Are AirPods really worth all the hype? If you see a good deal on some AirPods, should you buy them? Are they the best options at their respective prices, or are there better wireless earbuds and headphones for your hard-earned money? Which AirPods should you get anyway?
Apple's AirPods are one of the most popular earbuds on the market, but with various designs, features and performances available at different price ranges, it can be tricky to know which one is best for you. With rare but substantial discounts available, it's always worth doing some research to make sure you're getting the best AirPods for your money, and whether they meet all your requirements.
In this guide, we run through each AirPods model and if they're the best option for you at their price, what alternatives exist, and if they're worth taking the plunge right now.
Should you buy AirPods Pro 2?
AirPods Pro 2: flagship earbuds with best sound
Apple's flagship AirPods Pro 2 have been around for two years now, but they remain our favourite in-ear AirPods experience. The design is comfortable and there are four eartip sizes to get a good fit, it's second nature to use with iOS devices, and they are packed with features (mainly Apple-only) that keep getting updated – including new hearing health features. But the real reason these were the first 'Pods to get a five-star rating from us was because of their sound quality. With new drivers, a new H2 chip and a new vent system, these AirPods Pro 2 sound wonderfully dynamic, subtle, open and powerful. Apple's usual neutral balance and clarity are here, but it's bolstered by greater textural depth, a keen sense of timing, energetic drive and propulsive momentum that feels true to the music. Voices in particular are wonderfully relayed – all natural and solid – and the noise-cancelling is also effective (especially at damping down sharp noises) and has an airy feeling overall.
Battery life is competitive with 30 hours in total (six hours on a single charge), and Apple has updated this model to include a USB-C port on the charging case, which also emits noise so you can locate it using Find My. Adaptive audio for dynamic ANC, conversation awareness, dynamic spatial audio, and new voice call improvements are also included in their long list of features – at no extra cost.
Should you buy AirPods Pro 2? Yes, 100%. These are the easily best earbuds for Apple fans and iOS users. Daily use is seamless, there are ample features, and they are the best-sounding AirPods by a mile. Even at full price, the Pro 2 are a worthy investment, with new features being added at no extra cost thanks to software updates. If you can find them at a discount, even better.
Are they the best wireless earbuds at their price? Those wanting better performance – and less of an Apple-focused performance – have other options. If you want the best noise-cancelling in the class, the five-star Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are our top choice. If sound quality is your priority, then the levels of precise, refined detail and clarity and overall more authentic sound from the Award-winning Sony WF-1000XM5 are unbeaten.
- Read the full AirPods Pro 2 review
- AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods 4 with ANC: what are the differences?
Should you buy AirPods 4 with ANC?
AirPods 4 with ANC: mid-price open design
Apple's latest AirPods 4 come in two versions: one without active noise cancellation, and one with ANC. They replace the older AirPods 2 and AirPods 3 in one fell swoop, but it's the AirPods with ANC that's of most interest here. These are the standard 'open' AirPods design (i.e. no eartips) that also offer effective noise-blocking for the first time. And it works really well – Apple specifically targets low-level noise, like the rumble of engines, the background hum of the exhaust fans, gentle roar of traffic and the like, which dims the outside world enough so you can listen to your music clearly. There's still enough ambient noise (and high noises such as motorbikes, horns and people speaking) that comes through, but it's a great halfway house between the Pro 2 and the standard non-ANC AirPods.
The AirPods 4 design has been refined to be more comfortable, but some don't get along with the shape. The AirPods 4 with ANC also get a lot of flagship features – adaptive audio, voice isolation, conversation awareness – and have a sonic profile that's much improved and closer to the Pro 2. They sound clean, detailed, agile and more powerful and forthright than before. However, the Pro 2 are still the preferred choice when it comes to detail, dynamic subtlety and greater noise-blocking prowess. The one big drawback is the battery life; while offering 30 hours overall with the USB-C charging case, you only get four to five hours on a single charge here.
Should you buy AirPods 4 with ANC? If you really dislike the feeling of eartips burrowing into your ears and get along fine with the standard AirPods' open design, then these are worth considering over the flagship Pro 2. The standard AirPods 4 are decent, but the AirPods 4 with ANC is the obvious choice for its extra features for a small price jump, and will appeal to many.
Are they the best wireless earbuds at their price? Not quite. In the lead up to Christmas, the flagship Pro 2 are still at their Black Friday price of £179 in the UK (£190 in the US), making it a better option in our eyes than the AirPods 4, which are back to full price.
Other buds are also available at this price: Bose's five-star QuietComfort (2024) offer better overall fit, better ANC and better sound for the same money. If you aren't a dedicated Apple user, Bose is the better performer. Other four-star rivals at this price range include the JBL Live Beam 3 (so many features, all platform-agnostic) and the Cambridge Audio M100 (much longer battery life).
- Read the full AirPods 4 with ANC review
- Apple's AirPods 4 launch with two model variants: one with noise-cancelling, one without
Should you buy AirPods 3?
AirPods 3: last-gen but (sometimes) cheapest
The older AirPods 2 (from 2019) were long-stemmed designs that looked akin to toothbrush heads. The AirPods 3 (2021) shortened those stems and refined the design to become closer to the flagship Pro line. They're still a decent pair, feature spatial audio with dynamic headtracking and also sport 30 hours of battery life in total. The charging case has the old Apple-specific Lightning connector, and while there's no ANC here, you can summon Siri and take advantage of seamless integration with iOS devices.
Sound-wise, we like their neutrality and fuller, weightier sound over the older AirPods 2, and their easy-going balance that doesn't exaggerate any part of the frequency unduly. They still offer a clean, nimble and nicely detailed sound, but the new AirPods 4 make them sound a touch reticent and flat in comparison. The AirPods 4 have a more upfront, powerful nature, leaving the AirPods 3 just a little lacking in energy and focus.
Should you buy AirPods 3? No. We've seen the AirPods 3 dip to their lowest-ever price of £99 in the UK during Black Friday, making them the cheapest AirPods you can buy. However, they've sprung back up to full price now – a meaty £179/£180 – which is far too expensive for an old pair of 'Pods. The newer AirPods 4 or AirPods.4 with ANC are a far better option at similar price, with significantly better sound quality and better features. Unless you find them at lower than £99, the AirPods 3 (and the even older AirPods 2) are to be avoided.
Are they the best wireless earbuds at their price? No, because the two excellent budget Sonys – the WF-C700N and WF-C510 – exist and deliver more capable five-star (and Award-winning) performances for even lower prices. The C510 doesn't have ANC while the C700N does, and both are enjoyable, talented performers for the money and come with competitive features over the AirPods 3.
- Read the full AirPods 3 review
- Apple AirPods 4 vs AirPods 3: what's new and which is the better buy?
Should you buy AirPods Max?
AirPods Max: premium over-ear headphones
It's not an exaggeration to say that the AirPods Max shook up the wireless headphones world. Wireless headphones just didn't cost as much as £500/$500 before, but Apple decided to push the boundaries and deliver a truly premium, high-performing over-ear headphones experience that looks and sounds stunning. And it succeeded: the AirPods Max deliver breathtaking sound and impressive noise-cancelling, along with exceptional build quality. A new 2024 model now exists with five new metallic finishes and a USB-C charging port replacing the older Lightning connection, but otherwise the design, features and sound remain the same.
The Max are an elegant and beautifully-machined pair of headphones that are comfortable to wear for long hours. We particularly love the tactile digital crown dial borrowed from the Apple Watch for controlling music and changing volume. We really dislike the silly 'case'. 20 hours of battery life can be bettered now and this model (or any AirPods) still doesn't support any hi-res Bluetooth codec, but the AirPods Max sound fantastic anyway.
They're a cut above Sony and Bose's flagships, offering a level of sonic sophistication that is lovely to hear. They sound extremely crisp and precise, with stunning levels of agility, insight and detail retrieval. There's sizzling energy and punchy, subtle dynamism, along with an airy soundstage and superbly organised presentation. The spatial audio effect is also convincingly cinematic. Even four years after their release, we continue to be impressed by the Max's audio quality – they fully justify their price tag.
Should you buy AirPods Max? Yes – if you can afford it, buy it. The luxurious design is one of the best in class, while sound quality is still impressive – astonishing levels of detail, subtlety, rhythmic agility and precise timing. These are very accomplished performers and we think they are still worth the high asking price.
Are they the best wireless headphones at their price? Surprisingly, yes. If you're happy with the older Lightning connector and aren't too fussed about which colour you end up with, then you can usually find them for a small discount or two. The newer USB-C model doesn't have any significant discount, but they're still hugely recommendable at full price.
But they're in good company. The £500/$500+ wireless headphones market has bloomed since the AirPods Max launched, and you'll find superb alternative options from Bowers & Wilkins Px8, Focal Bathys and Mark Levinson No. 5909. The stylings all vary and the pricier models do give you better sound quality every step up in this instance, so you can't go wrong here.
- Read the full AirPods Max review
- Apple AirPods Max vs AirPods Max 2024: what are the differences?
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