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AirPods yay or nay ?
- Thread starter thedoc46
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Can't have very good stereo separation if that's true. You would only be listening to one channel unless you are listening to your music in mono. Or perhapes you don't listen to music on them.
I have a refurbished pair of BeatsX Wireless in ear headphones which I bought online for just $9.00 more than the Apple EarPods. Yes they have a cord between them which I find an advantage as I can use the controls with either hand and they never get separated in my bag. If I take them out I can leave them hanging around my neck meaning I'm not always trying to remember where I put them. All in all I think haveing two separate earphones is just an invitation to loose one of them and what are the chances of being able to replace just one.
As for sound quality I can not even begin to compare the EarPods to the BeatsX. They make the EarPods sound flat and tinny, which in my mind they are. I can even activate Siri with Remote Talk and they came with a Lightening to USB-A charging cable. So before you praise the Apple Earpods too highly at least look and compare the alternatives. eg. Walk into a Bose store and try their SoundSport range of Blue Tooth EarPods, then you'll really be able to evaluate the Apple EarPods.
I tried to make a phone call today with the Bose Free from a semi-noisy Panera. DW says the background noise was louder than my voice. I will borrow/swipe my daughter's Airpods and if they work as promised for phone calls then I will move firmly into the Yay column. Bye Bye Bose.
Whatever works for you.
But just fyi, people who use the one Airpod mainly do it to charge the other one in the case. It's one of the main benefits of them.
If I needed to use one Airpod, I'd only use the other one for phone calls. If I was listening to music, I'd just charge both of them at once, as listening to music through one isn't enjoyable.
The cord on the older Earpods actually increased the chances of them falling out, as they pulled on the buds. Most people find Airpods an improved fit. Some find them just as loose as the Earpods, but if anything, I've read more stories of the Airpods fitting more snug than less.
Sound quality to someone depends on what they've been exposed to prior. If the Earpods (wired) are the only buds someone's heard, then the Airpods will be an improvement.
The Bose may very well sound better, but the overall package of the Airpods within the IOS ecosystem, for someone who's happy with the fit/sound quality, will be all they need.
Having used it for a couple of months now, I can definitely say that the case gets dirty so quickly and attracts micro scratches like I’ve never seen before. It also picks up colours from other things if you keep it together in the same pocket. My AirPod case now have a green tint on one of the sides because I kept it in the same pocket with a pack of chewing gum.
Also micro scratches are pretty visible because I kept it with a credit card once.
Also micro scratches are pretty visible because I kept it with a credit card once.
Very interesting article about AirPods as a entry level hearing device
https://9to5mac.com/2017/12/18/airpods-hearing-aid-accessibility/
https://9to5mac.com/2017/12/18/airpods-hearing-aid-accessibility/
The microscratches should be expected. I've had mine over a year, & I don't find them too bad at all. They're only visible when the light shines on them at certain angles anyway..
As for the colour changes, I've had dark scuffs on mine from a marker rubbing up against it. These scuffs rub clean easily. I can suggest not putting them, nor any electronic devices in the same pocket as chewing gum.
The marks on the inside are manageable. Giving them a weekly scrape with a toothpick tucked within a damp tissue takes care of them well enough. Key here is to start cleaning the inside earlier rather than later, as the black marks will be pressed into the surface if they're allowed to sit there.
What? I wasn’t praising the AirPods, just pointing out that you can use one at a time, which a previous poster specifically said he wished they could do with AirPods.
As far as comparing the alternatives, I also have a pair of BeatsX too and like them for certain activities, so I’m as familiar with them as you are, but the guy I replied to wasn’t asking about BeatsX so There was no need to mention them.
I bought a pair of AirPods two days ago and, while I like them, I want to try a competitor, so I'm going to give the Sony WF-1000x a try and I'll post my impressions.
Definitely not normal behavior. I've had them connected previously to my phone, my two iPads and my MacBook Pro, and never once have the AirPods connected while sitting in the charging case.
I would try factory resetting them (I think by holding the case's rear button for an extended period of time, but better check), remove the bluetooth pairing from all your devices, reboot your devices, and re-pair the AirPods to your phone.
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If you only put one AirPod in, the iPhone/iPad will automatically switch to mono and play single channel audio. It will also automatically switch to that unit's microphone for calls.
Put two in your ears, and it will switch to stereo audio and use which ever one (left or right) you've specified in system settings for the microphone.
I tried these along with Jaybird Run and Jabra Elite Sport.
Really wanted to like the Sony, but they were the most disappointing of the bunch so far. Really hard to get a good fit unlike other brands. Constantly goof to feel like they will fall out. Some connection issues. Video lag of course.
Don’t even get started on their stupid big case.
*sigh*. I don’t think there is a winner. I will probably keep the airpods as a convenience and rely on budget Bluetooth earbuds like aukey/Anker when I want better sound wirelessly. Biggest drawback is all the other true wireless have video delay. Minor perhaps but deal killer at that price.
Apple is hands down most convenient and pocketable. But worst sound by a mile.
The Jabra and Jaybird both sound excellent, Jabra has a unique fit (perhaps a little tight in outer ear)and the audio pass through is pretty well done. Their case is second best after Apple if only due to size.
Jaybird are most comfortable but the case is a stupid pill design so most awkward.
That's my fear. The current market for bluetooth earbuds is littered with compromises. Prices for those compromises are really high. It's particularly annoying about the Sonys because the WH-1000XM2 wireless headset is the best on the market right now with incredible noise cancelling and superior build quality to the Bose offering. By contrast, the AirPods are almost too simple. The buds just don't fit me well and I can't afford to be dropping and losing them. Fit is a huge deal for me for that reason, so there's still a lot to decide for either of these buds.
This thread is an interesting study of product and public opinion. Although the majority of people like or love the product, there is still hard core haters. And even with recommendations of Bose alternatives some hate the Bose product also. Even the people who like the Airpod have some drawback i.e. need more controls, sound better, dirt gets into the case.
There is no perfect product for everyone its unattainable.
There is no perfect product for everyone its unattainable.
I'm struggling big time comparing Sony WF-1000X and the AirPods. There are just so many compromises on both sides and it's making me dislike them both.
I finally went to the Apple store today, and they gave me a new left one. We will see how it goes.
EarPods don’t stay in my ear. Otherwise I’d be all over these.
They don’t let you try them on in-store, do they?
They don’t let you try them on in-store, do they?
No, but since the shape is identical to Apple’s wired earbuds, anyone with an iPhone should know exactly how well they fit.
Some people think AirPods stay in more easily. I found them the same. But I use various versions of ear hooks to keep them in. My favorite is earbuddyz.
I don't think they do. I think they are physically the same. And don't you have to take the hooks off to store/charge the pods?
Yup, sadly. That’s part of why I have developed a preferred brand. The right stiffness but not too stiff to get them on quickly and easily.
It's more difficult than you think to compare the wired and wireless EarPods. The AirPods are a little bigger in the shaft and MAY be slightly bigger on the pod itself but marginally if so. They don't have the wires to pull them down either. The wired EarPods would fall out all the time for me. But the AirPods rarely do if ever.
You can try cutting the wired EarPods at the bottom of the shaft and wearing them to get a better idea how they will work for you. And I do believe if you go to an Apple store they have a demo to try. I seem to recall hearing people doing that.
You can try cutting the wired EarPods at the bottom of the shaft and wearing them to get a better idea how they will work for you. And I do believe if you go to an Apple store they have a demo to try. I seem to recall hearing people doing that.
my apple store let me try a pair they had on before i bought (they fit very nicely/securely). I also didn't think they would stay in my ears as the ones that come with the phones do not. The AirPods do lack a little in the sound department but outshine every competitor in every other way imaginable.