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There is an increasing demand for comfortability and new designs when it comes to technological products. With the new era of wireless connectivity, earphones are being replaced by true wireless earbuds for all the right reasons. Apple released their airpods earbuds not so long ago, and the market has since flooded with competitors to rob them of their glory. With many arguing airpods are still the best, you can still never be too sure in the tech world. Airpods experiences a stiff competition from a number of earbuds including the famous RHA TrueConnect and Jabra Elite Active 65t in areas like connectivity, but the latter group still has much to offer.
Fundamental comparison basis between airpods versus the rest include:
Airpods earbuds design vs. all the rest
The airpods earbuds are somewhat similar in appearance compared to Apple`s wired Earpods. Airpods are best if you have the Apple’s MacBook Air 2019 Model. The small extension that is common to earphones is slightly thicker to accommodate battery and microphone components. The company does away with replaceable silicon ear tips hence one does not feel entirely secure when running with them. They do not press on the inside part of the ear which in the long run offers comfortable long listening hours. The case has a smooth magnetic hinge system that attracts the magnetized earbuds so that they do not fall when mistakenly opened.
Other earbuds bear numerous designs depending on the manufacture’s target end results. For instance; the popular Jabra Elite Active 65t has an overall design that capitalizes on the grip. Its matte black tips are twisted to hold firmly in the ear. They have no extension and sits more deeply when pushed inwards. It has three pairs of silicone ear tips that come in various sizes. Unlike the Airpods earbuds (surprisingly), it has an IP56 rating meaning its dust-proof and can withstand high-pressure water jets thrown at them. This makes it suitable for workouts in the rain or being rinsed off after an active outdoor experience.
Another great example is the RHA TrueConnect, which without a doubt steals the design card. It has a sleek, minimal design with matte black rubber surfaces that graces the earpiece and stems to add stability. The pieces fit comfortably within the ear and feel secure. It comes with seven pairs of silicon whereas the In-ear fit design helps block out any ambient room noise.
Airpods earbuds controls vs. all the rest
Airpods sadly do not include remote controls like most portable wireless headphones. This need is met by the use of Siri (activated by double tap) to adjust volumes, skip tracks, and other commands like making calls. Another option is to use the phone to carry out the desired tasks manually. However, taking one off will pause a song, and its built-in microphone will pick up your voice loud and clear during voice-dialing to make calls.
Most of the rest of the earphones such as the Jabra Elite Active 65t has a circular button on each earpiece. The button on the right earpiece will control playback, voice assistance, and call management while the one on the left is used to lower or raise the volume. It automatically pauses when one is removed.
Still, under the rest of the earbuds, some like the RHA TrueConnect pushed for inclusive controls but became a bit confusing for first trials. Tapping either ear once plays or pauses music. A double tap on the left skip forward while one on the right raises volume whereas a triple tap on the left skips forward and one on the right lower volume. An incoming call, one should tap on either once to answer or twice to reject. During a call tap once to hang up, twice to raise the volume or three times to lower it.
Airpods earbuds battery life vs. all the rest
Apple`s Airpods earbuds definitely impress when it comes to battery life and even outsmart competitors of higher market value. The long stems that come with the design proved its worth in this area. The charging case takes only five hours charging time. One charges the case through its lightning port and once full it charges the airpods up to four times. You enjoy up to three hours within a fifteen-minute charge and five hours of listening time on one charge. With the charging case full, one has more than twenty-four hours listening time and up to eleven hours of talk time.
Other earphones have different charging times. For example, with the Jabra Active Elite 65t, the charging case has LED lights to show when earbuds are successfully docked. It gives five hours of talk time and less listening time which also depends on the amount of volume. The charging case has two more full charges. Within fifteen minutes one can net up to 1.5 hours of battery life.
On a different note, the RHA TrueConnect holds 5 hours per full charge but varies with volume levels. The case holds 20 extra hours of charge, but the numbers also depend on the volume levels.
Airpods earbuds connectivity vs. all the rest
Apple`s Airpods take it home with their ease of connectivity to all Apple devices including apple watches. All one does is open the Airpod`s case next to your phone, and an option pops on the screen where the user is to tap “connect.” They gladly connect, after the first process, every time they are in the ears and disconnect when removed thanks to its infrared proximity sensor. The process is quick, unlike other wireless headphones that one has to connect through Bluetooth everytime manually. The W1 chip present in the earpods help extends the Bluetooth range.
A good comparison against Apple in terms of connectivity is The Jabra Elite Active 65t which auto-pairs with your phone after the first process is done. However sometimes only one of the earbuds will connect. To solve the problem, one should reboot the charging case with both the earbuds inside or reset the phone. One can also remove the product name from the Bluetooth menu.
The RHA TrueConnect, which equally makes a good comparison, connects through Bluetooth to any device within its range.
Airpods earbuds quality of sound vs. all the rest
Airpods has refined its sound quality to top-notch levels. Firstly, its W1 chip deciphers which earbud receives the highest quality audio when one speaks and also filters out background noise. Nevertheless, the earbuds have no weak, tiny sound; in the track Turbowolf`s Nine Lives, the bass nicely cuts through the track without overwhelming the mid and treble notes. It proves to have rhythm and energy at the same time. This is evident in tracks of various musical instruments like an orchestra where all instruments share the stage without seeming overcrowded.
Other earbuds come with different sound qualities. For instance, Jabra Elite Active 65t is a must for bass-lovers. Though the microphone offers mediocre intelligibility, it comes with an exciting option of using Jabra sound+ app that has user –adjustable EQ, ambient hear-through mode and pink-Noise option. One can adjust the bass levels using the EQ, but generally, tracks with intense sub-bass content give out a powerful low-frequency thump-like effect which is undoubtedly a great asset to those who desire deep lows. On the highs, it gives a solid bass depth without sounding thunderous. Orchestral tracks get some extra bass presence much to the dismay of purists looking for a flat response in such records.
Finally, other earphones such as the RHA TrueConnect offers premium sound quality with a much needed bass touch. Its microphone offers solid intelligibility. At high volume levels, the bass does not distort while at lower safer levels – bass is clear full and rich but not thoroughly boosted. In a track with far less deep bass, the drums sound full, round and heavy without seeming unnatural. For orchestral tracks, instrumentation is pushed forward, but track remains on vocals and strings with a rich bass depth to it.
Summary
Overall, the airpods pose a good challenge in the market. Its greatest setbacks, however, are its lack of dustproof, and waterproof features meaning they are not your go-to for workouts. They are also not secure for vigorous tasks, and they have no remote controls for ease during usage. They are most suited for common daily usage within closed rooms, traveling or for calls thanks to its long battery capacity. The rest of the earbuds such as Jabra Elite Active 65t are definitely going out for a workout type of environment with its IP56 rating and profound bass advantages while RHA TrueConnect is almost flawless were it not for its slim battery life. If one can forego the lack of remote controls, then airpods are still in the game.