AirPods Updated?

Gael23

Dades wrote: »

If you're looking for noise cancelling headphones or for top-end audio, it's pretty clear AirPods are not the solution.

If you're a causal music/podcast listener, or make calls on the go, then you won't find a wireless earphone that is so well designed and completely hassle free.

Just want something for phone calls and listening to radio/podcasts

IamMetaldave

Gael23 wrote: »

Just want something for phone calls and listening to radio/podcasts

You won’t go wrong with AirPods then. I use mine for the same and tunes, out walking, on the train.. around the city.. all good! Haven’t had an issue yet.

Bob24

Gael23 wrote: »

Just want something for phone calls and listening to radio/podcasts

For phone calls I actually don’t think you’ll find any better true wireless earphones that the AirPods.

For podcasts it’s very good unless you are planning to use them in very noisy environments.

Gael23

IamMetaldave wrote: »

You won’t go wrong with AirPods then. I use mine for the same and tunes, out walking, on the train.. around the city.. all good! Haven’t had an issue yet.

Would people taking around you on the train cause a problem?

Oafley Jones

Gael23 wrote: »

Would people taking around you on the train cause a problem?

Fine I’d say, they’d be horrible on a flight. Just expect almost identical performance to the wired buds.

IamMetaldave

Gael23 wrote: »

Would people taking around you on the train cause a problem?

No, grand. I’m gonna try them on a flight I’m about to get on, but have my Bose too when I want to hear nothing ðŸ˜

Oafley Jones

IamMetaldave wrote: »

No, grand. I’m gonna try them on a flight I’m about to get on, but have my Bose too when I want to hear nothing /QUOTE]

Go with the Bose, I’ve XM3 for flights. You’re just going to annoy the person next to you with the air pods.

Bob24

Oafley Jones wrote: »

IamMetaldave wrote: »

No, grand. I’m gonna try them on a flight I’m about to get on, but have my Bose too when I want to hear nothing

Go with the Bose, I’ve XM3 for flights. You’re just going to annoy the person next to you with the air pods.

I’d don’t think you will annoy anyone as the engine noise and vibrations will easily cover any sound leakage from the AirPods.

But yeah I would never use them on a plane by choice. You’d have to push them at max volume to (only partially) cover outside noise. i.e. bad listening experience with outside noise still intruding your content and at the same times hurting you ears with a combination of two very loud noise sources (airplane noises + earphones pushed at max volume to try to cover it).

peteeeed

I think the problem some have with the air pod is it either fits great or it doesn't and that hasn't been addressed

Blazer

peteeeed wrote: »

I think the problem some have with the air pod is it either fits great or it doesn't and that hasn't been addressed

Its a one size fits all.
Apparently the ear piece is an average sized piece which fits around 75% of most people hence Apple decided to stay with this for manufacturing costs.
I highly doubt they'll change it at least not in the near future.

jack presley

Blazer wrote: »

Its a one size fits all.
Apparently the ear piece is an average sized piece which fits around 75% of most people hence Apple decided to stay with this for manufacturing costs.
I highly doubt they'll change it at least not in the near future.

I have awful problems getting the traditional wired apple earphones to fit in my ear and even the slightest movement causes them to fall out but even though the AirPods seem to be the same size, they fit and stay in the ear no problem even when I'm moving around. As someone said on this thread a good while back, it's probably because there's no wires dragging on the ear pieces.

Circuital

Bob24 wrote: »

not really suitable for listening to music in noisy environments.

Crazy. We’re talking about earphones here. That cost almost 200e. If they’re not suitable for walking down a busy street (which they’re not) then they’re not fit for purpose.

Blazer

Circuital wrote: »

Crazy. We’re talking about earphones here. That cost almost 200e. If they’re not suitable for walking down a busy street (which they’re not) then they’re not fit for purpose.

They're a lot more than earphones. They're basically the first version of a wearable personal assistant.
If you're buying airpods solely for the music then you're not understanding the product. You're better off getting a set of noise cancelling or overear headset.

I can put on an earpiece, tap it and tell it to ring my missus etc without having to take my phone out of my pocket.
I can then go home , throw on my nvidia shield or apple tv and listen away to my tv shows as loud as I want without interrupting others ,,and all without having to deal with cables.
Until the first version they was no wireless set of headphones that would sync audio from video correctly until Apple created the H1 chip and designated two bluetooth channels (one for each ear), no company had successfully done this until Apple.



I was the same as you...thought they were a complete ripoff and refused to buy them until 6 months in.
I've lost 2 pairs by now and have now ordered a new set from the 2nd gen. This is how highly I think of them. I'm lost now without them. I have a jabra high end set at home..useless, I have a Bose QC20i which I use for noisecancelling on planes etc but my go to piece is the airpods 99.99999% of the time.

Bob24

Circuital wrote: »

Crazy. We’re talking about earphones here. That cost almost 200e. If they’re not suitable for walking down a busy street (which they’re not) then they’re not fit for purpose.

Depends what your purpose is.

To use them for phone calls for exemple, the lack of isolation makes them better than isolating earphones.

IamMetaldave

AirPods lasted 2 mins.. I was just trying to suss them out. Nope. The Bose cans came out and saved the day, there was 2 kids in front of me crying for about 7 hours...

However, I’m currently buzzing around Hong King subway going between places and the AirPods are the job! Can hear background stuff, but can hear my tunes perfectly too.

Ron Burgundy II

gen 1 airpods are currently only €10 cheaper then gen 2 in Argos.

tony1980

Bose QC’35’s for Flights and AirPods for everything else works perfect for me.

IamMetaldave

tony1980 wrote: »

Bose QC’35’s for Flights and AirPods for everything else works perfect for me.

100%

Bob24

In case any first gen owners might be interested, AirPod cases are selling for decent money on adverts (40-50 euros). Can fund half of a wireless charging case if someone is interested in getting one.

Blazer

Bob24 wrote: »

In case any first gen owners might be interested, AirPod cases are selling for decent money on adverts (40-50 euros). Can fund half of a wireless charging case if someone is interested in getting one.

nice..I ended up buying the gen2 plus the wireless case so at least I can sell the normal case and get a few bob back.

Outlaw Pete

ballyharpat wrote: »

As a big supporter of apple products, and even owning their stock, I hate saying this, but I am returning the airpods

I cycle, and I dont like the music loud, but I do hate the noise of the cars, so even if I'm not listening to music, I block my hears a bit to dull the noise on busy roads. The airpods let in every bit of outside noise, and I go ear hooks for them etc, but it makes little difference. Back to my €30 earphones

Have you tired the little adapters you can get on Amazon?

I got a pair specifically for when I'm vacuuming the house doing man's work like drilling.... and they work great.

ballyharpat

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Have you tired the little adapters you can get on Amazon?

I got a pair specifically for when I'm vacuuming the house doing man's work like drilling.... and they work great.

Thanks, I ordered them, but they hadn't arrived in the 2 week period I had before my return wasn't valid. I will try them with my wired ones, and go from there, but I'm trying the Beats x this week, hope they are suitable.

Davy

Outlaw Pete wrote: »

Have you tired the little adapters you can get on Amazon?

The downside of these adapters is that you cant use the case unless you take them off and refit them each time. You have to carry the pouch/ something extra then to store them.

Nonoperational

Circuital wrote: »

Crazy. We’re talking about earphones here. That cost almost 200e. If they’re not suitable for walking down a busy street (which they’re not) then they’re not fit for purpose.

I mean this isn't anything exclusive to apple. There are different types of headphones, they work great for certain things, not so great for loud environments. There are literally thousands of other headphones just like this. If they don't fit your needs get a different paid. I use these and Sony NC and its a great mix.

Bob24

Mr.S wrote: »

Why are they not suitable for walking down a busy street? They work perfectly on a busy street and unless you pass someone screaming, you won't hear them.

Disagree here, there is absolutely zero isolation. On Dublin city centre streets with various combinations of people talking, traffic noise, buses, trams, construction works, on street performances, etc the outside noise will be very intrusive unless you are listening to pretty heavy music with no quite passages and push up the volume to the max. Which I wouldn’t do in the interest of protecting my eardrums.

It is not a defect and rather a design choice which makes them more suitable than isolating earphones in other scenarios, but that’s the way it is.

Gael23

How would they rate against the earphones provided with the iPhone for letting noise in? I was on a call with someone only for a street sweeper to pass by and I couldn't hear a thing the person was saying

Bob24

Gael23 wrote: »

How would they rate against the earphones provided with the iPhone for letting noise in? I was on a call with someone only for a street sweeper to pass by and I couldn't hear a thing the person was saying

Exact same.

Outlaw Pete

Davy wrote: »

The downside of these adapters is that you cant use the case unless you take them off and refit them each time. You have to carry the pouch/ something extra then to store them.

Yeah, same with the straps... I bought an excellent lightweight one which didn't weigh the Airpods down and meant I could just hang them down when I wasn't using them.... but the annoyance of having to take it off each time I wanted to charge them meant I just stopped using it after awhile.

I like the design of Apple earphones best (as I hate in-ear type earphones) but I do dislike that you can't just pop the Airpods out like you can with the Earpods. I'm forever dropping the damn things when I take them out to speak with someone.

Ideally I wish Apple had made a wired bluetooth set of the earpods as a middle point between standard Earpods and totally wireless Airpods. With a €150 price difference there certainly was a market between those two price points to cater to.

If nothing else it would have been a way of giving an option to those buying Airpod clones for €50/$70.

Indeed, on Amazon there's even a few sellers making a money by filling that gap in the market not just from selling Airpod replicas but by also selling what effectively amounts to an effort at making a wired bluetooth earpods:

Only downside is they sound awful That's €20 I won't be getting back.

IamMetaldave

Mr.S wrote: »

Why are they not suitable for walking down a busy street? They work perfectly on a busy street and unless you pass someone screaming, you won't hear them.

Have to say, I’m with Mr.S here, I think they’re grand for walking about the city, sure there’s no isolation but I don’t think any head phones like them really offer isolation like buds or cans.

Dades

If you walk down a regular street, Airpods are absolutely fine. If you want down Dawson Street in Dublin at 6pm you won't hear sh*t.

That's the reality.