Now I’m falling in love — again — with Apple’s AirPods
Hassle-free Bluetooth headset now features active noise cancellation
I love my Apple AirPods. In my review in May 2018, I said my only complaint about them was their price ($159), griping that they were, “three times more expensive than my beloved Klipsch S4i wired headphones (now discontinued but still available for around $50 at Amazon.com,) which are more comfortable, sound better and include an inline remote.”
Much as I loved my Klipsch wired headset, I came to love my original AirPods even more. They’re the most hasslefree Bluetooth headset I’ve ever used and are easier to use with multiple Apple devices than any other Bluetooth headset or speaker I know.
I’ve tested literally dozens of other headphones, earphones and earbuds since then, but when the testing was done, I was always happy to go back to my AirPods.
In addition to their relatively high price, I discovered one other drawback to the first (and second) generation AirPods: Because of their “universal fit,” they don’t form a seal in your ear, so they provide little noise reduction (and no active noise cancellation.)
I’m not a fan of noise cancellation in general, but I absolutely love it in two environments. My hobby is woodworking, so the first place I love it is in my garage workshop, where the noise level often exceeds 100db. (I know this thanks to my Apple Watch’s Noise app, which regularly alerts me to sound levels high enough to cause hearing damage.)
The other place I love noise cancellation is on airplanes, trains, buses and noisy public spaces. So, I’ve been leaving my AirPods behind when I’m in my workshop or using public transportation. In those cases I’ve been using either Mixcder E7 Wireless Active Noise Canceling over-the-ear headphones ($59.99) or Phiaton Curve BT 120 NC ($79) in-ear headphones.
Both have been more than adequate for reducing noise in loud environments, but neither is as comfortable as my AirPods, and neither sounds as good — with or without noise cancellation. What I really wanted were AirPods that either sealed my ear canal to provided better passive noise reduction and/or active noise cancellation.
Apple recently made my dreams come true when it introduced AirPods Pro ($249). Unlike the original AirPods, which are “onesize-fits-most” and lack silicone or foam tips to seal outside noise, the new AirPods Pro are customizable with three sizes of soft silicone tips. And, their active noise cancellation is noticeably better than any other noise-canceling headset I’ve tested.
Finally, their audio quality is significantly better than the original AirPods (or my other noise canceling headphones.)
I’ve got much more to say about AirPods Pro, but I’m out of space … So, please tune-in next week for the thrilling conclusion and recommendations.
Resources:
Mixcder E7 Wireless Active Noise Cancelling headphones. $59.99. www.mixcder.com.
Phiaton Curve BT 120 NC. $79. www.phiaton.com.
Apple AirPods with Charging Case. $159; Apple AirPods with Wireless Charging Case. $199; Apple AirPods Pro. $249. www.apple.com.