AirPods (and AirPods Pro [and AirPods Pro 2nd generation]) now available

[Trig]

So, if I hadnt been impatient I could have had them a bit cheaper with a USB-C case, tbh, I'm happy enough with them to keep using lightning, and given my new phone, if i decide to get one, will be USB-C anyway so I'll have a spare lightning cable from the old phone...

 

[Shadowness]

Would like to see if you could pick up just a case (USB-C). I doubt Apple would offer that though

 

[Trig]

Probably not, and, realistically, if its just bringing USB-C to the party, is there any real point?

 

[b0rn2sk8]

Would like to see if you could pick up just a case (USB-C). I doubt Apple would offer that though

AirPods are not really designed to last, give it a couple of years and you’ll be buying a new set anyway.

The current disposable £250 wireless earbuds is probably one of those things we will look back on and think ‘yeh that was very wasteful’.

and yes, I have a set of AirPods Pro in my pocket so I am a hypocrite who was part of the problem.

 

[Raymond Lin]

One ear bud from my Airpods 1st gen has died, I did not want to spend another £230 to replace them. Nothing Ear (2) is just as good as the 1st gen, in many ways, actually better than the 1st gen, but with USB-C, built in wireless charging, adaptive NIC, similar controls on the stem for half the price of the 2nd gen.

I would have no hesitation to get them again in a heartbeat.

 

[dannyjo22]

AirPods are not really designed to last, give it a couple of years and you’ll be buying a new set anyway.

The current disposable £250 wireless earbuds is probably one of those things we will look back on and think ‘yeh that was very wasteful’.

and yes, I have a set of AirPods Pro in my pocket so I am a hypocrite who was part of the problem.

I don't know how much longer they will get away with not having the battery replaced for cheaper or selling a recycling scheme where you can swap them out. I wish they had an hours used feature per earbud so I could better alternate my usage when I wear one for work

 

[b0rn2sk8]

I think it’s been confirmed - no USB-C case available separately. If you want it, you’ll have to buy a new pair…

 

[Ayahuasca]

One ear bud from my Airpods 1st gen has died, I did not want to spend another £230 to replace them. Nothing Ear (2) is just as good as the 1st gen, in many ways, actually better than the 1st gen, but with USB-C, built in wireless charging, adaptive NIC, similar controls on the stem for half the price of the 2nd gen.

I would have no hesitation to get them again in a heartbeat.

Yeah I wouldn't touch airpods again, one of my pro buds died just outside of warranty.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Yeah I wouldn't touch airpods again, one of my pro buds died just outside of warranty.

Seriously try the Nothing Ear (2), apart from the case being larger, it is seriously excellent. Good fit, USB-C, has lots of the features like detects when you take it off and cuts the sound, half the price.

Apparently according to MKBHD podcast, these wireless earbuds have a HUGE profit margin, it is why you can find a ton of £20 wireless ones all over, they have the same basic PCB and driver, cheap parts, slap on a casing and done. So for £120 on the Nothing (2) is still quite a premium and £220 for the Apple, it's just enormous margin, even with the difference in quality.

 

[the-evaluator]

Seriously try the Nothing Ear (2), apart from the case being larger, it is seriously excellent. Good fit, USB-C, has lots of the features like detects when you take it off and cuts the sound, half the price.

Do you know if they'll work with just a single bud out of the charging case? I'm currently using AirPods for Teams/Zoom calls on my (Windows) laptop but only ever have 1 in at a time and will swap them around when battery gets low, often mid call and the audio switches over. This works great but the battery on both my AirPods are the way out so I need to replace them.

I've tried a few cheaper ear buds but none of them would work with 1 bud in my ear and the other in the charging case.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Do you know if they'll work with just a single bud out of the charging case? I'm currently using AirPods for Teams/Zoom calls on my (Windows) laptop but only ever have 1 in at a time and will swap them around when battery gets low, often mid call and the audio switches over. This works great but the battery on both my AirPods are the way out so I need to replace them.

I've tried a few cheaper ear buds but none of them would work with 1 bud in my ear and the other in the charging case.

Yes, I just tried it. Take just 1 bud out of the case and it plays just fine. This is the Ear (2), don't get the Ear (1), those don't sound very good in comparison.

 

[the-evaluator]

Yes, I just tried it. Take just 1 bud out of the case and it plays just fine. This is the Ear (2), don't get the Ear (1), those don't sound very good in comparison.

Good stuff, thanks for testing it for me.

 

[Raymond Lin]

Good stuff, thanks for testing it for me.

I think they are on slight discount at the moment too. I also picked up a case for it, mostly to add the keyring thing so I can attach it to my bag.

 

[uvarvu]

It’s not just the case. The new new second gen also get lossless audio but only when used with the vision pro headset. Dust protection is also improved with an IP54 rating.

 

[Trig]

But its still called Gen2?

Surely they'd call it Gen 3 or something, this is Apple after all where any slight change in spec requires fanfare...

 

[Trig]

So, I've been thinking about these new Gen 2(a) Airpods..

The case is USB-C, so that's an obvious one.
They are now IP54 rated, not IPx4, now, as I understand it, the 'x' means that they weren't tested, so, they could in fact be exactly the same pods, but have now been certified '5' and can be called IP54 rated...
Lossless audio, but only with the Vision headset, which isn't out yet, so nobody can test this lossless audio with the new Gen2 and the old Gen2..

Has anyone actually had hands on these and been able to compare the old and new 2's?

Given how Apple like to do the minimum amount of work, and still call a product 'new', I'm gonna come straight out and say these are exactly the same pods, with a different part number and a new case...

 

[Broken Hope]

Apparently the new one can communicate over 5GHz which is why they support lossless.

 

[Irish_Tom]

Well I’ve had mine for a day now and I’m impressed so far.

Spatial Audio is pretty cool. I was watching Netflix last night with them in so as not to wake up the house and after a while I completely forgot I was wearing them. The sound stage was just like I was listening on my usual speakers.

Ok, it’s not going to beat a dedicated 7.2.2 setup, but it’s still pretty impressive for such small buds.

Adaptive audio is also pretty cool, although it did get confused while my wife was talking to me next to a boiling kettle.

 

[Trig]

Apparently the new one can communicate over 5GHz which is why they support lossless.

And apparently, they have different acoustic internals.
Are different because they're now IP54 rather than IPx4.
Both have the H2 chip, so I wouldn't be surprised if at some point the lossless audio comes to the original Gen 2's quietly and unannounced..

 

[Silly Goose On The Loose]

I've got the new set.

CEX will give me £130 for my 2nd Gen Lightning ones so I thought the cost wasn't too much of a hit for me.

They sound the same but my expectation would be that in a future update you'll be getting Lossless Audio from iPhone to AirPods if the information about 5GHz support is true. I always believed that is how Apple would get around the limitations of Bluetooth.