AirPods vs EarPods shipped with iPhones?

[one more]

Does anybody know if there is an actual sound quality difference between the 1-2 generation AirPods (regular, not Pros) and the stock wired EarPods that Apple includes with their iPhones? As they both look nearly identical, do they use different drivers or do AirPods basically equal EarPods without wires?

 

[peterpayne]

They sound different, yes, but sound perception is also very personal so some people may not notice/care. The AirPods have more bass and fuller sound. Not night and day different, though. Just a little bit better.

 

[one more]

They sound different, yes, but sound perception is also very personal so some people may not notice/care. The AirPods have more bass and fuller sound. Not night and day different, though. Just a little bit better.

Understood re: different sound perception, I am just wondering if they use different drivers, etc. altogether in a similar body (along the lines of iPhone SE compared to iPhone 5)?

 

[one more]

Ok, for those of you interested, the driver in AirPods is slightly bigger and there are some other actual sound hardware differences. This 3 minute YouTube clip I found sums it up nicely:

 

[honglong1976]

They sound different, yes, but sound perception is also very personal so some people may not notice/care. The AirPods have more bass and fuller sound. Not night and day different, though. Just a little bit better.

It's not sound perception. I guess you spend over £150 on a pair of AirPods, you want them to sound better than the earpods. I have both. They sound virtually the same.

Rtings reviewed both and the sound profile confirms this:

Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless vs Apple EarPods Side-by-Side Headphones Comparison

Compare the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless and Apple EarPods headphones

www.rtings.com