Earbud headphones don't always work the greatest for me. I have large and unusually-shaped ears--a lot like my deceased grandfather's, actually--and so slipping a module directly into my oddly-shaped ear canal doesn't always end well. The 808 EarCanz wireless earbuds--a set of which 808 sent out for review--worked a little better than the ordinary, and despite some finicky little issues, produced a sound audio experience that's highly portable and barely noticeable to the user.

The 808 EarCanz wireless earbuds offer a built-in battery that allows for six hours of continuous operation on one charge, a set of different-sized earbuds to allow the best, closest fit complete with optional rubber protrusions known as "ear fins" for different sizes. There's also a travel pouch, a USB charging cable to recharge the batteries, and the ability to take calls on a hands-free basis with an included microphone.

"Finicky" is actually a great way to describe these. Their small size requires a separate connection for charging, built into the volume control module. Since the system is very small overall, that means it can take a bit of doing to even plug the system in to charge. Since it comes with a variety of sizable earbuds, it will likely take some doing to figure out just which size bud fits, and how well it fits into your ears. Moreover, the earbuds themselves include an unusual rubber add-on that I don't commonly see with earbuds, and it made for a somewhat more difficult time in fitting and keeping the buds comfortably in place. That may change, however, based on other people's ear shapes, so keep that in mind. The included travel pouch does a great job of keeping all the various accoutrements in place.

When testing, I started with Chuck Loeb's "Tropical," a smooth jazz selection. It reproduced fairly well, if a bit on the tinny side. The percussion seemed oddly sharp compared to the rest of the song, but all the various components from the guitar to the rest were represented. Then with Sabaton's "Panzerkampf" I could check on the bass and overall volume levels from a song geared to be loud and violent. I was surprised to see that I wasn't automatically blown out of my seat by the hard-driving march. The bass levels were a bit low, but we're talking about a wireless earbud system, after all. These aren't top-end stereo speakers. But the lyrics were intelligible, which is actually better than I get from some breeds of stereo speakers. Finally, a Blue Spooky video about cryptids allowed the checking of voice levels, which did marvelously here. Since Blue Spooky tends to use low level background music, the fact that I heard that music just as well as the voice was a comfort.

In what may have been the biggest surprise of all, the Bluetooth pairing went smoothly. Normally it takes me several tries to pair a Bluetooth device even to my iPad, but this time went off without a hitch, pairing correctly on the first try. I was shocked.

Those interested in picking up a set for themselves can do so via Amazon right now for $39.99, and they're available with Prime shipping, so Prime users can get these rapidly and with no shipping costs.

Though the 808 EarCanz are a bit finicky, there's a lot to like here. Charging the devices are difficult with a very small platform to work with, and getting them to fit will take some finagling thanks in large part to the variety of options on hand. Once in place, however, the earbuds will generate some impressive sound and all from a system that's incredibly lightweight and portable. It will probably be easy to forget them somewhere since you may not even be all that sure you're no longer wearing them. That's a point in their favor--sheer comfort is the order of the day--but it's the kind of favor that can bite you if these aren't carefully managed. Finicky but sound is the key takeaway here, and makes these a set of earbuds worth considering.

Pros: Highly portable, highly customizable, solid sound, affordable

Cons: Extremely finicky, difficult to fit, small size can mean tough charging