For those of you who have received them, can you please share some pics and first impressions?
- How do they sound compared to AirPods Pro and AirPods?
- How is the ANC and transparency mode?
- What does the mic sound like in FaceTime / Teams / Zoom calls?
- Do they fit you better than the APP or AP? How is the comfort of the tips?
- How is the case? Some say it feels cheap.
Eagerly waiting for these to be released in Australia - Hopefully in the next week or so?
1. The sound is comparable to AirPods Pro and better than AirPods to me. I find bass better (slightly) on BSB vs. APP but significantly worse than the hook based Powerbeats Pro. The brightness of the sound on APP is better than both BSB (slightly) and PBP (significantly). Basically BSB and APP are well rounded nice headphones while PBP are muddier but darn fun on a bass heavy track (that I favor when working out.)
2. ANC on BSB is worse than APP but it isn't horrible. It does cut low end hum considerably. I am an airline pilot and I'll try them in the back of the plane (not when I'm flying!) this weekend, but I expect they will be more than find to quiet the cabin and enjoy music even if they aren't anywhere near class leading. TRANSPARENCY is significantly worse on BSB vs. APP. On BSB it sounds like they are piping in sound from outside at a low volume (and its maybe echos, sorta?) and frankly it gets the job done but it will be hard to have a conversation with it unless you turn the volume WAY down. On the APP it is SPOOKY how clear transparency is. It doesn't seem like APP is pipping in sound, it just sounds like someone cut a hole in them to let the real sound in. APP is way better in this regard, but honestly to just hear a car horn on a run or something the BSB is fine.
3. I haven't tested this yet. On several reviews online it seems the mic on the BSB is not very good and nowhere near the quality of APP. Since I don't use my earphones for calls other than in a pinch this isn't a big tradeoff but if you use them for work on Teams or Zoom I think you'll be very disappointed with the BSB from what I've seen on demos online.
4. OH GOD THEY FIT BETTER THAN APP for me and that's why I own them. I have all of them... AP, APP, PBP, and BSB.
A) Regular AirPods fall out of my wide opening ears just walking across a room. Unusable.
B) Powerbeats Pro came next... ROCK solid in all situations including violent workouts but very large and noticeable, no ANC or transparency (and the case is huge and no longer reliably charges the headphones for me, they are almost always dead when I want to use them and require fiddling with to get enough of a charge to use for a workout.)
C) AirPods Pro with the large tips where SO much more stable than the AirPods. Easily can walk, spin bike etc. with them in. Running is a no go for me however... every few minutes they loosen and if I don't adjust they would fall out for sure which is too annoying to deal with. APP became my "everything but a workout" headphone.
D) Beats Studio Buds. Best fit of any of the headphones except the PBP (unfair since those have hooks). They seal in my ears very, very, very well and are so light (much lighter than APP if you can believe it) the weight doesn't pull them out as I run and workout. They stay put and frankly it doesn't even feel like I have anything in my ear. They also look good if you ask me, they are very small in the ear and don't look nearly as strange as AP or APP (although obviously those are totally excepted these days.)
5. The case is fine. It has the same satisfying open and closing as the APP case and the magnets are just as strong. It is a hair bigger but not that it matters. The APP case feels more premium because the plastic of the APP feels more smooth/polished like a glossy rock while the BSB case with the matter plastic "feels" cheaper but honestly... its still very nice. Not important at all. The PBP case is a disaster... huge, fat, and it doesn't work properly for nearly anyone after a few months of use.
I bought the BSB to replace my flaky old PBP for workouts and experience my first true earbuds without a stem. I love them. Totally secure and probably will likely replace my APP on a daily basis since they can now "do it all." I do miss features like auto device switching and auto pause when removing one but those aren't deal breakers and you know what it means... I'll likely be buying APP 2 when they come out in 2022 since those will likely be similar to the BSB. I'm such a sucker... lol.
