One of the best AirPods for 2025

Learn our full AirPods Pro 2 review

Battery life: 6 hours, as much as 30 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: Sure | Computerized Switching: Sure

Merely put, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the most effective AirPods possibility as a result of they provide the complete suite of Apple’s present audio know-how. Due to their silicone ideas, the AirPods Professional 2 supply a safer match and higher noise isolation than open-ear fashions. As a 2nd-generation mannequin, they construct on the earlier model with significant upgrades in sound high quality, ANC efficiency, and general performance. 

Powered by the H2 chip, the earbuds provide you with entry to superior options like Adaptive Audio, Dialog Consciousness, Voice Isolation, Customized Quantity, Adaptive EQ and Customized Spatial Audio with dynamic head monitoring. After all, you’ll additionally get “pro-level” energetic noise cancellation (ANC), which gives as much as twice as a lot distraction blocking because the first-gen AirPods Professional or the AirPods 4 with energetic noise cancellation.

Along with Voice Isolation, probably the most natural-sounding Transparency mode you’ll discover on a set of earbuds is offered on the AirPods Professional 2. This pair of options makes this mannequin price shopping for if you would like the most suitable choice for calls in Apple’s lineup. You’ll additionally get the comfort of onboard quantity controls that different AirPods choices (earbuds) don’t supply. The case now options USB-C charging, permitting for common compatibility with different Apple units just like the iPhone 15 and iPad. It additionally fees wirelessly by way of MagSafe or Qi-certified equipment and Computerized Switching shortly jumps to your telephone out of your MacBook or different iCloud-synced Apple units once you want it to take action.

AirPods Professional 2 additionally provides Apple’s listening to check, listening to assist and listening to safety options, which arrived as a part of iOS 18.1. In about 5 minutes, you may take a clinically-validated listening to check with nothing greater than your iPhone and these earbuds. Outcomes can be found instantly, and if you happen to exhibit delicate to reasonable listening to loss, the AirPods Professional 2 can perform as a listening to assist (with customizable settings). What’s extra, these earbuds can supply sturdy listening to safety in opposition to sustained noise below 110 dB. Listening to safety is enabled throughout all noise modes, which embrace Transparency, Adaptive and ANC.

Learn our full AirPods 4 review

Battery life: 5 hours, as much as 30 hours with charging case | Water resistance: IP54 | Noise cancellation: No | Computerized Switching: Sure

Apple gave its “common” earbuds a giant overhaul in 2024, most notably including ANC to its open-wear design for the primary time. After all, the addition of noise cancellation raises the value, so the non-ANC model of the AirPods 4 is probably the most inexpensive possibility in Apple’s ecosystem. This mannequin nonetheless packs Apple’s H2 audio chip although for enhanced audio efficiency, so you may count on a number of of the corporate’s most up-to-date options onboard.

H2-powered instruments on the AirPods 4 embrace Voice Isolation, Customized Spatial Audio with dynamic head monitoring, Customized Quantity and Adaptive EQ. They lack Dialog Consciousness, Adaptive Audio and Transparency mode from the core specs on the AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Professional 2. Not like these different two fashions, the AirPods 4 charging case doesn’t supply MagSafe or Qi-compatible wi-fi charging, nor does the accent have a built-in speaker for Discover My. Nonetheless, they now function USB-C charging, bringing them according to Apple’s newest gadget lineup.

You’ll get all the advantages of a refined form on the AirPods 4, which provides a safer and comfy match. Just like the third-gen AirPods, this mannequin nonetheless doesn’t have contact controls for quantity, however as a substitute provides power contact choices for playback controls, noise modes and taking calls. A key draw back to the open design is that you just gained’t get entry to Apple’s listening to well being instruments. Because the AirPods 4 don’t seal off your ear canal or have the requisite ANC, the corporate’s listening to check wouldn’t be correct, listening to assist wouldn’t be useful and listening to safety wouldn’t sufficient protection in loud environments.

Learn our full AirPods Max review

Battery life: 20 hours | Water resistance: None | Noise cancellation: Sure | Computerized Switching: Sure

When you favor over-ear noise-canceling headphones to earbuds, there’s just one possibility for you in Apple’s lineup. The AirPods Max debuted in 2020 and the corporate supplied a minimal replace in September 2024 that swapped the Lightning port for USB-C (and added 5 new colours). Whereas the design nonetheless feels present, the tech inside this mannequin has been a era behind for the reason that AirPods Professional 2 arrived in 2022. The AirPods Max are nonetheless powered by the H1 chip, which suggests Apple’s extra superior audio options aren’t accessible right here.

Because the Max doesn’t have the newer H2 silicon, options like Adaptive Audio, Customized Quantity, Dialog Consciousness and Voice Isolation aren’t accessible on these headphones. Nonetheless, you may nonetheless count on hands-free entry to Siri, Customized Spatial Audio with dynamic head monitoring, Adaptive EQ and a really natural-sounding Transparency mode. Noise cancellation works properly with most sources of fixed noise, however like a whole lot of headphones, it struggles with human voices. Computerized Switching is right here as properly, so you may count on the Max to swap between iCloud-connected units shortly.

After which there’s the design. The AirPods Max really feel light-weight and comfy, regardless that the ear cups really feel a bit skinny after hours of fixed use. Bodily controls for playback, quantity and noise modes focus on a rotating crown akin to what’s on the Apple Watch and a single button – each located on the suitable aspect. That glorious Transparency mode retains you from getting shouty on calls, and the voice pickup is sweet sufficient so that you can use them throughout necessary digital conferences with out worry of audio high quality points.