Apple EarPods

I have a love-hate relationship with Bluetooth headphones. On the one hand, not having a cable to trip on is liberating. On the other hand, Bluetooth devices are much more complex.

I still use my Bose QC35 Bluetooth headset when listening to music at my desk, but when my Apple AirPods Pro broke, I switched to simple, stupid EarPods.

I am very happy with my EarPods!

Why I got it

As a long-time locked-in Apple user, I had fully embraced the ecosystem and bought the first generation of AirPods Pro when they were released. I was happy with them at first, but I quickly felt their limits.

When they broke down, I wanted low-maintenance, affordable/expendable, and decent-quality headphones. Most importantly, I want my peers to hear me distinctly when I’m speaking, even in a busy street or a train station.

My requirements were:

• Nothing to charge. I have enough of my phone and laptop to think about.
• Decent microphone. I’m using my headphones for conversations, so I need both to understand and be understood.
• Sturdy & repairable, or expendable. I would carry those with me during trips, and I don’t want to cry if I break or lose them.

What I like

The EarPods are an apology for forgotten simplicity. They are wired headphones: you listen to what you plug them into. There is no arcane dance to pair them, no disconnecting them from one device to connect them to another, no wireless error, and no charging. You plug them into a device, and the sound flows into the headphones.

Wired headphones like these also have 2 major advantages. First, the microphone is placed on the wire to dangle close to the mouth. It discriminates voice and background noise much more efficiently than wireless AirPods. Second, a small remote is on the wire, so I can pick up a call, hang up, or turn the volume up and down with one hand. The future is now.

It works like a charm with my MacBook Pro and iPhone, and at €20, it’s more than expendable.

What I don’t like

Unsurprisingly, for a €20 wired pair of headphones, the cable can entangle when the headphones are recklessly shoved in pockets. The audio is decent but not the best, and there is no noise reduction.

Those are definitely not music enthusiast earphones, and they’re not for listening to music in crowded environments. I could use them to listen to podcasts in public transit and have conversations when cycling or walking in the street, and I regularly use them at work.

Conclusion

The EarPods are a minimalist headset that does the job, and I find it much more convenient than my former AirPods Pro. The convenience/price ratio is unbeatable.