the house.
Forerunner 645 Music, not ready for prime time. The Airpod 2 pairs up ok, but the software on the watch gets a little wonky. When the watch is "connected" the headphones don't receive the BT signal. If I go into the watch and disconnect the headphones, the music suddenly starts transmitting. Each time this happens, the volume is too loud, so be ready for that. If I "connect" the Airpods, the music stops. Odd behavior but somewhat workable. The connection seems strong, no dropouts so far, though just walking around the house.
Thanks for this. Sounds like I'll be sticking with my Jaybird Tarah Pros then. Which aren't bad at all, although I do prefer the convenience of AirPods.
Thanks for this. Sounds like I'll be sticking with my Jaybird Tarah Pros then. Which aren't bad at all, although I do prefer the convenience of AirPods.
Scott, after selling my Fenix 5+ (based on the 945 and 245 leaks) and "downgrading" to the 245 Music I can report that the AirPods v2 work perfectly with the watch and it's a noticeable improvement from the Fenix. Easy pairing and no dropouts. I used a combination of mp3's encoded between 128 kbps and 256 kbps and they all played fine. I haven't tried Spotify.
I'm not sure whether to attribute it to a different bluetooth transmitter or something else, but my hunch is that the plastic watch casing without the metal bezel helps...similar to how the 935 has better GPS reception than the Fenix 5 and 5+.
