Gadget: Jaybird Freedom Wireless Headphones

It's been more than 15 years since Mel Gibson's roar of "Freedom!" echoed around the hills and valleys of Scotland. Jaybird is promising a different kind of independence in 2011 - the freedom from wires.

More like devolution than full independence, there is still a slim black wire joining the two earpieces, but this small disappointment is quickly swept aside with the liberating feeling of no draping wires or pocket anchor to get in your way.

These Bluetooth babies use the latest apt-X sound technology which avoids the meat cleaver approach to sound compression, leaving the music entering your ears indistinguishable from traditional wired approaches. The second big claim to fame is Jaybird's GeckoGrip ear-tips. This unique ear-tip design is a bit like a chocolate fondant, hard on the outside but lusciously soft on the inside. The fit takes a while to get used to, but proved resilient despite some audacious trampolining. A button on the headphones enables you to control your music or take calls. Pairing with my Bluetooth HTC Desire was painless, it worked fine with the iPhone too and even if your gadget doesn't have Bluetooth, you can buy a conversion dongle for 50.

As any gadget with a lifetime warranty against sweat, and an endorsement from the US Triathlon team suggests, the Jaybird Freedom is made for running. The bottom line when 100 zips on your credit card is that unless you've just bought a year's shopping from Aldi, you're expecting something special. While the Freedoms are one slim lead away from being truly wireless, they sound great, stay put - and provide a liberating experience that William Wallace would be proud of.

99, from www.amazon.co.uk and www.advancedheadphones.co.uk

• This article was first published in The Scotsman on 23 April 2011