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Pioneer jumps on true wireless bandwagon with E8 sports earphones

The new earphones will be shown at CES 2019 and be available in late January for $150.

David Carnoy Executive Editor / Reviews
Executive Editor David Carnoy has been a leading member of CNET's Reviews team since 2000. He covers the gamut of gadgets and is a notable reviewer of mobile accessories and portable audio products, including headphones and speakers. He's also an e-reader and e-publishing expert as well as the author of the novels Knife Music, The Big Exit and Lucidity. All the titles are available as Kindle, iBooks, Nook e-books and audiobooks.
Expertise Mobile accessories and portable audio, including headphones, earbuds and speakers Credentials
  • Maggie Award for Best Regularly Featured Web Column/Consumer
David Carnoy
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The Pioneer E8 ships at the end of January for $150.

Pioneer

Another day, another new true wireless headphone making its debut.

Pioneer's E8 is a sports model that will be shown at CES 2019 and be available in late January in yellow, gray and pink for $150 (no word yet on international pricing). At first glance, it seems to share some similarities with Bose's SoundSport Free earphones, with a little shorter battery life of only three hours.

Here are the E8's key specs. As soon as I get some hands-on time with them, I'll let you how they sound and perform.  

  • Three pairs of secure ear fins included (the fins lock each earbud into place)
  • Ear Direct Mount Structure features angled drivers and nozzles that aim sound straight into the inner ear, avoiding damping issues
  • 6 mm drivers
  • AAC codec
  • Internal batteries provide up to 3 hours of continuous playback on a single charge
  • The E8's charging case can replenish the units twice, extending listening time to about 9 hours
  • Lightly shaking the charging case causes the LEDs to display the remaining battery charge
  • Ambient awareness earphone tips allow low-level ambient sound into the ear
  • IPX5 water-resistant
  • Hands-free multi-function button controls playback, phone, and voice-assistant functions
  • Pioneer Notification App for Android can read out mail, news and more on the go
  • Price: $150 (no international pricing yet)
  • Availability: Late January

 

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