Me too. I hate the feeling sealed iems create. I feel like I’m in a chamber. Sure the music sounds better but it’s odd like I’m trapped hearing inside my body. Don’t like the sensation.
AirPods
- Thread starter aramk
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75% seems to be a good middle ground. Any higher and they tend to get boomy/muddy. They’re really quite decent for what they are.
SparkOnShore
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Flaws will go away after listening on them for some time, during your every day activities, in different conditions...They are unique, really...
They fit perfectly in the small right jeans pocket originallly made for pocket watches. So convenient. When I’m watching appletv I swipe down on the remote and select AirPods. So nice. I walked downstairs while a Netflix movie video was playing flawlessly.
SparkOnShore
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Absolutely correct point! Coming from the highly isolated Shures, I can’t agree with you more! Isolation gives this false perception of a fake bass and lush mids, result of trapping sound in your ear drum! This is not a real sound, it’s a 100% wrong concept, having no relation to the real open sound and bass feeling of a good speakers set up! AirPods are the closest to that open feeling, that’s why they are really balanced as well!
SparkOnShore
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I would never call AirPods muddy even at 90% volume! On the opposite they are really really bright to my ears! Tremble is quite bright and revealing, really impressive IMHO! They just take a hit in the low bass region, but there is no much musical information there in any case, just sensation, so not much gets lost there...
Agreed. Never heard muddy. They are quite bright, airy and open with a unique soundstage I find quite significant.
It’s impressive what Apple accomplished, but the more I listen the more hollow they sound which admittedly may be my ears getting fatigued as I’m definitely going to have to listen lower volume to enjoy them for more than a few minutes.
The FR is good, and they do have some audiophile qualities. It’s clear they’re trying to get the best sound possible out of this design, and I think there’s a lot of potential still there. Overall, I’d say they sound more mature than the EarPods with a slightly fuller, more detailed sound.
For how tiny they are they sound excellent, plus with the iOS ecosystem integration and cool charging case, they are my favorite all around listening device.
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Still running into the problem of the Beats Solo3 sounding way better overall, which limits my use cases for the AirPods. That being said I did specifically buy them to run with, and at my discounted cost it may be worth keeping them for that purpose then reselling and hoping that AirPods gen 2 blow me away.
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They’re best for passive listening. Certainly not bad for background noise, but I’d use a different device for any serious listening. They sound full at volumes louder than I can tolerate.
I think I know why that is: treble is boosted 4+dB over the mids and over 5dB over the mid-bass, so for me to get a satisfactory listening volume the treble becomes too sharp. iOS treble reducer EQ makes the sound too muddy and dull for my ears, so I just need to learn to live with a lower volume.
They’re good if you prefer a brighter sound (still not totally comparable to full-size headphones like the ATH-AD700), and some audiophiles aren’t crazy for liking them.
A lot of Apple’s latest headphones would be better if there was a full EQ built into iOS, or an app to control the sound.
They’re good if you prefer a brighter sound (still not totally comparable to full-size headphones like the ATH-AD700), and some audiophiles aren’t crazy for liking them.
A lot of Apple’s latest headphones would be better if there was a full EQ built into iOS, or an app to control the sound.
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You know, something magical starts to happen once you start using AirPods rather than evaluating them. They’re downright stupidly simple. Open the case, pair, and you’re good to go. Siri works well, and I’ve been trying to find a comfortable volume level that doesn’t fatigue yet still feels full which for me now is 80%.
They’re not the best-sounding earbuds, but they have decent mids (sometimes muddied by the bass), a solid mid-bass punch when needed, and a bright treble.
Open soundstage? Check.
Respectable imaging? Check.
Wireless clarity? Check.
I still wish they sounded better, but they’re adequate. The beauty of Apple products is that once you buy one generation, you can continue upgrading at a relatively low cost thanks to the resale value.
Also: I get a perfectly fine, stable seal with them but I think if can get a better seal I can further improve the sound.
They’re not the best-sounding earbuds, but they have decent mids (sometimes muddied by the bass), a solid mid-bass punch when needed, and a bright treble.
Open soundstage? Check.
Respectable imaging? Check.
Wireless clarity? Check.
I still wish they sounded better, but they’re adequate. The beauty of Apple products is that once you buy one generation, you can continue upgrading at a relatively low cost thanks to the resale value.
Also: I get a perfectly fine, stable seal with them but I think if can get a better seal I can further improve the sound.
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The more I listen, the better they sound. Call it burn-in, call it a better fit, or just a mental adjustment but AirPods can certainly play with the better IEMs I’ve heard. Still not absolutely perfect, but you’re not losing as much as you’d think for the convenience. I think considering all the significant improvements Apple has been making to their device speakers, the R&D into HomePod, and the popularity of AirPods that Apple is capable of producing AirPods that any audiophile can appreciate — and we’ll see that product within five years.
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