I first said AirPods are about convenience. Then I ditched them, seeking better sound — bass! Now I once again have AirPods in my ears every single day; convenience is better than I thought. So I decided to blog about it. And then I discovered AirPods have a superpower!
In late 2020, I bought my first pair, the generation two AirPods. They pumped music and podcasts into my brain for about two years. Then I wondered if they're worth the cost, wishing for bass, better sound quality, and a greater listening experience with noise cancelation and/or sound isolation; I got all the above. The real kicker is I found all that for much less than the cost of regular AirPods with a pair of wireless JBL Tune 760NC headphones.
It was a trade-off.
Convenience and Quality
AirPods are all about convenience due to their tiny size and ease of use. The JBL headphones are about sound quality thanks to their large drivers. For many months, I've enjoyed hearing a wide sound stage with bass in the lows and mids. It's also great to cancel out the hum of background noise, like my air conditioner, and reduce other sounds, letting me clearly immerse in the audio playback.
My AirPods, though, are excellent for two particular situations: driving and hands-free voice calling. I recently traveled by car on a multi-hour drive one-way with kids. With AirPods neatly nestled in my ears, enjoyed podcasts the whole time. Because it had been quite a while since I last used my AirPods, I was reminded how convenient they are. In fact, protected in their itty-bitty case, they're always with me just like my phone!
After that trip, I found myself wanting both convenience and sound quality — all-in-one.
Of course, that means I started thinking about AirPods Pro despite their high price-tag. But for now, I'm enjoying my JBL headphones (both wired and wireless) for two things: gaming on my Switch and playing music. And I'm enjoying my AirPods for podcasts. Listening to people talk doesn't require great audio quality, and the convenience of regularly using them is unsurpassed niceness.
I'm delighted every time I simply put AirPods in my ears because of how quickly and easily they turn on and connect to my iPhone or MacBook. The JBLs always need a series of holding down a physical button, waiting, then toggling Bluetooth software switches to ensure a connection. The repetitive hoop jumping is a mild pain that wears on you over time; AirPods relieve all that with ease, and it truly makes a marked improvement. I love how convenient they are.
So two-and-a-half years after buying AirPods, I'm still enjoying them. And I'm more likely now to plunk down the money for AirPods Pro 2 in the future.
But there's more.
Magic Resume
I just experienced a superpower of my AirPods that I never knew was possible; as soon as it happened, I started writing this post.
I accidentally, for the first time, left my little AirPods case in my pants pocket. Can you guess what happened next? The AirPods went through a cycle in the washing machine. My wife was doing laundry and brought the AirPods case to me and was like, "Uhhh, these were..." I opened the case to see the AirPods missing. We found them in the dryer. Oh boy.
And it just so happens —I kid you not — that I recently read an article that mentioned someone's AirPods Pros surviving the wash. So I thought maybe mine had a chance; there was only one way to find out.
To my amazement, the AirPods case and buds all still work perfectly! I saw an LED light on the case glowing, put the buds in my ears, and heard the low-battery sound. Next I plugged them into the power cable for a few seconds. Then I put them in my ears and played music just like normal!
After a full wash cycle and a partial dryer cycle, my 2.5 year old gen two AirPods still work and play instantly, conveniently, and normally.
AirPods magic superpower is that they're apparently washing machine and dryer proof!
So yes; I think AirPods Pro will be music to my ears.