Well I went and got some AirPods despite my opinion in past threads

[nickdalzell1]

Decided to go with the AirPods despite how I felt (and expressed) about the disposable factor--thought maybe I'll be lucky and they'll last at least 5 years (and since I've not been burned by the Watch Series 5 battery issues I've seen expressed here, maybe I'll luck out twice?)

Went with the Gen 2s, since they are more like the EarPods that came with my 6S, and I'm not a fan of the suction cup tips on the Pros (and the higher price). If they die, they die. I'll just place them in the organizer with the other failed BT/wired headsets that either are completely dead or only work on one side if they die. I certainly can't accept tossing them in the garbage.

Either way, that out of the way, I'm actually happy with them. Hey Siri actually works (despite what I've read here) and it's super convenient controlling my music via voice instead of fumbling (and fingerprinting up) my watch. Quality is on part with my EarPods and they stay in my ears nicely. I don't really need ANC since I can just up the volume and not be distracted by noise. Plus the thought of not hearing an oncoming car or bike in the road coming up behind or around me or whenever I cross the street probably wouldn't end well.

I'm impressed with them so far. Let's see what happens in 2-3 years...Challenge accepted!

 

[Erehy Dobon]

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[nickdalzell1]

It's the way the tips go in your ears on the APP that really turned me off more than the ANC. I got a headset called the Gear Circle (and U-Flex after it) and they feel quite uncomfortable and had that 'vacuum effect' when walking which annoyed me. They also seemed more likely to either fall out or the tips separated from the bud. Often the latter if I sweat a lot during summer.

If AirPods of any gen (Gen 2 or Pros) are only going to last a few years at best, I figured it'd be smarter for myself to pay less than pay more for less...Aside from the headphone jack as backup and home button/Touch ID convenience, that was the primary motivator for getting an iPhone 6S over a 7, 8, X or 11.

 

[Ralfi]

I don't really need ANC since I can just up the volume and not be distracted by noise. Plus the thought of not hearing an oncoming car or bike in the road coming up behind or around me or whenever I cross the street probably wouldn't end well.

It’s good that you’re liking them, but I need to state that within your above quote are prime examples where the Pro’s both protect your hearing & your safety - NC protects your hearing in that it allows you to turn down the volume, & Transparency makes you aware of your surroundings on busy streets for eg.

Re: Battery life - my OG Airpods’ battery noticeably dropped around 22 months in & required replacement (of both buds) - Apple took my old buds & disposed of them properly.

If you need to throw out any device, E-Waste bins aren’t hard to find. Call your council if you’re not sure.

If the AirPods Pro tip design doesn't work for you, I understand.

Yep, this (& price) are really the main reasons why one would go for non-Pros over Pros, so it’s understandable why the OP made their choice....Presuming they’ve actually tried the Pro’s in their ears - the design isn’t the conventional in-ear, in that there’s no hard stem entering the ear - It’s just the soft silicone which is free to compress more as they’re ’hollow’.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

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[nickdalzell1]

I do like my music loud but not loud enough to damage my hearing obviously. Just enough to immerse myself in a nature walk in the park for example. Not enough to ghetto blast.

The only thing closest to an 'e-waste' bin around here are those EcoATMs which only take phones or small micro-tablets. Even Best Buy only takes rechargeable batteries and plastic bags. Our town is quite out of date. we only recently got Apple Pay/NFC support but still over 99% of the people still use chip cards (and it really slows a checkout line!). The closest Apple Store to me is over three states away!

I refuse to trash 'em. But they'll likely be stored with the other dead cheaper headsets I have had. Figured one day I'd solder two of the wired sets with only one functioning bud together and make one that completely works, or perhaps re: AirPods I'll discover a way to replace the battery. I'm quite adept at electronics repair.

Even recycling is hard around here. The closest drop-off point for aluminum cans is 94 miles away in Scottsville. We used to have a place nearby that would pay for aluminum cans called Resource Recycling but sadly they merged with some big company and now you have to have trucker certificates and go through a ton of red tape. Quite inconvenient.

 

[Erehy Dobon]

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[Ralfi]

Apologies - ignorance on my part. Governments should really have been on top of e-waste management for rural areas years ago.

 

[bobsamm]

So much for never buying another apple product lol.

 

[nickdalzell1]

Apologies - ignorance on my part. Governments should really have been on top of e-waste management for rural areas years ago.

I agree. It depends on the culture. Where I live it's taboo to be an environmentalist (and especially in my case, a vegan as well). I think in maybe another decade it might be standardized, just as it took that long for NFC to show up (even though people still have only just caught onto chip and pin).

Also, I never said I wasn't going to ever buy another Apple product, I intended to never buy another new thing. Perhaps some leftover used AirPods will show up in the Consumer Mall in town one day? Thus avoiding needing to buy new anymore. Right now that place has things as recent as the Palm Treo and LG G2.

I can only hope Apple still = longevity.

 

[BODYBUILDERPAUL]

Dude, there's no way that they'll last 5 years. The battery is so tiny. On the plus point, they are small products - hey i'm the biggest environmentalist out there but you have to also enjoy life and get the most ou of it - known but you is going to do that for you! Also as I've pointed out before, i've spent £200 on earphones only for the cables to break at 18 months old so AirPods aren't any worse. FUNNILY enough, th earphones that had lasted me the longest are the standard EarPods at 3 years!!!!!!!!!! I use them for biking as I prefer the wired remote for constant track skipping & volume adjustment whilst cycling daily and my old AirPods fall out of my ears all the time. I have the AirPods Pro now and I prefer them a million times over the AirPods because I prefer inner ear designs - with EarPods & AirPods std, I could never get a fine balance of sound - too much pushed in the ear = too much bass & dull treble - not in the ear enough = not enough bass

Also buy fewer things and still buy - I am proud that I only have a MacBook and an iPhone and run a successful international business with those two and an Apple TV for streaming. And that's it. And guess what - no stress. Everything works. I read fools on AV Forums who can't stop buying week after week and guess what, their products control them and their lives - they are really sad, lonely people and constantly complain of faults, software problems, vibrating speakers from their 10K TVs. The same people complaining and fighting with each other with their aging, closed minds for over 10 years. Tragic.
The only other gadget that i'd consider is the Apple Nike Watch for my HIIT track running / Triathlon, cycling & body building workouts but I find the watch design so ugly and not Apple. I jut think that it looks so ugly on people's wrists. What a shame for something designed by Apple.

Anyway don't buy something hoping it'll last for 5 years buy something that you'll enjoy NOW and maybe tomorrow. Tomorrow is not guaranteed and who knows where you'll be in five years time!

PS Across the world it is very NOW to be a plant based eater and having a care for the environment. Well done - respect to you and very sad for the people stuck in the 20th Century who have no concerns for it! Sounds like we've still got a long way to go! Sadly, you can't educate the ignorant.

 

[nickdalzell1]

What worries me most is when my 'Pods do die, will there be a new version that keeps the design? or will Pros be the new standard? I never adjust to change that I can't control very well. If i want new I go for it but it's my choice. No one else's. I don't like 'in ear' designs. Been there before. Just hoping something like what I have now, but with longer battery life between charges will exist. That's my other issue with disposable stuff--the new replacement is so different from the item I grew to love and enjoy. If something is too different to where I don't like it, I don't follow anyone's advice to "just get used to it" I just find something else.

 

[SkiHound2]

Enjoy your AirPods 2.

A few notes: increasing the earpod volume to drown out noise is ultimately going to cause more long term hearing damage. You are not removing the noise, you are adding to it. Hearing damage is additive and cumulative.

This is one reason why even classical musicians will use musician's plugs with attenuation filters. From an auditory damage standpoint, it doesn't matter if you are listening to Mahler or Metallica. A lot of classical musicians suffer from significant hearing damage because their careers tend to be longer than pop/rock musicians.

The AirPods Pro have a Transparency mode that transmits ambient noise. I use this mode when I'm walking around town. This is actually safer than walking around with dumb earbuds than only provide passive sound isolation. Trust me, I've been using personal stereo equipment since the Sony Walkman Era (early Eighties). Before I acquired the APP, I would walk around town with only one wired earbud for better safety.

The APP active noise cancellation is amazingly useful even when there is no audio source. I use my APP at home when the gardeners are outside my unit with their leaf blowers. I have a pair of Bose QuietComfort QC25 over-the-ear headphones but I can't be bothered to use them for this purpose.

I was very skeptical of the APP ANC when I bought them, but I went ahead knowing that there was a 14-day no-questions-asked return policy.

The APP ANC is absolutely brilliant on public transit; I discovered this the day after I received the APP. This scenario alone makes the APP worth the premium. I knew from my first commuter train ride that I would not be returning the AirPods Pro.

I probably have used a dozen different earbuds (including all of Apple's wired designs) over the past 15 years and now they are all collecting dust. Active noise cancellation is a game changer; I will NEVER buy another pair of in-ear monitors that don't have this functionality.

Apple has a great recycling program for their own equipment; you don't need to toss them in the trash. In fact, Apple's program is FAR more responsible than pretty much any third party's policy. If you buy a $30 pair of wired earbuds from ____, I can pretty much guarantee that that company will not have a pro-active recycling program.

What's better? A cheapass pair of earbuds that last 5 years that don't have a good recycling program or a premium pair of earbuds with a free and responsible recycling program?

Someday in a few years, I will recycle my APP and I will toss all of my old earbuds into the same box.

Apple hit a grand slam with the AirPods Pro, mostly because of the active noise cancellation.

I recently go a pair of APP. I've not gotten on well with any typical ear buds I've tried. Just haven't fit. FWIW, I've never tried the first or second generation air pods. I always find over the ear and on ear headphones uncomfortable and fatiguing. I've found the APP to meet my needs much better than any other option I've tried. They seem to fit my ears comfortably (no doubt, how any of these things fit any individual is, at least in part, determined by one's anatomy). I've no doubt the ANC in some of the cans is more effective, but I find it works pretty well. The transparency mode is great. I can hear people talk to me and it makes wearing them in many environments viable. I agree, much safer in many situations. Audio quality might not meet the standards for critical listeners, but it's satisfying and I don't find them at all fatiguing.