{"id":482,"date":"2025-06-13T23:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-06-13T19:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/the-best-airpods-to-buy\/"},"modified":"2025-06-13T23:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T19:00:00","slug":"the-best-airpods-to-buy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/the-best-airpods-to-buy\/","title":{"rendered":"The best AirPods to buy"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Whether you\u2019re buying your first pair of AirPods or replacing a well-used older pair, it\u2019s easy to understand why so many iPhone owners prefer Apple\u2019s earbuds and headphones over other options. Apple has spent years gradually adding new features that work best \u2014 and sometimes only<\/em> work at all \u2014 within the company\u2019s walled garden. These convenient tricks include audio sharing, automatic switching between Apple\u2019s various devices, Apple TV integration, and more.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There are four AirPods models to choose from, each with a distinct appeal and upside. You likely already know whether you\u2019re more interested in earbuds or over-ear headphones, so that\u2019s the first divide. In the case of headphones, your only choice is the AirPods Max. But in the earbuds category, Apple has three options: the AirPods Pro, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, and the plain old AirPods 4.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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  1. The best AirPods overall<\/a><\/li>\n
  2. The best if you don\u2019t find ear tips comfortable<\/a><\/li>\n
  3. The best for those who prefer headphones<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

    The best AirPods overall<\/h2>\n

    If you want the earbuds that guarantee you\u2019ll get the latest and greatest software features from Apple, the second-generation AirPods Pro should be at the top of your list. They offer the whole gamut of ecosystem exclusives. And if you\u2019re the type of person to misplace things, you\u2019ll be thankful that the earbuds\u2019 case has a U1 chip for pinpoint location finding. So whenever they go missing, you can track right where they are in the room using Apple\u2019s Find My app.<\/p>\n

    The AirPods Pro deliver noise cancellation that\u2019s effective at tamping down the volume of your surroundings in all but the most hectic environments. Their sound quality is on another level compared to the regular AirPods \u2014 helped in no small part by the in-ear seal you get from their silicone ear tips.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    In 2024, Apple introduced three major hearing health features, including a hearing test, automatic hearing protection, and the option to use the AirPods Pro as clinical-grade hearing aids<\/a> if you have mild or moderate hearing loss. No other AirPods (including the AirPods Max) offer this functionality, so it definitely sets the Pros apart. And the same can be said of their volume controls; you just swipe on the stems to raise or lower the loudness of your music, which is a handy advantage that the similar-looking AirPods 4 lack.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Read our full AirPods Pro 2 review<\/a>.<\/h5>\n

    The best if you don\u2019t find ear tips comfortable<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    But not everyone likes the way ear tips feel. Even with venting and the other measures Apple has taken to improve comfort and reduce that clogged-up sensation, some people just prefer the regular, one-size-fits-most AirPods. Their open design means you\u2019re never cut off from the outside world. The AirPods Pro have an impressive transparency mode, but the AirPods 4 don\u2019t need to pipe in your surroundings; you can always hear what\u2019s happening around you.<\/p>\n

    Apple sells two versions of the AirPods 4. No matter which you choose, you\u2019ll get the same sound quality, microphone performance on voice calls, and IP54 water resistance. (The latter also applies to the AirPods Pro.) The more expensive pair features active noise cancellation and a more advanced charging case. You might be surprised by how well the noise cancellation works even with an unsealed design; it reduces office ambience and annoying hums, but louder sounds and voices still cut through the ANC. As for the case, the pricier AirPods 4 include wireless charging and Find My integration.<\/p>\n

    If you\u2019re really interested in noise-canceling earbuds, you should consider saving a bit more and stepping up to the AirPods Pro 2. They offer much better audio quality, stronger ANC, and a better experience. I\u2019d only steer you to the noise-canceling AirPods 4<\/a> if you\u2019re really<\/em> opposed to ear tips.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Read my full AirPods 4 review<\/a>.<\/h5>\n

    The best for those who prefer headphones<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    I\u2019ve gone back and forth recommending Apple\u2019s $549 AirPods Max over the last few years. They have a standout design, but the good looks and premium feel come at the cost of weight. These headphones are considerably heavier than most competitors and can get fatiguing over extended use. But Apple has also made smart choices: the fabric ear cups on the AirPods Max are much more pleasant in warm weather than the pleather you\u2019ll find on Bose and Sony products, and won\u2019t get your ears sweaty.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    The AirPods Max provide impressive noise cancellation, and the transparency mode is clearer and more natural-sounding than any other set of headphones on the market. As for sound, Apple\u2019s headphones have a pleasant sound signature that works well across a wide range of genres. They\u2019re easy to listen to with an impressive soundstage for closed-back headphones.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    You lose some features \u2014 like conversation awareness and adaptive audio \u2014 that are included on the AirPods Pro; this is a side effect of the AirPods Max using Apple\u2019s older H1 chip. But the company recently added lossless audio over USB-C<\/a>, meaning these headphones offer the richest audio fidelity of the whole lineup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

    Read my full AirPods Max (Lightning) review<\/a>.<\/h5>\n
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    How we test AirPods<\/h2>\n

    We spend dozens of hours using AirPods products for our initial reviews, and that testing extends for weeks and months afterward. That\u2019s where we assess sound quality, mic performance, and overall reliability. Where applicable, we try the active noise cancellation in a wide range of different environments and have put the hearing protection of the AirPods Pro through the paces at concerts. We also closely examine ecosystem benefits and how the AirPods and Apple\u2019s other products work together.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

    Update, June 13th:<\/strong> Adjusted prices and availability.<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Whether you\u2019re buying your first pair of AirPods or replacing a well-used older pair, it\u2019s easy to understand why so […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":483,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-non-classe"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/257689_Airpod_buying_guide_CVirginia-7mpCry.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.actutech.app\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}