Outdoor Tech Orcas 2.0 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds for Sale, Reviews, Deals and Guides

5.9
out of 10
8 Positive, 5 Mixed & 5 Negative
from 18 Reviews
Retail Price:
$35.98
Used Value:
$21.59
Sale Value:
$32.38

Make wires a thing of the past with the high-fidelity wireless streaming of the Outdoor Tech Orcas 2.0 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds. Great for intense workout sessions, powder days at the resort, long bike rides, and any other fast-paced activity, these Bluetooth buds are sweat and splash-resistant, ensuring you won't ruin 'em when you forget to wear your headband, or a bit of outside moisture hits them (think face-spraying pow turns). Not only do these deliver high-fidelity listening with their audio-enhancing aptX and AAC codecs, but they also include a built-in mic for hands-free use, should your workout session be interrupted by an important call. In addition, a three-button inline control allows you to play/pause, change tracks, control volume, and answer calls with the touch of a button.

These earbuds have a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery that offers 6 hours of play/call time and 150 hours of standby time, and they charge with the included USB cable. These buds conform to a wide variety of ear shapes with three different ear pads and two secure-fit ear cushions.

Outdoor Tech will donate one dollar with every purchase to the Whaleman Foundation, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to research, education, conservation, and wildlife film production focused on cetaceans (that's dolphins, whales, and porpoises to you non-biologists).

Specifications

Brand:
Case Included:
yes, carry pouch
Input:
Bluetooth 4.0
Manufacturer Warranty:
1 year
Recommended Use:
running, fitness

Full Reviews

4
These are...overpriced. They sound alright but the earpieces fit weird and seem cheap. If you want a headphone like these just get the $20 cheaper version and you'll probably be just as pleased.
DJ Redundant II, backcountry.com
January 31, 2019
2
I purchased these via a 3rd party website simply because they were so inexpensive; now after attempting to wear them I understand the significantly lower price compared to the website. Do not purchase this product. The ear buds DO NOT FIT AT ALL my ears or any of the 5+ other friends and family (of various body types) who tried. We attempted different combinations of the extra pieces included and could not find anything near comfortable. The main problem is the actual ear buds 'nozzle' is far too large to fit in your ear canal. They include the "Comply" premium styrofoam earphone tips stating "roll the tip into a thin, round cylinder" except they barely compress and even if they did the plastic 'nozzle' was far too large to fit in anyone's ear anyway. The size makes you wonder if anyone actually tried them because they are significantly greater in size than any other ear buds I have used or I was viewing in retail stores to replace these, regardless of brand or pricing. It really confuses me because I've never encountered this problem wearing ear buds... for the last 20 years?!?! The Orca "Fins" may or may not be innovative but I never even got far enough to try them while doing anything significant though I sincerely doubt they would maintain the ear buds position doing anything greater than light movement. An interesting design but nothing more than that. Do not purchase these. I rarely write reviews but while viewing the website to see if there was something else I could do to use the headphones I felt I had to relate my experience especially seeing the price. I can not comment on other products with this brand and have have no desire to try again. I couldn't imagine paying this price to receive a product that misses so badly. I would be even more aggravated and disappointed than I currently am.
Rob D., backcountry.com
November 15, 2018
10
Now that phones don't have headphone jacks you have to invest in these great bluetooth headphones! They make life so easy!
Emery Gaylord, backcountry.com
June 25, 2018
2
Just found these in my junk drawer, forgot to review these. Put these through the wringer 5 days a week. Battery life was not close to what was quoted, they would cut out and disconnect when my phone was in my pocket, the flat rubber wire sticks to your neck if your sweaty and pulls the buds out when you turn your head. I put up with these for about 5 months and then they would not recharge. Outdoor Tech should start doing some research and development on their products
Austin, backcountry.com
November 11, 2016
4
They seemed sweet but as soon as I opened them and went to plug in the charging cabe the headphone wires ripped out! So i returned them. Maybe i got a bunk pair but I was very unimpressed.
Camden P., backcountry.com
June 23, 2016
8
I've owned these for a couple months now and have had a good experience overall. I have not experienced any of the issues with pairing, charging or static that I have read about below. My only "complaint" would be the size of the units, but they still fit just fine under a helmet and stay put if I use the included ear cushions. I'm impressed with the design overall, I :::love::: not having a cord and the price is definitely right, compared with the alternative. Outdoor Tech is a solid outfit as well, and the product seems to reflect that.
Ed Kilbourn, backcountry.com
January 5, 2016
2
Got the head phones in the mail was looking forward to skiing without a wire. The phones would not charge right out of the box left sit all night nothing. The only thing i would get was one red light that only blinked once when i plugged them in. Returned them to Backcountry.com but still got charged $5 for shipping.
Thomas B., backcountry.com
January 4, 2016
2
I received the orcas a few days ago and can't even get them to pair, I've charged them for at least 16 hours and still can't get them to work.
Kyle Bochow, backcountry.com
December 26, 2015
4
This is the first pair of Bluetooth ear buds I have owned, and the reviews were mostly positive claiming great sound quality. I was somewhat dissapointed to find that the left ear bud has some mild feedback that is especially noticeable when listening to audiobooks or certain quieter songs. When jamming out it isn't noticeable, but knowing that when I want to listen to something a little more quiet I might get some annoying feedback is far from ideal. I got a replacement pair thinking the original were faulty, but had the same issue. Not sure if anyone else has experienced this issue.
Troy Lenz, backcountry.com
December 22, 2015
10
I've been using my Orcas for everything from the gym, to cycling, to sport climbing and boulderin, to the office. It's been so liberating to perform all my favorite activities without being tethered to my phone. I can now keep my phone safe (and dry) in my pocket while controlling everything from my headphones. One of the coolest pluses is that I've never owned a set of headphones that has the "skip back" feature; I can now re-listen to a song without having to pull my phone back out and skip back a track or two. I still haven't utilized the sure fit "shark fin" attachments, but they've stayed in without them thus far. Even when hanging upside down on a boulder problem. And with the distance on the bluetooth, I can leave my phone "drop free" at the base of a climb, and still get a strong signal all the way to the top. The distance even works when I get up from my dest and walk halfway accross the office to refill my coffe :) And the buttons respond great even when I'm wearing my thick winter cycling gloves. I can't stop bragging about these to my friends and will continue to highly recomend them to everyone!
Eric Morton, backcountry.com
December 7, 2015
8
I moved to the Orcas from a traditional corded headphone and OH MY GOSH, freedom feels sooooo nice! It's been really awesome to not be tangled in a cord at the gym or have to worry about laying on my phone because I have to keep it close: most workouts, I'll set it next to my towel and water bottle in a certain area and am able to move about without interference, cutting out or issues with sightlines. Whether you're a soaked-to-the-skin cardio kid or a jungle-dwelling crossfitter, these buds can handle a surprising array of crazy conditions. Rain, humidity, heat and freezing temps, I'm absolutely loving how tough they are; I even tested them in a sauna last week (despite the obvious warranty issue this may cause) and they performed like Motley Crue in 1986: rocking forever without a glitch. The headphones come with three different bud sizes for varying ear depths and size, as well as two sets of bracketed retention skeletons shaped like the shell of an ear to keep the headphones in during heavy activity... And stay in they do. I've lifted in these, sprinted hills, mountain biked with one bud in, jumped rope, played handstand with my nephews and still have yet to get them to come out. The only problem? A little discomfort from the size of the retention earpieces. I wish they were a little softer, but as that might compromise the pieces staying in the ear, it's a tradeoff I'm mostly okay with. One other note I would make is that the bluetooth HATES dense muscular/skeletal interference; with the phone/music player in my back pocket, I can't lean forward to tie my shoes without a bit of gap in the music. However, it's fairly consistent for most Bluetooth devices and upon straightening up, the music plays fine. The battery seems to last a lot longer than the estimate, but I am pretty vigilant about wiping them down and plugging them in after a workout. Overall, the Orcas are a very kickass headphone that I don't think I'll go without ever again.
Amanda Batty, backcountry.com
August 31, 2015
10
they are light weight, the fit my ears and great sound even the bass is good! granted they are in your ear lol. I do wish the buttons were a little bit bigger or more pronounced. it takes me a while to find out the difference between the pause and the volume up button and the battery could last a little bit longer. but all in all love these!
Robert Handy, backcountry.com
July 31, 2015
6
I've used these for about 2 weeks. So far, I like these headphones but have a few niggling issues. The biggest (as outlined by another user below) has been the fit. As he stated, it doesn't matter which of the 3 pairs of buds I use, they still don't stay put. They come with fins as well similar to my Bose headphones but unlike the Bose, they are a separate piece that actually slides over the buds. The problem is when you take the buds out of your ears, half the time the fins remain in the folds of your ears. I also didn't find they improved the fit much if any. Right now, I jam them in my ear and then have to adjust them every few minutes. I use them mostly for cycling and walking - I wouldn't use them for anything more jostling like running or aerobics as I am sure they would fall out. I've never had a fit issue with other headphones I've used from Bose, Skullcandy, or Motorola so I'm baffled as to what the issue is for me. The sound is decent but lacks bass response. I think the treble-y tone is partly due to my fit issues but even when I push them in they fall short of the Bose. I listen to mostly talk radio or podcasts so it's not a big issue but I might be less impressed if I was using them for music all the time. I've only used the phone speaker a couple of times so far but based upon comments from the persons on the other end, the quality lacks a little. They say it sounds tinny. The controls for sound are a little too small for me. I have had to take the one side out of my ear each time to either adjust sound or answer the phone as the buttons are not raised enough ( at least for my hands) to do it by feel as I can with Bose. There is a picture of the controls in a review below. It would be totally impossible to even try if I was using full finger cycling gloves. I haven't found the 6 hour battery life yet. I've recharged 3 times so far and they seem to have lasted closer to the 3 hours range. Interestingly, a battery bar for the headphones shows up on the top of my screen on my Iphone 6. I haven't seen that for other bluetooth devices I've used. It seems though that the second half of the bar moved a lot quicker that the first half! It gives an audible low battery warning but it expires in about 5 minutes so be warned. On the plus side, the bluetooth connectivity is very good - much better than my Motorola bluetooth headphones. None of the clicks and pops that frustrated me with the Motorola. Setting up with my phone was easy as well. In conclusion, I would still recommend these headphones (especially at the sale price I got) with the limitations that I mentioned. If the fit was better I would be much happier and I'm sure that would improve the sound issues for me.
Bruce, backcountry.com
April 17, 2015
2
Had these for less than a week and they were great than the left ear bud quit working. Really disappointed!
Christopher H., backcountry.com
March 17, 2015
6
I think that the Orcas are a pretty decent pair of bluetooth ear buds. Functionally they are great; decent volume, easy to use in line controls, powerful microphone, splash/water resistant. Never had any issues with connectivity or anything like that. I do however have a couple gripes with regards to fit. No matter what pair of ear pads I use I can't seem to get a good fit, the fins also slide off of the bud very easily if you have the smallest pads on, takes a little more for them to slip off if you use the larger pads but even then they come off pretty easy. These definitely get the job done despite fit issues but it might be worth it to upgrade a little for some better comfort.
Matthew Pizza, backcountry.com
March 2, 2015
8
This is my first foray into bluetooth earbuds as I was digging on Skullcandy's buds but got sick of the wires. Overall things are going well so far. The design is pretty intuitive as there are the earbuds connected with one cord where the right side has a charger under the logo and an LED light that indicates certain functions under the right side ear pads. The controls work decently well though I felt that they could be a bit easier to use out of the box, definitely takes some practice. The range of sound is accurate at 30 feet, but I feel that it lacks slightly to Skullcandy buds as far as sound quality and volume. Attaching to a device is accurate and easy though. The rubber ear pads are a bit of a turn off for me as the foam pads are tried and true for my ear shape. Thankfully I can retrofit Skullcandy's foam tips on there and that makes the fit EXTREMELY good. Durability is very good as well as I'll update this going forward while using these on my workouts. A very good bluetooth bud option if anyone is constantly looking for music during activity and hates wires.
Wally Phillips, backcountry.com
February 18, 2015
8
Gave these as a xmas gift and they couldn't be more stoked about them. They had tried many of the other brands but after working out a few times in these they were stoked! Highly recommend them
Freddie A., backcountry.com
February 12, 2015
10
sweat-proof, and water resistant active wireless earbuds. connect via Bluetooth with any Bluetooth-enabled device. range of up to 32 feet and last 6 hours on a single charge. plus - $1 of every sale goes to help SAVE THE WHALES.
khem, backcountry.com
October 27, 2014