EarPods (in-ear, wired) for maximum value or AirPods Pro 2 for ultimate versatility and “good enough” sound quality (though better with noise cancellation and Headphone Accommodations).
As far as options from Apple go, EarPods are the maximum value proposition since they will deliver formidable wired sound quality proportional to money spent—and lossless might actually be more noticeable. I may have to run out and grab some EarPods to test this myself, plus…they’re so inexpensive! Might as well have a decent backup.
I loved my original AirPods and subsequent second-gen AirPods but the batteries did wear out over time rather quickly, especially so with the originals. I find that issue to be lessened considerably with the AirPods Pro, especially with the Optimized Charging feature enabled. The AirPods Pro second gen are just even better in most ways—plus you can use your Apple Watch charger to charge them!—so that’s why I’m recommending them. The only way I’d (subjectively) really consider the AirPods Pro inferior to the originals in terms of chassis design is that I feel like the originals were better suited to my ear shape and stayed put better—but the Pro are okay, too.
