Apples $250 earphones compared to Samsung, Jabra, 1more, Creative, Mpow, QCY and many more
Was there ever so much fuss about a new pair of true wireless earphones as the Apple AirPods Pro? As everyone is reviewing all the functionality of the AirPods Pro, I decided to test the audio quality mainly. A review of the sound quality of the Apple AirPods Pro and a comparison with a selection of the 55+ truly wireless earphones I wrote reviews on.
Time for a mega test: how do the AirPods Pro fare against much cheaper wireless earphones?
Last update December 3, 2019: Further explained the difference between Apple’s active noise cancelling and the passive noise cancellation of some earphones in this test - thanks, comment section on Tweakers.net.
Test notes on the Apple AirPods Pro
While this test and comparison are mainly focused on sound quality, I do want to start with this write-up of the thoughts I've gathered about the AirPods Pro while using them for the first days.
The comfort of the AirPods Pro is good enough to wear them for hours. You have to squish them into your ears a bit, but they stay comfortable and tight in your ears. The biggest fans of the half in-ear design of the regular AirPods, may still be displeased by the comfort of the all in-ear design, however.
The Active Noise Cancelling of the AirPods Pro is solid. It attacks lower tones in your area effectively with a slight effect of white noise. In traffic, the Pro heavily reduces the engines you'll hear. Mid-tones still come through clear, however. That means voices around you will still be audible, just like slamming of doors and the tire-noise of vehicles passing by. If you search optimal Active Noise Cancelling that makes your office area more quiet, the AirPods fare okay. Still, you will be better off by buying a full-blown headphone like the Bose QuietComfort 35 II, Sony WF1000XM3 or the excellent, much cheaper OneAudio A9.
The Active Noise Cancelling also works well without listening to music.
The Hearthrough mode, activated by pressing the stem two seconds, works very well. Voices and other mid-tones from your surroundings are passed with great detail and a natural sound. It sounds way less artificial than on the Samsung Galaxy Buds and Jabra Elite 65t.
The controls in the stem (press once to play/ pause, press twice to skip or return a song, hold two seconds to switch from ANC to hearthrough mode) work well, although sometimes you need to press twice for a function - as if you have to wake up the earphones first. There are no volume controls, unfortunately.
Switching between listening to one or two earphones works convenient, although there are much cheaper alternatives (such as the QCY T5) that pick up much faster.
The AirPods Pro isn't flawless. Something I didn't expect from an Apple product like this, is they can have some minor connectivity issues. In my test period, the left and right earphones disconnected from each other for a moment. The left side once showed a big amount of white noise. Another time the Active Noise Cancelling/ heartrough switch didn't work. For now, these are all overcome by putting the earpieces in the case and then taking them out again.
The lid of the charging case is a little wonky. Also, the inside of the case smells like a coloring pen. Huh.
Switching between the sound of your MacBook and iPhone/ iPad works smooth most of the time, but doesn't all of the time. I had some moments I had to re-establish the Bluetooth connection on the iPhone to return playing on it. Still, there's no other earphone on the market that does switching between Apple products so well as AirPods.
Review: Apple AirPods Pro sound quality
It's fashionable to say AirPods sound bad in comparison to other earphones. It always has been. I don't think the AirPods Pro sounds bad, though. It's just that Apple took a very careful approach to please everyone.
It seems that, for $250 (or €280), Apple mainly didn't want to offend anyone. The AirPods Pro sound plays it extremely safe, and has all the right to do so. This pair isn't bought for their sound quality (alone), it will be bought for the active noise cancelling, rapid switching between Apple devices, as a fashion statement, or simply because… you can never have enough Apple devices, apparently.
To please so many, the AirPods Pro sounds warm, smooth, and relaxed. To thank is an abundance of lower mid-tones. It's a sound profile suitable for all genres, from Coldplay's pop songs to classical pieces, from Kanye to hardcore. Never does it get all out of the music, but never does it sound bad. You won't find any moments where vocals sound too sharp. You won't find a bass that will blow your socks off either. There's plenty of separation between the instruments and electronic tones in songs, and it's easy to discover different details of songs on the left and right of you.
What's noticeable, too, is that the sound signature with or without the ANC on, are remarkably similar. Much more than on many headphones. Without ANC, more mid-tones and highs are resolved; with ANC there's a bit more emphasis on the lower frequencies.
Whether this sound quality alone is worth 250 dollars? Well...
Looking at it more analytical, the sound of the AirPods Pro has some downsides. Mostly, the bass sounds mushy. It lacks impact, a punch in dance songs where you expect a big bass slam. However, in songs where the bass is prominent, it becomes immediately apparent the bass lacks tightness. It has a passiveness to it, and it can get muddy in the lower frequencies. Instrument tonality isn't very convincing either. Especially drums, guitars and bass-guitars sound smoothed out, and don't resolve much detail. Highs roll off early too, to retain a relaxing sound signature.
Technical, there are enough comments to be made about the AirPods Pro. However, the AirPods Pro do deliver a pleasant smooth sound you can listen to for hours. Presumably, that's exactly the way most users would want it.
Comparison: AirPods Pro vs cheap wireless earphones
Now, enough on the Apple AirPods Pro on their own. In the last year, I've tested and reviewed more than 55 truly wireless earphones, ranging from a mere 15 dollars to the mid-class segment up to 150 dollars.
Each earphone I review is tested on sound quality, comfort, battery life, connectivity/ usability, call quality, and the ability to watch videos with them. If you want more info on a specific earphone, please follow the link to the full review.
I made a selection of the most popular and best sounding cheap true wireless earphones to compete with Apple's new shiny whites. Ranged by highest price first, here we go: the Apple AirPods Pro vs cheap wireless earphones from $20 to $150.
AirPods Pro vs Samsung Galaxy Buds ($125)
Many Samsung phone owners may have gotten the Samsung Galaxy Buds free with their Galaxy phones, but that doesn't man it is bad. Quite the opposite. The Galaxy Buds has a more mid-centric sound than the AirPods Pro, with instruments and especially male vocals sounding more forward, clear, and detailed. The tonality on the ‘Gbuds’ is better, with instruments such as guitars, drums, violins and piano's sounding more natural. The AirPods Pro has more spaciousness and more emphasis on the lower-mids, providing a warmer sound. The bass on both is well-behaved, without a fierce punch. Both stop playing if you take one earpiece out. Battery life and comfort are comparable - the hearthrough mode is much more natural on the AirPods Pro.
Samsung Galaxy Buds review | See price on Amazon US, Europe, UK
AirPods Pro vs Jabra Elite 65t ($125)
If you're looking for a pair of earphones to make phone calls with, the Jabra Elite 65t is a real competitor to the AirPods Pro. Both do it perfectly. The hearthrough-mode on the Apple sounds more natural than on the Jabra; both stop playing music if you take one earpiece out. The Pro's are more comfortable, due to their more compact sized earpieces. Battery life on the Jabra is better, and it has volume controls on the earpieces, which Apple has not. Both deliver a pleasant sound you can listen to for hours, but whereas the Apple puts emphasis on the lower frequencies, vocals and upper-mids are elevated on the Jabra - with a fat albeit somewhat muddy bass underneath. The AirPods Pro sounds more full, the Jabra clearer.
Jabra Elite 65t review | See price on Amazon US, Europe, UK
AirPods Pro vs Aukey Key Series T10 ($110)
Just like the AirPods Pro, the premium looking Aukey T10 is tuned to listen to for hours. It offers a balanced sound with boosted bass that can deliver a nice thump, suitable for all music genres. Mids and vocals are more forward and clearer sounding on the Aukey, and the bass is tighter too. The AirPods Pro has more emphasis on the lower-mids and bass area and has a more spacious sound. The Aukey comes with rubber ear rings so, they don't fall out of your ear. It makes these extremely suitable for sports. The Aukey doesn't have ANC, but blocks out noise from your surroundings well by just putting them in. Battery life is way better, with playtime up to 7 hours.
The Aukey T10 is a genuinely good alternative to the AirPods Pro.
Aukey Key Series T10 review | See price on Amazon US, Europe, UK
AirPods Pro vs Creative Outlier Air/ Gold ($100)
The Creative Outliers are the affordable battery kings of truly wireless earphones, with the $80 Outlier Air delivering 8+ hours of playtime, and the $100 Gold even 10+ hours. Their large earpieces block surrounding noise passively, and almost as effective as the AirPods Pro ANC. The Outliers do have a connectivity issue when walking with them: the signal may regularly drop then - meaning the AirPods Pro is more versatile. Both the Creatives have a pleasant, lively, warm sound. The Pro has more emphasis on darker tones, but vocals sound thinner. The Outlier has a tighter bass and better instrument separation and tonality.
The Creative Outlier Air/ Gold sounds better than the AirPods Pro.
Creative Outlier Air/ Gold review | See price on Amazon US, Europe, UK
AirPods Pro vs 1more Stylish TWS ($100)
The 1more Stylish TWS is highly popular among YouTubers. The reason to thank is its fat bass. It can attack well, and it makes dance music more uplifting than on the AirPods Pro. While it has a solid punch, the lower regions can also sound congested in more crowded musical pieces, however. The Pro offers more space and separation in music and a slightly more natural tonality. Battery life on the 1more is better, comfort and fit are great, due to the attached rubber ear rings.
The 1more Stylish TWS is a solid competitor to the AirPods Pro.
1more Stylish TWS review | See price on Amazon US, Europe, UK or AliExpress
AirPods Pro vs Shanling MTW100 ($90)
The Shanling MTW100 with Balanced Armature driver is in a different league than the AirPods Pro. While the latter sounds warm and smooth mostly, the MTW100 strives for as much detail as possible. And it succeeds. While the bass isn't the most powerful, instruments sound incredibly natural, and vocals come through with big impact and nuances. It's easy to place instruments all around you. Drums, guitars and other acoustic instruments brim with life on the Shanling. It's as comfortable as the AirPods Pro and has 2,5 hours more battery life. It even has a hearthrough mode, although the one on the AirPods Pro sounds more natural.
The AirPods Pro may sound smoother; the $90 Shanling MTW100 with Balanced Armature sounds downright better.
Shanling MTW100 review | See price on AliExpress
AirPods Pro vs Mifo O5 ($80)
The Mifo O5 has the exact same shape comfortable earphones as the Shanling MTW100, but this time there are handy volume controls on the earpieces - and they look beautiful and stylish, in metal. They last 5 hours on a single charge, and the premium-looking case can recharge the earpieces 15 times before needing a recharge itself. The Mifo O5 has a bass-heavy, lower-mids heavy sound, with smooth vocals on top of it. The bass has more impact than the AirPods Pro and lower-mids are thicker, but the Pro has more definition in the mids and vocals. It sounds more detailed than the Mifo O5.
Mifo O5 review | See price on AliExpress or Amazon US, Europe, UK
AirPods Pro vs Whizzer B6 ($70)
The Whizzer B6 doesn't just offer a fun designed charging case that opens in the middle and can be charged wirelessly - it provides excellent sound too. It is just as crowd-pleasing as the AirPods Pro, but takes a better approach. The bass has more impact, mids sound clearer. Vocals sound more forward on the Whizzer B6, too - they take center stage. It makes for an engaging listen. The relatively big earpieces of the B6 block outside noise from itself passively, when listening to music on lower volumes, it does it just as effective as the AirPods Pro do with ANC. It offers better battery life, but calling and video playback performance are better on the AirPods Pro. Still…
The $70 Whizzer B6 sounds better than the AirPods Pro.
Whizzer B6 review | See price on AliExpress or Amazon US
AirPods Pro vs Sabbat E12 Ultra ($70)
The Sabbat E12 Ultra delivers the most uplifting sound of all the earphones on this list. It has a bass that strikes hard and knows how to rumble, way more than the AirPods Pro. It has a big soundstage and emphasized upper-mids and vocals, making the E12 Ultra sound brighter - sometimes even a bit shouty - in compared to the Apple. The AirPods Pro sounds fuller, with more presence in the center-mids. Comfort on the E12 Ultra is great, the call quality is acceptable, and it has volume controls on the earpieces. The AirPods Pro wins on ANC and calling, but the Sabbat E12 Ultra is a great overall package.
Sabbat E12 Ultra review | See price on AliExpress or Amazon US, Europe
AirPods Pro vs KZ E10 TWS ($55)
KZ is one of the most famous and beloved earphone brands from China, but their wireless earphones so far have disappointed. That goes for the functionality of the E10 too: it has serious connectivity problems when you take these out walking, and the battery life is just 3 hours. When it comes to sound quality, though, the KZ E10 offers way more detail than the AirPods Pro. The bass gives a gentle thump, and the mids sound much clearer the AirPods Pro. Both instruments and vocals are presented with much detail. The KZ E10 also sounds quite bright, though. Compared to the smooth, friend-to-all AirPods Pro, this is an acquired taste.
KZ E10 TWS review | See price on AliExpress or Amazon US, Europe, UK
AirPods Pro vs Edifier TWS5 ($55)
The Edifier TWS5 is less comfortable than the AirPods Pro, due to its bigger earpieces. Having those also means the Edifier TWS5 blocks out a lot of surrounding noise passively - even more so than Apple's ANC, although Apple provides an easier sound around you by countering your environment with a slight white noise. The call quality and battery life (7+ hours) are good. The bass of the Edifier TWS5 has a bigger impact than the one on the Pro, and it sounds more clear in the mids and highs. The AirPods Pro sounds more relaxed and warm. Both don't resolve the biggest amount of detail.
Edifier TWS5 review | See price on AliExpress or Amazon US
AirPods Pro vs Tranya T3 ($50)
The Tranya T3 beats the AirPods Pro when it comes to sound quality. It has a big soundstage, in which you can easily place instrumental and electronic details. The T3 has a big fat bass that delivers a steady thump and gives the AirPods Pro a run for its money. The AirPods Pro sounds smoother with more presence in the center-mids, but vocals are more laidback than on the T3. Battery life is comparable, comfort on the AirPods Pro is better and the Apple blocks out noise better as well, thanks to the ANC. The Tranya, on the other hand, has volume controls on the earpieces.
The $50 Tranya T3 sounds more engaging, more fun than the AirPods Pro.
Tranya T3 review | See price on Amazon US, Europe, UK or Tranya.com
AirPods Pro vs Mpow M5 ($50)
The Mpow M5 is one of the best sounding wireless earphones under 50 dollars and boy, does it give the Apple AirPods Pro a hard time. It has more emphasis on the bass and lower-mids, which have impressive power and detail on the M5 (previously sold as Mpow T5). Vocals sound more forward and clear, but center-mids such as guitars enjoy a tad more presence on the AirPods Pro. The Mpow devastates the AirPods Pro on soundstage and instrument placement - it's that good. The Apple wins on ANC, calling and switching between Apple devices, the Mpow T5/ M5 has handy volume controls on the earpieces and better battery life.
The $50 Mpow T5 sounds better than the Apple AirPods Pro.
Mpow T5/ M5 review | See price on AliExpress or Amazon US, Europe
AirPods Pro vs SSK BT03 ($35)
The SSK BT03 is another sub-50-dollar phenomenon. Even though it has playful colors and a fun slide-open charging case, it sounds more mature than AirPods Pro. The Apple delivers a more relaxed, smooth sound. The SSK BT03 sounds crisper in both male and female vocals, and its bass is lovely deep and has a fierce punch. Instruments such as bass-guitars, too, sound more detailed and tighter. It makes especially pop, hip-hop, and dance songs more engaging. The AirPods Pro wins on practical levels (ANC, call quality, and comfort) - you decide if that's worth 245 dollars extra.
The $35 SSK BT03 sounds better than the Apple AirPods Pro.
SSK BT03 review | See price on AliExpress or Amazon US, Europe
AirPods Pro vs QCY T5 ($25)
QCY is the most popular wireless earphone brand in China. The newly released QCY T5 shows why in a heartbeat. The sound is a brighter equivalent of the AirPods Pro: where the Apple sounds smooth on all genres by elevating darker tones, the QCY T5 shines with clearer vocals and upper-mids, which offer more detail than on the AirPods Pro. It's the total package that counts here, however. The QCY T5 is very comfortable, it provides 4,5 hours of playtime, rapid switching between 1 and 2 earpieces, and excellent call quality. It even has a unique, dedicated Gaming Mode, which optimizes audio-video synchronization with great success. It defeats the audio delay almost all other wireless earphones have when playing games. The T5 has so much value for money; it kind of puts the AirPods Pro to shame.
The $25 QCY T5 is a fantastic Apple AirPods-competitor at an insane price.
AirPods Pro vs QCY QS2 ($20)
Finishing this comparison with the model that made QCY beloved in the first place. The QCY QS2 (and predecessor QS1) were the first models to deliver excellent audio quality in a truly wireless earphone at an insanely low price. Late 2019, they still sound excellent for this price, with a sweet amount of detail and with rarely hitting, but lovely deep bass. The AirPods Pro, however, has a fuller sound, with more presence in the lower-mids and more detailed, forward vocals. The AirPods Pro win on practical aspects, such as calling and watching videos. Rest assured - it should with this price difference.
QCY QS2 review | See price on AliExpress or Amazon US, Europe, UK
Conclusion: Apple AirPods Pro or a cheaper alternative?
So, to conclude this test: should you buy an Apple AirPods Pro or a much cheaper wireless earphone?
QCY T5 vs Apple AirPods Pro - an incredible $220 difference
If you were thinking of buying the Apple AirPods Pro and after reading this comparison, you're still tempted to buy it, then go for it. You want a new Apple product apparently, and the AirPods Pro will most likely please you. It's an allrounder with good connectivity between Apple devices and a pleasant, smooth sound.
If you're looking for the best Active Noise Cancellation, full-blown headphones are better picks. The Bose QuietComfort, Sony WH1000XM3 and OneAudio A9 perform better at this point. The noise-cancelling on the AirPods works well, yet there are several wireless earphones in this list that block out noise from your office passively just as effectively, without offering ANC. This applies for listening music on the lowest volumes. If you like listening to ANC without playing music, the AirPods Pro has an advantage.
If you want the best sound quality within this test, I recommend the Shanling MTW100 with Balanced Armature. It also has good comfort, 7 hours of battery life, and acceptable call quality.
If you want the best sound quality at the cheap, aim for the Mpow M5 or the SSK BT03. They still fare okay at calling, but they sound (way) better than the AirPods Pro for a fraction of the price.
If you're looking for the cheapest great Apple AirPods Pro alternative, go for the QCY T5. It has excellent comfort, call quality, sound quality, audio-video synchronization, and perfect connectivity between 1 and 2 earpieces at an insane price of $25.
Share your thoughts in the comments!
What do you think of this comparison? And what of the TWS tested inside this comparison? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Disclaimer
I buy most of the earphones myself; sometimes, a manufacturer sends them to me. I review all audio products honestly and on a level playing field, always stating their strengths and their downsides. I always take price into account. Read my review guidelines here. Visit the leaderboard of true wireless earphones for all my reviews and ratings.
Consider buying a pair of earphones in this list? I'd really appreciate it if you use the links in this article. It won't cost you extra, yet it will financially support me a bit in my ongoing quest to test great affordable audio. <3
Also check out my other articles:
Guide: the best TWS under $100
Guide: the best TWS under $50
Guide: the best TWS under $25
Leaderboard: all earphones from 10-300 dollar tested
Bought a product and want to share your opinion? Do use the comments. I hope this article helps you!
- Scarbir
