Used these for an entire season in Utah. Never had a problem with battery life. It always lasts a full ski day. Works fine even on the coldest days. Decent sound with good volume. The controls are very glove friendly, if you want to these can be operated by bonking your ears with a closed fist. Bluetooth cut-outs did happen on rare occasion but I found this really depends on where you put your phone and what is between your phone and the Chips. (mainly body parts) Calls were surprisingly clear given that the mic is in your ear flap. I could still be heard easily even in moderate wind.
I have not used the walkie-talkie function but I would not expect it to work well. It is not a radio walkie-talkie. It is dependent on Internet data sent through the cell phone. This means that both people's phones must have a constant good cell data signal for a walkie-talkie feature to function. Ski areas without dead spots are rare and sometimes these dead spots can be large regions of the mountain. In addition, either phone's power saving settings can interfere by powering off internet data temporarily to save power. When power saving settings are turned off on both phones, you now likely have a battery life issue. All in all, I would not suggest this product if walkie-talkie function is a critical dealbreaker for you. It's good for headphones and telephone headset functions only.
Love it while was working (i.e. 20 March 2017 until today 12 Jan 2018). Now the only thing I can do with it is to power it on and for unknown reasons it refuses to pair with my Samsung (even after recharging and resetting the phone). In total I used it like less than 10 times.
[update - 1/15/2018] - I figured out that the culprit was my Android phone by connecting one of my Win10 computer to it. After removing all paired Bluetooth devices and resetting my Android phone, the right "ODT CHIPS©2.0" entry appeared (one having a headphone inside the icon) and paring succeeded. I did not have anymore the user manual but for me first pressing the left and while holding it pressing the right side for 5-10 seconds seems to "reset pairing" on the headphone and the LED is alternating between blue and red indicating it is ready to pair.
Sound quality is good. The battery life is good. They are user friendly. The left ear piece is different than the right ear piece. Meaning it dosent click when you push it for the function control, but it's doable. The only real complaint I have is that connecting them for the first time out of the box was a pain. I'm tech savvy and it took me a minute to finally pair and connect them too my phone. Also coneccting them for the first thing when you hit the slopes. I have to remove them from my helmet so the Bluetooth can connect to my phone. But as long as your phone battery can hold up. You can leave them on and connected all day long. Just pause using the right ear function. They don't loose connection if you not listening to them. Which is a huge plus, not ever having to take your phone out of you're pockets.. I would give 5 stars if connecting them was easier when I hit the slopes.
This product seems to get divisive reviews and I think the reason is simple. The walkie-talkie function depends on cell service so when you're skiing you can imagine that this isn't so reliable. It's unrealistic to think that this solution can be a good walkie-talkie when it's not a radio. Back in the day my friends and I would have little walkie talkies so we can stay connected on the mountain, but now there are cell phones. So really, when I need to get a hold of other people I just call or text them using my phone's assistant when I have cell service and they don't even need to have this headset installed. If you truly need a walkie talkie, get a radio.
So now that's out of the way I will say that I'm extremely happy with this. It fits seamlessly into my helmet and it's easy to use if you spend a few minutes to learn what the buttons do. the volume is just perfect so that I can hold a conversation nobody knows I even have my music playing. I was worried about safety but I'm able to hear my surroundings and still hear the music since this is not an in-ear headphone. Many people will consider using their regular headphones or airpods instead. That may be cheaper, but this solution is so much better for two big reasons. First, buttons! I underestimated how great it would be to tap my ear and be able to do what I want with gloves on. It's a brilliantly simple system and I love it. Second, you don't have to worry about wires, something falling out of your ear, or something being in your ear blocking out important sounds around you.
Totally worth the investment.
Just received. Out of the box, once fully charged, pairing took less than a minute. Controls work as per instructions. Blutooth connection worked from another room so no problem there. Adjusted my Spotify equalizer and sound is very good. I Can’t review walkie talkie app feature. Also it’s a house test, but no reason it won’t perform same on slopes. I still feel it’s expensive compared to my many other $30 blutooth headsets, but for now Wearher Tech owns this market and is getting there market value. Would have been much more value added if they included scelatal headphone band so they could be used outside ski helmet the rest of the year!
I Hope for their sake they have patents...
Feature Product
- 40mm drivers for clear Bluetooth wireless Audio + walkie-talkie for any Audio compatible helmet; HELMET COMPATIBILITY: The CHIPS 2. 0 are compatible with helmets from the following manufacturers (and possibly more), as long as they have slots for audio drop-ins: Bern, Giro, Smith, K2, Anon, Pro-Tec, Technology: Wireless
- Dot walkie-talkie app provides push-to-talk communication with your crew with limitless range
- Two-button glove-friendly controls adjust volume, change tracks, play, pause, take calls and use Siri (voice control) through the built-in microphone. Bluetooth version is 4. 0. Bluetooth profiles are a2dp, avrcp and operating distance is 32 feet
- 10 hours of playtime on a single charge So you can ride all day listening to smooth Jazz without concern
- Sweat-resistant and fully functional in extreme cold weather (-20 degree/-4 Degree)
Description
These are the chips 2. 0, The universal wireless helmet audio + walkie-talkie system by outdoor Tech. Connect them to your Bluetooth enabled device, Drop them into your audio compatible helmet and your Skull will be dripping with undeniable melodies for the next ten hours. Loaded with full audio controls, phone call capability, voice command (Siri) power and now with a push-to-talk walkie-talkie. Do it all while keeping your mittens where they belong. . . Waving in the air, like you just don't care. Imagine it: warm hands, fresh powder, total audio and communication control, and no wires inside your jacket. Standby time - 280 hours
Update: moved it up to 5 Stars after a season of use. Wireless headphones on the slopes is a game changer.
Haven't had them for long and have yet to try them on the slopes, but keeping my fingers crossed that I got a durable pair. Sounds like the quality of functioning is hit or miss, so I bought the 4 year Square Trade insurance for $5. Small price to pay for a FANTASTIC concept. I've been a skier all my life, and really enjoy making turns with tunes. The speakers fit well in my helmet ear pads. I put them on the wrong side of the padding at first and that was not comfy at all, realized my mistake and then slid them behind the padding - basically creates an on-ear headphone. Not audiophile quality, but for skiing the volume and sound quality is better than good. The buttons are easy to press, controls are explained in the manual, simple two clicks on the left ear for volume up, one click left ear for volume down. One click on right ear to pause and restart music. Really looking forward to taking them up on the slopes, although I'll probably pack a backup pair of earbuds in case things go awry. A hopeful 5 Stars for now, will come back and upgrade to 5 Stars if they prove to be reliable.
First of all, be sure to read the manual for the full functions if you do buy this. As for the headphones, they work well, are easy to set up, the sound quality is great, it can hear your voice well, and even has a combination to trigger Siri or equivalent to minimize your need to take your phone out as you ride up the lifts.
A minor complaint I have, is that it charges with a proprietary headphone jack charger, tough it fortunately does come with a micro-usb converter if you need it.
I have not had the ability to test the walkie-talkie functionality yet, so this review is slightly incomplete. However, given the app to use that function has a paltry 1.6 rating on the AppStore currently, it’s safe to assume that it leaves something to be desired.
In conclusion, if you can afford it and want minimal hearing obstruction with headphones ask you ski, these are definitely worth a look.
The chips are easy to use once you figure out the pattern of which side to click and how many times. Mine has a ticking sound when the volume is low and i think your phone should be on your right side to prevent cutouts. IF YOU HAVE AN ANDROID-- Turn OFF the phones bluetooth FIRST, then turn on the chips pairing (red/blue flashing light) then turn on the phones blue tooth. Otherwise it will reject the pairing. I use the chips with my GIRO helmet and they run all day at high volume. Havent used the walkie talkie or the phone feature. For music it is great.
Sound quality is, understandably, not the best, but that's because these are a "rough" item meant to install into a helmet. Mine are installed in an Anon helmet and the fit is absolutely perfect. Controls are robust but not exactly intuitive. Outdoor Tech needs to include a laminated instruction card. Being able to have 100% wireless, long-lasting audio on the slopes is just too cool.
This is the best investment I've made for skiing. I love being able to listen to music and the controls work extremely well and are easy to operate while skiing. I can comfortably switch songs or blast the volume up for a steep section as needed.
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