After almost a week of use, this mini review strongly recommends AirPods 5, while noting that a fuller review is still planned. The reviewer finds their open-ear shape stays put comfortably, but his recommendation applies to buyers who do not need silicone tips. Noise cancellation impressed him on a flight, although he says placebo or better fit could explain the apparent advantage over AirPods Pro. Apple says AirPods 5 retain the AirPods 4 fit while delivering up to one and a half times more effective noise cancellation. He recommends the 149 model over the 129 model because the extra 20 buys wireless charging, volume swipe and longer battery life. His main criticism is excessive low end by default, though custom equalizer adjustments made him very happy with the sound.
Key moments
After using AirPods 5 for almost a week, the reviewer calls this a mini review, says he is impressed and finds it difficult to recommend the Pro models to most people instead.Watch at 0:00 ↗
Apple says AirPods 5 use exactly the same fit as AirPods 4. The reviewer says the internal acoustic architecture has changed and the smaller retail packaging lets Apple fit 50% more units on a pallet.Watch at 0:45 ↗
These links do not change the verdict. Product identity was checked; current prices and stock were not. How we judge ↗
The reviewer finds the AirPods 5 shape fits him much better than the Pro design, stays in place and remained easy to forget about during four hours of a flight.Watch at 1:30 ↗
On a flight, the reviewer felt AirPods 5 handled plane and surrounding noise better than AirPods Pro, but cautions that new-product excitement, placebo or their better fit could explain the result.Watch at 2:07 ↗
Apple says noise cancellation on AirPods 5 is up to one and a half times more effective than on AirPods 4 and calls it the industry's best noise cancellation in a design without ear tips.Watch at 2:57 ↗
Both AirPods 5 models include noise cancellation. The reviewer says paying 20 more, from 129 to 149, adds a wireless charging case and volume swipe, and he considers that upgrade worthwhile.Watch at 3:40 ↗
The 149 model adds an extra battery hour, providing five hours with noise cancellation on instead of four, seven hours with it off instead of six, and 22 total hours instead of 20. Sound, live translation and other features remain the same, so the reviewer recommends spending the extra 20 when possible.Watch at 4:12 ↗
The reviewer found the default sound too muddy and heavy in the low end for his taste. After adjusting the custom equalizer, he found the sound much better and became very happy with its profile.Watch at 4:46 ↗
The reviewer says AirPods 5 are rated IP57 and handle rain and sweat better than the previous generation, which he considers a welcome improvement.Watch at 6:59 ↗
The reviewer says buyers who find the open-ear fit secure and do not need silicone tips have little reason to spend more than 149 on AirPods Pro. He finds AirPods 5 especially impressive after customizing the equalizer.Watch at 7:36 ↗
The reviewer calls AirPods 5 the best earbuds for an iPhone and the Apple ecosystem at $149 and highly recommends them. He expects they could fall to $129 or less within a month or two and advises watching for a sale.Watch at 8:06 ↗
In this hands-on review, the reviewer tests the step up model of AirPods 5 and recommends the lineup for Apple users who dislike ear tips. He finds its noise cancellation the best he has tested in open earbuds, though AirPods Pro 3 remains significantly better. With AirPods 4 and AirPods 5, he secured the earbuds by wedging them into position, and he warns that fit will vary. He praises the clean, accurate sound and strong call performance, while noting weaker bass than AirPods Pro 3, incoming outside noise, slightly unnatural voice reproduction, and faint wind noise. He criticizes battery life against many rivals, although the earbuds recharge quickly in the case. He expects holiday discounts to improve affordability, prefers the step up model, and gives both versions Editor's Choice awards despite small fit reservations.
Reviewed variant: step up model
Key moments
The reviewer tested the step up model of AirPods 5.Watch at 0:15 ↗
The reviewer achieved a pretty secure fit with AirPods 4 and AirPods 5 by wedging them into a particular position, but he cannot guarantee an equally good fit for everyone. He says the earbuds are quite comfortable when they fit properly.Watch at 1:44 ↗
The reviewer finds AirPods 5 have the best noise cancellation he has tested in open earbuds, though AirPods Pro 3 remains significantly better.Watch at 2:41 ↗
The reviewer says the bass lacks the kick and girth of AirPods Pro 3, but remains punchy and well defined. He finds the overall sound cleaner and more accurate, with minimal or no distortion at higher volumes.Watch at 3:52 ↗
The reviewer warns that some outside sound gets into the earbuds in noisy environments such as the subway, reducing sound quality.Watch at 4:19 ↗
The reviewer criticizes the battery life of both versions compared with AirPods Pro 3 and many other earbuds, although the buds recharge quickly in their case.Watch at 3:22 ↗
The reviewer finds voice calling strong, with excellent noise reduction and clear speech, though his voice sounded slightly unnatural and callers heard faint wind noise. In noisy places, he prefers AirPods Pro 3 because he can hear callers better.Watch at 5:36 ↗
The reviewer expects holiday discounts to make AirPods 5 more affordable and easy to recommend for Apple users who dislike ear tips. He would probably spend extra on the step up model and gives both versions Editor's Choice awards despite small fit reservations.Watch at 6:40 ↗
In this hands-on review, the reviewer tests AirPods 5 at an airport and on a plane, and examines the wireless charging case version. He finds deeper bass and improved overall sound, while calling noise cancellation impressive for open earbuds. In his informal comparison, AirPods Pro 3 cancels more noise, and announcements get through a little more on AirPods 5. He particularly recommends AirPods 5 to buyers who find silicone-tipped AirPods Pro 3 uncomfortable. Overall, he calls them a no-brainer for people considering AirPods or an upgrade.
Reviewed variant: with the wireless charging case
Key moments
The reviewer tested AirPods 5 in an airport and on a plane, finding them easy to set up, excellent sounding, and impressively effective at noise cancellation for open earbuds.Watch at 1:54 ↗
After testing AirPods 5, he immediately noticed deeper bass and says overall sound quality improved, calling that an early plus.Watch at 1:15 ↗
In an informal comparison, he gives AirPods Pro 3 an 8.5 and AirPods 5 a 7.5 for noise cancellation. Announcements get through a little more on AirPods 5, but he calls its performance a major step up for earbuds without silicone tips.Watch at 2:15 ↗
He recommends AirPods 5 as the option for buyers who avoid AirPods Pro 3 because silicone-tipped earbuds feel uncomfortable.Watch at 2:41 ↗
In the demonstrated conversation, the participants found live translation worked well, was fast, and felt responsive in real time.Watch at 5:03 ↗
He calls the stem-based volume touch control a huge improvement for AirPods 5.Watch at 6:35 ↗
He says the wireless charging case adds a speaker for Find My and supports multiple wireless charging options, making it more versatile.Watch at 7:18 ↗
He calls AirPods 5 a no-brainer for people considering AirPods or looking to upgrade, and says buyers cannot go wrong with them.Watch at 8:18 ↗
In this hands-on first-impressions video, the reviewer unboxes and briefly uses the AirPods 5 with wireless charging. The reviewed version costs $149 versus $129 for the standard version, and its premium adds slightly longer battery life and touch volume controls. He finds sound surprisingly good for the price and noise cancellation effective for an open-ear design, though AirPods Pro 3 retain deeper bass and block more midrange noise. Against the previous model, he says the design is unchanged and both AirPods 5 versions now include noise cancellation, apparently about 50% more effective. They fit him well casually, but he suspects sweat could loosen them and advises silicone tips for buyers concerned about security or very small ears. He recommends AirPods 5 to shoppers who do not need AirPods Pro 3's silicone tips, longer battery life, slightly better noise cancellation, or heart-rate sensor.
Reviewed variant: with wireless charging
Key moments
The reviewer handles the AirPods 5 with wireless charging, which costs $149, while the standard version costs $129.Watch at 1:49 ↗
The reviewer says paying 20 bucks more for the wireless-charging version adds slightly longer battery life and touch volume controls.Watch at 2:08 ↗
The reviewer says the AirPods 5 design has not changed, with the case and earbuds looking identical to the previous model.Watch at 3:04 ↗
Calling it a nice change, the reviewer says both AirPods 5 versions include noise cancellation, unlike the previous model's base version. He says it is apparently about 50% more effective than on the previous model.Watch at 3:37 ↗
The reviewer says the standard AirPods 5 provide about 4 hours of continuous playback and about 20 hours with the charging case.Watch at 4:09 ↗
The reviewer says the $20 upgrade to the wireless-charging version increases continuous playback to 5 hours and total battery life with the case to up to 22 hours.Watch at 4:20 ↗
The reviewer says AirPods Pro 3 provide about 8 hours of playback and up to 24 hours with the case, but cost $50 to $100 more than AirPods 5.Watch at 4:31 ↗
The reviewer finds the AirPods 5 bass surprisingly good, but says AirPods Pro 3 deliver more deep bass and low rumble. AirPods 5 sound a little thinner, though not by much.Watch at 5:11 ↗
The reviewer finds the AirPods 5 midrange and high frequencies very good and their response flatter than AirPods Pro 3, which could be good or bad depending on the material. He considers the overall sound surprisingly good for the price.Watch at 5:52 ↗
In a quick white-noise test, the reviewer finds AirPods 5 noise cancellation surprisingly good for an open-ear design. However, some midrange noise still gets through, while AirPods Pro 3 block the full frequency spectrum more effectively.Watch at 6:46 ↗
The AirPods 5 fit the reviewer securely and seem suitable for casual listening. Although he thinks he could run in them, he suspects sweat would eventually loosen them and could make them fall out.Watch at 7:30 ↗
The reviewer advises that AirPods Pro 3 silicone tips remain the better choice for buyers especially concerned about earbuds falling out or whose ears may not suit an open-ear design. He says his children's very small ear canals cannot keep AirPods 5 in place.Watch at 8:10 ↗
The reviewer stresses that these are initial impressions from his first use of AirPods 5. He finds the sound and noise cancellation surprisingly good, the fit and comfort good for him, and the $129 to $149 price appealing.Watch at 8:31 ↗
The reviewer recommends AirPods 5 for shoppers who do not need the AirPods Pro 3 silicone tips, additional battery life, slightly better noise cancellation, or built-in heart-rate sensor. He says AirPods Pro 3 cost $50 to $100 more.Watch at 8:49 ↗
The reviewer considers the AirPods 5 price of $129 to $149 much more affordable than AirPods Pro 3, which retail for about $249 but were available for around $199.Watch at 0:28 ↗
In this announcement reaction, the reviewer says he has not tested AirPods 5 and may buy them to compare noise cancellation. He calls them a no-brainer for buyers comfortable without silicone tips and recommends the higher version to shoppers who can spend the extra $20. Compared with AirPods 4, he says the entry version gains features previously reserved for the costlier model, while Apple claims 50% better noise cancellation. He considers the higher version worthwhile for its longer battery life, controls, charging options and Find My speaker. He warns that noise cancellation trails sealed Pro earbuds, case finding lacks precision, no charging cable is included and several Pro features are absent.
Key moments
The reviewer calls AirPods 5 a no-brainer for buyers who are comfortable without the silicone tips found on AirPods Pro 3.Watch at 0:39 ↗
The reviewer calls AirPods 5 Apple's best headphone value, saying they start at 129 with the same features as the more expensive AirPods 4 and offer another version with additional hardware for an extra $20.Watch at 0:04 ↗
The reviewer says AirPods 4 cost $129 without noise cancellation and $179 with it, while the $129 AirPods 5 includes features previously reserved for the costlier AirPods 4. Apple claims AirPods 5 noise cancellation is 50% better than that more expensive predecessor.Watch at 0:54 ↗
The reviewer warns that AirPods 5 noise cancellation is nowhere near as effective as the sealed design of AirPods Pro 3, although he still expects AirPods 5 to offer strong value for many people.Watch at 1:35 ↗
The reviewer says AirPods 5 keeps the previous version's shape, size and H2 chip instead of receiving an H3 chip, while its internal acoustics were reworked for a better listening experience.Watch at 2:01 ↗
The reviewer recommends the $149 version to most shoppers already considering AirPods 5 if they can spend the extra $20. It adds wireless charging and physical volume controls that the $129 version lacks.Watch at 2:33 ↗
Apple promotes 4 hours and 5 hours of noise-cancellation use for the respective AirPods 5 versions. The reviewer says the more expensive version provides a 25% battery-life boost and adds charging options, volume controls and a Find My speaker.Watch at 3:09 ↗
Apple promotes 4 hours and 5 hours with noise cancellation for the respective AirPods 5 versions. With noise cancellation off, the reviewer says the cheaper and more expensive versions provide 6 and 7 hours, while their cases raise total playback to 20 and 22 hours, making the $20 premium worthwhile.Watch at 3:45 ↗
The reviewer says neither AirPods 5 version supports precision finding. The higher version's Find My speaker can indicate a general area and play a locating sound, but it lacks the precise directional interface available with Pro models.Watch at 4:17 ↗
Neither AirPods 5 version includes a USB-C cable, so the reviewer warns that buyers must provide their own charging equipment.Watch at 4:46 ↗
The reviewer welcomes the resistance upgrade from IP54 to IP57. He relays Apple's warning that AirPods 5 is not for swimming, while saying it should be fine for ordinary sweat or running in rain.Watch at 5:03 ↗
The reviewer says AirPods 5 is not required for Siri artificial intelligence features because access depends on the paired iPhone, and even original AirPods can support those interactions.Watch at 5:22 ↗
The reviewer says live translation requires a compatible Apple Intelligence iPhone and the translation application. A translated conversation also requires both participants to have compatible AirPods and iPhones, and he says he still wants to demonstrate the feature.Watch at 5:49 ↗
Compared with AirPods Pro, AirPods 5 lacks heart-rate sensing, hearing tests, hearing-aid and hearing-protection features, ultra-wideband support, a MagSafe case and lossless audio.Watch at 6:25 ↗
The reviewer says he has not tested non-silicone-tip AirPods and may buy AirPods 5 to assess its noise cancellation against AirPods Pro 3.Watch at 7:09 ↗
In this announcement reaction, before lab testing AirPods 5, the reviewer calls the launch underwhelming and says sound testing is still pending. He reports promised sound improvements over AirPods 4 and Apple's claim of about 50% better noise cancellation, while treating both as awaiting confirmation. He welcomes the move from IP54 to IP57 resistance, but calls the standard version's stated 4 hours with noise cancellation poor and more appropriate for quick commutes than international flights. He says paying $20 more adds an extra hour, wireless charging, and swipe volume controls, but criticizes making those controls a premium convenience.
Key moments
The reviewer calls the AirPods 5 announcement the most underwhelming AirPods announcement he has watched, although he says there are still interesting changes to discuss.Watch at 0:08 ↗
The reviewer says AirPods 5 promise improved sound quality over AirPods 4 through a redesigned acoustic architecture that Apple says should improve bass and treble, along with adaptive and custom equalizer features.Watch at 0:22 ↗
The reviewer says the promised sound gains may be meaningful, but reserves judgment until full lab tests are completed.Watch at 1:07 ↗
Apple claims AirPods 5 deliver about 50% better noise cancellation than AirPods 4 despite retaining the H2 chip, but the reviewer says testing is needed to determine whether the improvement is that large.Watch at 1:22 ↗
Apple says AirPods 5 transparency mode should sound more natural. The reviewer considers that a high bar based on Apple's transparency mode he has used and awaits testing of the change.Watch at 1:49 ↗
The reviewer says AirPods 5 move from the previous generation's IP54 water and dust resistance rating to IP57, which should help them survive accidental submersion, and calls this a minor but welcome addition.Watch at 2:06 ↗
Before lab testing, the reviewer calls the standard AirPods 5's stated 4 hours with noise cancellation poor and underwhelming compared with the longer play times his lab usually sees from earbuds.Watch at 2:29 ↗
The reviewer suspects Apple may be targeting quick commuters and says travelers on international flights probably would not use AirPods 5 because of the subpar battery life.Watch at 3:00 ↗
The reviewer says AirPods 5 come in two versions: the baseline starts at 129, while paying $20 more adds an extra hour of battery life, a wireless charging case, and swipe volume controls. He says the controls address his biggest AirPods 4 complaint, but criticizes making that convenience a premium feature.Watch at 3:15 ↗
