Hands-On With Apple's New AirPods

[x-evil-x]

Fair point. I've been using different Jaybirds for nearly 6 years now. I'm curious to see how the AirPods sound before I make judgement on sound quality.

For whatever reason, everyone seems to be criticizing sound quality when they haven't really used them or done meaningful comparisons.

Have you tried the Freedoms? Are they significantly different in sound quality than previous Bluebuds or X2?
[doublepost=1482190426][/doublepost]

Another objective, quality post on MR. Gotta love it.

I've had the freedoms since they came out(may). with the sound app they sound better to me than the x2's. They don't hurt my ears over time either since the barrel is smaller. I use comply tips not the standard comply ones in the box. The ones you get on their site are stickier and give much better isolation and make them sound even better. I had the blubudx for a while the x1's and x2's before these. Never needed the wings with the over the ear alongside back of your head as they don't pull that way or move much. Even with the battery clip on it the way i wear them they don't move.

 

[MplsP]

"After waiting in line at 6:00 a.m. in the freezing cold in Palo Alto..." sorry, but the High in Minneapolis was 1º F yesterday - you don't get to talk about 'freezing cold' in Palo Alto!

As for the AirPods, the connection technology seems nice and a step up from standard bluetooth, and the charging case and charging speed are nice as well, but I have to agree with other commenters - but 5-6x the price for something with roughly the same audio quality as the stock ear buds that come with an iPhone is a nonstarter. I get that there's a premium for new/cutting edge technology, but $130 is more than most people will swallow.

Any word on how well the audio syncs with video as this is a known issue with bluetooth?

The reviewer showed how to select them on your device, but how does it work if you have two devices in proximity? If I had them connected to my iPhone and am now on my iPad, do I have to go back to my iPhone to disconnect them before using them on the iPad?

 

[sinsin07]

recieved my AirPods today and not impressed. Got them in my ears now and just browsing safari on my iPhone 7 plus and I noticed a faint scratchy popping noise at random times when I'm scrolling a page or bringing up the keyboard.



I can replicate this every time I bring up the keyboard



apple support said to return them for repair! Like I'm really going to get a brand new product repaired rather than replaced!



anyone else notice this?

I just tested using the criteria you listed and I did not notice any scratchy popping.

 

[zamboni52]

I just received mine...I forgot they were coming today. Simple to pair with my 7+. I just put them in and they work. I never really used the apple earphones that came with my iPhones...they just stayed in the box. When Macrumors posted that they were available to order online, I ordered them immediately...not sure why. I am a tech geek and truly wireless earphones were intriguing. I already had the Powerbeats 3 for the gym and Bose QC35s traveling and everything else so I was covered in that area...but truly wireless...The apple earphones never stayed in my ears very well, but these do, and it seals enough that they have really good bass response and over all pretty good sound.

I plan to use these to listen to music and during conference calls with my idevices. They are really comfortable and light. I need to read up on the gestures and make some phone calls with them. Not a lot of instructions in the box...but then you really don't need them. Yes $159 is a lot, but for the early adopter I think these are worth it. The next iterations will be better no doubt, but I'm happy for now.

Happy Holidays everyone!!

 

[simonmet]

Hey, we're Californians, 29 degrees is definitely freezing to us!

Assuming you mean Fahrenheit then 32 is freezing point so you're technically correct. That is very cold!

 

[PTVMan]

I know this is a really lame question, so sorry: my AirPods don't have markings for Right and Left. Do I assume the pod on the right side of the case is for the right ear?

 

[TMRJIJ]

I know this is a really lame question, so sorry: my AirPods don't have markings for Right and Left. Do I assume the pod on the right side of the case is for the right ear?

The actual speaker on the Pod tells you which side. I.e If you can't hear your music and it's incredibly uncomfortable; they are in the wrong ear.

 

[Ds6778]

I know this is a really lame question, so sorry: my AirPods don't have markings for Right and Left. Do I assume the pod on the right side of the case is for the right ear?

They only go in one way
[doublepost=1482191888][/doublepost]I wonder if future updates will be prompted kind of like iOS updates or will it just happen...

 

[AEdouard]

Well, anyway, I got them and they work exactly like I thought they would. I'm perfectly satisfied with my purchase for now.

 

[Mac'nCheese]

They only go in one way.

TWSS

 

[BlueMoon63]

I have a £60 ($90 at the time) pair of Bluetooth headphones that I use at the gym. They have a wire between them, which I put on the back of my neck when doing a workout. Sadly, if I put my iPhone in my pocket, and turn my head away, the signal is lost. If I put the iPhone on the floor, the signal comes back, but the wire is so short that it constantly needs to be moved out of the way.

My new AirPods fix all this. The signal is amazing. I left my iPhone upstairs in a back bedroom, and went outside to the front of the house. No drop in signal! iPhone in pocket, no drop in signal. No wire means freedom of movement. These are going to be revolutionary for me at the gym.

The Bragi Dash in-ear 'phones possibly do more, but they don't have the W1 chip, which seems to be the USP of the AirPods. The Bragi Dash are also much more expensive.

If you feel that £159/$159 is too much for you to spend, then that's your opinion and you're entitled to it, but to call people "morons" for wanting them, is just banal. It's nothing we haven't heard before. I bought these because they fix a number of problems with existing Bluetooth headphones, and I'm happy to pay for that.

You can't give an honest review. Too many bashers want to give their opinion without owning these are even seeing these in person. Too many good reviews so they have to find "someone" that has something bad to say.

It's beyond pathetic how much bashing goes on from people who have no personal experience using the product.

 

[Analog Kid]

I just received mine...I forgot they were coming today.

Was your quoted delivery date today? I thought the first quoted delivery dates were the 21st...

 

[BlueMoon63]

"After waiting in line at 6:00 a.m. in the freezing cold in Palo Alto..." sorry, but the High in Minneapolis was 1º F yesterday - you don't get to talk about 'freezing cold' in Palo Alto!

Hit -25 Sunday morning with a high of -7 just across the border in Wisconsin by Hudson. Agree on the interpretation of freezing cold, but California never has the same mentality of others. /s Wish I was there though lol

 

[nycSAN]

I've had the freedoms since they came out(may). with the sound app they sound better to me than the x2's. They don't hurt my ears over time either since the barrel is smaller. I use comply tips not the standard comply ones in the box. The ones you get on their site are stickier and give much better isolation and make them sound even better. I had the blubudx for a while the x1's and x2's before these. Never needed the wings with the over the ear alongside back of your head as they don't pull that way or move much. Even with the battery clip on it the way i wear them they don't move.

I'm a longtime Jaybirds user (X2/Freedom), and I bought the AirPods. I loathe L O A T H E the jaybirds cord (it gets caught on my neck no matter what -- constant readjustments) -- I am very much the target demographic for these truly wireless earbuds.

I just want earbuds that are 1. wireless, and that 2. sound about as good as the Jaybirds. I've never touched an EarPod, so I can only compare to the Jaybirds... but the AirPods have OKAY/decent sound quality. Definitely not at Jaybirds level, which is frustrating. The AirPods have acceptable -- even good -- bass, but they just lack a certain brightness that I find hard to explain. I like my EQ "W" style, but the AirPods are giving me a deep V. I don't wear deep V's and I don't want to listen to a deep V.

That said, I hated the Freedom's sound out of the box too. But they have an app where you can customize the EQ. The AirPods don't -- and the iOS EQ is woefully inadequate. I bet if I could customize the EQ, I'd come out happy enough to keep the AirPods.

As it stands, I'm keeping the box and waiting to see how the Bragi Headphones fair. If they ever ship.

 

[mattopotamus]

Really like the product just wish they sounded better. When the beats finally hit shelves I'll probably go that route

 

[Stenar]

I just ordered a pair on Best Buy a few minutes ago, so they must have gotten more already.

 

[simonmet]

People should have to have some kind of proof they bought them before being allowed to post snarky/uneducated responses lol

I think it's ok to say why you wouldn't buy them or why they don't appeal to you.

These are a niche product. I think the charging case is actually pretty cool but there are numerous physical reasons why the sound can't be that spectacular and you don't have to own a pair to know this.

It's also quite impressive and no doubt difficult to get wireless headphones down to this size but that doesn't make them actractive to me both physically or otherwise.

 

[gijoeinla]

Ok -- so here's my first review. So me and my roommate each bought a pair at Apple The Grove as a walk in In our testing --- roommate is talking as he's walking along Melrose Avenue - street traffic etc, barely ANY background noise - yes loud truck or bus and minimal car noise. I'm talking to him thru his iPhone -- noise on my end -- barely negligible! We both agree -- people are going to LOVE these. Took 10 seconds to unbox and be up and running -- hahaha -- Sorry haters!

Btw -- another point - roommate has a beard -- you can't even see that he's wearing them - sorry but the negative remarks about their looks is SO OVERBLOWN -- they don't look lame at all.

And what would be someone's biggest motive to *justify* price? Just getting rid of those incredibly annoying wires and the ***** noise that comes from wearing wired earbuds with the mic. I actually felt perfectly fine paying $159 for that convenience.

Can't innovate my a**!

 

[profets]

Honestly, I don't think this automatic distribution of the BT pairing keys over iCloud is all that great. Pairing BT earphones manually takes, what, maybe 20 seconds? And you only do it once per device. It would be much more useful if they had found a way to switch the earphones from device to device without any manual intervention, e.g. when you start playing music on another device than the one you're currently connected to, or from the computer to the phone when there is an incoming call. That would be handy every day ...

Simple Bluetooth pairing for a single device, while easy, is a worse experience compared to pairing W1 equipped headphones. And as soon as you start using AirPods (or other W1 based headphones) with multiple devices it really just makes clear how terrible connecting/disconnecting/re-pairing Bluetooth headphones are. I've been through it for years. It was never meant for use with multiple devices.

And the AirPods, in many situations, do switch seamlessly when you start audio on a different device.

 

[sdrob858]

This item is not for everybody. People are going to lose them, many can't justify spending $160, think they're ugly, don't fit their ear, etc. If you're one to lose everything, forget to charge your gadgets, looking for best bang for the buck, love to untangle cables, then they're not for you. Most "wireless" earbuds are not actually wireless and look ugly (in my opinion). The ones that are wireless (Bragi, Earin, Samsung) cost more or have poor reviews. I'm buying these strictly for fitness. I don't want to run with my 5.5" phone swinging in my pocket and cables getting caught in narrow trails. I'll be pairing these with my Apple watch so i can listen to music and track my runs with no phone or silly wires.

 

[Ds6778]

I think it's ok to say why you wouldn't buy them or why they don't appeal to you.

These are a niche product. I think the charging case is actually pretty cool but there are numerous physical reasons why the sound can't be that spectacular and you don't have to own a pair to know this.

It's also quite impressive and no doubt difficult to get wireless headphones down to this size but that doesn't make them actractive to me both physically or otherwise.

There's a difference between explaining why they aren't for YOU....To generalize people who genuinely like them or find them useful as "idiots" or "morons," is a bit much. I'll never understand why people care so much with what other people do with their money. Pricing is also relative, "160$ is crazy!." Not to me, in fact, I paid 300$ to some kid reselling them. Some people have extra money or disposable income... It's fine if you don't like them or think they're pricey, it's not ok to call people who do like them "idiots."

 

[Capt Dunsell]

Really like the product just wish they sounded better. When the beats finally hit shelves I'll probably go that route

How does the sound compare to the stock earphones that come with the iPhone 7? I was honestly pleasantly surprised by how they sounded.

I am really looking at this more from a form factor perspective than anything. It is interesting to have true in-ear pods, and I find the charging case to be intriguing as well. So I am willing to give up some sound quality, as long as it is at least comparable to or slightly better than one of the devices I am pleased with.

 

[Jax44]

Reviewer David Pierce :- $159 doesn’t buy you any better audio than you’ll get from the EarPods that come free in the box with your iPhone.” AirPods sound like any old Bluetooth headphones, which is to say not that great. “

His opinion. Mine sound better than the included EarPods. That is my opinion.

 

[0098386]

I have a £60 ($90 at the time) pair of Bluetooth headphones that I use at the gym. They have a wire between them, which I put on the back of my neck when doing a workout. Sadly, if I put my iPhone in my pocket, and turn my head away, the signal is lost. If I put the iPhone on the floor, the signal comes back, but the wire is so short that it constantly needs to be moved out of the way.

My new AirPods fix all this. The signal is amazing. I left my iPhone upstairs in a back bedroom, and went outside to the front of the house. No drop in signal! iPhone in pocket, no drop in signal. No wire means freedom of movement. These are going to be revolutionary for me at the gym.

The Bragi Dash in-ear 'phones possibly do more, but they don't have the W1 chip, which seems to be the USP of the AirPods. The Bragi Dash are also much more expensive.

If you feel that £159/$159 is too much for you to spend, then that's your opinion and you're entitled to it, but to call people "morons" for wanting them, is just banal. It's nothing we haven't heard before. I bought these because they fix a number of problems with existing Bluetooth headphones, and I'm happy to pay for that.

The one thing that strikes me about these, and I think it's a moronic gesture if folk will do this, but due to the lack of wire on these that prevents tumbles to the ground... anyone who introduces whatever lays on the ground into their ear canal after these inevitably fall out is certainly some kind of moron.

It's kind of weird that your other headphones lose signal like that. I've got 2 pairs of bluetooth headphones, PowerBeats 2 and some cheap £15 ones from eBay/China. Neither have the problem you described. I did have some £120 Sony ones that had some bizarre 1 second lag on them so I returned them. But yeah... that's a strange problem you have because the range of bluetooth is quite far. For example I can still operate my bluetooth remote control for my TV and also my Apple Watch remains connected to my iPhone from 3 rooms away. In a way I don't believe your claim. I've never encountered something with such poor bluetooth range. It shouldn't be possible.

(Personally I'm sticking to some fully wired Audio Technica headphones because they cover my ear and the sound quality - for the price and also in general - is phenomenal. That's what matters to me.)

 

[Kaibelf]

"Airpods sound just as good if not better than earpods" - MKBHD

$159 vs $30 for slightly better? LOL...Apple, this is pathetic.

What's pathetic is a person who takes time out of their life to create an account on a website solely to attack a CEO they will never meet and to constantly talk about how pathetic a company is. Total loser.