Apple AirPods (2nd Gen) with Wireless Charging Case

Design and features:

The AirPods (2nd gen) have integrated microphones and music player skip forward and cellphone call connect/disconnect controls for use with paired Bluetooth devices. They support Apple's Siri digital voice assistant (which can be activated via touch or the "Hey Siri" wake phrase, or both depending on how the earphones are set up) when used with Apple devices that use later operating system versions and have a WiFi or cellular Internet connection; volume level adjustments and music player control functions can be done using Siri voice commands. Either earphone can also be used alone for one ear monitoring of Bluetooth streamed audio and telephone communications. This model comes with Qi wireless charging compatible charging cradle/recharger battery/carrying case that the manufacturer claims can be used to recharge the earphone batteries up to four times between its own charges and a USB charging cable for cord connected charging.

Sound quality:

We found the AirPods (2nd gen) delivers sound quality that falls in the Good range - it reproduces music and voice reasonably well despite the obvious shortcomings in its sound. The overall sound can best be summarized as a bit boomy, grainy and dry. Bass (as in bass drums, bass guitars, stand-up bass, etc.) is a bit boomy, has so-so impact, and doesn't go deep. The midrange (voices, guitars, horns, etc.) has very good detail but is a bit thin, constricted (as in straightjacketed), and grainy, and gets slightly congested (think sonic traffic jam) during complex musical passages. The treble (cymbals, the upper range of violins, etc.) is extended but a bit smeared (sounds that should have a delicate shimmer sound blurred) and the pronounced upper treble can exaggerate sibilance and sounds a bit dry and papery. This model does a decent job of recovering the room ambience of a recording (the sense of the acoustic space in which the audio program that's being listened to was recorded). The sound also has a decent sense of liveliness, and is open -- sound-wise it there is not much of a sense of anything plugging up your ears. The sound is not significantly different from that of the Apple AirPods (1st gen) or the Apple EarPods.

Comfort and Fit:
We found that these earphones essentially fit the same as the Apple EarPods and 1st gen Airpods. There was no pressure in the ear canal and they stay in place even with fairly vigorous head movement, but you have to fiddle with them a bit to find the position in the ear that provides the best sound quality and hitting one of the stems that hangs out of the ears can knock an earphone loose and cause it to fall out. Tapping on either earpiece twice (double tapping) will answer/disconnect a call, and will cause compatible music player apps to skip to the next track on Apple and non-Apple mobile devices. Double tapping the earpieces is not particularly uncomfortable like with some other totally wireless models. With Apple devices that can run the most current OS versions double tapping can be set to any one or two functions (music player play/pause, skip forward, skip back, activating Apple's Siri digital voice assistant which can control a music player app with voice commands as well as perform other smart functions). Siri can also be activated without tapping by using the wake phrase "Hey Siri". We found using Siri for music player control to be slow, and cumbersome, and as with any other digital assistant potentially annoying to anyone else within earshot. When using Siri commands (via the wake phrase or double tapping) for music player control the music pauses, the command is said out loud (e.g. "turn up/down volume" or "skip forward/reverse"), the command is carried out, and the music resumes.

The Apple AirPods (2nd Gen) with Wireless Charging Case portable Bluetooth wireless earphones have a non-isolating earbud design. These earphones are intended for use with Bluetooth connected Apple iPhones, but also work with other Bluetooth enabled audio devices and have a reception range of around 33 feet. They have built-in microphones and integrated music player track skip forward and cell phone call connect/disconnect Bluetooth controls. Additional features include volume and music player control via Siri digital assistant spoken commands when used with some Apple devices. The AirPods (2nd Gen) with Wireless Charging Case comes with a Qi wireless charging compatible charging cradle/recharger battery/carrying case, and a USB charging cable. It is covered by a 12-month warranty.