Apple EarPods - USB-C Review

Our Experience

The Apple EarPods have that satisfying Apple look and feel, providing confidence in their quality and durability over time. If you don't lose them first, we suspect they'll outlast whatever device they're plugged into. While they are an Apple product, this basic set of buds works with any device that sports a USB-C connection, and we love not thinking about a dongle adapter or purchasing other things to make them work.

These buds deliver better sound than many similarly priced competitors, but the open design lacks bass, and the soundstage is smaller. However, this is the price you pay for an open design that focuses on situational awareness over noise blocking and immersive music.

The fit for the EarPods is divisive: some enjoy the open-ear feel, while others wish for a softer bud casing, cursing the hard shell that doesn't seem to fit every ear shape.

These buds don't block noise, but they do offer some of the best calls in the group, and we think they are a good choice for anyone prioritizing call quality or planning to use them for online meetings. The design is intuitive, and the in-line mic has tactile button controls for easy answering and adjustments.

We think anyone looking for awareness, a durable build, good sound, and better calls will enjoy the Apple EarPods and what they have to offer, even if they aren't married to the Apple brand and plan to pair them with devices from other companies.

Sound Quality

We put the Apple EarPods through rigorous sound tests, listening to a wide-ranging playlist. They sound somewhat muffled compared to the in-ear competition, and while the gain can be turned up higher than anyone would reasonably need, even at half volume, these buds are noticeably quieter than other wired earbuds.

At the 0:01 mark in “Lavender Haze” by Taylor Swift, the synth bass that drives the song sounds distant and deflated, highlighting the lack of bass. The mids are somewhat muddy, even though this range is more developed than lower frequencies. The treble is decently clear and never tips into sharp or piercing territory, but it remains unremarkable. Overall, the Apple EarPods sound ok, but never rise above a shrug.

These buds have a muddy, confined soundstage that never creates a multidimensional listening experience. The sound feels flat, lacking the depth and weight that powerful bass lines can provide. Without that solid foundation, the sound lacks body, leaving it thin and somewhat underwhelming. These earbuds often sound distant or vaguely muffled, as though there's a barrier between the music and your ears. The lack of clarity can make the listening experience feel less immersive.

On the plus side, the earbuds are great for background awareness. You can enjoy your music while still being fully aware of what's happening around you, making them ideal for environments where you need to stay alert.

The Apple EarPods struggled to keep up with our preferred frequency curve, aligning only in the midrange and falling off sharply elsewhere, indicating a lack of bass and treble. We also noticed significant dissonance between their left and right tracking, making them sound uncentered or off-balance.

Comfort and Fit

We disliked the shape and fit of these earbuds. They feel plasticky, hard, and insecure in most ear shapes and sizes unless you were lucky enough to be born with the Goldilocks Apple-compatible ears. They do not have ear tips and rest on the inner portion of your ear, just outside the canal. If your ear is anything but perfectly shaped, they feel pretty awful, especially after long wear.

There are no ear tips or stabilization wings here, so keeping these buds in your ears is a challenge.   Credit: Natalie Kafader

Most will need to stay still with these earbuds, as wires can easily snag on objects.   Credit: Natalie Kafader

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These earbuds do not have any sort of stabilization support or even a basic silicone ear tip. During physical activity like skiing, they constantly fell out during turbulence.

Passive Noise Isolation

The Apple EarPods don't have noise cancellation, and because of their open design, they don't offer much passive noise cancellation. With no silicone or foam tip to block the eardrum, they don't prevent sound from entering the ear. No matter what the environment, quiet or loud, we could hear background noise. While this promotes environmental awareness, we struggled to hear music in loud environments, such as transit and busy offices.

Call Quality

During the subway calling noise stress test, these buds performed well. We could hear the woman and the man clearly, though they occasionally cut out.

Voices remain clear in typical office situations, but you can hear the background, though it's not distracting. In a silent place, these buds do quite well with very clear voice reproduction.

Should You Buy the Apple EarPods - USB-C?

The Apple EarPods - USB-C perform just as well as their wireless counterparts at a fraction of the cost. They even outperform them in the voice-isolation metric, allowing for clearer call quality. If you know your ear can accommodate Apple's EarPod design, you don't plan to use them during physical activity, and you don't really care about sound quality, then these are a very affordable, durable, and quality option. You might consider these the cheap readers or sunglasses of the earbud world: good enough quality to buy, but cheap enough that if you lose or break them, you can easily replace them.

What Other Earbuds Should You Consider?