Tech-N-Things

I have hunted for this question over and over again. Nothing makes sense. On paper, my Sonys, Technics AZ100, Denon Perl Pro, and even my Earfun headphones make more sense as earphones on my Android, again on paper. But the reality isn’t the same as paper facts. If I want similar ANC, I have the XM6s. If I want the best sound, I have Noble Osprey. If I want the most features, I have the Samsung Buds 4 Pro, etc., etc. The AirPods make no sense to the majority of people on Android. Heck, I even have earphones that give better battery hours. The only thing truly untouched and unmatched is their “hear-through” feature, but that can’t be enough.

And yet every few days I return—no, actually run—to get them from my backpack, like I’ve missed them. I put them into my ears, and the sound is amazing. The width and details, along with the bass and vocals, while not as much as others, seem to have the perfect amount nonetheless. I can sleep with them, and I jog with them. They are reliable and useful even without the gimmicks that are available on iPhones. But they do have amazing apps like Podsbattery that gives you access to needed things like battery life , play pause, and even Gemini Assistant.

They also look absolutely gorgeous and beautiful in my opinion. They stand out in any environment. When you see them, you know them. When you put them into your own ears, the world goes silent, or you can hit the “hear-through” feature and allow the music to play around your body and wider than most earphones, like you have open-back headphones on. This is part of the magic, I believe. The ability to blend into the environment in hear-through mode or the ability to silence the world are just traits that Apple has down better than others. Sure, you can go get the XM6s for ANC, but they won’t feel like these do. They won’t have the perfect venting Apple has. Sure, you can go get the Samsung Buds 4 Pro, and they will never match the ANC or hear-through of Apple’s AirPods Pro 3s.

And then we have amazing accessories available from many manufacturers, like this case I got above (so sexy…OMG that sound of steel and plastic). No matter where you go, you can pretty much find something special for the AirPods and/or iPhone. There is a reason: millions and millions of people love them. This gives an amazing advantage to people who trust Apple products. Samsung is not far behind with accessories being made for them, but again, the difference between the Samsung 4 Pros and the AirPods Pro 3s is still there and clear.

I guess if not for all the earphones I own that do nothing more than play music, ANC, and allow me to hear through, I would think differently about missing features and gimmicks. But as it stands, only my XM6s and Samsung 4 Pros have features and gimmicks that stand out, and they don’t work all the time in one capacity or another. All the rest of my earphones can’t match the core things that Apple does and therefore fall short.

So what are my results?

Best Sound : Noble Osprey/ Rex 5

Best price : EarFuns 

Best Battery : Earfun Air pro 4+

Best overall package/feature: Sony Xm6’s l/Samsung buds 4

Best fit : Apple Airpods Pro 3’s

Best ANC : Apple Airpods pro 3’s

Best hear thru: Apple Airpods pro 3’s

Best phone calls: Apple Airpods pro 3’s.

Best Portability: Apple Airpods pro 3’s

Do with that list as you please. I don’t expect you to feel like I do, but having this list for myself, at least, does explain why I keep running back to the AirPods. Your reasons may be different, and that’s what makes this whole sound game a mystery. There are no absolutes, and sound is subjective. All I can tell you is that putting them in my ears is unmatched in feelings because of the comfort and venting. Music, ASMR, audiobooks, and the like create magical results in them to the point that they don’t have to be the most bass, the most treble, or the most mids, but they are the most unique in their delivery and stand alone in those advantages and balances. I believe this is the part that brings people to Apple.