The best AirPods of 2024: Expert tested and reviewed

[Shirogane]

 

 

 

If you're a student looking for a new pair of earbuds before returning to campus this fall, AirPods will surely fit the bill -- especially for iPhone owners. 

But before you purchase AirPods, you should know they work best with other Apple devices, like iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks. Essential features like seamless device switching, spatial audio, and Find My only work with these devices. With all that said, if you're in the market for a new pair of AirPods, I'll help you select the AirPods that will best meet your needs and your budget as a student.

 

 

 

Most Redditors agree that the AirPods Pro 2 takes the cake. When searching on Reddit for the best AirPods to buy, it isn't easy to find an alternative recommendation. One user on the r/AirPods thread called the earbuds "transcendent," and another said they are worth the money.  

The AirPods Pro 2 uses silicon tips to fit into your ears (with four sizes to choose from), similar to the ones you're probably familiar with in most earbuds you've used. Comparatively, the standard AirPods have hard plastic tips like the traditional Apple EarPods that used to come in the box with most iPhones -- which many people found to fall out of their ears easily or weren't very comfortable to wear. 

The AirPods Pro 2 were the first to get Apple's latest H2 chip for improved sound. That includes active noise cancellation, which roughly doubles the noise cancellation of the first-gen AirPods Pro and works impressively in loud environments like airplanes and city streets. It also includes adaptive transparency mode, which lets you hear the world around you when you have your earbuds in while also automatically reducing loud sounds such as sirens. 

 

 

 

The AirPods Max are Apple's most premium headphones, and they even do a few specific things better than the AirPods Pro 2, which have more advanced technology thanks to Apple's H2 chip. Regarding immersive sound and blocking out the world, the AirPods Max offers a glorious experience at a premium price of $550 -- although you can find sales and discounts to knock off a chunk of that price.

 

 

 

SOURCE

[Shirogane]

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