Best Buy has Geek Squad refurbished AirPods Pro for $179, the same price as the new AirPods 3. Supposedly the ear pieces are not covered in the previous owner's ear wax. I've tried the first gen. AirPods and they seem to fit my ear pretty well. I've had some issues with the silicone earpieces of non-Apple Bluetooth earbuds.

For those who have tried both the regular and the Pro, which fit do you prefer? The Pros have the noise cancellation, which I'd like, but not if they fall out of my ears when running (which would be my main reason for getting them).

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DavidS
The Pros have the noise cancellation, which I'd like, but not if they fall out of my ears when running (which would be my main reason for getting them).

When I first got the AP Pro, I thought they would be great for the gym.

They were not:

[forums.macresource.com]

DavidS,

I've tried Airpods, Airpod Pros, 3rd party ear buds, you name it. I've found the only reason to buy Airpods (or Airpod Pros) is for their integration with Apple products. It's nice not having to reconfigure them for multiple Macs, an iPad and my iPhone. Configured once, it's configured for all of them.

That said, I like the controls of 2nd gen Airpods. Configure the tap. Easy peasy. I like how they fit in my ears. Best of buds. However, I like noise cancellation and transparancy. You've got to go to Airpod Pros for that. Unfortunately, Airpod Pros lack the easy controls of the older Airpods. They don't fit my ears well and have a habit of working their way out. Neither type is suitable for working out at the gym.

I use my Airpod Pros at my office while at my desk and/or walking around my warehouse. For working out, I revert to one of two pairs of cheap bluetooth behind the neck headphones. They are along these lines:

[www.amazon.com]

The models I use for the gym handle bluetooth _and_ they have a microSD card slot. You can drop a slew of music onto the chip, pop it into the headset and listen without a phone on hand.

However, they don't switch seamlessly from device to device. If I have both my iPad and iPhone on hand, I have to remember to disconnect them from one device before I can use it with the other. Annoying but far from a major issue. you don't need to do with this the Apple products. I wish Apple would make headphones like the ones in my link but with the Apple level of quality and integration. IT's never gonna happen.

If I were to buy ear buds, I'm not sure I'd be looking at an Apple product. There are other brands out there that make buds that are just as good for less money. They just won't necessarily have the same level of integration. They'll be much less expensive and still do the job nicely.

Apple doesn't make a nice set of behind the neck headphones like in my link. So, for these types of headphones, I already know I have to look elsewhere.

Robert

....wax on......wax off......

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Robert -

My Better Half loves her Beats flex over neck headphones.

I personally like the pocketable form factor, and I've tried Sony, Bose and Apple. I think the AirPods Pro as a great general compromise for general use. For a plane, I like over the ear models like the Quiet Comforts.

I haven't played with the AirPods (1 or 2), I like the anti-noise in the Pro.

Sekker,

Many of the cheap behind the neck models fold up for easy placement into a shirt pocket. It depends on the model and design. One set has a plastic band that doesn't fold. Other sets have a coated wire that twists into a small form factor. Here is an example:

[www.amazon.com]

These fit easily into a shirt pocket, pants pocket, etc. However, and this is a biggie, the sound quality can't match that of products from Apple, Bose, etc. 'course, being that these are under $30, you can't expect them to have that level of audio quality. Great for the gym and working out when outdoors, though!

Robert



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/18/2021 03:02PM by Robert M.

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Robert M
Sekker,

Many of the cheap behind the neck models fold up for easy placement into a shirt pocket. It depends on the model and design. One set has a plastic band that doesn't fold. Other sets have a coated wire that twists into a small form factor. Here is an example:

[www.amazon.com]

These fit easily into a shirt pocket, pants pocket, etc.

Robert

My BH own at least a dozen different versions of that form factor. I've lost count how many different models she tried and abandoned.

She settled on the Beats flex. YMMV.

I have a second pair of AirPod Pros still sealed (received as a gift after I bought a pair).

I should probably list them on the For Sale side.

I wonder if $150 shipped would be fair?

Sekker,

Beats Flex are a different class of headphone. They're more like buds and they do not have the neck piece to help keep them in place. Tried that style and they don't work for me. Wouldn't go near them. Makes me wonder why she abandoned the style like the ones in my link. I'd be intrigued to better understand her reason(s0 for choosing the Beats Flex.

Robvert

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testcase
I have a second pair of AirPod Pros still sealed (received as a gift after I bought a pair).

I should probably list them on the For Sale side.

I wonder if $150 shipped would be fair?

Quite fair. That's still good kit today.

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Robert M
Sekker,

Beats Flex are a different class of headphone. They're more like buds and they do not have the neck piece to help keep them in place. Tried that style and they don't work for me. Wouldn't go near them. Makes me wonder why she abandoned the style like the ones in my link. I'd be intrigued to better understand her reason(s0 for choosing the Beats Flex.

Robvert

She didn't want headphones either. In the end, she tried a BeatsX and found she really liked them. We moved to the Flex because the BeatsX pair gave up the ghost.

If you have to communicate to someone via cell phone or a computer (or driving... shh), AirPod Pro's offer the person you're talking to a pleasant experience with minimal distractions. So do the Bose NC700's. But for music listening I turn to my Jabra 75T and the Bose 700s.

My ears are weird, I guess. The regular Airpods do not work for me, never have even since the wired days. They don't fit properly, and I never was able to get any bass, the sound was tinny and thin. Airpods Pro fixed that, with the changeable silicone earpiece sealing the ears, the bass was glorious! (balanced, not bass-heavy as early Beats were.)

The only thing that helped with the regular Earpods/Airpods was an attachment:

[www.earhoox.com]

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Sam3
The only thing that helped with the regular Earpods/Airpods was an attachment:

[www.earhoox.com]

[cdn.shopify.com]

I used a similar product for my APs for gym use. Worked great, but there was the minor hassle of putting them on and removing them each time.

Got a set of cheap Beats Pro and used them for a while.

Then I got the BackBeat FIT 3150. These were a great replacement for the Backbeats Pro I used a long time ago. I like the non-isolation design of these for use in the gym, where I want to hear what's going on around me.

Sam and Lux,

I looked at something like that to use with both Airpods and Airpods Pro and decided they weren't doable. It isn't that they wouldn't work. Just the idea of having to take the ear piece off to charge the Airpods and Airpods Pro and reinstall them afterwards was an issue. Seemed like it would be an annoyance after a few times.

Looks like the Plaintronics BackBEat Fit 2100 is more along the lines of what I'd be looking at if I needed to replace the cheapie headphones I use for the gym. Too bad they lack an FM radio and/or the microSD card slot. They're nifty features that are in the cheapie headphones.

Robert

Probably more than you need, but this seems to address your concern.

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Robert M
Sam and Lux,

I looked at something like that to use with both Airpods and Airpods Pro and decided they weren't doable. It isn't that they wouldn't work. Just the idea of having to take the ear piece off to charge the Airpods and Airpods Pro and reinstall them afterwards was an issue. Seemed like it would be an annoyance after a few times.

Looks like the Plaintronics BackBEat Fit 2100 is more along the lines of what I'd be looking at if I needed to replace the cheapie headphones I use for the gym. Too bad they lack an FM radio and/or the microSD card slot. They're nifty features that are in the cheapie headphones.

Robert

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/2021 09:21AM by DavidS.

David,

Yups. That would solve the problem. I'd like to be able to just drop the Airpods directly onto a QI wireless charger without using the case. I'd save using the case for when I don't have a QI charger handy.

Robert

I agree about having Qi wireless charging built-in to each AirPod. That would be a great feature, but how much bulk and weight would it add?

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Robert M
David,

Yups. That would solve the problem. I'd like to be able to just drop the Airpods directly onto a QI wireless charger without using the case. I'd save using the case for when I don't have a QI charger handy.

Robert

David,

Wireless charging is already built into the airpods. That's how they charge in the case. It's just a matter of designing them to be QI and to work with a QI charger.

Robert

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Robert M
David,

Wireless charging is already built into the airpods. That's how they charge in the case. It's just a matter of designing them to be QI and to work with a QI charger.

Robert

There are electrodes at the base of air pods pro - the charging in the case is wired, not wireless.

Sekker,

Just like there is an electrode on the back of the case. I can plant the case on one of my QI charging stands. Charges beautifully. Apple could do the same for the airpods. It'd be nice not to have to use the case to charge them.

Robert

For those who have tried both the regular and the Pro, which fit do you prefer?


Regular.

I just bought another pair of them from AMZ.

I might still return them to try the newly announced AirPods.

The Pro just don't work for me.

They don't seal well according to the app, and hurt my ears after only an hour or so of listening.

I can wear regular AirPods for hours.

Powerbeats aren't much more comfortable, and some memory foam tips didn't help.

Beats Flex fit well enough in one ear but keep slipping out of the other.

I'll try some foam tips with them, but will avoid any more from Comply, as they're terrible.

I've spent a lot of money on various sets of 'buds and headphones, and not been really happy with the results.

This may be more 'it's not you it's me' than me finding a Holy Grail at this stage of my life.

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