The challenge of the AirPods, we tell you which ones to buy today. The AirPods are an iconic product, now on the market in three different models. However, abundance also generates uncertainty about which ones to buy. If you want separate opinions from each other you have our reviews of AirPods 2, AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro (now discontinued) and the recent Airpods Pro 2, we here instead, want to offer you our experience and opinion. Since we’ve tried them all and continue to use them, albeit with varying degrees of intensity, we all tell you what we think about what you gain or lose in the way they fit, play and function, as well as how they are made. Obviously, we say it immediately and we will reiterate it later, the opinion is completely personal but we still believe it is a track on which all those who read it can reflect.
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Let’s start from the beginning
Meanwhile, a moment of summary. The latest news are two: third generation AirPods and Airpods Pro 2, two products that are very similar in design but the former have characteristics that are halfway between the original Airpods and the Pros, the latter are a refined version that derives from the original Airpods Pro. However, there are differences and novelties. And if we then look at the differences compared to the Pros (but not the Airpods Max, Apple’s over-ear headphones that belong to a completely different category) and the old first generation AirPods, there are many things to understand. Including a reasoning on taste, i.e. “which ones we like best” which is certainly subjective but which can help to better understand.
The original AirPods
The original AirPods came out in September 2016 and remained in production until March 2019. They sound good, have remarkable ergonomics (they fit well in the ears) and are well balanced. Nearly impossible to miss, but they lack a whole host of features even compared to the AirPods 2 (which are aesthetically the same).
Compared with AirPods 2, the first generation lacks the “Hey Siri” function (it takes the H1 chip, which is only present on the second generation AirPods, while the first generation has the slower W1 chip), it is slower to execute commands and in the Bluetooth connection also for phone calls, have a slightly lower autonomy and had an optional wireless charging case (released when the AirPods 2 were presented). The sound quality is identical to the second generation.
We tested them before the official release, and they were a revolution. Today they are out of production and no longer available. We mention them only because the impact they have had on the market has been enormous, but also from a psychological point of view they have changed the way we listen to music, podcasts and make phone calls. Virtually no more tangled wires in your pocket and instant phone hookup. Fantastic and unforgettable for us at Macity.
The AirPods 2
What has been said for the first also applies to the second generation of AirPods (but it would be better to say version 1.1), which is still on the market (since March 2019), with an optional wireless case, greater efficiency in performance, slightly more battery on call compared to the first generation, less latency and less waiting time to answer the phone. We like them very much, just as we liked the first generation AirPods. We used them on launch day and the transition was “painless” (ergonomically they are identical, as mentioned). We ran to catch the bus, dozed off on the train, walked down the street, cycled into the countryside, all with the headphones always securely in our ears.
The great advantage of these earphones, apart from the iconic design and the balance obtained by the “long” stylus and the part that enters the ear which is substantially the same as those with the cable of the iPhone and iPod, is the way in which are activated and controlled. Just tap them once, twice or three times to give commands. Very convenient for example if you are outdoors with gloves in winter, or with your hands perhaps dirty with sand in summer at the sea. Furthermore, the “tap” unlike the pressure with two fingers on the stylus (typical of AirPods Pro and more recently I have AirPods 3) does not risk taking off the headphones.
Queuing at the supermarket, waiting for the children in front of school in the winter, while doing something else: just raise your hand and tap to deactivate them or answer a phone call. Fantastic. The basic functions are all there and it is clear why Apple has literally conquered the world with this product.
The third generation AirPods
The AirPods 3 made their debut in the fall of 2021 and immediately highlighted a few factors. The function of electronic sound cancellation or therefore also transparency is still missing. They have a “chubby” shape with a short stem, practically identical to the Pros we will talk about shortly but without the rubber. However, they have all the most advanced functions for lossless and spatialized audio that works (as for the Pros) in many applications, for example also from the YouTube player on Safari as well as from Apple TV + and QuickTime; be warned though, it doesn’t work on VLC.
We bought them with skepticism, expecting that an expensive product with apparently similar ergonomics to the Pros would be limited both in terms of use and as an economic opportunity. We changed our minds. They feel great in your ear, don’t tire it, have the most advanced audio features, and if you don’t need sound cancellation, they’re perfect. How to justify the price comparable to that of the Pro? We’ll get there in a moment.
The AirPods Pros
For the Airpods Pro they were in the first version in October 2019, preceding the AirPods Max (but we don’t talk about it here). They were Apple’s first noise-canceling earphones, built with a completely different approach than the “normal” ones. In the fall of 2022 they were replaced by the second generation Airpods Pro.
Aesthetically, the two products are identical. With the launch they represented a departure from the original design that was then inherited by the third generation Airpods. They are bigger than the Airpods 2 because inside they have more electronics and microphones that are invisible but necessary for sound cancellation as well as audio recording, a much shorter stem that must be grasped and “squeezed” for the various functions, finally the silicone pads in three sizes that serve to manage the adherence of the headphones inside the ear. The Pros allow you to manage the electronic cancellation of the sound, a normal passive “plug” effect and the transparency function which, on command, lets the sound pass from the outside. In addition, they are designed to work with the most advanced features of Apple’s lossless audio and especially spatialized audio, which however came later. Regular 1st and 2nd generation AirPods are not compatible with these new features.
The second version is not a revolution compared to the first version but significantly refines the noise reduction function (more powerful) and introduces a case compatible with Where’s it. In practice it is possible to find it thanks to the U1 chip and also make it play (it has a small built-in speaker).
We have been waiting for these earphones for a long time because we hoped that Apple would present sound canceling earphones to always keep in your pocket. When they arrived, the technical result was excellent but some problems, which we have not only encountered, limit our enthusiasm even when we have reached the second version.
For us, these are extraordinary results in terms of sound performance and the ability to cancel external noise (the transparency function is also brilliant, which at the time of the launch of the AirPods Pro was not widespread in the sector and which now also has the adaptive mode ), spatialized and lossless audio is at its best here, but they are more uncomfortable and tiring to wear than first and second generation AirPods.
In particular, we find the form factor not very digestible: they are stockier and have a short stylus with instead a large element that enters the ear. The stylus must be grasped with two fingers and “squeezed” to turn the music on and off as well as for all other functions. Just as we found the rubber system tiring as well as always uncomfortable (there are four sizes in the second generation) for isolating the ear from the outside and therefore for sound cancellation.
Mind you the rubbers give a great contribution to the cancellation of the sound and an equally important help from the sound point of view. But you have to hit the right size which is not an easy thing and even having achieved this goal over time they tire the ear. The writer cannot exceed two hours of use: it seems like a lot but it is actually the time of a train journey, for example, of medium length. In addition, the earphones tend to come out because little by little the ear canal tends to become slippery due to the humidity of the skin.
Buy AirPods 2
Does it make sense to buy second generation AirPods? Or continue to use AirPods 1 for those who still have them? We asked ourselves that too. The benefits are partly in the sound quality, which is more than decent by the way with good bass, pronounced presence and a certain exuberance at high volumes or when fitted snugly in your ears. Instead, the availability of “Hey Siri” in version 2, the “tap” for command management instead of the “squeeze” and remarkable ergonomics (whoever is writing this has never fallen out of their ears in three years, not even when running or exercising physical) make them an excellent purchase. Of course, the shape is less “hip” than the newer models, but functionally they still defend themselves very well compared to version 3. If you don’t have other AirPods and you want to save money or spend as little as possible, buying the second generation AirPods is a rational choice and you won’t regret it. However, you will miss the spatial audio function. At least we would miss it.
Buy AirPods 3
Do AirPods 3 cost substantially more than AirPods 2 and slightly less than AirPods Pro for those benefits? The strengths are the spatialization of sound and the management of loseless formats in which Apple is investing heavily. In addition, the new model takes steps forward from an ergonomic point of view compared to the old AirPods because they have the advantage of the more compact format of the Pros but without the problem of the rubber. After three weeks of daily use we can subjectively (things are not like that for everyone) say that they have none of the limits of comfort and fit compared to the Pros. The sound quality is also very good and although slightly lower than that of the Pros. AirPods Pro due to the lack of ear tips that “isolate” and project all the sound inside the ear canal, however detach the second generation AirPods clearly.
Buy AirPods Pro 2
The AirPods Pro 2 are more expensive and are also the most fiddly to use. The case is the bulkiest (even if it fits perfectly in the zippo pocket of an adult’s jeans), the battery life is very good and the functions are fabulous. The management of the cancellation or amplification of the sound is very well done and the connection to the bluetooth is very fast. Apple has also done wonders in optimizing the management of headphones on multiple devices so if you have a complete set (iPhone, iPad, MacBook, iMac and Apple TV); the sound performance is clearly superior to those of other types of headphones, with a much wider frequency range, very well modeled sound, amplified effect for the bass thanks to the fact that the drivers are “sealed” inside the ear canal. So there’s technically no reason why you shouldn’t buy them.
The major criticality is the non-optimal ergonomic balance due to the very short stem and then the silicone rubber pads complicate the fit: the writer has always struggled to find the right combination and after two-three hours, as mentioned, one feels a certain ear fatigue that doesn’t exist with normal AirPods.
Switching from the second generation AirPods to these earphones for writers was therefore an advantage in terms of sound performance and isolation but not so much in terms of usability.
In conclusion
And here we are at the final “big question”: which AirPods should I buy? The answer puts many of the readers in crisis who ask us personally or write to us and to whom we think we can give a precise answer, even if obviously personal, because we have all had these earphones and we have used them all intensely.
Faced with this, the answer we gave ourselves is that shooting in the middle, therefore going on the AirPods 3, is the right choice. You will lose the noise cancellation functions of the AirPods 3 but you will have everything else and you will gain in some respects: the ergonomics are better, you will tire your ears less, the case is also smaller than that of the AirPods Pro and in the end you will spend less. even with discounts
Instead, you should buy the AirPods 2 if the goal is to spend as little as possible to have a good pair of earphones for all occasions, capable of doing all the essentials, excellent for integration with iPhones, “compatible” with all ears.
What about AirPods Pro 2? Who should buy them? All those who are sure that in-ear headphones with ear tips are no problem. If you belong to this category, in the face of a slightly larger case and spending more you will have noise cancellation and a product that will not fail to give you great satisfaction also from a musical point of view.
Where to buy
Airpods are everywhere. Often with large discounts (except in Apple stores). So you can find them without problems. If you want the maximum discount, this is almost always available on Amazon even if sometimes there are excellent opportunities even at large retailers. The maximum possible assistance, configuration and advice is instead an exclusive of the stores with the Apple, both the official ones and the Apple Premium Resellers.