Apple AirPods (2019) Reviews | What Hi-Fi?

It's easy to think of Apple as a company that does not make mistakes, but almost as easy to prove. There was an iPhone that would not make calls if you had it in a certain way, the pre-installed U2 album from Apple Music, Apple Maps and the damage caused by the very bad plan of the HomePod.

But while it may not be exactly like Midas, most of Apple's things end up turning to gold, and the Apple AirPods are no exception. When they were introduced for the first time, they looked silly and did not sound good, but attracted by their magical design and advanced technology (not to mention the affinity with the brand), enough people have them bought to make it a common sight in towns and villages around the world.

So, while it is surprising that Apple has not seen fit to answer (publicly) the criticism of the original AirPods, many have already been seduced by their magic. This second-generation model is much more about sprinkling a little more leprechaun dust than pushing the AirPods towards the territory of high fidelity.

But here's the kicker: without great fanfare (and maybe even unwittingly), Apple has improved the sound quality of AirPods.

Sound

Switch between the old and new AirPods and the first difference you notice is that the new pair is getting stronger. This might not seem like a big deal, but it does confirm that the sound has changed. An extra loudness is usually welcome because the AirPods do not isolate the outside noise and therefore need to be played louder than the headphones that fill the ear canal entrance.

Apple has always opted for a natural, relatively neutral sound balance in all its products, and it's no different with the new AirPods. There is no artificial bass enhancement or treble enhancement. You feel like you're listening to music with little or no manipulation, and that's something we always enjoy.

But the new AirPods add a degree of subtlety and sophistication that is lacking to their predecessors. Dynamic changes at low altitude are more granular and delicate, while stronger contrasts between calm and strong are more pronounced and dramatic. The delivery is also more detailed and the presentation is a bit more open and spacious. The organization, meanwhile, is subtly improved thanks to better timing.

Each of the above improvements is quite discreet, but combined, they create a much more exciting and appealing performance. The old AirPods are a little sad and lifeless in comparison.

However, these AirPods are still far from perfect. Although cleaner and more adept in terms of organization than the previous pair, they always turn to hardness at high volume and struggle to make sense of the most built sections of some tracks.

The old AirPods were far from being the benchmark in terms of audio quality – the truly sonic-sounding top-of-the-line wireless headphones, the Sony WF-1000X, are much more detailed and punctuated.

Characteristics

But no rival can compete with the AirPods from a technical point of view. The first version was so good that doing the same thing was enough to beat many rivals. In our experience, the connection is essentially perfect and without stall, between the phone and headphones, or between the two buttons.

Initial coupling and switching of connections is effortless; the case quickly charges the headphones; the battery life is excellent (five hours of listening and about 19 others available via the charging box); and they are almost incredibly small and light.

Under the skin is a new chip, the original AirPod W1 has been replaced by the H1, allowing faster coupling and switching between Apple devices, lower latency (good for gaming), faster better battery management for more talk time (no change) overall battery longevity) and fully hands-free voice control. The only problem is that you may not notice these improvements because they are not the weaknesses of older AirPods.

A wireless charging case is also available, either in a £ 199 package with the new AirPods (£ 40 premium compared to the standard charging case), or in separate purchase at £ 79 – useful for homeowners older AirPods who want to upgrade their charging experience. This new box works with all Qi-compatible chargers and features a battery-level LED on the front for easy reference.

To build

Although the AirPods have been improved in areas where they already excelled, Apple has chosen not to meet some of the criticisms made against the original model, including the adjustment. The one-size-fits-all approach is commendable, but for all those for whom the AirPods are well adjusted for a race or cycle, there is another one that can not convince them to stay indoors during the lighter movements.

The absence of physical pimples can also be painful. Siri and two user specified double-key commands have been found to be inadequate replacements, especially for those who use the helmet during exercise.

Some will also continue to waste time drawing, which catches the eye in the same way as a pair of earrings. However, the omnipresence of the original AirPods has made them largely invisible and wearing a pair no longer seems to attract the same kind of attention. Maybe for some people this will be a problem.

Verdict

Apple has strengthened the AirPods in areas where they were already strong and have chosen to leave their weaknesses more or less as they are. It's a strange approach, but the success of the first-generation model proves that the formula works.

We'd like them to work better for more people and have physical controls, but Apple sticks to its guns. In addition, the sound quality has improved and it's more than we expected.

THE SCORES

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