Pros: Best sound quality in AirPods earbuds, excellent noise canceling, Adaptive Transparency Mode blocks sudden loud noises, most universal fit
Cons: Only average battery life
The second-gen AirPods Pro, released in September 2022, are Apple's top-line wireless earbuds. If you're seeking superior sound quality and noise cancellation — and your budget allows for it — the AirPods Pro are what I'd recommend.
The second-gen AirPods Pro easily offer the best sound quality out of all of Apple's AirPods. A new custom driver results in a big improvement with noticeably richer sound over the original AirPods Pro, which always sounded a little hollow and distant to me.
They are the first AirPods to use the new H2 processing chip, which Apple claims can deliver twice as powerful noise-canceling as the H1 chip housed in the first-generation AirPods Pro. Good noise canceling isn't just useful during a commute or while traveling — it's a key feature when simply working at a desk to hush distracting noise. It's the kind of feature that's worth spending on if your budget allows for it.
Beyond sound quality and the excellent noise cancellation, the second-gen AirPods Pro and their in-ear tip design might be the best AirPods for some people who have experienced issues with AirPods actually staying in their ears. The second-gen AirPods Pro fit more securely than regular AirPods thanks to the customizable tips that fit deeper in your ear.
Read our full Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) review.
Pros: Good sound quality, includes premium audio features, sleek AirPods Pro design
Cons: May not fit all ears, only average battery life
Apple's third-generation AirPods are worth the extra expenditure over the second-gen AirPods.
They include premium audio features like Adaptive EQ and Personalized Spatial Audio that gives the impression that music is coming from around you (in stereo) rather than directly into your ears.
Not everyone likes the surround sound aspect of Personalized Spatial Audio, so it's good that it's only an option. What can't be denied is that the third-gen AirPods have higher quality drivers and amplifiers than the second-gen AirPods for better sound quality.
While the third-gen AirPods has a contoured design and shorter stem, making it look like the AirPods Pro, they don't include noise canceling, which isn't surprising for this price point for Apple's AirPods.
In your ears, the third-gen AirPods fit more like the second-gen AirPods rather than the in-ear tip design of the AirPods Pro. If you've had issues with AirPods staying in your ears, the third-gen AirPods won't help.
If you're not looking to spend over $200 on the second-gen AirPods Pro for the better fit or noise canceling, you might still be able to find the first-generation AirPods Pro for a great deal under $180.
Read our full Apple AirPods (3rd generation) review.
Pros: Convenient pairing features, lightweight design, hands-free Siri access, quick device switching
Cons: May not fit all ears, audio quality isn't good for the price, only average battery life
Apple's second-generation AirPods package all the core features — like quick pairing with iOS devices and automatic playing and pausing — in a more affordable pair of wireless headphones.
They're the right choice if you primarily listen to podcasts and other voice-based audio rather than music, or you'd rather sacrifice features like noise cancellation, spatial audio, and water resistance to save a few bucks.
The second-gen AirPods have longer stems than the third-gen AirPods and AirPods Pro that essentially makes them look like Apple just snipped the wires off its wired EarPods headphones. It's not a bad look — they have actually become an iconic design — but it's not as sleek as the shorter stems on the more expensive models among the best AirPods listed here.
The second-gen AirPods have Apple's standard AirPods fit that works fine for many, but for some, they're impossible to keep in their ears. If you've ever had issues with AirPods fitting in your ears and you're not willing to spend over $120 for either the original or second-gen AirPods Pro that offer a more universal fit, you're better off looking elsewhere.
Read our full Apple AirPods (2nd generation) review.
Pros: Top-notch audio quality, noise cancellation, premium design, comfortable fit
Cons: Expensive, no charging case, included case doesn't protect entire headset, no input options or included cables for other audio connections
The AirPods Max deliver first-rate audio performance and noise cancellation, all wrapped in an elegant design that outclasses rivals from Bose and Sony.
The biggest difference you'll notice between the AirPods Max and Apple's other AirPods is its over-ear design. That alone suggests these headphones are designed for people that care more about audio quality than the average person, and also want a pair of headphones that make a statement when worn in public.
The AirPods Max come with an Apple-designed driver and 10 audio cores for delivering computational audio and adaptive EQ, which allows the headphones to adjust their sound based on the fit of the ear cups. Like the AirPods Pro, the AirPods Max also support spatial audio and other features like quick-pairing.
During my testing, I found that the AirPods Max sound significantly crisper, bolder, and louder than the $379 Bose Noise Canceling 700 headphones. They also outperformed the $350 Sony WH-1000XM4, although Sony's headphones came impressively close.
The AirPods Max also deliver when it comes to noise cancellation. When I sat underneath an elevated subway that runs above a very busy street near my apartment, the AirPods Max were able to significantly dull the sound of the train screeching to a halt and nearby traffic.
The downside, however, is that the included case doesn't charge the AirPods Max. Instead, it puts them in low power mode.
There's no doubt that the AirPods Max are excellent, but their price makes them inaccessible to many people. If you're an Apple loyalist that cares about having top notch audio and prefers over-ear designs — and are willing to splurge for it — the AirPods Max are the best AirPods to get.
Read our full Apple AirPods Max review.
Apple's standard AirPods are now in their third generation, the AirPods Pro are in their second generation, and the AirPods Max are still in their first generation. The release cycle for AirPods isn't as easy to predict as the iPhone's, but here's what we know based on reliable reports.
- AirPods: Apple's third-generation AirPods launched in October 2021, and we don't expect a new model anytime soon. We haven't seen reliable reports that Apple is planning to release a successor.
- AirPods Pro: Apple just released the second-generation AirPods Pro in September 2022, so we don't anticipate a new model anytime soon. To keep in mind, the original AirPods Pro were released in 2019, giving them a three-year life cycle. A third-gen AirPods Pro launch could follow the same timeline for an announcement in 2025.
- AirPods Max: Apple released the AirPods Max in December 2020, and we have not heard reliable details about when a successor could launch. We also don't know if there will be additional over-ear or on-ear headphones.
- Transition from Lightning to USB-C: While there may not be new AirPods soon, a report suggests we could see them transition to USB-C from Lightning, sometime in 2024 — which would be in-line with the iPhone's transition to USB-C . This could mean the current AirPods would include cases or cables with USB-C ports.
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