Somehow, in my years of being a music enjoyer, Apple device owner and human being functioning in society… I’ve piled up 5 pairs of headphones/earbuds (which all have their different purposes).
I’m certainly no audiophile nor expert in sound quality, but I do have an above average number of headphones and I want to breakdown their pros and cons.
Anker Soundcore Q20 Headphones
I snagged this pair on sale last week and I must say having noise canceling headphones (of any quality) is a game changer. I think this pair of headphones is a reasonably priced introduction to headphones with good sound quality and they’re Bluetooth which is convenient. They’re a good fit for me, have great battery life, and are intuitive to use. My one qualm with these is that the built-in microphone is subpar.
Rating: 9/10
Apple Earbuds
I have two pairs of these guys because one has the headphone jack for my computer and the other has a headphone jack for my phone (which, is very annoying in my personal opinion). As far as sound quality goes, these are fine and get the job done, but now that I know what good sound quality sounds like… these leave something to be desired.
These do have an excellent built-in microphone. They are very convenient and portable, however the convenience is somewhat impeded by the fact that they are wired headphones. But again, for the price, they’re good (and are some of the only earbuds that fit in my ear).
Rating: 7/10
Airpods
I have an older generation of Airpods, so they don’t have noise-canceling or any of the other features that come with new Airpods. Airpods are fairly pricey, but I’ve had mine for over 3 years now and I still use them nearly every single day. It’s worth noting that the battery life decreases with time, they are extremely easy to misplace, and the microphone is terrible.
I’m sure there are better Bluetooth earbuds on the market, but this is the pair I have and I love them dearly.
Rating: 8/10
Sony MDR-V150 Monitor Series Headphones
These headphones were an impulse buy because I needed a wired pair of headphones for DJ purposes. These are fine for what I use them for (hearing myself during air breaks), but otherwise are a below average pair of headphones.
They were cheap and definitely reflect that… with these, you’re paying for what you get (for the worse). The wire is entirely too long, there is no built in microphone and they have a rather uncomfortable fit.
Rating: 3.5/10
Here’s to hoping all of these headphones and earbuds last me a long time.
