I ditched Air Pods Pro for Amazon Echo Buds

[McPhallus]

Why?

1. APP don't fit particularly well. I kept having to twist them, reseat them, and go through all sorts of gyrations in order to get a decent seal and get passable sound quality. I tried all the tips. None of them really worked.
2. The ANC, while decent, isn't anything special. This may have to do with the fact that I had issues getting a good seal on my ears.
3. They don't sound all that great. They're OK and have a better soundstage than the standard Air Pods, but that's not a particularly high bar.

Why do I like the Echo Buds better?

1. They fit much better than the APP and are much more comfortable. I just pop them in and they work. I do have to re-adjust them when the seal breaks, but not too often. I haven't tried the other tip sizes yet.
2. I can adjust the volume of the pass-through audio. APP doesn't let me do this.
3. The noise reduction on the Echo Buds works better than the cancellation on the APP. The APP probably have better cancellation for those who can get a good seal, but for those who can't, what's the point?
4. The app has an EQ. I can tweak the sound to my liking. With the APP, I'm stuck with whatever the Apple product team decided would sound best. I can understand the basic Air Pods not being adjustable, but labelling any product "Pro" usually means there's going to be some level of customization at the user level. If you don't like the way the APP sound, too bad. You're out of luck (and the EQ settings in IOS are anemic at best and ancient at this point anyway). I get that many prefer a "neutral" sound, and that if Apple included an EQ, many would never touch it. That's fine, but a premium audio product should at least give me the option. I have EQ settings on my high-end Sony soundbar and the Bose sound system in my Panamera, and it should be available on the APP as well.

 

[symphony]

Cool story man! There’s no need to justify your actions

 

[CHA05 R31GN5]

Cool story man! There’s no need to justify your actions

Why did you read it? It’s almost like there are people who don’t value an objectionable opinion of Apple products on this site. One couldn’t tell from the flaming posts when MR has to downplay “news” reports whenever something negative about the company’s hardware/software has come to light.


@McPhallus Thanks. Always looking for alternatives since Apple’s has had a lingering bug in firmware or iOS Bluetooth connection with the H1 AirPods.

 

[OriginalClone]

Why did you read it? It’s almost like there are people who don’t value an objectionable opinion of Apple products on this site. One couldn’t tell from the flaming posts when MR has to downplay “news” reports whenever something negative about the company’s hardware/software has come to light.


@McPhallus Thanks. Always looking for alternatives since Apple’s has had a lingering bug in firmware or iOS Bluetooth connection with the H1 AirPods.

It’s really ridiculous. Some here act like Apple or their products can‘t ever be criticized and competitors products can’t be discussed.

 

[TopherMan12]

I went with the Jabra Elite 65t buds over the Powerbeats Pro for many of the same reasons. They are currently on sale for $109 at Amazon (with 25% cash back on Amazon card) in the US (regular price $170). Somehow, Powerbeats Pro doesn't sound very good with sound streaming from my Apple Watch. I went through two pairs of PP thinking the first were defective. The Jabra's are pretty great, especially at the price I got them. I haven't tried the APP, but not going to at the price it is selling.

Anyway, glad you are happy with your purchase. That's all that matters in the end.

 

[Bolanders]

You may want to pick up some comply foam tips as the seal becomes better in my opinion.

 

[GDF]

I would be more interested in hearing about call quality compared to the Airpods Gen 1 or pro. All these reviews talk about music, but tons of people use these for business calls all day, which the Gen 1's did very well. Curious how the Echo's perform....

 

[CHA05 R31GN5]

I would be more interested in hearing about call quality compared to the Airpods Gen 1 or pro. All these reviews talk about music, but tons of people use these for business calls all day, which the Gen 1's did very well. Curious how the Echo's perform....

Yep. That's the only reason I've not tried newer models from Sony or Jabra because earlier wireless had some issues with call quality that didn't compare to the GEN1 AirPods. However, newer models could have had huge leaps in call quality in the past 2-3 years which would put them on par or better than AirPods. The GEN2 have overall been great, other than the occasional hiccup with reporting the known error. Very rarely, I've experienced the problem with having to put the AirPods back in the case and remove again when establishing/maintaining a connection with the iPhone. Pretty much every time it's been resolved with this but of course these quirks and bugs only gives the user more reason to consider alternatives.
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I went with the Jabra Elite 65t buds over the Powerbeats Pro for many of the same reasons. They are currently on sale for $109 at Amazon (with 25% cash back on Amazon card) in the US (regular price $170). Somehow, Powerbeats Pro doesn't sound very good with sound streaming from my Apple Watch. I went through two pairs of PP thinking the first were defective. The Jabra's are pretty great, especially at the price I got them. I haven't tried the APP, but not going to at the price it is selling.

Anyway, glad you are happy with your purchase. That's all that matters in the end.

What are your thoughts on the 65t for calls? These were a consideration I had with some others because I could have picked them up for $80-90 with a 90 day warranty. But, I didn't want to splurge, be disappointed and just resell or hassle of a return.

 

[bigjnyc]

You may want to pick up some comply foam tips as the seal becomes better in my opinion.

Are those available for the APP already? I couldn’t find them on amazon

I had an issue where the fit was loose in my left ear no matter what size tip I tried. It didn’t fall out but it constantly felt like it was about to and I had to keep readjusting it. I returned them and went back to my Jabra elite 65t’s but I might give them another shot with comply tips

 

[OriginalClone]

Are those available for the APP already? I couldn’t find them on amazon

I had an issue where the fit was loose in my left ear no matter what size tip I tried. It didn’t fall out but it constantly felt like it was about to and I had to keep readjusting it. I returned them and went back to my Jabra elite 65t’s but I might give them another shot with comply tips

I noticed after wearing for about a week that they’re looser than when they were brand new. I can’t wait until the foam tips are available. I never really cared for silicon tips.

 

[TopherMan12]

What are your thoughts on the 65t for calls? These were a consideration I had with some others because I could have picked them up for $80-90 with a 90 day warranty. But, I didn't want to splurge, be disappointed and just resell or hassle of a return.

I haven't used them for calls so can't help you there, unfortunately. Primarily use them to listen to music while exercising. They sound great.

 

[Otflyer]

delet4d

 

[PhoneI]

I would be more interested in hearing about call quality compared to the Airpods Gen 1 or pro. All these reviews talk about music, but tons of people use these for business calls all day, which the Gen 1's did very well. Curious how the Echo's perform....

I use my Pros for work phone calls and Skype calls. They work great. Best Bluetooth headphones for phone calls I have ever owned.

 

[CraigB1960]

I have never liked making calls on my other wireless earphones, but the AAP’s work great and the receiving parties have made comments how clear it is.

I also like the active isolation and quality of the music.

 

[wolfedude88]

I’ve been using the AirPods gen 1 for almost two years and got the Pros last week.

So far I’ve missed my originals. I never had an issue with fit or them falling out and they sounding pretty good.

Pros seem to have the same sound quality to be but being sealed helps it out and ANC def makes a difference.

Call quality seems better to me on the AirPod gen 1 vs Pros, at least according to my wife, sometimes she has trouble hearing me.

 

[Otflyer]

I’ve been using the AirPods gen 1 for almost two years and got the Pros last week.

So far I’ve missed my originals. I never had an issue with fit or them falling out and they sounding pretty good.

Pros seem to have the same sound quality to be but being sealed helps it out and ANC def makes a difference.

Call quality seems better to me on the AirPod gen 1 vs Pros, at least according to my wife, sometimes she has trouble hearing me.

I find the call quality of the Pro’s equal to my Gen 1&2.

 

[Taco1933]

I went with the Jabra Elite 65t buds over the Powerbeats Pro for many of the same reasons. They are currently on sale for $109 at Amazon (with 25% cash back on Amazon card) in the US (regular price $170). Somehow, Powerbeats Pro doesn't sound very good with sound streaming from my Apple Watch. I went through two pairs of PP thinking the first were defective. The Jabra's are pretty great, especially at the price I got them. I haven't tried the APP, but not going to at the price it is selling.

Anyway, glad you are happy with your purchase. That's all that matters in the end.

I had a pair of those that just disappeared off the face of the earth one day. They were great headphones, probably beating the air pod pro in sound quality slightly (for a lot less money). I ended up having to get one set replaced after they quit charging. Both sets had occasional connection issues. Ease of use is definitely in favor of the AirPods of any generation. Whether it’s worth the premium, is up to the user.

 

[TopherMan12]

I had a pair of those that just disappeared off the face of the earth one day. They were great headphones, probably beating the air pod pro in sound quality slightly (for a lot less money). I ended up having to get one set replaced after they quit charging. Both sets had occasional connection issues. Ease of use is definitely in favor of the AirPods of any generation. Whether it’s worth the premium, is up to the user.

Unfortunately, I have been reading that bluetooth connectivity is still a major problem for most of these truly wireless earphones. The automatic pairing process is definitely a major selling point for AirPods and Powerbeats. For me, it isn't enough to justify the price, but I agree that is different for others.

 

[wolfedude88]

I find the call quality of the Pro’s equal to my Gen 1&2.

That’s what everyone says but for some reason it’s not for me. Don’t know if it is just it being buds and I don’t speak as well in it or what.

 

[ttforever]

I had the galaxy buds before getting the APP and had frequent bluetooth dropout and the call mic quality was appalling, no one could ever hear me. Music quality was probably better on the galaxy's and but bluetooth is rock steady on the APP and the ANC is great too

 

[Zimmy68]

I just received my Air Pods Pro on Sunday and have been trying to talk myself into keeping these past few days.
I have to come to the realization that my ears are not meant for in-ear headphones.
The original Air Pods (with foam covers) let ambient sound in, but they stayed in and sounded great.
I have tried all 3 sizes and no matter which, it is a race to pop out of my ear as soon as I get them in.
Listening to a podcast, it will just stop playing. I couldn't figure why, then I touch the air pods, twist them in and it starts again.

All that is on me, on the Apple side:

They sound good, but I expected better.
I was really surprised at how much I had to turn them up to get a decent sound, over 90%.
I thought, with ANC, 50% would be too loud.

Anyway, I am returning them and going back to my OG Air Pods.

 

[Otflyer]

Unfortunately all ear buds aren’t for everyone. I have tried many different brands before finding what works for me.