I just received my AirPods and I am glad that I didn't get BeatsX. Bass is noticeably better than EarPods', somewhat close to my in-ear Sennheiser MM200. Also, having no wires at all is amazing. When there's no background noise, they sound really well. I'll have to try them in public places.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Airpods or Beats X or PowerBeats 3?
- Thread starter MrXiro
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Just bought pb3 from bestbuy for $150 [they price matched amazon]. Worked out with them today and they're not bad. The only thing I didn't like was that when I move my head, sometimes my ear piece comes would become loose. I also didn't like the carrying case so I bought my own off amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YIJG652
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YIJG652
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
We'll the PB3s I passed over to my wife crapped out after 2 months of usage. First they would only hold an hour of charge and soon they wouldn't take a charge at all.
Having ordered them online from Apple I contacted them first but was told I'd have to bring them into the store for a "genius" appointment. My wife went and was told she could leave them at the store so they could try to fixed? them, and if not they would have to be sent out for repair taking 5-7 days. That sounded a bit silly, so I went back in for another appointment through my Joint Venture account and they exchanged them for a new pair.
Apparently the build quality hasn't improved.
Having ordered them online from Apple I contacted them first but was told I'd have to bring them into the store for a "genius" appointment. My wife went and was told she could leave them at the store so they could try to fixed? them, and if not they would have to be sent out for repair taking 5-7 days. That sounded a bit silly, so I went back in for another appointment through my Joint Venture account and they exchanged them for a new pair.
Apparently the build quality hasn't improved.
I own a pair of Beats Studio 2.0 Wireless and:
- My ears get hot/sweaty after wearing them too long.
- They are not practical to carry around (they are so rigid it feels like you are wearing a neck collar if you walk around with them around your neck)
- Sound quality is great imo, noise cancellation is a plus.
I bought a pair of PowerBeats3 and returned them:
- People come to my desk to talk to me at work so it's not convenient to remove and put the headphones back on because of the loop you have to place over your ear.
- The leash (wire) that sits behind your neck always seems to snag when my turn my head so I was annoyed by that. I even tried adjusting it and couldn't get it just right.
- Sound quality is good, bass is more boomy then I expected from a small headphone.
I demoed the Airpods and placed an order online:
- The Airpods sound better than the standard wired earpods that come with the phone. The bass is punchy (think Rock bass drum not Rap), mids and highs are crisp.
- No wires to snag.
- Easy to take out and put back in your ear (pause to audio is a plus when removed from ear)
- The carrying case is so convenient. It's like carrying around a dental floss pack.
The part I bolded is currently what I'm having issues with my powerbeats 3 as well... I just switched out the default size ear piece for the biggest size. I'm hoping this will stop the ear piece from falling out. If it falls out during the gym tomorrow I'm going to return these.. Just when I started loving the wireless life at the gym too.. sigh
Eh I feel like there are tons of good alternatives to the PB3s. Lots of cheap knock offs with the same build quality but for much less $$$
I got an email saying available but nothing had changed on the Apple website.
You must use Comply foam tips. I've been using PB3 for 3 months and no silicon tip can keep the earpiece stable due to its strange shape and construction out of the ear. I tried Sony hybrids and many others as well. No silicon can work on PB3. The only solution is either Sx400 or Tx400 from Comply. The result is a fantastic rich sound, but the drawback is that foam tips deteriorate after 2-3 months of use so they need to be changed often. You can order either from Comply's own site or from Amazon.
Sorry for that, we're not totally used to product launches. We fixed that and you still should be notified when it's really available.
In for them ?
Also regarding the PB3, I forgot to mention before that apart from using foam tips which make the earpiece stable enough, you should keep the cable in front and not on your neck. You can shorten it as much as you want and it feels much more comfortable this way...
I tried that but it felt like I was wearing a helmet or a hat with draw strings to keep the wind from knocking it off.
In a way you are right!! After using the completely wireless AirPods myself I understood that all wires, one way or another, are quite annoying... I got the powerbeats3 before the AirPods, so now that i used the AirPods I know that they are the Real Thing for convenience and liberated music enjoyment. But at the same time I believe that the sound of PB3 is better and kind of fuller/deeper...
I think part of the reason why the PB3 bass is deeper is because they ship with different size rubber inserts and can form a tighter seal with your ear canal. The Airpods are more like a one size fits all design. (The reason why it fits people like myself really well and for others they fall out when they shake their head)
To me the Airpods seem to be more balanced for Bass, Mids and highs whereas the bass on the PB3 is a bit more pronounced.
Yes you are right that AirPods are more balanced. Bass is there, you feel it quite well without being overwhelming. With PB3 I felt a lot more bass by using the comply foam tips since the silicon ones could not form a tight and equal seal on both my ears, no matter what size I was inserting. But regarding the AirPods, they do not seal the ear at all even if they fit your ear well. I have a very stable fit with the AirPods, even when moving my head crazily they do not fall out. But they are open design earphones, meaning you can hear clearly the outside noises. I mean even with a perfect fit with AirPods you can never have the airtight seal of an in ear phone since AirPods stay on the outer part of your ear, without inserting anything inside it...
I appreciate everyone's recommendation for the powerbeats 3. I .... just can't do it. I used the biggest size & then even bent the ear piece to make it fit my ear better. It fits better, doesn't fall out as often but after wearing it for too long, the plastic starts hurting my ears. Going to return these & try the bose sound sport bluetooth headset.
Airpods.
I'm not a fan of beats. I've got a pair of beats solo headphones at home. I'm no audiophile but I'm not impressed with the sound quality. It sounds rather muddy and muffled to me. I don't think I listen to enough rap music to appreciate them. They also hurt my ears and give me a headache if I use them for too long. They are a lovely pink colour but I think that's as good as it gets.
I also bought a pair of urbeats a few years ago to give beats another chance. They kept falling out my ears and I was not impressed with the sound quality. I returned them.
I like the EarPods and used them exclusively for years before I got my airpods. They fit nicely in my ears and they do not hurt. I fall asleep in them and have no problems. The sound quality is pretty good to me (no audiophile). So the airpods were the pick for me. I'm enjoying my airpods. Just like my EarPods but wireless.
I'm not a fan of beats. I've got a pair of beats solo headphones at home. I'm no audiophile but I'm not impressed with the sound quality. It sounds rather muddy and muffled to me. I don't think I listen to enough rap music to appreciate them. They also hurt my ears and give me a headache if I use them for too long. They are a lovely pink colour but I think that's as good as it gets.
I also bought a pair of urbeats a few years ago to give beats another chance. They kept falling out my ears and I was not impressed with the sound quality. I returned them.
I like the EarPods and used them exclusively for years before I got my airpods. They fit nicely in my ears and they do not hurt. I fall asleep in them and have no problems. The sound quality is pretty good to me (no audiophile). So the airpods were the pick for me. I'm enjoying my airpods. Just like my EarPods but wireless.
I used mine in the rain today with no problem... I'm sure you can't swim with them but they're probably as water resistant as Earpods.
