Noise-cancelling wireless headphones help this YouTuber work out and work on-the-go

Karl Conrad is having a good time.

At least that’s the unmistakable impression you get from watching the Toronto-based YouTuber in action. Whether he’s unboxing the latest smartphone, giving fans a tour of his new studio or vlogging about his latest trip, Conrad gives off the grinning aura of a six-year-old boy let loose in the action figure aisle.

And why wouldn’t Conrad enjoy himself? He gets to play with the newest gadgets, wear the freshest gear and travel to far-flung locations. Not bad for someone who only started making YouTube videos as a hobby in 2012.

If all that sounds impossibly glamorous, then it should be some comfort to know that keeping it real is a big part of Conrad’s personality. After growing up in Toronto and briefly playing professional soccer in the Netherlands (Conrad’s father is Dutch), he studied kinesiology and did a master’s in health informatics. He happily admits to holding down a regular, full-time job as a manager at a Toronto mental health hospital. He shoots and edits his videos in the evenings and on weekends.

“It’s honestly a hobby of mine, it’s just grown into something way larger than I would have thought,” he admits in one of his videos.

“I still don’t think it’s a career,” he reiterated recently in an interview.

That attitude extends to the videos themselves, which combine a high-definition aesthetic with behind-the-scenes realness. During a recent vlog of his trip to the Philippines, Conrad flashed the text “Instagram vs. reality” as he fell off his stand-up paddleboard. In the tour of his renovated studio, he included footage of himself in kneepads, laying flooring before admitting, “there was a lot of struggling, a lot of cursing, but we managed.”

But as much as Conrad dabbles in cars, travel and even interior design (his favourite colour is orange and the new studio features a wall of orange gadgets), his original and abiding passion is technology.

“There's definitely a rush of excitement to see what the latest gadget brings,” he says. “It's cool to see companies push the envelope when it comes to the future of tech.”

That determination to push the boundaries might be why Conrad has embraced the Freebuds 3, Huawei’s true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds. The buds, which come in a stylish wireless charging case and pack in features like adjustable noise cancellation, aerodynamic mics and studio-quality sound, are part of the tech company’s play for the premium audio market.

Conrad says they fit his definition of good tech: “Something that is intuitive, has no lag and all-day battery life.”

That last point – the Freebuds 3 run for four hours with a single charge and 20 hours with their charging case – was a huge selling point for Conrad, who’s constantly on the go. “My favourite feature is definitely the battery life,” he says. “Sometimes I forget to charge them or am unable to do so. Having a pair of headphones that last all day is so handy.”

The YouTuber, a fitness enthusiast who’s been Instagramming his home workouts since going into isolation, says he can’t deal with cords while working out: the Freebuds’ wireless connection and high quality sound is a game changer.

“When I'm weightlifting in the gym, wireless headphones are key. It helps me zone in and gives me my hour of ‘me’ time,” he says.

That flexibility extends to the home office and out on the road, where the Freebuds’ adjustable noise cancellation makes it easy to zone out, while their A1 chipset eliminates background noise on calls and enhances the speakers’ voice.

But it’s not just about zoning out and enjoying music.

An award-winning duo: The Huawei Freebuds 3 wireless earbuds, available now, pair perfectly with the Huawei P40 Pro smartphone, launching in Canada in June.

“I use headphones for calls quite a bit,” Conrad says. “I think that's the greatest advantage of wireless headphones: the ability to multitask and remain hands free.”

Then there’s the Freebuds’ sleek look and unique round charging case. “I think aesthetics are pretty important: I have the all-white pair,” Conrad says. “They're simple, minimal and aren't over the top.”

That’s his story, and he’s sticking to it – until he can find earbuds that come in bright orange.

To learn more about the Huawei Freebuds 3, click here. Customers who purchase Freebuds before June 17 are also eligible for six months of premium access to Stingray Music.