[MICHAELSD]

I hope someone will be doing a frequency graph of the AirPods soon then we can have a objective assessment of the sound.

As for sound quality, I think it's competitive among earbuds/IEMs of the same price.
The soundstage is wide, wider than your typical IEMs because of its open earbuds design.
The sound signature is neutral with some emphasis on mid bass. It seems to be lacking in sub bass, which is not unexpected since it's a earbud.

The biggest selling point to me is the convenience.
Like I have never bothered to use a portable amplifier away from home because the gain in audio quality is not justified by the increase in inconvenience.
With the AirPods, you don't have to worry about inconvenience like wires or battery life.
Just pop them out of the charging case and they reconnect in an instant. Battery life is taken care of while they are in case. I can charge the case with the same cable I use to charge my iPhone.
If they run out of battery (5hour battery life), I just put them back into the case for 15mins and they will be about 50-60% charged.

The convenience of wireless and worryfree battery charging.
I definitely will not buy a wireless set which I have to plug in all the time to charge them.

For the combination of price, convenience and quality, I have no complains. It's *only* $159 with a lightning cable, quite the bargain in the audiophile world.

It seems like many people buying AirPods haven't listened to the EarPods. $159 is a good value for truly wireless earbuds, but if it's simply the wireless version of $29 earbuds the value isn't as good relatively. I'm not looking to be blown away by its sound, but I'd want some improvements in that regard for the $130 premium.

 

[ezzo]

It seems like many people buying AirPods haven't listened to the EarPods. $159 is a good value for truly wireless earbuds, but if it's simply the wireless version of $29 earbuds the value isn't as good relatively. I'm not looking to be blown away by its sound, but I'd want some improvements in that regard for the $130 premium.

I doubt that's the case. Most buyers of the AirPods are likely to be owners of iPhones as well, such as myself, and I have both the new and old EarPods.
The more likely case is people are making judgements without even listening to them over a period of time.
The AirPods are an definitive upgrade over the EarPods.
The frequency response is wider and more accurate.
The soundstage is also airy and wide.
The sound signature is accurate and pleasant enough to suit a wide variety of genres.
Remember the AirPods are not targeted at the niche audiophile market.
It's a $159 fully wireless Bluetooth headphones with microphone built in.
Look at the ifixit tear down of it and you might just be amazed. They cramped a battery, dual IR sensors, dual microphones and wireless circuits in each of the AirPods, together with beam forming and noise cancelling technology for calls. All that plus a Bluetooth enabled charging case and cable.
The Westone Bluetooth Cable alone is almost as much as the AirPods.
If you ask me, it would be foolish to seek high end audio reproduction over Bluetooth due to the transcoding and bandwidth limitations of the current protocol.
For the same price, you would be able to get better audio quality from Chinese brands but I doubt it's possible with Western brands.

 

[MICHAELSD]

I doubt that's the case. Most buyers of the AirPods are likely to be owners of iPhones as well, such as myself, and I have both the new and old EarPods.
The more likely case is people are making judgements without even listening to them over a period of time.
The AirPods are an definitive upgrade over the EarPods.
The frequency response is wider and more accurate.
The soundstage is also airy and wide.
The sound signature is accurate and pleasant enough to suit a wide variety of genres.
Remember the AirPods are not targeted at the niche audiophile market.
It's a $159 fully wireless Bluetooth headphones with microphone built in.
Look at the ifixit tear down of it and you might just be amazed. They cramped a battery, dual IR sensors, dual microphones and wireless circuits in each of the AirPods, together with beam forming and noise cancelling technology for calls. All that plus a Bluetooth enabled charging case and cable.
The Westone Bluetooth Cable alone is almost as much as the AirPods.
If you ask me, it would be foolish to seek high end audio reproduction over Bluetooth due to the transcoding and bandwidth limitations of the current protocol.
For the same price, you would be able to get better audio quality from Chinese brands but I doubt it's possible with Western brands.

I figured the same, but it also seems that iPhone 7 owners are just tossing the EarPods aside because the descriptions make the AirPods seem like they're sonically very similar.
 
Then again the teardown is very different than the EarPod teardown so there would have to be some differences in audio quality. It is impressive, but the EarPods are incredibly disposable.

 

[ezzo]

I figured the same, but it also seems that iPhone 7 owners are just tossing the EarPods aside because the descriptions make the AirPods seem like they're sonically very similar.

Then again the teardown is very different than the EarPod teardown so there would have to be some differences in audio quality. It is impressive, but the EarPods are incredibly disposable.

I'm not sure what you mean by iPhone 7 owners are tossing the EarPods because the AirPods supposedly sounds similar.

 

[Core2]

I have been looking forward to these as i just can't find a in-ear type that I can tolerate for more than 15 minutes without discomfort.

 

[whsbuss]

  I have been looking forward to these as i just can't find a in-ear type that I can tolerate for more than 15 minutes without discomfort.

You won't be disappointed

 

[LaughMoreDaily]

I heard the airpod wireless signal actually has to go THROUGH the brain just to work properly. I feel sorry for all the suckers buying these and damaging their brains in the process. For what? Nothing!

 

[MICHAELSD]

I heard the airpod wireless signal actually has to go THROUGH the brain just to work properly. I feel sorry for all the suckers buying these and damaging their brains in the process. For what? Nothing!

Relevant name, joke account?

 

[SparkOnShore]

I heard the airpod wireless signal actually has to go THROUGH the brain just to work properly. I feel sorry for all the suckers buying these and damaging their brains in the process. For what? Nothing!

Bluetooth signal on AirPods does not go through brains. Each earpiece communicates independently with the iPhone and thus they do not communicate with each other. In any case scientists have not concluded yet on these issues. Whatever is to be done will be done...

 

[Thesonofkrypton]

Had a run in them today and they stayed in for the duration, quite impressive.  Let's be clear, you buy these Airpods for the wireless convenience.  That is it.  There's nothing, absolutely nothing to write home about in the sound department.  When i'm working on the laptop, I pop these in, i can manoeuvre about easily.  They pop back in a tiny case and charge at the same time.  They have a small footprint and I can pop them in my pocket.  Pure convenience.  

 

[whsbuss]

  Had a run in them today and they stayed in for the duration, quite impressive.  Let's be clear, you buy these Airpods for the wireless convenience.  That is it.  There's nothing, absolutely nothing to write home about in the sound department.  When i'm working on the laptop, I pop these in, i can manoeuvre about easily.  They pop back in a tiny case and charge at the same time.  They have a small footprint and I can pop them in my pocket.  Pure convenience.  

I kinda agree.... but they don't sound that bad. I do enjoy their convenience but why would I buy them just for that? If I can't enjoy the sound then I don't waste my money.

 

[klove4252]

  Had a run in them today and they stayed in for the duration, quite impressive.  Let's be clear, you buy these Airpods for the wireless convenience.  That is it.  There's nothing, absolutely nothing to write home about in the sound department.  When i'm working on the laptop, I pop these in, i can manoeuvre about easily.  They pop back in a tiny case and charge at the same time.  They have a small footprint and I can pop them in my pocket.  Pure convenience.  

 
 

 
I kinda agree.... but they don't sound that bad. I do enjoy their convenience but why would I buy them just for that? If I can't enjoy the sound then I don't waste my money.

I think he means you aren't buying the AirPods because your primary goal is to have a great pair of bluetooth IEMs. The main reason that people would buy them is for the convenience factor. and then the sound quality being better than expected is just an additional plus. I love the AirPods for work. So easy just to take calls, move freely, listen to and pause music before and after meetings, etc. I was expecting them to sound like normal EarPods and I was really surprised. 
 
When these were announced, I actually laughed and never thought I would get them. I think I made a post earlier in this thread about how they don't make sense to buy. My mind really changed when I saw how awesome the technology is with these and how easy they are to use in most situations. 

 

[scrane]

Airpods are not designed to replace "audiophile" earphones. Most of the time, the Airpods will be used as you go about your life doing things other than critiquing low frequency falloff and extended soundstage. To me the Airpods sound great in a variety of situation where audio supplements my activities under conditions where my wired earphones would be an inconvenience. They are very easygoing and non demanding. They can be very soothing, or very annoying, depending on what you want from them. 

 

[tonifyd]

Hello everyone. Is this the only AirPods thread or will there be an "AirPods Impressions" thread like all the major units on this forum?

 

[flipkal]

I have been using AirPods for about a month now. I have Westone W60s and UE Triple-fi pros for comparison. Here are my findings thus far:
 
Pros: 
Very light, almost 'invisible'
Stay put, even while exercising (treadmill, elliptical, weights, yoga)
External sounds don't seem to spoil the musical/aural experience. On a plane I would opt for sound cancelling or IEMs w/silicone ear tips. Otherwise, these are perfect.
Pairing is simple
Battery charge is sufficient....I've never run out.
So comfortable during long listening sessions, no ear itch or irritation
Soundstage and frequency response is very steady even if you push them in or lie on a pillow. There is no change in the sound quality.
Bass is excellent! I've checked them on http://www.audiocheck.net/soundtests_headphones.php and found good stable bass down to 20-30 hz. 
Very smooth response with sweet midrange. Male/female vocals are natural, detailed. Piano is excellent. No harshness or stridency. Soundstage and imaging are satisfying. 
Hands free experience is so nice. No more accidental snagging of cables to pull on the phone. You have the freedom to set the phone in a safe place and walk around the office or home without being tethered to a cable.
Price is nice...good value for an Apple device
 
Negs:
Frequency response drops off above 12-13khz. This results in a slight loss or 'air' on some music.
Siri integration is okay, but could be better with less lag and a better way to adjust volume
They are easy to drop while handling or removing from case
I would prefer a color choice (black?)
 
I really like the AirPods and that is a surprise. Originally thought they would be okay and used only while exercising. Now my cabled IEMs are being used less and less as I find the convenience of the AirPods one of their most appealing features.