Apple AirPods with Charging Case (Previous Model)

I tried a couple of brands of knock off pods and they were absolutely horrible! Difficult to charge, difficult to pair, difficult to use, and sounded horrible. The main thing about ALL knock off's is that you will have terrible sync issues if using them for video. Meaning, you will see a character say something and the audio will not match their mouth movements. If you’re texting, each click you here will be a second or two after you typed. Genuine Apple AirPods have zero sync issues while watching video because they use a fantastic processor and the technology and build quality are far superior. I have watched movies and such on Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and Plex and all were perfectly in sync. The case these reside in fill a few roles. They protect your Airpods, charge your Airpods, and also have a battery which can charge them again without a cable! Fantastic engineering here and the solid build quality you expect from Apple. The battery time on these is phenomenal, and charge time is insanely fast. Pairing these is a snap. Make sure your bluetooth is on and simply open the hatch on your case. That's it! They will connect and show you the battery remaining on each Airpod and the battery remaining on the case battery. Use one at a time or both! Both have a mic and can be used alone or as a pair when answering calls or talking to Siri. You can also set a double tap function for both Airpods. For instance, I set mine up to skip to the next song or movie with a double tap to my left Airpod, and to pause if I double tap the right. Sound quality is also very, very good on these. Bose or Sennheiser quality? No. But they sound better than any other ear buds I own and I've purchased a number over the years. I also purchased an inexpensive rubber case to cover my Airpod charging case, and it also came with two pair of tethers which fit nicely on the Airpods to keep them safe if running or working out. If one doesn't stay in it will simply hang around my neck. The kit also came with two pair of rubber shells to aid in keeping them in your ears. These go around the Airpods and create a more secure fit. (I don't have any trouble ever keeping mine in place, however.) There are many of these 7 in 1 type kits on Amazon and run around $10. So, if you're looking for quality bluetooth ear buds that won't break the bank and have features that most don't have, look no further. You should only pay $159 for these new, either from Amazon DIRECTLY, or from Apple. I waited until after Christmas to buy mine directly from Amazon so I could get them for $159 when they had them back in stock, and take advantage of Prime shipping. If buying here, just look for "sold by and shipped from Amazon." I received genuine Apple Airpods, and logged into Apple’s warranty check service to activate my warranty. Doing this also will get you a few months of free tech support.

I paid way too much for these at scalped prices because I was too impatient to wait a month for them, but even then they're worth it. I don't even have iOS 10 on any of my devices, but connecting them to any device is as simple as pressing "connect" once in the Bluetooth menu and "disconnect" whenever I want to pair them with something else—no annoying Bluetooth headaches here, they work like every Bluetooth device ever should work. Range is impressive and I still get a perfect signal nearly 30 feet away. Speaking as someone who owns $1,000 headphones: no, they're not IEMs, but the sound signature is delightfully musical, not at all fatiguing, and I can't really find fault with any particular aspect of it; they're probably very nearly as good as you could get from open-air earphones (and personally, I dislike earphones that form a seal anyway, especially when it comes to phonecalls). I've seen some professional reviewers say they're identical in sound to the EarPods but that's definitely not true, the mids are substantially better and the bass is noticeably tighter. Battery life is essentially equal to the five hours that are claimed, and it's absolutely true that a mere 15 minutes in the little case charges them up most of the way. I'm one of the lucky ones—these things could not fit my ears more perfectly and no matter how violently I shake my head about they stay put, I'm not afraid of losing them. Yes, they look weird, but I could hardly care less, it's not like I'm wearing them on a date. For phone calls they shine: everyone I talk to says I sound great, and apparently moving the microphones closer to my mouth actually makes them sound worse, which means they've been carefully designed to function at their best in the position in which they naturally reside. An added bonus: as a neurotic person I'm always concerned about exposing myself to radiation unnecessarily. These emit so little microwave radiation that they don't even register on my EMF meter—and I suppose they'd have to be pretty damned low-power to operate for five hours with such tiny, tiny batteries. In short, these are to wireless earphones what the iPhone was to smartphones. Like any good piece of tech, they disappear: when I'm walking around the city listening to an audiobook, I'm not hearing a cable rubbing on my clothing, nor feeling earbuds tugging at my ears as the cable sways back and forth; I just experience information being fed directly into my brain and completely forget that I'm wearing anything at all. Now if only Siri were any good, then I could feel like I'm living in the movie Her.

Based on other reviews, I expected to like these very much. I now love these very much. They even work with my 2012 MBP! Operation with iPhone is seemless, just pull them out of the case and they play a sound when they are connected and in your ears. Usage with a Mac - you just select your Airpods from the audio icon on the top bar. Afterwards, you'll need to select them as an audio source on your iPhone to get them paired back, at which point they'll stay paired until you select them on another Apple device. Use with an Apple Watch allows you to skip tracks and change the volume without having to get your phone out (especially helpful during walks/runs/exercise), so if you're on the fence about the watch, I recommend going for it even if its a used Series 1. I have not tested them with Windows, Linux, or Android, though I may update with those soon (I'm about a week in so far). I've been using Bluetooth earphones for about a decade (first a pair of Motorolas (died from sweat corrosion), then Jaybird SB2s (RIP after at least 5 years of loyal service), then MiPow BTX500s that still work after 3 years though the cups have seen better days), and this is the best wireless earphone experience I've had. I'll still keep my older BTX500s since they have a wired connection, but these will be my primary listening devices - especially in summer. Pros: -Case is nice, airpods fit inside perfectly, lid snaps shut securely with a magnetic closure, looks like it will hold up well to use. -Sound is equivalent (to me) to wired earpods. -iPhone/Apple Watch show a different icon when answering a call with Airpods in operation. -Call audio is excellent, mic works surprisingly well. -Airpod charge times/operational duration as expected. -Battery widget on phone has case battery (under certain circumstances) in addition to Airpod battery. -When airpod battery is low and on a call, it will let you know individual Airpod battery strength. -Taking out right Airpod pauses music, and putting it back in resumes. Taking both out pauses, but then you have to manually resume media audio. Helpful for when you need to talk to people in public or at the office. Cons: -Should come with a tether and a shock-case (can get both in a ~$10 accessory set on Amazon). -While the case is nice, it looks like it won't take a good drop too well and its very glossy - would easily slid out of a pants pocket when sitting or out of a shirt pocket while tying shoes. PLEASE GET A SILICON OR OTHER PROTECTIVE CASE, especially one that has a caribiner attachment. -Probably couldn't stand to have them in my ears for more than 3 hours, but as that is the operational duration, so its not a problem for me. They weigh slightly more than the wired ones, which is why I imagine they feel slightly less comfortable. -The glossy finish would probably make it easier for the Airpods to slip out when sweaty. PLEASE GET A TETHER.

I tried a couple of different Bluetooth headsets (behind the neck ones) and ear buds (skullcandys) before I bought the AirPods. I got to the point where I couldn’t go a single day without a Bluetooth headset to the point where I would decide my day was going to suck if I forgot them at home. Seriously people I know this review is for AirPods but if you don’t know what having a Bluetooth headset and or AirPods in all day it’s an awesome experience. Anyways I listen to a lot of podcasts and music as I work also so that’s why I chose to get these especially after all the positive reviews I saw from pretty much everywhere. After having these for 4 months I simply can’t live without them. I love my AirPods. They are the coolest piece of tech that you can buy for yourself. Fit is extremely comfortable for my ears. They are very lightweight and can be worn all day and you will hardly notice that they are there. They don’t seal like other earbuds which I thought at first was going to be a draw back but it ends up being an advantage. This is because you can be listening to whatever you are like listening to and still hear things that are going on around you (traffic, people getting you’re attention, etc) as long as you’re not blasting the volume. Sound quality is good. You’re not going to find anything this size and weight and this compact and completely wireless that will sound this good. They aren’t like nose quiet comforts or anything but many will be hard pressed to be disappointed. They have decent base and do not distort and high volumes. Battery life is great I often use one of these at a time and can stretch battery life from my AirPods case for 3 days. If you have an iPhone buy them. Yes they are expensive but they are the coolest most useful buds in the business. Just like the iPhone when it came out, you didn’t know you needed one until you used it. These are the same and they are here to stay. Lastly they work seemlesly with the iPhone but also work with android. I actually had an S8+ when I bought the AirPods and they worked perfectly with them. Anyways folks don’t spend your money on cheaper options. I went through 2 other sets before buying these and these are the best in the industry. Oh and don’t bother waiting for the new AirPods to come out. Buy these, enjoy the hell out of them and I bet you’ll buy the new one whenever they come out haha. They’re that good.

I have currently owned these products for a week now, and I can say that first off they are genuine Apple AirPods, so if you were uncomfortable with buying them on Amazon do not be dissuaded because they are a legit Apple product. UPSIDE: I love almost everything about them, easily connect to my iPhone as soon as removed from charging case, and I can use them around my apartment (leaving phone in room) without them disconnecting which is a big plus. Sound quality is high quality considering they are such small earpieces. Sounds even better than the wired ones in my opinion. Easy to drown out any noise if you turn them up loud enough (I go about 3/4 volume if that). The battery life is fantastic, and recharge time is quick as well, so no issues with battery for me. I often find myself using one earpiece and listening to music while doing other activities around the apartment, and I can still hear anything going on or someone talking to me. Speaking of talking, I have taken multiple phone calls while wearing these and there are no issues on either end. Mic seems to work perfectly. The ability to customize how the "double-tap" feature works is nice.. I have it set to my left earpiece is pause/play and my right is next song, when wearing one piece you can only access that one piece's ability though. DOWNSIDE: I have worn these while riding my bike through campus and I can say that they fit perfectly in my ear just like the wired apple EarPods. However, I am always cautious with my headphones and water/sweat, so I wouldn't recommend wearing these in extreme workout conditions, the rain, or if you sweat from your head/hair easily during workouts. Next I will state that these are a luxury item to own, and are also small, which unfortunately means they are an easy target for theft. The knock on them is that they are easily lost (I have misplaced them a few times around my room), and I can see how someone could easily swipe them, so you have to keep up with them. I have also dropped one while removing it from the case and luckily it dropped on a pile of clothes rather than a hard floor, but I would definitely recommend being carful when handling them.

Friendly reminder: the whole review is based on MacbookAir early 2015 and iPhone 6S Plus September 23, 2017 Update: A couple of weeks ago I started to 'feel' the stuttering that most AirPod owners claimed to have. It happened most on my MacBook Air, but occasionally and it became more often (and so annoying) at the point that it became almost unusable. Well, I waited for the iOS 11 update, after I updated my iPhone to the new OS, I 'forgot' my AirPods on my iPhone and turned off every iDevice I had (a recipe well known in case you have stuttering) from the bluetooth settings and re paired them, then the stuttering completely stopped (note that the stuttering happened during iPhone idle while commuting), BUT here comes a new huge problem for us: the stuttering continues but in this case, while entering in multitasking mode or using Facebook app or change from one app to other ( including going to home searching the app, and when entering the app even the screen have a millisecond black stutter along with the AirPods). It is now safe to say (because I was afraid that the AirPods where the issue) that the iOS is now having a hard time using audio swapping between apps. Still struggling with no having isolation but still enjoyable experience, the fact that I don't feel a cable around my neck and having afraid to look on my left or right (which in other older bluetooth earphone I had) is pure heaven, this alone worth it all. September 7, 2017 Update: I'm taking out 1 star because of the following: Siri doesn't work in the street or 80dB (up to 92dB and possibly above) ambient noise when saying "hey Siri", it doesn't work in most cases in quiet environments and I've tried in every single angle to see if the mic orientation was the problem, it wasn't... So, this is unfortunate because it's useful to have Siri helping you, it's like the lottery combined with Bloody Mary, you say up to 3 or 5 times and there's the chance Siri hears you or not hahaha, but anyway, keep that in mind. And, sound isolation in the environments posted in the first paragraph update, is absolutely none, so if you don't mind going into the loud street and add to that your airpods (saturating your ears and possibly harming them in the long run) it's still for you, but for everything else, I stand on my original review. Original Review: Well, I don't know what's the massive complain about these, THEY ARE PERFECT! The sound is truly incredible for a true wireless pair of earphones! And yes it lacks the "profound sound" but it's achievable (sort of) with Spigen TEKA RA200 Airpods Earhooks Cover for Apple Airpods Earphones Headphones Earbuds (2 pairs- Large & Small) Patent Pending - Black Now, I bought Airpod Skins Protective Wraps - Newest Model - Free Lifetime Replacements Included - Maximum Coverage Available (Matte Black) and it's a bit hard to install it but you can still put your AirPods inside the case with these (I saw other reviews that they couldn't I don't know why but they should try again), they are matte black and they are perfect body protectors! it comes with a spare and a code for a replacement. You must be aware that it may be a hassle that for every time you take them off to put 'em into the case, you'll have to take off the ear hooks. It isn't an issue for me, and it shouldn't be an issue nor hassle for you either. The ear hooks comes in small and large sizes inside the package, so you have some options and give to your bud/gal the extra pair. I'm a musician and the only thing that lacks is (again) some depth in sound, other than that, the quality of the sound is top notch, the volume is more than enough for me (remember, our ears are the most mistreated body part, take care of it and give it the right volume, not too high, not too low), the bass is quite amazing, the middles too, the highs are well balanced, and the fit are just perfect for my ears, they don't fall (I'm sport guy too). I had PLENTY of bluetooth headphones and earphones since 2010 and none of those got the sound quality of these and I AM PICKY regarding sound because I need to "see" (actually hear, but you get the picture) every instrument, every tone, every chord and string so I can improve them and these give me exactly what I'm looking for and believe it or not, it's quite accurate in most cases. I know and I am truly aware that having expensive stuff don't give you the expected outcome and I got exactly that with all my previous bluetooth and corded headphones/earphones. It's like a lottery and believe me, I felt I got the lottery with these!

AirPods, AirPods, everyone hated the look of you be now look who’s king! AirPods are definitely a good investment and I’ve found myself using them a lot for music and watching videos. Sound quality is pretty good, maybe a little better than the standard EarPods, could use a little more bass but other than that it’s awesome! As for the materials used for AirPods, it’s glossy plastic, at first I thought that if I was paying $159 for Bluetooth headphones I would need a better material but this material feels premium. One con about it though is it gets VERY dirty. Lots of random things kinda stick to the case and lots of trash gets stuck in the case. Battery life is also, unexceptional, of course it’s Apple! The earbuds themselves last around 5 hours and the case can charge it 5 more times, for a total around 24 hours!! I can go WEEKS without charging the casing. The charging is fast and it can get 3 hours of playtime in just 15 minutes. Amazing. I’ve tested these underwater, they last and don’t stop working, but if you use them in a pool or you’re fully submerged under water than they don’t play music... Don’t worry! It’s not the AirPods fault! It’s just hard for a Bluetooth signal to get under water, not that you broke your shiny new $159 AirPods. The paring is seemless. So many options to customize these little things! It automatically pauses music if you take one out of your ear, great if you need to chat. In conclusion, AirPods is a great buy. With pretty good sound quality, GREAT battery life and premium glossed plastic they are a great buy and I wouldn’t return them. Sure, $159 is a lot to spend on some earbuds, but it’s apple, it’s gonna be high quality and it will probably put a hole in your wallet. So if you’re looking for some nice Bluetooth earbuds and have some money to spend, then I reccomend them, however, if you use android or would like better sound quality I would reccomend that you save for some Beats Solo 3’s, which have the same seamless pairing process with the W1 chip, or if you have an android device, you could just get WAY cheaper Bluetooth earbuds as the special features of the AirPods aren’t compatible with anything other than Apple products. NOT Saying that AirPods aren’t compatible with anything other than apple products, just its special features. Thank you for reading this long post.

I’ve been through a lot of Bluetooth headphones and these are clearly the best. By far, the most important feature I was looking for was the ability to talk on the phone without incessantly dropping the calls because of Bluetooth interference. Now, these aren’t impervious to Bluetooth interference, but they are least 90% better than anything else I have tried. I almost refuse to speak on my iPhone anymore unless I can locate my AirPods. The sound is really good and I certainly can’t complain (but, that wasn’t the selling feature for me). The quality is excellent (but that’s what I’ve come to expect from Apple). You certainly won’t get 5 hours of music out of these buds, but that is fine since the case will charge them many times over. The buds are tiny and get lost VERY EASILY. When you are through using them, you MUST put them back in the case or you may spend 20 - 30 minutes trying to find them (and “Find My Phone” does not always work with these). The can hurt my ears a bit from prolonged use, but even then they are still far more comfortable than pressing the phone against your ear. I am somewhat hard of hearing and these are an absolute must for talking on the phone. Everyone tells me they sound great on the phone, and there are few instances when they will go out for a few seconds at a time due to bluetooth interference from other devices/cars. The case gets really dirty and fast and you have to clean it off with a Q-tip. I like the case and the design, but there is on really strange flaw; when you drop the case, the lid pops open and the AirPods can shoot out like missiles. This happened a few days ago and I never did find the left AirPod (it’s a mystery that will never be solved...lol). I was able to go on Apple’s website and a new AirPod for $70. All-in-all, these are clearly my favorite headphones ever and they are certainly worth the additional investment.