I was able to get a hold of a set of these on their release day on 31/10/2019
Fitting: These are definately a better fit than previous Airpods. The stem is shorter and the new silicon tips are excellent at fitting nicely in the ear. Because of this they seem to be less intrusive and they certainly feel more secure in the gym. I have been to the gym for an hour every day since I got these and I have had no issues with sweat or them popping out and I tend to use the elliptical trainer so for me ... thats a big plus.
Operation: Again one of the big tests for any bluetooth connectivity is walking through one of the main London train stations .... there are literally thousands of headphones, phone, computers and other gadgets swamping the bluetooth frequencies and a lot of even really good headsets break down causing unwanted pauses or gaps in music tracks ... not here ... perfect synch and no problems with interference.
The new method of control on these is to squeeze the stems. Remember I said the stems were shorter? wel this is the first negative aspects I came across. The squeezing of the stems is a bit fiddly at first and that's standing still ... i'm going to be honest and say if you do anything active like rowing, cycling, jogging ... you're probably going to have to stop and make any adjustments.
However one of the great new features of these Airpods is the new ear check sound feature. Basically on an app on your phone you send a bust of music to the airpods and they analyse the acoustics of your ear and then tell you if you have the best fit ... so you can change the silicon tips until you get no only what feels good to you but what the app says is the best fit. Now thats pretty slick ... but you'll probably only ever use it once ... after all your ear probably won't change shape.
Features: Well the obvious goto is the Noise Cancelling .... Is it any good. Yes. Good enough at this price, probably not as good as some of the pricier headsets and buds by Bose but good enough. They also have that nice feature where you can squeeze the leg and the music drops so you can hear what people are saying to you without having to remove the Airpod. Battery life is good as well. 5 hours say Apple. Yup that's fair. 19 more from the case. Again I seem to get values similar to that. I think there are a number of earbuds (Cambridge ... Melomania?) that have longer play times but I can't see me needing more than 24 hours ... you have to sleep so re-charge them then.
MUSIC QUALITY: So here's the big question ... Are they good enough at this price? Well I have to say YES. If you have read my other reviews you know I test B&W, M&G, B&O, Bose, Shure, even Grado. and these deserve their place right up there. That eartip test and the new improved chip from apple (according to the blurb) really do make these exceptional. The bass is really nice and smooth and not harsh and banging like you get from some earbuds that just try to overwhelm you using your ear duct. The detail is great as well... nothing is lost. These are just as good as a 2-300 quid pair of over the ear headphones.
Verdict: I really do like these ... I'm a little bit nervous because they are lighter than most buds and you really do forget you're wearing them and although I know they are really secure after bouncing about all over the place they still make me nervous they'll fall out. I don't want to imagine losing a bud and having to replace these at this price. However as each day passes I enjoy them more and trust their fit. I think these are going to be a big hit and they are definately a mojor improvement
Compare Apple AirPods
| Price | From: - | From: - | From: - | From: - |
| Ratings | (112,902) | (650) | (12,479) | (141,062) |
| Fit | Customizable | Customizable | Universal | Universal |
| Active Noise Cancellation |
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- | - |
| H1 chip |
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| Hey Siri | Always on | Always on | Always on | Always on |
| Spatial Audio |
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- |
| Sweat and water resistant |
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- |
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- |
| Battery life (listening time on one charge) | Up to 4.5 hours of listening time | Up to 20 hours of listening time | Up to 6 hours of listening time | Up to 5 hours of listening time |
| Battery life (listening time with charging case) | More than 24 hours | - | More than 30 hours | More than 24-hours |
| Bluetooth |
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| LED Charging Light Location | Front of Case | – | Front of Case | Top of Case |
| Qi Compatible |
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- |
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| Adaptive EQ |
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Customer reviews
I was able to get a hold of a set of these on their release day on 31/10/2019Fitting: These are definately a better fit than previous Airpods. The stem is shorter and the new silicon tips are excellent at fitting nicely in the ear. Because of this they seem to be less intrusive and they certainly feel more secure in the gym. I have been to the gym for an hour every day since I got these and I have had no issues with sweat or them popping out and I tend to use the elliptical trainer so for me ... thats a big plus.Operation: Again one of the big tests for any bluetooth connectivity is walking through one of the main London train stations .... there are literally thousands of headphones, phone, computers and other gadgets swamping the bluetooth frequencies and a lot of even really good headsets break down causing unwanted pauses or gaps in music tracks ... not here ... perfect synch and no problems with interference.The new method of control on these is to squeeze the stems. Remember I said the stems were shorter? wel this is the first negative aspects I came across. The squeezing of the stems is a bit fiddly at first and that's standing still ... i'm going to be honest and say if you do anything active like rowing, cycling, jogging ... you're probably going to have to stop and make any adjustments.However one of the great new features of these Airpods is the new ear check sound feature. Basically on an app on your phone you send a bust of music to the airpods and they analyse the acoustics of your ear and then tell you if you have the best fit ... so you can change the silicon tips until you get no only what feels good to you but what the app says is the best fit. Now thats pretty slick ... but you'll probably only ever use it once ... after all your ear probably won't change shape.Features: Well the obvious goto is the Noise Cancelling .... Is it any good. Yes. Good enough at this price, probably not as good as some of the pricier headsets and buds by Bose but good enough. They also have that nice feature where you can squeeze the leg and the music drops so you can hear what people are saying to you without having to remove the Airpod. Battery life is good as well. 5 hours say Apple. Yup that's fair. 19 more from the case. Again I seem to get values similar to that. I think there are a number of earbuds (Cambridge ... Melomania?) that have longer play times but I can't see me needing more than 24 hours ... you have to sleep so re-charge them then.MUSIC QUALITY: So here's the big question ... Are they good enough at this price? Well I have to say YES. If you have read my other reviews you know I test B&W, M&G, B&O, Bose, Shure, even Grado. and these deserve their place right up there. That eartip test and the new improved chip from apple (according to the blurb) really do make these exceptional. The bass is really nice and smooth and not harsh and banging like you get from some earbuds that just try to overwhelm you using your ear duct. The detail is great as well... nothing is lost. These are just as good as a 2-300 quid pair of over the ear headphones.Verdict: I really do like these ... I'm a little bit nervous because they are lighter than most buds and you really do forget you're wearing them and although I know they are really secure after bouncing about all over the place they still make me nervous they'll fall out. I don't want to imagine losing a bud and having to replace these at this price. However as each day passes I enjoy them more and trust their fit. I think these are going to be a big hit and they are definately a mojor improvement
Images in this review
Top reviews from United Kingdom
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Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 5 November 2019
Fitting: These are definately a better fit than previous Airpods. The stem is shorter and the new silicon tips are excellent at fitting nicely in the ear. Because of this they seem to be less intrusive and they certainly feel more secure in the gym. I have been to the gym for an hour every day since I got these and I have had no issues with sweat or them popping out and I tend to use the elliptical trainer so for me ... thats a big plus.
Operation: Again one of the big tests for any bluetooth connectivity is walking through one of the main London train stations .... there are literally thousands of headphones, phone, computers and other gadgets swamping the bluetooth frequencies and a lot of even really good headsets break down causing unwanted pauses or gaps in music tracks ... not here ... perfect synch and no problems with interference.
The new method of control on these is to squeeze the stems. Remember I said the stems were shorter? wel this is the first negative aspects I came across. The squeezing of the stems is a bit fiddly at first and that's standing still ... i'm going to be honest and say if you do anything active like rowing, cycling, jogging ... you're probably going to have to stop and make any adjustments.
However one of the great new features of these Airpods is the new ear check sound feature. Basically on an app on your phone you send a bust of music to the airpods and they analyse the acoustics of your ear and then tell you if you have the best fit ... so you can change the silicon tips until you get no only what feels good to you but what the app says is the best fit. Now thats pretty slick ... but you'll probably only ever use it once ... after all your ear probably won't change shape.
Features: Well the obvious goto is the Noise Cancelling .... Is it any good. Yes. Good enough at this price, probably not as good as some of the pricier headsets and buds by Bose but good enough. They also have that nice feature where you can squeeze the leg and the music drops so you can hear what people are saying to you without having to remove the Airpod. Battery life is good as well. 5 hours say Apple. Yup that's fair. 19 more from the case. Again I seem to get values similar to that. I think there are a number of earbuds (Cambridge ... Melomania?) that have longer play times but I can't see me needing more than 24 hours ... you have to sleep so re-charge them then.
MUSIC QUALITY: So here's the big question ... Are they good enough at this price? Well I have to say YES. If you have read my other reviews you know I test B&W, M&G, B&O, Bose, Shure, even Grado. and these deserve their place right up there. That eartip test and the new improved chip from apple (according to the blurb) really do make these exceptional. The bass is really nice and smooth and not harsh and banging like you get from some earbuds that just try to overwhelm you using your ear duct. The detail is great as well... nothing is lost. These are just as good as a 2-300 quid pair of over the ear headphones.
Verdict: I really do like these ... I'm a little bit nervous because they are lighter than most buds and you really do forget you're wearing them and although I know they are really secure after bouncing about all over the place they still make me nervous they'll fall out. I don't want to imagine losing a bud and having to replace these at this price. However as each day passes I enjoy them more and trust their fit. I think these are going to be a big hit and they are definately a mojor improvement
Style Name: Wireless charging caseConfiguration: Without AppleCare+
Very good but worth the money?
By Christian Gazgoth on 5 November 2019
I was able to get a hold of a set of these on their release day on 31/10/2019By Christian Gazgoth on 5 November 2019
Fitting: These are definately a better fit than previous Airpods. The stem is shorter and the new silicon tips are excellent at fitting nicely in the ear. Because of this they seem to be less intrusive and they certainly feel more secure in the gym. I have been to the gym for an hour every day since I got these and I have had no issues with sweat or them popping out and I tend to use the elliptical trainer so for me ... thats a big plus.
Operation: Again one of the big tests for any bluetooth connectivity is walking through one of the main London train stations .... there are literally thousands of headphones, phone, computers and other gadgets swamping the bluetooth frequencies and a lot of even really good headsets break down causing unwanted pauses or gaps in music tracks ... not here ... perfect synch and no problems with interference.
The new method of control on these is to squeeze the stems. Remember I said the stems were shorter? wel this is the first negative aspects I came across. The squeezing of the stems is a bit fiddly at first and that's standing still ... i'm going to be honest and say if you do anything active like rowing, cycling, jogging ... you're probably going to have to stop and make any adjustments.
However one of the great new features of these Airpods is the new ear check sound feature. Basically on an app on your phone you send a bust of music to the airpods and they analyse the acoustics of your ear and then tell you if you have the best fit ... so you can change the silicon tips until you get no only what feels good to you but what the app says is the best fit. Now thats pretty slick ... but you'll probably only ever use it once ... after all your ear probably won't change shape.
Features: Well the obvious goto is the Noise Cancelling .... Is it any good. Yes. Good enough at this price, probably not as good as some of the pricier headsets and buds by Bose but good enough. They also have that nice feature where you can squeeze the leg and the music drops so you can hear what people are saying to you without having to remove the Airpod. Battery life is good as well. 5 hours say Apple. Yup that's fair. 19 more from the case. Again I seem to get values similar to that. I think there are a number of earbuds (Cambridge ... Melomania?) that have longer play times but I can't see me needing more than 24 hours ... you have to sleep so re-charge them then.
MUSIC QUALITY: So here's the big question ... Are they good enough at this price? Well I have to say YES. If you have read my other reviews you know I test B&W, M&G, B&O, Bose, Shure, even Grado. and these deserve their place right up there. That eartip test and the new improved chip from apple (according to the blurb) really do make these exceptional. The bass is really nice and smooth and not harsh and banging like you get from some earbuds that just try to overwhelm you using your ear duct. The detail is great as well... nothing is lost. These are just as good as a 2-300 quid pair of over the ear headphones.
Verdict: I really do like these ... I'm a little bit nervous because they are lighter than most buds and you really do forget you're wearing them and although I know they are really secure after bouncing about all over the place they still make me nervous they'll fall out. I don't want to imagine losing a bud and having to replace these at this price. However as each day passes I enjoy them more and trust their fit. I think these are going to be a big hit and they are definately a mojor improvement
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 4 November 2019
Style Name: Wireless charging caseConfiguration: Without AppleCare+
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 10 November 2019
Style Name: Wireless charging caseConfiguration: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 November 2019
Style Name: Wireless charging caseConfiguration: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 November 2019
Style Name: Wireless charging caseConfiguration: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 November 2019
Style Name: Wireless charging caseConfiguration: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 November 2019
Style Name: Wireless charging caseConfiguration: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 17 February 2020
Style Name: Wireless charging caseConfiguration: Without AppleCare+Verified Purchase
