KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
My daughter is buying a pair of these IEMs.
If she is spending $234, I'm wondering if there is a different product that surpasses it.
 
M

Movie2099

Audioholic General
My daughter is buying a pair of these IEMs.
If she is spending $234, I'm wondering if there is a different product that surpasses it.
Are you asking if there are better ear buds in the $240 range? I think it comes down to style more than sound. I don't think ear buds are made to be super audiophile grade that they'll replace normal headphones. I think Apple makes a more slick looking ear bud compared to other companies that make it look like some strange thing is attached to your ear or some huge hearing aid.

The regular airpod's are $150 and will be just as good. Apple slaps on a "pro" label and charges almost $100 more.
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
Are you asking if there are better ear buds in the $240 range? I think it comes down to style more than sound. I don't think ear buds are made to be super audiophile grade that they'll replace normal headphones. I think Apple makes a more slick looking ear bud compared to other companies that make it look like some strange thing is attached to your ear or some huge hearing aid.

The regular airpod's are $150 and will be just as good. Apple slaps on a "pro" label and charges almost $100 more.
Yeah, some of Apple's stuff seems like a rip-off and others are a pretty good deal.
I have no idea where the Airpods sit.
She wants the noise cancellation feature of the pros. Maybe it does little, but she thinks it is pretty effective. Her boyfriend has them, so she has tried them. Makes them a safe bet.
 
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j_garcia

j_garcia

Audioholic Jedi
Gizmodo review. It said the Jabra 75t was about the same performance for less.

 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
The one kick I keep hearing is that the folks that are into the Apple Ecosystem, fully, want the siri and iOS compatibility that you don't get with other products.
Believe me, I struggle with this. I don't wear my old airpods religiously, but every now and again its super convenient to use those features.
At the same time, I'd also like to have true water resistance and a product that will stay in my ears better too.
 
tmurnin

tmurnin

Full Audioholic
I have the pros and like them a lot. The original airpods always fell out of my ears, the pros have silicon tips so they stay in. The noise canceling works well but you can also turn it off if you prefer, and the mic works great. These are casual listening earbuds, of course. They’re not going to compete with your high-end Shure or other IEMs, but that isn’t their market, either. I’ve also been using them with my computer for Zoom calls, and I like that they are small enough that they don’t look odd to use.They’re probably a little pricey for what they are, but no argument with their performance.
 
KEW

KEW

Audioholic Overlord
Thanks for the feedback, everyone!
Seems like the Airpods Pro are a reasonable option. My daughter is an Apple fan, so I wouldn't mess with it unless there was a decisive advantage to depart from Apple.
Gizmodo review. It said the Jabra 75t was about the same performance for less.

This is a very nice comprehensive review with alternatives mentioned if anyone else is researching these!
 
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William Lemmerhirt

William Lemmerhirt

Audioholic Overlord
The thing that fries me about apple is that they’re the largest company on earth and we had to wait until 2020 for silicone tipped earbuds?!?!?! Cmon...
Having said that, Ive been in the ecosystem for a looong time and find that Apple products just work. The regular AirPods sound pretty good as long as you can get a good seal in the ear canal. That’s been the biggest problem for me. Integration, ease of use and call quality are excellent. The tech in them, imo is amazing. Call quality might not matter for her, but for me it’s important and apples AirPods are great in this regard.
So, IMO if she has the money, and her sites set, it’s likely a good long term investment. I also appreciate bringing the question here. I remember one time my oldest son wanted to buy a pair of beats. I explained 10,000 reasons why they weren’t gonna be a good long term investment. Long story short, he wasn’t gonna have anything else despite my best efforts. And his beats lasted about two months...
fwiw I bought a pair of mpow m30 from Amazon for 30 bucks. Gotta say, they are light, fit great, have good Siri integration and work similar to apple’s pods. Others have reported call quality to be good overall. Oh yeah, I was especially surprised at SQ. Not the same as my shure 215’s but very similar to my apples. And 1000 times more convenient. Pairing is quick and consistent. Not trying to sway you, just sharing an alternative with experience.

Wireless Earbuds, Mpow M30 in-Ear Bluetooth Headphones, Immersive Bass Sound, IPX8 Waterproof Sport Earphones, Touch Control Bluetooth Earbuds, 25 Hrs w/USB-C Charging Case/Twin&Mono Mode/Mics,Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0832GH4WF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rF.nFb88HEP9A
 
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Trell

Trell

Audioholic Spartan
The thing that dries me about apple is that they’re the largest company on earth and we had to wait until 2020 for silicone tipped earbuds?!?!?! Cmon...
Having said that, Ive been in the ecosystem for a looong time and find that Apple products just work. The regular AirPods sound pretty good as long as you can get a good seal in the ear canal. That’s been the biggest problem for me. Integration, ease of use and call quality are excellent. The tech in them, imo is amazing. Call quality might not matter for her, but for me it’s important and apples AirPods are great in this regard.
So, IMO if she has the money, and her sites set, it’s likely a good long term investment. I also appreciate bringing the question here. I remember one time my oldest son wanted to buy a pair of beats. I explained 10,000 reasons why they weren’t gonna be a good long term investment. Long story short, he wasn’t gonna have anything else despite my best efforts. And his beats lasted about two months...
fwiw I bought a pair of mpow m30 from Amazon for 30 bucks. Gotta say, they are light, fit great, have good Siri integration and work similar to apple’s pods. Others have reported call quality to be good overall. Oh yeah, I was especially surprised at SQ. Not the same as my shure 215’s but very similar to my apples. And 1000 times more convenient. Pairing is quick and consistent. Not trying to sway you, just sharing an alternative with experience.

Wireless Earbuds, Mpow M30 in-Ear Bluetooth Headphones, Immersive Bass Sound, IPX8 Waterproof Sport Earphones, Touch Control Bluetooth Earbuds, 25 Hrs w/USB-C Charging Case/Twin&Mono Mode/Mics,Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0832GH4WF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rF.nFb88HEP9A
Once upon a time one could get fairly inexpensive Android phones at smaller sizes while still have top-notch specs. That time is gone, sadly. What we have now is Android phones costing the same as iPhone but far, far, worse software updates.

My teenage daughter "needed" a new mobile that had a bigger screen, so I gave her an iPhone that have proven long term support, especially for security updates which is the Achilles heel of Android.
 
ryanosaur

ryanosaur

Audioholic Overlord
Once upon a time one could get fairly inexpensive Android phones at smaller sizes while still have top-notch specs. That time is gone, sadly. What we have now is Android phones costing the same as iPhone but far, far, worse software updates.

My teenage daughter "needed" a new mobile that had a bigger screen, so I gave her an iPhone that have proven long term support, especially for security updates which is the Achilles heel of Android.
Towards this, I bought a new iPhone 8 last year to replace an ailing 6s. even though the tech in that 8 is effectively 3 yrs old now, it operates very well. Fairly, the 6s was at the end of its battery life and i'm certain it would have behaved better with a new battery, but at the same time, three years on that phone was taking it to the end of it's useful existence for anything but the most simple of processing tasks.

I think the 12 will be the model I actually update to within the first 3 mos of its release. (I do not believe in being an early adopter, especially when that early period is effectively using the general public as an extended Beta test (Gamma test? :) ) environment.

Back to the airPods:
Mine are 2 years old, give or take. First gen. I do not know if it is the charging case or an individual Pod battery, but they are definitely starting to get wonky in terms of charging and battery life.
Some news/consumer articles seem to indicate roughly a 2yr life expectancy on these products.

Am curious to know how other non-Apple items stack up in this metric.
 
Trell

Trell

Audioholic Spartan
Towards this, I bought a new iPhone 8 last year to replace an ailing 6s. even though the tech in that 8 is effectively 3 yrs old now, it operates very well. Fairly, the 6s was at the end of its battery life and i'm certain it would have behaved better with a new battery, but at the same time, three years on that phone was taking it to the end of it's useful existence for anything but the most simple of processing tasks.
Li-Ion cells have a limited shelf time as well as number of charges before it is out of useful service. What I do is to, as with all of cells (yup, a cell, not a battery that by definition is combined of multiple cells) with this chemistry, is to have a charge between 50% and 80% in general use. This will significantly improve the lifetime of the cell in your mobile and other devices. Of course, when I think I need a full charge, I do so.
 
afterlife2

afterlife2

Audioholic Warlord
In my case, the deal is done, but always good to list alternatives for posterity!
I bought a used pair and the sq is as great as the Anbes and clearer if you can believe that. I think it’s the best I bought so far. It’s always great to have backups too. The price is usually 89 though. When the new batch comes in I’m sure the price will go back.
 
surfacetension

surfacetension

Audioholic Intern
From Airpod Pro description:

WTF?

Basically it has an internally-facing microphone that listens to your ear canal and adjusts EQ based upon that input. I guess it'd be sorta like if your AVR could have an Audyssey mic at your ears as you listen, polling at 5ms and adjusting the EQ in realtime.

It also uses it for internal noise cancellation in addition to the normal external noise cancellation.

Frankly I think Airpods are the best damn thing Apple has come up with since the iPhone. I ordered my first gen Airpods at launch and have used them nearly every time I go out ever since. I never really listen to music through them so sound quality has never mattered to me as much, I listen to podcasts or audiobooks with them. They were created to deliver maximum convenience, not sound quality, and it delivers in spades IMO.

I must be weird though because I can't stand the type of in-ear silicone pieces that the Pro (and basically any other IEM) has, I love the slightly loose feel of the normal Airpods while most everyone else seems to hate that aspect of them. With the in-ear silicone type of insert on the Pros my ears get too warm or itchy or something after only a few minutes. I can (and have) worn the regular Airpods all day with zero fatigue.
 
Old Onkyo

Old Onkyo

Audioholic General
I never tried any apple earbuds that stayed in place. I alway fidget with them, or they fall out when I am walking or just chewing gum.
 
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