Mike M.

Mike M. is the hands-on owner behind Iron Mako Media. He runs Openear Club to answer one question for people who train: which earbuds actually stay in and survive sweat. Rankings are built from makers' published specs and the independent reviews cited on every page, and say plainly when a claim can't be verified.

How Mike ranks earbuds

Every page on Openear Club is labeled “spec-checked, not worn by us.” That means Mike classifies each product by its retention system (neckband, ear-hook, clip-on, in-ear hook or wingtip); reads the maker's published IP rating, weight, battery, charging, Bluetooth, mic, control and codec figures from the maker's own product page; cross-references a named independent review where one exists, and cites it as theirs; and scores each pick on the public rubric at How We Rank. It does not mean he has worn, run in or measured the pair, and no page on this site says otherwise.

If a page ever describes something Mike has done with a specific pair, it will say exactly what was done and for how long, with a date. Until then, “spec-checked” is the honest label, and the trade for it is that every figure on the site links to where it came from.

What you won't find here

• Credentials, titles or audio-expert claims he hasn't provided.
• Claims that he owns or has tested a pair he hasn't.
• Amazon prices, star ratings or review counts.
• Medical advice. The hearing pages quote public-health sources and stop there.
• Rankings paid for by a brand. Commissions never set a score or decide a pick.

Contact

Questions, corrections and discontinued-product reports go to mike@blackironathletics.com or the contact form. Mike reads every message. More about the publisher is at Iron Mako Media.