New Apple AirPods Review: Great Sound, if They Stay in Your Ears

I was leaning over the sink, washing my face, when one of the new third-generation AirPods had a brush with death. The right earbud popped out and bounced, then bounced again, before landing inches from the wide-open drain.

Unlike their predecessor, these AirPods are water-resistant. I’m just glad the bud didn’t fall where only the bravest would follow. Many an AirPod has tumbled into subway tracks, sewer grates and toilets, and unfortunately the latest generation won’t prevent more from meeting the same fate. But they do sound better.

A new version of Apple’s AirPods wireless earbuds start shipping Tuesday. At $279, they’re more expensive than the previous generation, now down to $129 from $159. And they’re not quite as full-featured as the most expensive option, the $399 AirPods Pro with active noise cancellation.

There are several reasons an early AirPods adopter might want to upgrade to the third generation. The stem-squeezing capacitive touch controls are much easier to trigger than the original’s tap-based gestures. The battery life is an hour longer, with up to six hours of listening and four hours of talk time. The case conveniently snaps to MagSafe wireless chargers (sold separately). They’re now sweat- and water-resistant. And the stems are shorter, like the ones on the AirPods Pro. You’ll still look like a cyborg, but a little less so.

My chief concern is the fit: The new bud might not work for ears that held the original AirPods well.

A Different Fit

Everyone has a slightly different ear shape and so earbuds can be a highly personal choice—yet the non-Pro AirPods continue to be one-size-fits-all. The new AirPods fell out of my ears more often than the older ones, which I wore daily until I upgraded to the AirPods Pro. The new bud is more oval, and the tip has a larger, less-tapered end than the second-generation AirPods.

As is the case with all AirPods, every time I took off a sweater or tucked my hair behind my ear, a bud could go flying. But something about the new design caused the earbuds to drop when I was just eating or washing my face. Body movement seems to be less of an issue than jaw movement: I went on a run and the new ’Pods stayed put. The AirPods Pro, which come with three different sizes of silicone gasket, are the most secure in my ears. Meanwhile, my husband Will tried on the new AirPods and they work fine for him.

An Apple spokesman said the rounder shape is designed to make wearing the AirPods more comfortable. But the new fit and improved sound won’t make a difference if the earbuds can’t stay in your ear.

My advice? Try them on at the Apple Store before buying, or take advantage of Apple’s 14-day return policy. If they don’t fit, consider the AirPods Pro, which can be sized.

Better Audio

Most people aren’t buying AirPods for their sound. The killer feature is the quick-pairing setup for people who use iPhones, iPads and Macs.

For those who are paying attention to sound, the new AirPods have noticeably improved quality. Songs sound more detailed compared with the previous generation, and the bass is punchier in tracks ranging from the Supremes’ classic “You Can’t Hurry Love” to Billie Eilish’s room-shaking “Oxytocin.”

And if you don’t have an ear for music, you’ll still hear the difference when watching supported TV shows or movies with a compatible iOS device or Mac and spatial audio turned on. The feature enables three-dimensional audio from apps such as HBO Max, Disney+, Netflix and Hulu. (YouTube and Amazon Prime Video don’t support it yet.)

As you turn your head, the immersive sound feels like it’s emanating from the screen you’re watching. It’s confusing at first. It’ll sound like audio is playing out loud rather than in your earbuds. Try it with the first episode of “Squid Game” on Netflix. (That climactic scene, where the participants realize what’s up—that will hit you differently.)

Apple Music offers spatial audio on many tracks. The sound is sometimes amazing and three dimensional—check out “Latch” by Disclosure—but often you won’t notice anything at all.

My voice sounded better over the new AirPods’ microphones, too. The buds have the same mic and wind-minimizing material as the more expensive Pros, which came out on top in my testing last year.

Pros Vs. ’Pods—Or Something Else?

Apple has three earbuds in its lineup: second-gen AirPods for $219, new AirPods for $279 and AirPods Pro for $399.

Rubbery ear tips aren’t for everyone, but I still believe the Pros are the best earbuds iPhone users can buy. They’re $120 more, so they pose a confusing decision for upgraders. This past week, I really missed the Pros’ active noise cancellation. Walking down the street I had to crank up the AirPods’ volume to hear a podcast. And later, while working from home, I couldn’t tune out my neighbour’s leaf blower. The Pros’ noise cancellation isn’t as good as what you get in over-ear headphones, but it’s better than the in-ear competition.

While the new AirPods are a compelling upgrade from the original, $279 is a lot for earbuds without noise cancellation. Amazon’s bulkier Echo Buds 2 have active noise cancellation and come with optional wing tips for an even more secure fit.

AirPods also can’t simultaneously connect to two non-Apple devices at once like Jabra’s Elite 85t, and don’t have on-device volume control like Sony’s WF-1000XM4s.

And unfortunately, AirPods, like most wireless headphones and earbuds, are disposable. Their batteries, which will eventually degrade, can’t be replaced. Apple says it will recycle dead buds for you at any Apple Store, but there’s no trade-in credit.

Still, there’s a reason why AirPods are the bestselling wireless earbuds with 23% market share world-wide, according to the latest unit-sales estimate from Counterpoint Research. Earbuds work best with devices made by the same company, when they’re optimised for connection reliability and quick pairing. And for people who live in Apple’s walled garden, that means choosing AirPods—and trying not to lose them. The third-generation AirPods feature better sound, battery life and water resistance, but have a different shape that might not fit your ears.

The marketplace has spoken and, at least for now, it’s showing preference for hybrids and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) over battery electrics. That makes Toyota’s foot dragging on EVs (and full speed ahead on hybrids) look fairly wise, though the timeline along a bumpy road still gets us to full electrification by 2035.

Italian supercar producer Lamborghini, in business since 1963, is also proceeding, incrementally, toward battery power. In an interview, Federico Foschini , Lamborghini’s chief global marketing and sales officer, talked about the new Urus SE plug-in hybrid the company showed at its lounge in New York on Monday.

The Urus SE interior gets a larger centre screen and other updates.
Lamborghini

The Urus SE SUV will sell for US$258,000 in the U.S. (the company’s biggest market) when it goes on sale internationally in the first quarter of 2025, Foschini says.

“We’re using the contribution from the electric motor and battery to not only lower emissions but also to boost performance,” he says. “Next year, all three of our models [the others are the Revuelto, a PHEV from launch, and the continuation of the Huracán] will be available as PHEVs.”

The Euro-spec Urus SE will have a stated 37 miles of electric-only range, thanks to a 192-horsepower electric motor and a 25.9-kilowatt-hour battery, but that distance will probably be less in stricter U.S. federal testing. In electric mode, the SE can reach 81 miles per hour. With the 4-litre 620-horsepower twin-turbo V8 engine engaged, the picture is quite different. With 789 horsepower and 701 pound-feet of torque on tap, the SE—as big as it is—can reach 62 mph in 3.4 seconds and attain 193 mph. It’s marginally faster than the Urus S, but also slightly under the cutting-edge Urus Performante model. Lamborghini says the SE reduces emissions by 80% compared to a standard Urus.

Lamborghini’s Urus plans are a little complicated. The company’s order books are full through 2025, but after that it plans to ditch the S and Performante models and produce only the SE. That’s only for a year, however, because the all-electric Urus should arrive by 2029.

Lamborghini’s Federico Foschini with the Urus SE in New York.
Lamborghini

Thanks to the electric motor, the Urus SE offers all-wheel drive. The motor is situated inside the eight-speed automatic transmission, and it acts as a booster for the V8 but it can also drive the wheels on its own. The electric torque-vectoring system distributes power to the wheels that need it for improved cornering. The Urus SE has six driving modes, with variations that give a total of 11 performance options. There are carbon ceramic brakes front and rear.

To distinguish it, the Urus SE gets a new “floating” hood design and a new grille, headlights with matrix LED technology and a new lighting signature, and a redesigned bumper. There are more than 100 bodywork styling options, and 47 interior color combinations, with four embroidery types. The rear liftgate has also been restyled, with lights that connect the tail light clusters. The rear diffuser was redesigned to give 35% more downforce (compared to the Urus S) and keep the car on the road.

The Urus represents about 60% of U.S. Lamborghini sales, Foschini says, and in the early years 80% of buyers were new to the brand. Now it’s down to 70%because, as Foschini says, some happy Urus owners have upgraded to the Performante model. Lamborghini sold 3,000 cars last year in the U.S., where it has 44 dealers. Global sales were 10,112, the first time the marque went into five figures.

The average Urus buyer is 45 years old, though it’s 10 years younger in China and 10 years older in Japan. Only 10% are women, though that percentage is increasing.

“The customer base is widening, thanks to the broad appeal of the Urus—it’s a very usable car,” Foschini says. “The new buyers are successful in business, appreciate the technology, the performance, the unconventional design, and the fun-to-drive nature of the Urus.”

Maserati has two SUVs in its lineup, the Levante and the smaller Grecale. But Foschini says Lamborghini has no such plans. “A smaller SUV is not consistent with the positioning of our brand,” he says. “It’s not what we need in our portfolio now.”

It’s unclear exactly when Lamborghini will become an all-battery-electric brand. Foschini says that the Italian automaker is working with Volkswagen Group partner Porsche on e-fuel, synthetic and renewably made gasoline that could presumably extend the brand’s internal-combustion identity. But now, e-fuel is very expensive to make as it relies on wind power and captured carbon dioxide.

During Monterey Car Week in 2023, Lamborghini showed the Lanzador , a 2+2 electric concept car with high ground clearance that is headed for production. “This is the right electric vehicle for us,” Foschini says. “And the production version will look better than the concept.” The Lanzador, Lamborghini’s fourth model, should arrive in 2028.