[scrane]

Sq cannot compete with wired. Anyone tells you otherwise has cement in their ears, or crappy wired phones.
Only good as gifts to other people who are not audiophiles.

Or audiophiles on hiatus.

Just as I'm sure audiophiles used to say (and some surely still do) that earphones cannot compete with cans can not compete with speakers cannot compete with live presentation. I mean, you gotta draw the line somewhere. I just draw mine at a lower, but pleasant, easily accessible level.

 

[Kitechaser]

Or audiophiles on hiatus.

Just as I'm sure audiophiles used to say (and some surely still do) that earphones cannot compete with cans can not compete with speakers cannot compete with live presentation. I mean, you gotta draw the line somewhere. I just draw mine at a lower, but pleasant, easily accessible level.

I finally found earphones that sound better than cans and most speaker systems.
But yeah these are useful in some very specific situations.
No doubt.

 

[obsidyen]

Yes, AirPods have bass roll off at the extremes but so does Sennheiser HD 650. They still sound very good. I have Sony XBA-N3 when I want more isolation or when I want a lot of sub-bass. But for daily general use, AirPods are simply so good. If Apple releases IEMs with the same ease of use, more extended bass and more isolation, I'll buy that as well. But just because I can feel 20 Hz with my XBA-N3 does not mean I will stop loving AirPods.

 

[scrane]

Exactly! AirPods are convenient, quick and easy, as you put it! But for music enjoyment and high quality audio, you need more alternatives... Apple has to come up with something more in the future...

The dichotomy we face here is we are discussing subjects in a non audiophile thread within an audiophile forum environment. So its hard to leave your high sonic expectations in a place where numbers and measurements are pretty much irrelevant. Is the sonic quality of the airpods flawless? Obviously not. But do they sound good enough? Often the answer for me is yes.

Here's a silly analogy: Is it worthwhile to cultivate a taste for good wine if it means you can no longer enjoy splitting a bottle of Gallo with the guys on the corner?

 

[SparkOnShore]

Yes, AirPods have bass roll off at the extremes but so does Sennheiser HD 650. They still sound very good. I have Sony XBA-N3 when I want more isolation or when I want a lot of sub-bass. But for daily general use, AirPods are simply so good. If Apple releases IEMs with the same ease of use, more extended bass and more isolation, I'll buy that as well. But just because I can feel 20 Hz with my XBA-N3 does not mean I will stop loving AirPods.

Of course, if Apple releases iems with bass and noise isolation, being wire free at the same time, I will be a happy buyer as well! Meanwhile I cannot enjoy my AirPods for music, exactly because I cannot feel these 20Hz with them on! I use AirPods all the time though for business calls, but no, I do not love them for music listening, they are too thin sounding for my taste...

 

[obsidyen]

Of course, if Apple releases iems with bass and noise isolation, being wire free at the same time, I will be a happy buyer as well! Meanwhile I cannot enjoy my AirPods for music, exactly because I cannot feel these 20Hz with them on! I use AirPods all the time though for business calls, but no, I do not love them for music listening, they are too thin sounding for my taste...

To my ears they sound quite full and warm due to their mid-bassy sound signature. My ear canals are narrow so they fit perfectly, maybe fit is not good for your ears or perhaps you're used to overly warm headphones?

 

[SparkOnShore]

To my ears they sound quite full and warm due to their mid-bassy sound signature. My ear canals are narrow so they fit perfectly, maybe fit is not good for your ears or perhaps you're used to overly warm headphones?

But I think I presented the official measurements here, with the most scientific methods, from the most respected relevant site:
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-wireless

I don’t want to repeat myself, but forget my subjective opinion, or if I use overly warm headphones! Just read the curves that never lie! My ear canals are also narrow and AirPods fit perfectly. I dance and move my head and they never move or more so fall out! Fit has nothing to do with sound tuning of the drivers. If you think AirPods sound full, I am sorry but you have no idea what full sound means! As their FR curve shows us, which I recommend you to read, AirPods are cold sounding, with exaggerated highs that give you ear fatigue due to the complete lack of low frequency foundation of their signature. And at last, mid bass has nothing to do with warm sounding, low bass has. Mid bass is responsible for some punch of the drums’ parts. Low frequency is offering the warm basis upon which all rest sounds develop from the drivers. Without this basis whole music is giving the impression of a naked blinding light in the middle of a dark forest, if you get what I mean...AirPods were not made for music by Apple. They are the perfect conference calls instruments. If they are able to produce something better, wire free, for music, future will tell...

 

[MulberryMadness]

I finally found earphones that sound better than cans and most speaker systems.
But yeah these are useful in some very specific situations.
No doubt.

no doubt, which specific situations? /snark Earphones that sound *better* than cans and most speaker systems? You'll have a hard time finding many head-fi.org members, or general audio community that would agree with that highly specific opinion, that isn't likely shared by many...RHA CL2, controversial.

Of course, if Apple releases iems with bass and noise isolation, being wire free at the same time, I will be a happy buyer as well! Meanwhile I cannot enjoy my AirPods for music, exactly because I cannot feel these 20Hz with them on! I use AirPods all the time though for business calls, but no, I do not love them for music listening, they are too thin sounding for my taste...

rumors are for airpods 2 sometime this year W2 chip for voice-activated always on "hello Siri", possibly 1H, water resistant maybe, ANC maybe, more likely health sensors...or that may wait until airpods 3 2020-2. hopefully rumored all new form factor on the airpods 3, cause I can't stand hard plastic earbuds.

Most importantly to me, or others who think out of the box, T. Cook has said health will be the greatest benefit for the future for Apple products, so the A13 & later will continue with AI/ML focus, using NPU/APU/GPU combos, not just for advanced cameral/ image processing...now what could you do with a few billion in reserves for R&D...how could you elevate/improve the technical qualities of the handset/earphone system, what crazy kinds of customization/adaptations would be possible?

But I think I presented the official measurements here, with the most scientific methods, from the most respected relevant site:
https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-wireless

I don’t want to repeat myself, but forget my subjective opinion, or if I use overly warm headphones! Just read the curves that never lie! My ear canals are also narrow and AirPods fit perfectly. I dance and move my head and they never move or more so fall out! Fit has nothing to do with sound tuning of the drivers. If you think AirPods sound full, I am sorry but you have no idea what full sound means! As their FR curve shows us, which I recommend you to read, AirPods are cold sounding, with exaggerated highs that give you ear fatigue due to the complete lack of low frequency foundation of their signature. And at last, mid bass has nothing to do with warm sounding, low bass has. Mid bass is responsible for some punch of the drums’ parts. Low frequency is offering the warm basis upon which all rest sounds develop from the drivers. Without this basis whole music is giving the impression of a naked blinding light in the middle of a dark forest, if you get what I mean...AirPods were not made for music by Apple. They are the perfect conference calls instruments. If they are able to produce something better, wire free, for music, future will tell...

^ So that guy in the airpods commerical scaling walls upside down, was on a conference call...man was I ever fooled, such impressive millennial multi-tasking!

Un, so you've never listened to any music on your laptop speakers/cheap BT portable speakers, or even older smartphone/flip phone...airpods/even earpods have better bass than laptop speakers. Some music is unlistenable from laptop speakers, but some 'casual' listening along the lines of musak works just fine...taylor swift, look wut u've done? ;p

Try this on laptop speakers or airpods, tell me how much bass slam you "feel" when he says 'Yo...drop the bass' @1:35 but hits low&big like 15" square frame Kicker subwoofers @~1:48

 

[MICHAELSD]

AirPods 2 - new health features, always-on “Hey Siri” and I’m sure some minor improvements to sound with a rumored 2019 launch

AirPods 3 - redesigned model, 2020 launch

I think an outlier is we’ll probably see truly wireless PowerBeats this year that potentially sound better than the new AirPods and function as well.

 

[Kitechaser]

no doubt, which specific situations? /snark Earphones that sound *better* than cans and most speaker systems? You'll have a hard time finding many head-fi.org members, or general audio community that would agree with that highly specific opinion, that isn't likely shared by many...RHA CL2, controversial.

rumors are for airpods 2 sometime this year W2 chip for voice-activated always on "hello Siri", possibly 1H, water resistant maybe, ANC maybe, more likely health sensors...or that may wait until airpods 3 2020-2. hopefully rumored all new form factor on the airpods 3, cause I can't stand hard plastic earbuds.

Most importantly to me, or others who think out of the box, T. Cook has said health will be the greatest benefit for the future for Apple products, so the A13 & later will continue with AI/ML focus, using NPU/APU/GPU combos, not just for advanced cameral/ image processing...now what could you do with a few billion in reserves for R&D...how could you elevate/improve the technical qualities of the handset/earphone system, what crazy kinds of customization/adaptations would be possible?


^ So that guy in the airpods commerical scaling walls upside down, was on a conference call...man was I ever fooled, such impressive millennial multi-tasking!

Un, so you've never listened to any music on your laptop speakers/cheap BT portable speakers, or even older smartphone/flip phone...airpods/even earpods have better bass than laptop speakers. Some music is unlistenable from laptop speakers, but some 'casual' listening along the lines of musak works just fine...taylor swift, look wut u've done? ;p

Try this on laptop speakers or airpods, tell me how much bass slam you "feel" when he says 'Yo...drop the bass' @1:35 but hits low&big like 15" square frame Kicker subwoofers @~1:48

Audio is very personal anyways. All I care about is what I think, what something sounds like to my ears.
These iems have inspired me to upgrade my floor speaker system, can't say that's ever happened before.
I wouldn't use the phrase fully wireless bluetooth and health in the same sentence personally. This stuff gives you tumors.

 

[MICHAELSD]

Although, with proper fitment and volume (75% is best in my testing) AirPods sound perfectly fine. Enough bass to not sound tinny and a small amount of isolation that should be adequate in minimally noisy areas.

 

[ruthieandjohn]

How would you compare the sound of the wireless Airpods to the sound of the wired Earpods?

One could expect:

1) Earpods better, because they are wired rather than wireless;
2) Airpods better, because they use a different driver and different materials;
3) Both the same, because they look the same (!).

For those who have compared, how do they differ in sound? Thanks!

 

[scrane]

I have heard from others that they are pretty similar.

 

[Peddler]

I have owned both and I think that the Airpods sound better than the Earpods but how much of this is due to the lack of cable constantly shifting them from ideal positioning or due to differences in drivers is hard to say.

I personally use foamies on my Airpods as this helps them fit better and also improves bass response. In my opinion the Airpods have a very similar sound to my Sennheiser 598sr's.

I have never regretted purchasing mine at full retail.

 

[MulberryMadness]

Ming-Chi Kuo doesn’t get it correct many times, with that caveat:


https://9to5mac.com/2019/02/17/apple-16-inch-macbook-pro-display-more/


“Kuo says AirPods 2 will support wireless charging and upgraded Bluetooth connectivity. He says AirPower will ship during the first half of 2019, while there will also be a new iPod touch with an upgraded processor. Bilateral wireless charging on the 2019 iPhones would allow you to charge other devices wirelessly through your iPhone, which means AirPods 2 could be charged through your iPhone.”


…have no idea what this means:

“2019 iPhones will feature ultra-wide band connectivity for indoor positioning and navigation, frosted glass casing, bilateral wireless charging for charging other devices...”


Let’s blame those damned millennials again , as another report states 80% of teenagers own iphones in the USA, with predictions of Airpods selling 50+mil units this year.


https://www.foxnews.com/tech/airpods-make-you-look-rich-millennials-think-so

“Will Kellogg regards his headphones with a degree of shame. In New York City, where people proudly brandish their bright-white wireless AirPods, he listens to music through a “do they even make those anymore?” wirebound set. As the 26-year-old administrator for a Brooklyn theater company confessed: “I still use corded headphones.” In late December, he vented his perceived aural inferiority in a Twitter missive, framing a recent quote by Catherine Zeta-Jones — “I will not apologize for being rich, beautiful and famous” — as something AirPod owners might say to a poor soul like him.

Mr. Kellogg’s riff is just one entry in a large, still growing library of tweets based on the meme that, when it comes to sound, AirPods are the superior tech/fashion status symbol. Most of these viral tweets satirize the idea that AirPod owners flaunt their affluence. “Just bought some AirPods and then I got a call from Bill Gates asking to hang out this weekend, it feels nice being in the top 1%,” reads a 2018 tweet from Miami college student Miguel Amaro that’s amassed over 15,000 likes. Though Apple’s $159 headphones were released in December 2016, this recent wave of internet jokes seemingly has propelled them to a new level of desirability. Amaro, 19, who subscribes to that cause-effect theory, said he’s observed more and more people with AirPods “since it became a meme.”


Audio46’s spokesperson/model/actress wannabe Kanykei does a very scientific CanJam poll: BT vs cable