I compared 35 AirPods imitations to reality. Here is what I discovered

Look at this picture. Two pairs of Apple AirPod, no? Nope: One of them is a clone, an imitation, an off-brand replica. If you have seen them before – and they are everywhere – I bet you were wondering the same thing as me: how do they compare? Can $ 35 true wireless headphones compete with Apple's $ 159 headphones?

As a Cheapskate, I desperately wanted to know. I have already tested many headsets, but they all had a different design. none of them were exact copies of AirPod. This time, I really wanted to compare apples to apples.

AirPods vs AirSounds

Read more: The best truly wireless headphones for 2019

For this test, I finally opted for AirSounds True Wireless headphones, which cost $ 35 and are sold by ZDNet Academy + Deals. (Cheapskate readers can get them for $ 28 with promo code CNETBUDS20.) Not only do they have the name "Air" in the name, but they look a lot like the AirPods – at least on the photos.

But how would they manage in real life? Would they be comfortable? Easy to use? How would they sound? The results were surprising – but not surprising. Continue reading.

In shape

I've always found the Apple EarPods, the wired headphones provided in the box with the iPhones, very comfortable, and the same goes for the AirPods, even though these are only a few. hair bigger. This is not true for everyone, however; some people find them too big or too small. It really depends on the size of your ears.

Although the AirSounds and AirPods cases are physically identical and one millimeter are exactly the same size, the ear pieces themselves are slightly different.

Specifically, the Intra-Aural part of the AirSounds is wider – just a little bit, but enough to exert a slight pressure on the ear cartilage and make me feel uncomfortable after about 20 to 30 minutes.

Your mileage may vary. If the EarPods or AirPods tend to fall out of your ears, the AirSounds could prove a perfect fit.

Characteristics

In terms of features, AirPods expel AirSounds from the water; the latter has none of the advanced features of the former, such as automatically interrupting playback when you take one out of your ear.

I can live with that, but I can not live without auto-connect. With AirPods, you open the case and you're done: they turn on and connect to your phone. The AirSounds must be turned on manually (using a small button awkwardly located on each headset). Once you have done this, they quickly associate with each other and your phone (and provide an audio signal indicating that's what happened). It's not hard, but once you get used to the automatic headset connection, you can not go back.

Similarly, AirPods automatically disconnect and recharge when you put them back in their case. The AirSounds must be turned off manually, and charging only occurs if you press the button on the case.

Strangely (and, I suppose, conveniently), you can turn off both AirSounds simply by holding down one of the power buttons. But a double pressure does not allow to replay a track, as indicated in the instructions. Instead, he invokes Siri (probably a better result).

The AirPods case is charging via Lightning (or a Qi charger, if you have paid extra for the wireless charge case) and promises you four full recharges, for a total listening time of more than 24 hours. The case AirSounds: Micro-USB and two to three recharges, for about 11 hours of total listening time.

Outdoor performance

Although the AirSounds use Bluetooth 5.0 (according to the accompanying manual, the product page says Bluetooth 4.2), they have some connectivity issues. Inside, if I simply put my hand on one ear or another, the sound would disappear. Worse still, when I ventured out to run, dropouts became a real problem, to the point that I simply can not recommend them to runners.

I have encountered similar problems with other Bluetooth headphones; some of them just do not work well on the outside because your head is preventing you from picking up the signal, which does not have what to bounce like when you are in it. . But my AirPods do not have this problem, nor do most of the other truly Bluetooth 5.0 wireless headphones I've tested recently.

Sound quality

This is probably the most important aspect of any helmet, and it is there that I expected the AirSounds to come out the worst. I will not say that the AirPods are the world's most powerful headphones, but to my ears, they are well balanced, even if they lack a little bass. (No surprise there: they do not create the intra-auricular seal of the atria like the Anker Soundcore Liberty Air, and it's this stamp that really boosts the bass.)

Imagine my surprise, then, to discover that the AirSound sounded really good. Better than AirPods? No, but overall decent? Yes. They do not give you the range, the details provided by the AirPods, but if you're just doing housework, sitting in a train listening to podcasts, etc., I think they are absolutely good, especially considering the price.

Verdict

So, if you like the look of Apple's AirPods (more on this in a second), should you save $ 124 (!) And buy the AirSounds instead? As much as I would like to say yes, that they are good enough for what they are, the truth is that there are better true wireless headset options in this range of price.

Indeed, my question is whether an AirPod clone makes sense. If you ask me, they still look pretty silly. Unless it's a status issue – like wearing a fake Rolex – I'd be looking at a lot of AirPod alternatives.

For example, the aforementioned Liberty Air Soundcore is half as cheap ($ 80) and better at the low end because of its noise-canceling design. You can also enjoy a decent sound from the TaoTronics TWS TT-BH053, who run $ 50. Although both models mimic the AirPods design "http://www.cnet.com/" "pipe", they are black, not white, and therefore less visible.

I also continue to be a fan of the BlitzWolf BW-FYE1, the most comfortable headphones I have that offer the automatic connection and charging features I love. They are a good deal at $ 33 with the promo code CNETBWFYE1.

Hey, I quite like the AirPods, I do not think they're worth $ 159 – not when there are more interesting and prettiest alternatives at a considerably lower price.

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