Which Apple W1-equipped headphones are right for you?

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 64
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member

    smiffy31 said:
    [...] think they will add 'non internet' voice commands some time soon for this.
    Do the voice commands via AirPods require an internet connection? That's gonna be fun to watch on the train where's there no signal. I can see it now...

    "Next. Next. NEXT. NEXT TRACK! NEXT FUCKING TRACK YOU USELESS PIECE OF SH... um, sorry everyone..."
    I'd just use the lock screen controls on my phone. They're more convienent that spoken commands. 
    williamlondon
  • Reply 42 of 64
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member

    mac_128 said:
    DCJ0001 said:
    eyekey said:
    i have no argument against the Airpods. 
    No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control. I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
    News Flash: You can adjust the volume multiple ways by using your hands on the iPhone!
    This is such an uncalled-for response, and typical of those lately on this site, from those intolerant of criticism against Apple, whether justified or not. 

    You do realize that the whole point of wireless devices is the ability to move away from the transmitting source? What happens if you're standing across the room from your phone working on something, and a track comes on that is too loud at the current volume settings? You're going to stop what you're doing and walk across the room, find your iPhone and adjust the volume, then return to what you're doing, only to have to stop again when the next track comes on and is too soft?

    Even looking at the specific post you replied to, it may require putting down whatever is in your hands to dig into a purse or backpack to find the phone when it may not be convenient to do so. On a subway someone might be holding a book and a cup of coffee. In a supermarket, someone might be down the aisle from their cart with the bag where the phone is, they may have items in their hands that have to be put down before they dig out their phones.

    Apple has taken away wires and offered the freedom to move away from our devices and live unencumbered by them, yet Siri's limitations continues to tether them to us for the most basic functions?
    His post is not uncalled for, and in fact is refreshing compared to all the concern trolling. Siri commands are one option. Your phone's lock screen controls are another. And watch controls are yet another. IRL i've found this is quite adequate and haven't had any issues. Nor have any muggers plucked them out of my ears as other concerners speculated. 
    williamlondonbrucemc
  • Reply 43 of 64
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,834member

    wozwoz said:
    Seriously, who would insert a wi-fi device into their head?
    They're bluetooth. You know, like all those BT headsets and ear pieces. Got any peer reviewed science that proves they're bad for you?
  • Reply 44 of 64
    StrangeDays said:
    id prefer double-tap on one pod for next track, but this works almost as well. certainly not worth forgoing over. 

    I agree and agree. These are an amazing product, and the fact that my particular preferences don't necessarily line up with how they work does not diminish my respect for them.

    In fact, if Apple can make the double-tap act as "skip" instead of play/pause or Siri, I might try a pair. Since the most common reason for pressing pause will be to listen to the real world, pulling out one earpiece seems like an excellent way to accomplish that!
    roundaboutnow
  • Reply 45 of 64
    "Also, while the AirPods do sound better than Apple's wired EarPods, don't expect to be blown away," I really disagree with this. My AirPods are very satisfying with all types of music. And my standard for comparison is a $1000 pair of Westones with 6 balanced armature drivers in each earphone. For the price and wireless features, I am blown away.
    williamlondonbrucemc
  • Reply 46 of 64
    I've found the audio quality of my AirPods to be disappointingly poor. Often the signal decouples (even when the iPad is no more than 3 feet away) and the music jumps from one ear to the next. Apple clearly needs to work on these given the price.
    williamlondon
  • Reply 47 of 64
    wozwozwozwoz Posts: 263member
    Not sure how that ties into the fitness topic my comment was about, but FYI i've never used the siri controls. in fact i toggled it off and picked play/pause instead. as for volume and track skipping, i have the Music app loaded on my Watch and simply raise wrist and twist crown, done. if skipping track raise wrist and tap Next. 

    On the subject of health, sticking a wi-fi device into your head doesn't sound very healthy to me. 
  • Reply 48 of 64
    wozwoz said:
    Not sure how that ties into the fitness topic my comment was about, but FYI i've never used the siri controls. in fact i toggled it off and picked play/pause instead. as for volume and track skipping, i have the Music app loaded on my Watch and simply raise wrist and twist crown, done. if skipping track raise wrist and tap Next. 

    On the subject of health, sticking a wi-fi device into your head doesn't sound very healthy to me. 
    1. Why not? What makes you think there's a health risk? Do you have some information indicating that it is, or is it something that "feels" like a bad idea to you?

    2. How are you protecting yourself from all the other sources of RF, both human-created and naturally-occurring, in your environment? Cellular towers, radio and TV transmitters, WiFi routers, police radios and a variety of other sources are constantly radiating RF waves. Even if we turned off every single one of those, the entire planet is being constantly bombarded with all kinds of radiation from stars. How do you reconcile your belief that RF is harming you with the knowledge that billions of people have lived with it for thousands of years?

    Seriously, I'm genuinely interested in your answers to these two questions. I'm not trying to insult you, but I am concerned about "beliefs" competing with "facts" for influence over behaviour and policy. That has had some really negative outcomes already in areas such as how countries and religious groups co-exist, health care, and climate change. I'd like to see a shift in attitudes towards more critical evaluation of what we hear and believe. So when you say putting wireless headphones in your ears is a health risk, I'd like you to demonstrate how/why that's so. If it turns out that there is valid evidence to back up your assertion, I'm willing to be persuaded. If there isn't, I expect you to change your position. Hopefully if we all strive to be equal parts skeptical and open-minded the result will be a happier, more peaceful and productive society.
  • Reply 49 of 64
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member

    wozwoz said:
    Seriously, who would insert a wi-fi device into their head?
    They're bluetooth. You know, like all those BT headsets and ear pieces. Got any peer reviewed science that proves they're bad for you?
    Nope because there aren't any! 

    I'm among the people that think removing the headphone jack was an unnecessary and courageously boneheaded decision, but overall, the Airpods seem to be a good product and Apple deserves credit for stepping forward wireless technology. They're not for everyone - if you don't like talking to Siri to control things and configuring the taps won't cut it, if you want ANC, if you are paranoid about aliens using BT radiation for thought control... Then they're not for you, but no headphone is going to satisfy everyone. Many people do like the completely cordless feature, and if that's what you're looking for then AirPods are by most reports an excellent option. If the trade offs of a completely wireless device aren't worth it for you then you should look at larger Bluetooth models or a traditional wired headphone. 

  • Reply 50 of 64
    brucemcbrucemc Posts: 1,541member

    misa said:
    I think the W1 stuff will be a very short-lived product. People don't want, or even like wireless headphones/earbuds because of the short battery life, and Bluetooth is lossy and typically laggy. People who might be on the go (eg fitness) also don't want to lose them (I imagine lost earpods will be very common on public transit.)

    I'll give Apple a little bit of credit however, while I think removing the 3.5mm headphone jack on devices is a completely incompetent solution, at least they didn't just remove it entirely and provide no alternative connection method. But there were several alternatives that were not completely stupid for waterproofing (eg optical connections held by magnets) or just straight up using USB-C. The fact that the iPhone 6S has a 3.5mm headphone jack and survives being immersed in water was proof enough that they didn't need to do this at all.

    That said, I feel that people are going to be rightfully pissed off having to replace ear pods at $160 a pop.

    A lot of misinformation. W1 will not be a fad, guaranteed. The ease of use is profound if you use multiple devices. I'm into fitness and don't feel ill ever lose them. The iphone 7 is the first officially water resistant model due to new water seals, so your armchair engineering is bunk. And replacement pods are not 160 each. 
    Agree with all of this post.  Felt I would rather quote you than the original poster to reduce as much as possible the spread of false information.

    Most complaining (vs. intelligent and well thought out criticism) comes from people that have not yet used a product (and in many cases, no intention of using it).  What could possibly compel someone to state that products based off of W1 chip - which solves many of the issues with BT headsets - will be short lived.  A product which flew off the digital and physical shelves, and to which the reviews from real users are glowing (while pointing out a few short comings which are not related to W1 at all).  I will certainly not bother listening to anything the original poster says in the future, as this statement clearly demonstrates his/her lack of any critical thought process.

    Although we will never know for certain, my view is that the removal of the 3.5mm headphone jack had only a rounding error impact on the iPhone 7 series sales.  Why?  Because Apple provided 99% of the solution free in the box - included Lightning EarPods and an adapter.  The only other legitimate complaint for corner cases was the challenge of charging and listening at the same time.  While there are adapters for this purpose, it is something that a user has to purchase.  However, I would like to hear from iPhone 7 "real users" (not concern trolls that do not have the product) where this is an issue.  My experience with iPhone 7 battery life is that it is amazing.  Best yet in an iPhone.  It has substantial charge available at the end of the day (meaning bedtime at midnight) for me - often over 50%.  What % of iPhone 7 owners find that they often have a need to charge phone & use headphones at same time?

    So what is legitimate criticism of the AirPods?  From a real user, I can accept the inability to raise/lower volume without Internet connection, and/or skip a track as valid issues (my testing with Siri when having Internet connection didn't encounter any issues).  With an Apple Watch they don't affect my uses, but I can see that being a bit of a drawback.  I hope Apple can address this with a s/w update to iPhone & AirPods in future.  However, with everything else being so much better than what came before, I still would give them a 4.75 out-of 5 score.  They truly do feel "magical" in use.  The ability to use with all of my devices by simply selecting from output sources is truly ground breaking.
  • Reply 51 of 64
    Airpods are very nice for sports and fitness, if they fit. Clearly the superior solution for me. The sound is very good (possibly also depending on fit). Siri requires only a double tap and a short command, like 'skip' 'up' 'down' or so. Not so bad. But Siri depends on Apple's servers, which is a bit inconvenient. Airpods & Apple Watch are a nice combination however, definitely *much* better than an inline remote or Siri. If you're afraid of the AirPods falling out, an idea could be to use something like liquid chalk to enhance the grip between ears and AirPods. I haven't tried this yet.
  • Reply 52 of 64
    polymniapolymnia Posts: 1,080member
    misa said:
    I think the W1 stuff will be a very short-lived product. People don't want, or even like wireless headphones/earbuds because of the short battery life, and Bluetooth is lossy and typically laggy. People who might be on the go (eg fitness) also don't want to lose them (I imagine lost earpods will be very common on public transit.)

    I'll give Apple a little bit of credit however, while I think removing the 3.5mm headphone jack on devices is a completely incompetent solution, at least they didn't just remove it entirely and provide no alternative connection method. But there were several alternatives that were not completely stupid for waterproofing (eg optical connections held by magnets) or just straight up using USB-C. The fact that the iPhone 6S has a 3.5mm headphone jack and survives being immersed in water was proof enough that they didn't need to do this at all.

    That said, I feel that people are going to be rightfully pissed off having to replace ear pods at $160 a pop.

    I haven't bought a pair of wired headphones (aside the ones provided in the box with an iPhone) since my first Bose QC almost 10 years ago. And before that, I bought a pair of studio-grade on-ear headphones.

    Of course, this is one guy's experience, but I think I might not be that unusual.

    Analyzing my buying pattern: I went wired for noise cancelling headphones that mainly get used on airplanes. I also went wired for the pair I bought purely for sound quality.

    Ever since then, all my headphone purchases have been for convenience and lifestyle applications. W1, Battery Life, Waterproofing, etc., are important features (to me) in a wireless headset.

    I have a nice stereo at home which is where I listen to uncompressed music critically. At this point in my life, audiophile headphones are way down the list of things I want/need.

    Apple/Beats seems to be throwing a wide net that covers the lifestyle/fitness/commuter user. This probably covers most of the market. Maybe they will branch out into the audiophile or noise cancelling niches someday, but it seems smart bring this tech to the general audience first.
  • Reply 53 of 64
    mac_128mac_128 Posts: 3,454member
    polymnia said:
    misa said:
    I think the W1 stuff will be a very short-lived product. People don't want, or even like wireless headphones/earbuds because of the short battery life, and Bluetooth is lossy and typically laggy. People who might be on the go (eg fitness) also don't want to lose them (I imagine lost earpods will be very common on public transit.)

    I'll give Apple a little bit of credit however, while I think removing the 3.5mm headphone jack on devices is a completely incompetent solution, at least they didn't just remove it entirely and provide no alternative connection method. But there were several alternatives that were not completely stupid for waterproofing (eg optical connections held by magnets) or just straight up using USB-C. The fact that the iPhone 6S has a 3.5mm headphone jack and survives being immersed in water was proof enough that they didn't need to do this at all.

    That said, I feel that people are going to be rightfully pissed off having to replace ear pods at $160 a pop.

    I haven't bought a pair of wired headphones (aside the ones provided in the box with an iPhone) since my first Bose QC almost 10 years ago. And before that, I bought a pair of studio-grade on-ear headphones.

    Of course, this is one guy's experience, but I think I might not be that unusual.

    Analyzing my buying pattern: I went wired for noise cancelling headphones that mainly get used on airplanes. I also went wired for the pair I bought purely for sound quality.

    Ever since then, all my headphone purchases have been for convenience and lifestyle applications. W1, Battery Life, Waterproofing, etc., are important features (to me) in a wireless headset.

    I have a nice stereo at home which is where I listen to uncompressed music critically. At this point in my life, audiophile headphones are way down the list of things I want/need.

    Apple/Beats seems to be throwing a wide net that covers the lifestyle/fitness/commuter user. This probably covers most of the market. Maybe they will branch out into the audiophile or noise cancelling niches someday, but it seems smart bring this tech to the general audience first.
    If I had to guess, I'd say that very few headphones bought today are for sound quality alone. Likely most will take into account many other features, ahead of absolute sound quality. In fact, the one pair of high fidelity headphones I purchased for quality, were not the best sounding available, but they were the best sounding available for the money which were also comfortable enough to wear for extended durations.
    polymnia
  • Reply 54 of 64
    polymniapolymnia Posts: 1,080member
    mac_128 said:
    polymnia said:
    misa said:
    I think the W1 stuff will be a very short-lived product. People don't want, or even like wireless headphones/earbuds because of the short battery life, and Bluetooth is lossy and typically laggy. People who might be on the go (eg fitness) also don't want to lose them (I imagine lost earpods will be very common on public transit.)

    I'll give Apple a little bit of credit however, while I think removing the 3.5mm headphone jack on devices is a completely incompetent solution, at least they didn't just remove it entirely and provide no alternative connection method. But there were several alternatives that were not completely stupid for waterproofing (eg optical connections held by magnets) or just straight up using USB-C. The fact that the iPhone 6S has a 3.5mm headphone jack and survives being immersed in water was proof enough that they didn't need to do this at all.

    That said, I feel that people are going to be rightfully pissed off having to replace ear pods at $160 a pop.

    I haven't bought a pair of wired headphones (aside the ones provided in the box with an iPhone) since my first Bose QC almost 10 years ago. And before that, I bought a pair of studio-grade on-ear headphones.

    Of course, this is one guy's experience, but I think I might not be that unusual.

    Analyzing my buying pattern: I went wired for noise cancelling headphones that mainly get used on airplanes. I also went wired for the pair I bought purely for sound quality.

    Ever since then, all my headphone purchases have been for convenience and lifestyle applications. W1, Battery Life, Waterproofing, etc., are important features (to me) in a wireless headset.

    I have a nice stereo at home which is where I listen to uncompressed music critically. At this point in my life, audiophile headphones are way down the list of things I want/need.

    Apple/Beats seems to be throwing a wide net that covers the lifestyle/fitness/commuter user. This probably covers most of the market. Maybe they will branch out into the audiophile or noise cancelling niches someday, but it seems smart bring this tech to the general audience first.
    If I had to guess, I'd say that very few headphones bought today are for sound quality alone. Likely most will take into account many other features, ahead of absolute sound quality. In fact, the one pair of high fidelity headphones I purchased for quality, were not the best sounding available, but they were the best sounding available for the money which were also comfortable enough to wear for extended durations.
    You make a good point about the audiophile market. It's all about how good for how much money. One person's jewel is another's crap. It seems unlikely that Apple/beats will ever be taken seriously by a significant portion of the audiophile community. There are hundreds of brands in that space for a good reason. There is a brand for every spending level. There are a couple competing technologies at each spending level. Apple should stay out of all that mess. It's not what they are good at. 
  • Reply 55 of 64
    eyekey said:
    i have no argument against the Airpods. 
    No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control. I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
    Get a Watch. Comes in handy for workouts. Who wants to carry a phone while running?
  • Reply 56 of 64
    jonmastjonmast Posts: 2unconfirmed, member
    cali said:
    eyekey said:
    i have no argument against the Airpods. 
    No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control. I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
    Can't you just say "volume up", "next track"?

    even better "lower", "up", "next", etc. 
    Apple watch anyone? All of the controls are conveniently located on your wrist.
    applepieguy
  • Reply 57 of 64
    You need to remove the part of the article that implies the AirPods will fall out. If they fit you correctly they will not fall out no matter what, even during a hard workout.  I've tried my best to shake them out by violently twisting and turning  and they just will not fall out.  The lack of physical volume controls is something, but  I rarely need that and when I do I have another device either in my pocket or on my wrist. When working out I just take my Apple Watch, and that is a  good way to change the volume. The other advantages far outweigh this slight con.  For me, not having a connecting wire between left and right is a godsend as well. 
    applepieguy
  • Reply 58 of 64
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    jonmast said:
    cali said:
    eyekey said:
    i have no argument against the Airpods. 
    No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control. I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
    Can't you just say "volume up", "next track"?

    even better "lower", "up", "next", etc. 
    Apple watch anyone? All of the controls are conveniently located on your wrist.
    So a $300 remote control is required to use $160 headphones?

    Great solution for the mass market there.



    edited January 2017 mac_128
  • Reply 59 of 64
    jonmastjonmast Posts: 2unconfirmed, member
    crowley said:
    jonmast said:
    cali said:
    eyekey said:
    i have no argument against the Airpods. 
    No controls is a deal breaker for me. I can't imagine how silly it must feel to say "Siri, Volume down", followed by "Siri, next track" in the subway or in the supermarket. I have absolutely no idea why Apple is so persistent on voice control. I will probably buy the X when (if) they come out and have decent sound quality.
    Can't you just say "volume up", "next track"?

    even better "lower", "up", "next", etc. 
    Apple watch anyone? All of the controls are conveniently located on your wrist.
    So a $300 remote control is required to use $160 headphones?

    Great solution for the mass market there.



    Not required, but convenient. Just like a $750 phone is convenient to make a call. 
  • Reply 60 of 64
    Why would the "lack of wires" increase the chance of the ear buds falling out? In my experience, the weight/existence of the the wire pulling down on the bud is what increases the likelihood of them falling out. I definitely feel like my AirPods stay in better than the EarPods ever did for this exact reason.
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