Water Resistant AirPods 4th Gen

Apple AirPods

For our review, we got ahold of the new AirPods 2 with Wireless Charging because we wanted to see what all the fuss was about…until we found out there’s no wireless charger actually included…so we essentially paid more for that feature.  Don’t be like us and get the wireless charging version, unless you already have a Qi charger or plan on buying one.  Anyway, you can get the same earphones for less if you forgo the space-age case.  Either way, this review will focus more on the “sound quality” of the Apple AirPods 2…

The AirPods 2 come in an Apple-esque white box with a charging cable, the AirPod case, and some booklets.  I didn’t read the booklets.

The AirPods 2 look identical to the Original Recipe AirPods.  In fact, the only difference I could discern between the two models was a little LED light on the front of the charging case.  That, and the wireless charging capability.  But there’s no wireless charger included in the box.  You have to buy that separately, because Apple.

As mentioned, the overall design, shape, feel, and weight remain equivalent to the old AirPods Gen 1.  Even the battery life is the same, except if you’re talking on the phone all the time.  Then you’ve got a whopping 18 hours of talk time on the AirPods 2.

Fit-wise, they’re just as okay- as the original AirPods.  They generally stay in my giant punch bowl ears, but the rigid plastic design still gets fatiguing after a while and sucks at sealing out unwanted noise.

Now I have to listen to my loud keyboard while my coworkers argue about which Jimmy Buffet song is the best.  (It’s Cheeseburger in Paradise, dammit.)

The biggest difference to the AirPods 2 besides wireless charging?  The new “Hey Siri” function that allows you to command playback with your voice, instead of basic motor skills.  I tried talking to Siri a couple of times before giving up, mainly because I thought I sounded like a jerk.

Specifications

Frequency Range:  NA
Nominal Impedance:  NA
Sound Pressure Level (SPL):  NA

As we can see from these specs, Apple doesn’t like giving any numbers on their products.  Doing so would probably ruin the “magic” that Apple raves on about.  At any rate, the frequency range sounds pretty standard – probably not that far off from your plain-Jane 20-20,000 Hz.  Frequency range should be somewhere below 32 ohms, since we’re talking about a wireless earphone.  Lastly, sound pressure level seems fair at least; there are no real volume concerns, but they don’t seem like the most sensitive earphones, either.

The Apple AirPods 2 don’t necessarily sound terrible if you’ve never heard a good pair of wired headphones or even a good pair of wireless earphones.  Honestly, the low-end heavy sound wouldn’t be such a bummer if not for the lacking, recessed-and-compressed midrange and un-spectacular highs.  Ultimately, though, the AirPods 2 produce the same bland, generic sound that can be heard on the original AirPods.

For calling, the AirPods 2 aren’t all that bad, really, and this is the only reason I might recommend them.  If you need 18 hours of talk time on a pair of buds, by all means, get the AirPods 2.