The mic, at least on the AirPods (I don't have the Pro) is really good. I guess it depends on what do you need the earbuds for, I never listen to music with them but only to podcasts and I make a lot of phone calls, so to me the mic is way more important than sound quality. The AirPods case is also really convenient to put on jeans pockets and portability is another key aspect, I'd never buy the Powerbeats as their case is huge compared to the AirPods.
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True Wireless Earbuds Comparison: AirPods, Powerbeats, Sony, Jabra, and More
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The mic, at least on the AirPods (I don't have the Pro) is really good. I guess it depends on what do you need the earbuds for, I never listen to music with them but only to podcasts and I make a lot of phone calls, so to me the mic is way more important than sound quality. The AirPods case is also really convenient to put on jeans pockets and portability is another key aspect, I'd never buy the Powerbeats as their case is huge compared to the AirPods.
Love these headphones. A jumbo jet could make an emergency landing in my back garden and I wouldn’t know until I looked out the window.
Personally I can't agree that the AirPods Pro are "super comfortable", I sent mine back after a weekend and went back to my AirPods 2. I know people some can't use the regular AirPods because they fall out who may find the Pros ideal, but for me the Pros just weren't comfortable at all and were very fiddly to get into my ears. Compared to how quickly I can get my regular AirPods in there just wasn't much contest for me sadly.
Probably related to the poor fit was that the ANC didn't really cancel out much of the surrounding sound for me and I found squeezing the stems was more fiddly and time consuming, especially when trying to quickly skip a track while exercising. I also didn't notice the sound quality being any better either, most likely also related to the fit not being good!
Probably related to the poor fit was that the ANC didn't really cancel out much of the surrounding sound for me and I found squeezing the stems was more fiddly and time consuming, especially when trying to quickly skip a track while exercising. I also didn't notice the sound quality being any better either, most likely also related to the fit not being good!
8 for portability on the on the AirPods and Powerbeats Pro while the beats pro have a much larger case.
Blending portability with battery life is an error in my opinion.
The original AirPods case which slips in my jeans coin pocket is one of its best features. Like they say with cameras, the best one is the one you have with you when you need it. My use of headphones has skyrocketed since I got AirPods because they're just so darn convenient to carry.
Battery life is a whole other parameter.
I had a pair of AirPods 2 but they kept falling out (I must have large earholes).
Switched to Jabra 65t's, which are very good, but could not resist switching to AirPods Pro.
The AirPods Pro, with the large size silicon tip, do stay in place. A bit more comfortable than the Jabras over an extended period. The noise cancellation is very good, and the switch between modes, by pressing the stalk, is easy & convenient. A volume control on the stalk would be good. Main issue is the relatively poor battery life, I'd like to have a full day's life in them. I eke it out by using them singly rather than as a pair.
Switched to Jabra 65t's, which are very good, but could not resist switching to AirPods Pro.
The AirPods Pro, with the large size silicon tip, do stay in place. A bit more comfortable than the Jabras over an extended period. The noise cancellation is very good, and the switch between modes, by pressing the stalk, is easy & convenient. A volume control on the stalk would be good. Main issue is the relatively poor battery life, I'd like to have a full day's life in them. I eke it out by using them singly rather than as a pair.
It’s not. Beats is an Apple-owned brand, thus the product shall be graded on a curve.
After Apple came out with the AirPods, wire-free earbuds flooded the market, and there are now a ton of options from companies ranging from Sony to Razer.
In our latest YouTube video, we took a look at several popular wire-free earbud options, comparing the features and giving each one an overall score to figure out which ones are the best.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
This comparison includes the following earbuds: Razer Hammerhead, Anker Soundcore Liberty 2 Pro, Jabra Elite 75t, Sony WF-1000XM3, AirPods Pro, AirPods 2, and Powerbeats Pro.
We're comparing the major features of each set of earbuds and assigning a score in four different categories, including comfort, portability, sound quality, and bonus features. Keep in mind that these are opinion-based scores. We have a quick overview below, but make sure to watch the video for the full comparison.
Razer Hammerhead ($99)
These earbuds are modeled after the AirPods with no silicone tips and a stem at the bottom. They're cheap at $99, and while the sound isn't bad, it does lack bass.
They're not uncomfortable, and charging via USB-C is a nice bonus. Razer promises 60ms latency for gaming, and while we didn't notice a huge difference when playing a game, it was noticeable with videos. The battery lasts for four hours, with an additional 12 hours from the charging case.
Soundcore Liberty 2 ($149)
- Comfort: 8
- Portability: 7
- Sound Quality: 6
- Bonus Features: 6
- Overall: 7
Soundcore is an Anker brand, and Anker is known for its high-quality but still affordable hardware. Priced at $149 (but often on sale for less), these earbuds are standard wireless earbuds that are rather bass heavy out of the box. These have "Astria coaxial acoustic architecture," which is a fancy way of saying good sound, and these do indeed offer some pretty great sound quality.
Sound profile can be customized with the Soundcore app, and there physical media controls. The battery lasts for 8 hours, and the USB-C charging case provides an additional 24 hours of battery life. These are comfortable to wear and provide a good seal in the ear, though there's no active noise cancellation technology (Anker does say these have noise reduction, but it's mostly for phone calls.)
Jabra Elite 75t ($180)
- Comfort: 8
- Portability: 8
- Sound Quality: 7
- Bonus Features: 7
- Overall: 7.5
Jabra has been making wireless headphones for a long time, and the Elite 75t are the company's wire-free option. These are small earbuds (the smallest of the bunch), but they fit well and offer a good in-ear seal, so good that there's a "hearthrough" mode. We weren't entirely sure what hearthrough mode was meant to do, but it didn't seem to work well.
Sound wise, these are a little bass heavy but can be adjusted with the Jabra app, and there's excellent instrument separation. A four microphone setup offers great call quality, unsurprising from a Jabra offering. The battery lasts for 7.5 hours and the charging case provides an additional 28 hours of battery life.
Sony WF-1000XM3 ($229)
- Comfort: 8
- Portability: 9
- Sound Quality: 7
- Bonus Features: 6
- Overall: 7.5
With noise cancellation, the Sony WF-1000XM3 are the earbuds that are closest to the AirPods Pro. There are 6 different silicone tips for a good fit regardless of ear size, but these are heavy which can lead to ear fatigue after awhile.
Sound is excellent with impressive balance and an equalizer option in the app to adjust the sound to your preferences. Sound cancellation isn't as good as the AirPods Pro, and the AirPods Pro Transparency mode wins out over the Ambient Noise control Sony offers. Battery life is 6 hours, with 24 hours from the case.
AirPods Pro ($250)
- Comfort: 8
- Portability: 7
- Sound Quality: 10
- Bonus Features: 8
- Overall: 8
AirPods Pro are Apple's newest AirPods and the priciest on this list at $250. AirPods Pro are super comfortable, fit well, and offer silicone tips in three sizes. Battery life is not as good as some of the other headphones on this list at 4.5 hours with ANC, but the charging case adds 24 hours.
The press-based playback controls are easy to use, but no volume control is a major downside. Sound quality is impressive, though the AirPods Pro lack the option for customization via an app. The H1 chip for easy iPhone connections can't be overlooked, and the active noise cancellation works well.
AirPods 2 ($159 - $199)
- Comfort: 9
- Portability: 8
- Sound Quality: 10
- Bonus Features: 10
- Overall: 9
AirPods 2 offer all of the features of the AirPods Pro when it comes to connectivity and device switching, but the design is the original AirPods design without the silicone tips. Most people find AirPods comfortable, but the AirPods Pro have the edge.
There's no active noise cancellation and the sound quality isn't quite as good, but these still sound excellent for earbuds that are this portable. AirPods have become some of the most popular wire-free earbuds on the market for a reason, and we think they're almost as good as the AirPods Pro, but not quite as nice when it comes to fit or sound quality.
Powerbeats Pro ($200)
- Comfort: 8
- Portability: 8
- Sound Quality: 7
- Bonus Features: 9
- Overall: 8
Like the AirPods and AirPods Pro, the Powerbeats Pro have Apple's H1 chip for simple setup and fast device switching. Design wise, these are in a category of their own thanks to the earhooks that hold them securely in place even during vigorous workouts.
The silicone tips offer a tight in-ear fit that can drown out ambient noise, but there's no active noise cancellation. Sound quality is solid, but again, there's no option for customization. Powerbeats Pro offer excellent nine hour battery life, but the charging case is enormous because it needs to accommodate those earhooks.
Conclusion
- Comfort: 8
- Portability: 8
- Sound Quality: 8
- Bonus Features: 9
- Overall: 8
There's nothing quite like the AirPods Pro if you have an Apple device, given the noise cancellation and the deep integration with the iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Simple pairing, easy device switching, and Hey Siri support are features that third-party headphones can't match.
The Sony headphones also have noise cancellation and great sound if you're looking for an AirPods Pro alternative, but you'll miss out on several of the aforementioned options.
If you don't need noise cancellation, you won't go wrong with the AirPods 2, and for those who want an in-ear fit along with secure earhooks for working out, the Powerbeats Pro are a great choice.
What are your favorite wire-free earbuds? Let us know in the comments.
Article Link: True Wireless Earbuds Comparison: AirPods, Powerbeats, Sony, Jabra, and More
There is no way that AirPods Pro sound better than the Sony pair. Don’t get me wrong APP sound is nice and acceptable, but what’s not acceptable to me and most people is VOLUME and a strong sound presence. APP are a bit weak in that aspect. I like them a lot, especially for call quality, but for a louder and stronger sound presence I think the Sony’s are best in class.
I tried Sony, Jabra and both AirPods: Apple’s are the best by far.
Jabra are mediocre at best, Sony are extremely uncomfortable and very poor in voice calls.
Airpods are balanced.
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Not even for free.
Jabra are mediocre at best, Sony are extremely uncomfortable and very poor in voice calls.
Airpods are balanced.
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Slightly better, but totally crap as far as voice calls are involved.
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You can keep them more than 30-40 minutes without discomfort.
Not even for free.
You are smiling it wrong...
😱😱😱
I cant believe I did it.
😰😰😰
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I would say from 7 to 8.
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This is not an Apple fan website.
But it is an Apple related website, so AirPods Pro are the best in Apple ecosystem, by far.
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The only point I have to move to the review is the lack of a voice call analysis.
It wouldn’t have changed the results: AirPods still are the best.
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Since you can‘t use the Sony for more than 40 minutes, I’d say sound quality is better on AirPods Pro.
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The volume control is on the phone or on the watch. You don’t even need to take it out of pockets to use it.
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Microsoft Surface earbuds are a joke 🤦🏻♂️
Postponed (indefinitely I would hope).
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That’s an issue with every single model on this news (maybe except Powerbeats Pro). Tiny batteries kept charged at 100% most of the time...
I basically agree with you all about the Sony sound being a bit more premium. That said.....and I'm referring to a model older than the Sony's reviewed here....my biggest issue with the Sony's is that the right bud on mine constantly cut in and out. Seemed to be a well documented issue....hopefully they fixed that problem. Otherwise they sounded great. True (for me anyway) about the ear fatigue factor also. Didn't take long to get uncomfortable.
So.....the APP sound pretty damn good too, and so far have proven to maintain consistent pairing. No dropouts yet.
Iv’e heard from others the Sennheiser Momentum’s produce the best sound quality and they are the same price as the AirPods Pro. Why not test those?
I think it wasn’t reviewed because the Momentum earbuds don’t have ANC. The upcoming Momentum 2 earbuds will though
nevermind, I noticed they reviewed other passive wireless earbuds. Good catch! It’s why this MR post can’t be taken seriously
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Gen 1. I haven’t spent much time with the gen 2 to make a qualified opinion. But on initial listen I didn’t hear much of a difference. Definitely wasn’t night and day like the AirPods Pro.
What I'm curious about though, is how they all stack up on a non-apple device, say an Android phone? Without an iPhone the AirPods are just another set of Bluetooth earbuds without any of the Apple integration that sets them apart when paired with an Apple product. How do they compare when you strip all the extra features away?