How to choose the best AirPods: Expert advice for students and professionals

byRiffat Yasmeen •
0

 


How to choose the best AirPods: Expert advice for students and professionals

If you're a student looking for new earbuds before returning to school or someone else in the market for a new pair, AirPods will surely fit the bill -- especially for iPhone owners. 

But before you purchase Airpods  you should know they work best with other Apple devices, like i phone, i pads and Mac book Essential features like seamless device switching, spatial audio, and find my only work with these devices. With all that said, if you're in the market for a new pair of Airpods, I'll help you select the Airpods that will best meet your needs and your budget.

Also;new airpods are coming this fall.here's

Why should you trust me? I have used the airpods Pro every day since they launched in October 2019, and upgraded to the Airpods Pro (2nd Generation) at launch in 2022. I have tried every AirPods model and have strong opinions on which pairs are the best for specific use cases. 

My pick for the best AirPods -- the recently-revised Airpods  pro 2 with USB_C is based on my extensive experience using and testing the different versions of AirPods and competing earbuds from Beats, Soundcore, Samsung, Sony, and many others. But there are a few more AirPods options if you aren't sold on the AirPods Pro 2. The best AirPods of 2024

click here for details videos

The soundstage is surprisingly wide, but lacks depth. The active noise cancelling is very good, but not quite as powerful as over-ear headphones. They are an excellent value and overall package, especially at half the price of the AirPods Max.


AirPods Max are wireless Bluetooth over-ear headphones designed by Apple, and released on December 15, 2020. They are Apple's highest-end option in the AirPods lineup, sold alongside the base model AirPods and mid-range AirPods Pro. AirPods Max. AirPods Max in Space Gray.


Powered by the Apple H1 headphone chip, AirPods deliver a fast and stable wireless connection to your devices. The H1 chip also delivers up to 30 percent lower gaming latency.2 So whether you’re playing games, listening to music, or enjoying podcasts, you’ll experience higher-quality sound.

airpods

Apple AirPods (3rd Generation.

Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking places sound all around you.

If you're not familiar with the four models of AirPods that are currently sold by Apple, here's a quick look at their primary features.

Best Apple AirPods

Retail Price

Battery

Audio Chip

AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with USB-C

$249

6 hours

H2

AirPods Max

$549

20 hours

H1

AirPods (2nd Generation)

$129

5 hours

H1

AirPods (3rd Generation)

$169

6 hours

H1

If you're still trying to decide which set of AirPods are the best for you to buy, here's the main reason to buy each of the products in the lineup.

Choose this pair of Apple AirPods...

If you want...

AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with USB-C

All of the latest sound quality and ease-of-use features.

AirPods Max

Superior noise cancellation, transparency mode, and other AI smarts.

AirPods (2nd Generation)

The original AirPods form factor and the best price (often on sale for under $100). 

AirPods (3rd Generation)

Most of the features of the Pro earbuds, but with the hard plastic tips and for $70 less.

In evaluating the four models of AirPods, I've especially focused on these four factors:

  • Cost: Budget is where most people start, so we always have to keep that at the forefront of the conversation about AirPods. The AirPods on this list cost anywhere from $99 to $550, depending on the model you choose, the AirPods generation, the features included in the pair like noise cancellation and spatial audio, and whether you're opting for earbuds or the AirPods Max. All of these factors will raise the price of a pair significantly, but also the quality level. 
  • Features: The things that determine how AirPods work and what you can do with them are always going to be at the center of consideration, so we have to look at noise cancellation, transparency mode, spatial audio, water resistance, charging case, interface controls, and other key features. 
  • Battery life: Few things affect daily use more than battery life, so we have to take that into account when considering the usefulness of each product. The AirPods on this list have battery life that ranges from six to 20 hours. 
  • Chip: To power the AirPods, Apple has both the H1 and H2 chips. These are the key to a number of features as well as the software upgradeability of the AirPods, as we've seen with the nice feature bump that the AirPods Pro 2 got in iOS 17 because they have the H2.
  • click here


I have been using AirPods every day for over five years, and have tried all of the various models. I've also used many other wireless earbuds, wireless over-the-ear headphones, and wired earbuds and headphones. I've used inexpensive $20 models and I've used ones that cost over $500. I've taken all of that experience and used it to make recommendations on the best AirPods to buy, based on the AirPods' performance, battery life, customer reviews, your needs, your use cases, and your budget.

ZDNET only spotlights products we actually recommend to people, and when we like a product, we will spotlight it or write an official review, and then put the product on one of these best lists. 

It's looking like two new AirPods models are coming our way shortly. One will be an inexpensive pair, predicted to be priced at around $100, and the other will be a new pair of AirPods Max, as ZDNET's Nina Raemont writes. Both AirPods models will feature USB-C charging, a new design, and a comfortable, improved fit. 

More: New AirPods Lite and AirPods Max expected later this year 

The Apple AirPods (2nd Generation) cost $129 and regularly go on sale for $99 or less. These are the original AirPods with some upgraded internal features from 2019 and they don't have the latest technologies you'll find in the AirPods Pro 2. But at less than half the price of the Pro model, the AirPods 2nd gen are an enticing first pair of Apple wireless earbuds.

We think the AirPods Pro 2 run circles over the AirPods 3, for their value, their comfort, the noise cancellation, and much more. And many AirPods Pro 2 owners agree -- just look at any Reddit thread about which earbuds to buy and you'll find the AirPods Pro 2 the clear winner. People report that the AirPods 3 are much bigger and less comfortable, plus they don't come with the stellar noise cancellation of the AirPods Pro 2. 

The AirPods 3 are cheaper than the AirPods Pro 2 because the earbuds don't come with as many bells and whistles as the AirPods Pro 2. The Pro 2, for example, come with noise cancellation, transparency mode, and Apple's latest H2 chip, two things the AirPods 3 lack. This naturally raises the price of the AirPods Pro 2. 

There are plenty, from Sony's WF-1000XM5 earbuds, to Bose's QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, there are tons of competitive earbud options from other brands, if you're not keen on Apple. 

Apple AirPods come in four different models and four different retail price tags: AirPods 2nd Generation ($129), AirPods 3rd Generation ($169), AirPods Pro 2nd Generation with USB-C ($249), AirPods Max ($549). 

So, there's Apple's price that it sells its products for, and then there's the lower price e-commerce sites like Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart are actually selling the products for. You'll see the AirPods 2nd gen sell for $129 on Apple's site and $90 on Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. Apple sells its most expensive AirPods Max for $549, while Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart regularly discount the price to $480. And, finally, for the AirPods Pro 2, our best overall pick, Apple sells the earbuds for $250, while Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart regularly sell it for $190. 

While the Apple AirPods are often a great pick if you are deeply embedded in the Apple ecosystem, ZDNET has also tested a lot of other great earbuds and headphones from other companies as well. So, don't miss the rest of our picks for the best headphones, the best earbuds. Here are a few of our picks for the best AirPods alternatives. 


Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post