Photos by Debra Rothenberg

As soon as I saw the compact packaging, I was excited to open the PaMue True Wireless  earbuds by Padmate, and give a listen.

I admit that I do not enjoy instructions, and often wonder who writes the manuals— I prefer to learn by doing. As a photographer, too, I wanted to see if I could figure out the earbuds on my own. I have only had two pairs in the past, which both of which kept popping out of my ears, so I was hoping Padmate would be different. They claim PaMu Waterproof Wireless Earbuds never fall out.

The earbuds came in their own little case with a micro USB charger device inside. It took no time for them to be fully charged, and when I put them in my ears, immediately, they were super comfortable—so much so that I didn’t even know they were there. Pairing along with the Bluetooth on my iPhone 6S was easy and intuitive.

I turned my music on to shuffle and, WOW! The sound was incredible. I was able to hear each individual instrument and vocals clearly. As I was listening to my 12th song, the phone rang. I have to admit, having not read the instructions I went to take them out to manually answer the phone and then realized I can use them for calls. I tapped the right earbud and was able to talk!

I put them back in the case when I went to a photo shoot. Each charge lasts about three and a half hours, and the portable charger will charge the buds three or four times before you need to hook it up again. They’re even water-resistant! When I came home and wanted to use them, they were automatically connected to my phone. That’s when I told  my husband about them. Oops.

I give these a 10 out of 10 for everything: ease of use, comfort and fantastic sound quality. (So does my sticky-fingered hubby.) At about $80, they’re a steal. (Just ask him.)

Buy the online HERE, but, realistically, you may need two pairs.

—Debra L. Rothenberg, Photojournalist