Two top-notch alternatives to Airpods Pro earbuds
The constant demand for Airpods Pro should be primarily attributed to Apple brand awareness. The device delivers outstanding sound quality and noise isolation, has a sleek design, and its portable charging case offers a remarkable level of comfort. However, one can find a few shortcomings about the Airpods Pro as well. They pair quickly only with other Apple devices. You can control them only via the iTunes app on your smartphone. The sound quality on their microphone leaves much to be desired. Most important, this model is costly. Below, you’ll find two budget alternatives to Apple earbuds that feature comparable functionality and in certain aspects even outperform the Airpods.
Galaxy Buds
When comparing Samsung Galaxy Buds vs Airpods Pro in terms of sound quality, it should be said that the Samsung device doesn’t have ANC. This means, for frequent traveling or commuting you should opt for the Airpods. On other occasions, the Samsung sound is crispier and more expressive.
Another argument in favor of the Airpods Pro is that their water resistance level is IPX4, while with Samsung it’s IPX2. But this might be a secondary factor unless your hobby is jogging under a pouring rain.
The average listening time for Galaxy Buds is 11 hours plus 22 hours more after you charge them in the portable case. With Airpods Pro, expect a maximum of 5 hours of listening time only if you turn off the ANC. After you turn on the ANC, the listening time decreases to 4.5 hours. The portable case charges the Apple device for 24 more hours.
Galaxy Buds cost approximately $100 less than Airpods Pro and seem to be a worthy investment.
Treblab X5
Treblab X5 are slightly heavier than Airpods Pro: the former weigh 7 grams per each earbud, while the latter only 5.4 grams — but you will hardly notice this difference.
The other dissimilarity lies in the noise cancellation: it is active in the Apple device and passive in the Treblab one. But this doesn’t mean that you will have to tolerate noise: the package of Treblab X5 includes 3 sizes of ear-tips, ear-fins, and expandable foam ear-tips which serves as the guarantee of superb sound quality. In case with Apple, you will get only three sizes of silicone ear-tips.
Both models feature an equal IPX4 level of water resistance, a built-in mic, and Bluetooth 5.0 chip. The older version of Treblab earbuds had Bluetooth 4.2 but was upgraded to a more up-to-date standard. However, the battery life of Airpods Pro is just 24 hours, while Treblab X5 can last up to 30 hours. Moreover, the Treblab device is at least twice or maybe thrice as cheaper than its Apple counterpart, depending on where you purchase it.
Given this, Treblab X5 should be probably considered as the best alternative to Airpods Pro. It is sold together with a portable charging case and a USB / Micro USB charging cable, so all the expenses are included in the initial price.
Conclusion
It would be reasonable to pay extra for Airpods Pro only if you are a die-hard Apple fan and are planning to listen to music exclusively from your iPhone. If this is not the case, it might be wiser to opt for Samsung Galaxy Buds or Treblab X5. Both models offer nearly identical value for money, and you can smoothly connect them to Apple devices as well. They are stylish, long-lasting, and fit snugly inside your ear.
Still, Treblab X5 is the budget-friendliest among all the three options and its technical specifications are on a par with Apple or Samsung or sometimes even outperform them. Why should you pay more if you can get top-notch quality with minimum expenses?