Apple EarPods are an affordable yet classic pair of earbuds with minimalistic aesthetic. Compatible with various Apple devices and providing good sound quality at an attractive price point, these headphones can bring great sound quality at an unbeatably reasonable cost.
These devices are also susceptible to sound leakage, meaning others can hear your music. Furthermore, most curbside programs do not accept electronics waste recycling programs.
Product Design
Apple’s EarPods offer a sleek, one-size-fits-all design that’s simple to adjust and wear comfortably, with controls placed where they’re intuitive and efficient for use. That means no more reaching for your phone to change tracks or adjust volume; plus their compact form factor means they won’t feel bulky or heavy while listening.
The case for these headphones is composed of recycled plastics and an aluminum alloy, while its battery is lithium-ion. Meanwhile, their earbuds consist of silicone rubber, plastics and magnets – each leaving an imprint on the environment both through greenhouse gas emissions and waste accumulation.
The earpods contain various input and output devices, including microphone, proximity sensors, and antennae. Their special W1 chip enables compatibility with Apple products that use Lightning connectors with iOS 10 or later (such as iPod touch, iPhone, and iPad) while their IC chips contain polysilicon material derived from quartzite rock extracted using hydrochloric acid, coal dust, and hydrogen gas extraction processes.
Sound Quality
Apple EarPods are one of the world’s most ubiquitous headphones. Mass produced and included with every iPhone sold, these earbuds have a significant environmental footprint during both production and usage life cycles; additionally they’re relatively expensive to produce and maintain.
Apple EarPods offer adequate audio at their price range, with clear and precise treble and bass notes; their highs could use some enhancement for improved clarity and definition.
Contrary to other in-ear headphones and earbuds that aim for airtight sealing, Apple EarPods have an unconventional fit with considerable sound leakage, especially at bass and mid frequencies where engine noise or voices can easily be heard through them. Their isolation performance in these ranges can also be subpar as engine noise or voices can easily penetrate.
Noise Cancellation
Noise cancellation is one of the key differentiating features between superior earbuds and those with inferior sound quality. Apple’s earbuds provide superior noise cancellation technology, typically reducing ambient sound levels by an average of 27dB across all frequencies as seen in the graph below.
AirPods Pro 2 were significantly improved from their first-generation models, providing reduced low and mid-frequency sounds by over 25 dB at all frequency ranges. Unfortunately, however, this improvement came at the cost of reduced high-frequency attenuation: levels at 3000 Hz had dropped 5-10dB as a result – making listening difficult in critical situations where sirens or alarms may need to be heard; potentially leading to safety risks.
In situations that require situational awareness, the new Adaptive Transparency mode reduces high-frequency ambient noise over 85dB by quickly and safely adjusting. Our tests showed it quickly adjusted without reaching dangerously loud volumes – an excellent feature! For additional situational awareness when speaking to someone directly, Conversation Awareness works similarly and lowers music playback automatically whenever they speak back. Both features can also be found within AirPods Settings menu whereby music playback automatically lowers when someone speaks back – great additions!
Comfort
These lightweight earbuds are barely visible once in your ear and thus comfortable enough to wear for extended periods without feeling any strain or fatigue.
Apple EarPods can still work with an iPhone without a headphone jack by connecting via its Lightning port with a 3.5mm audio adapter (sold separately). They include a remote that lets you manage music playback and answer calls on compatible iOS devices as well as Siri support for hands-free voice control.
Apple EarPods have an innovative shape designed to deliver sound directly into your ear canal for outstanding audio performance across a range of genres. Their balanced sound features rich bass, crisp treble and detailed mids – ideal for music, podcasts and video content on-the-go! Plus they come with their own convenient carrying case to protect and secure them during use!
Value
Apple earbuds provide exceptional sound quality and active noise cancellation at an extremely reasonable cost, while AirPods Pro Truly Wireless offer additional features such as adaptive audio for dynamic ANC and on-device volume control.
Unfortunately no detailed breakdown of the materials used to manufacture EarPods has been provided, however we know that their neodymium magnets are composed of rare earth elements (neodymium, iron, boron and aluminum) which must be extracted from underground mines using large equipment such as tractors, loaders and scrapers powered by fossil fuels.
The plastic in Apple headphones is likely composed of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), produced using natural gas and petroleum. Meanwhile, oxygen-free electrolysis copper wires connecting your earbuds to your device require significant energy input from coal, natural gas and nuclear sources, not to mention shipping it across multiple locations for distribution by Apple — increasing fossil fuel related emissions further along its journey.
