On the point of Apple making their products more repairable ( 8:53 ): You may thank the european union for that. The EU is planning legislation known as "right to repair" in order to reduce trash. Apple and many others have changed their product design because it´s not viable to loose the european market or to establish two manufacturing lines. (Same thing with the Lightning Port to USB-C, Apple was forced to do so by EU-Legislation.) Soft power for the win.

Not sure it's fair to call Onkyo a brand that no one ever heard of, they're extremely well established in the home audio market.

Levi: Spends 11 min complaining about Apple Also Levi: I'm fully invested in the Apple ecosystem

The 18 months estimate is very surprising. My AirPods Pro’s are over 2 years old now and they work perfect, get about two days use before needing to charge

Surprisingly, the wireless earbuds for me last much longer compared with the wired ones. Mainly due to the working out, the constant motion does destroys the wires either at the buds themselves or at the connector. Unfortunately, the earbuds with the replaceable wires didn't work either because sweat would get between the earbud and the wire causing corrosion within a couple of months.

Most studio level headphones are repairable. Once the driver of my Audio Technica started failing I just bought a new driver and replaced it! Bonus: They sound amazing.

I'll admit, I derided air pods and other wireless earphones at first. However, since changing a few years ago, I couldn't imagine going back. It has been an excellent Innovation in earphones.

I find it funny that you mention not buying wireless earphones at all due to them wearing down faster. I switched tó wireless precisely because of that. My wired earbuds used to break every couple of months, didn't matter if I bought cheap or expensive ones. The wire itself just broke because they were always in my pocket, or because it caught on something and it was janked out. Now I have wireless my first set lasted 2 years, (which was a cheap set and not that high quality so Im actually surprised they lasted that long) and only broke because I dropped the case on the street in an awkward way once. Now I have a new set from House of Marley which keeps sustainability in mind (not so much repairability yet though), and I absolutely love them: both the case and earphones are sturdy, which is perfect for me because everything my hands touch has to fall at least once a day.

Not gonna lie, the 18-month life expectancy surprised me. I bought the original AirPods in late 2016 and only a couple months ago did the lithium-ion battery degrade to the point of not holding a charge longer than an hour. I'd considered my 6 years to be pretty good and was quick to buy new AirPods to replace them when I got them on sale for $80. I've tried so many earbuds over the years and could never find ones that fit comfortably in my ears (including the original EarPods they used to give with iPhones/iPods).

Onkyo is quite a well-known brand and their products are fairly good. And it is said by someone without much interest in audio or technology in general. Of course, if you ask someone who buys an overpriced phone because looks "nice", show status and don't want to be left out, they'd hardly know what it was.

Let’s give Dankpods some credit for mentioning the unsustainable nature of Bluetooth buds in every bluetooth bud review.

10:14 Gotta love the typical red-tailed hawk audio clip to represent the bald eagle 😂😂😂

I finally broke down last year and bought a pair of off brand ear pods. Spent $17. One of the best purchases I've ever made.

These are an improvement over the 1st gen buds. kzfaq.infoUgkxK5mc3yw4xA7Mf2j6k6n1Uqv_KUgrKdeM Pros: The fit is fantastic. This is the biggest plus. They stay in my ears when running and become unnoticeable. They are tight but comfortable. The sound quality is about the same as the 1st gen buds. They pair more easily with my LG G8 ThinQ and immediately reconnect when removed from the case. The sound balance is excellent, good but not overpowering base and clean mid tones and highs.Cons: The noise cancellation is good but perhaps a little less effective than the Bose ANC on the 1st gen buds. Passthrough mode as not as good as the 1st gen buds making it a little more difficult to hear conversations when in passthrough.

I got mine for free for renewing a apartment lease in college. They are still going strong 3 years later. As with literally anything depends how you USE IT and TREAT IT!

Levi, buddy, any bluetooth device seamlessly connects with other bluetooth devices. That whole sense of only Apple products working together easily and you have to commit in full or not at all is a relic of the early 2000s with Apple desktops were totally incompatible with tons of software.

"A japanese company that nobody heard of", and right after that you show Onkyo. The audio guys will slaughter you 😆 This is a company very well respected for HI-Fi audio products.

I‘ve had my airpods (original model) for 5 years and they still work well. The batteriy is not as strong of course but still usable. The only thing that somehow seems to degrade is the sensor. It no longer detects as well when my airpods are in my ear and will often continue playing when I take them out and put them down on a surface.

Where do you found the « airpods batteries last 18 month » info ? I have mine for 2 years and the battery seem to be in good shape, and they worked seemlessly since I bought them.

Thank you for all the high quality videos packed with so much info! I just realized you're not past 500k subs yet and that blows my mind! Such good videos deserves more subs! Hoping you continue growing 💜

My 2020 AirPod pros have about a 2.5 hour battery life left on them and the volume difference with the newest gen is significant. Ended up buying a newer pair and I alternate between both. I use them daily for about 8 hours in total. First pair was a gift but if I have to replace them every 18 months Apple has a good way of getting constant revenue off this.

My charging case stopped working and I’m not buying another pair. I’ve also gotten annoyed with my iPhone because it’s ridiculous that I have to Pay for storage. Going back to android next year.

I’ve had my Koss KSC75 headphones for the Gym for 5 years now. My other pair prior to that still works fine too.

Apple Airpods may look appealing in terms of design, however there's always a possibility that there could be other wireless earphones brands that are far better in terms of overall structure. We appreciate your dedication and effort. May God bless you.

I used to replace my earbuds every year because I store them in my pocket and they always ended up failing in the point between the cable and the minijack. I just replaced my firsts wireless earbuds (from jabra) and they have lasted me 4 years.

I used my 1st gen pros for about 12-14 months between each warranty exchange (noise cancellation failure). Just bought the 2nd gens last month and love them. Hopefully they’re good for a while 🤷‍♂️

2:11 Don't forget that Apple owns Beats.

Bought my AirPods Pro in 2020 and they’re still with me 3 years later. I’ve lost them, dropped them, and much more. They’re still working great

What makes AirPods Pro the best is the software integrations with the ecosystem. Best in the market and will be until someone can match that level of integration. Otherwise all the other headphones will stay in second place.

Very nice I've been watching your videos for a while and I am loving the content you put out!

I just wish that everyone wasn't losing the jack. I have used wireless, and they are fussy and die fast for the price. I am on an old android because I love that I can still use an SD card and that I also have a phone jack. I will try my best to buy a new "old" phone when I am ready for my next phone.

Great watch. I think my only gripe with airpods was their pricing. It's one of those things where you can find much better value for money alternatives on the market but because something has the apple branding attached to it and that ecosystem guarantee it ends up meaning people are willing to pay more for it. Which credit to them is what comes when you've established a brand. Kind of like with expensive clothing where people are willing to buy something at 3x the price because it has a specific brand stitching on it even though it's probably made in the same factories as the cheaper alternative.

I LOVE how you mentioned the initial reaction of airpods being “ugly”. I feel like EVERYONE forgot about the millions of memes and jokes before everyone got on the bandwagon. The only reason people started buying them was because of Apple taking away the headphone jack.

I have airpod pros which are great for their size and "transparency" setting. But my Bose quiet comfort 35 are still going strong after 5 years. Plus they come with a cord when you want better sound quality or the ability to listen on an airplane.

I've had my beats solo 3 for about 5 years now. They have gone thru 2 cushion pad replacements (I use them for working out) and still going strong! Battery still last for about 35ish hours before they need a charge.

6:30 Headphones do have moving parts. The moving diaphragm in them is what makes the sound in the first place.

There’s an option …apple does sell an adapter that allows you to use in regular headphones into your iPad iPhone etc..been using one for a couple of years , works well

I've had a pair of aiaiai from like 8 years ago and they were fantastic. My headband broke like 3 years after having them and they replaced them even though I bought mine off eBay. I don't use them much now since I moved to the Bose 700s for wireless though.

A friend of mine eventually got sick of replacing lost Airpods and decided to get the full size model. I have a pair of Skullcandy Indy Evo buds that I use to work out and for stuff like that, they're a great alternative to the Airpods. Had them for around two years now and still work fine. But I gotta admit that wired will take my vote every single time I can use it. My new JBL's have a breakaway cord that I assume can be easily replaced, but they do have all the newest stuff like voice commands and noise cancelling. Another thing that needs to be emphasized is simply taking care of your stuff better so that it lasts.

I haven't looked at the AIAIAI catalog... but you showed an "on ear" headphone... DJs and Sound Techs use "around ear" headphones to block out ambient noise.

I've had the AirPods Pro 1st generation since 2020 & they still work. I'm using them right now to listen to this video. I also got the second gen AirPods Pro because of the new features it has

As someone who has used many wired, wireless and true wireless headphones, normal non modular wired headphones have the shortest life, usually because of the cord, but that's not the easiest repair if your 3.5mm plug breaks or wears out. Now my mid price 20-100$ Bluetooth headphones history, totally fine. Normal issues of stuff getting broken or lost but not so much that it's really a problem.

I have had Jabra elite 65T bluetooth buds for about 4 years now and they're still working like when I bought them. Can certainly recommend!

As a Canadian now living in France, I see a lot of Parisians wearing Canada Goose jackets. Would love to see Future Proof do an episode on Canada Goose.

I've been using my airpod pro for about 3 years (bought it in covid time), still works fine and I am quite surprise tbh. Just like most people I though I will never use wireless earphones because of the audio quality but not gonna lie i don't think i am able to go back.

A lot of factual inaccuracies in this video: - They did not make the wired headphones obsolete be removing the headphone jack. For quite some time they included an adapter so you could use your old headphones (just not when charging). And even if they are not doing that anymore, they sell the adapter at a fantastic value (just ask the audiophile community). True wireless earbuds killed wired headphones because of how convenient they are. - Of course AirPods are more expensive than the old headphones. They include a lot more technology and are way more expensive to make. Look at todays competition, how many companies makes better headphones than Apple at the same price or less? Sure, you can get crappier headphones for cheap. But relative to their quality, they are not that expensive. - Apples largest consumerbase are people buying an iPhone and some AirPods. Sure, it isn’t the cheapest brand. But it is pretty much on par with competition such as Samsung. People spending thousands of dollars on Mac Pro’s and stuff only seem common if you hang around popular KZfaqrs who make a crapton of money. - Making things repairable is awesome. But if you want the thinnest bezels, smallest headphones, watertight phones etc it is really hard to make. Can Apple do better? Absolutely. But to call it “planned obsolescence” is not entirely fair either. If you want your stuff repairable, you have to make some concessions. Maybe start by caring for your stuff instead. I average 4-5 years between phone purchases and my AirPods are still working after 4 years. Why are my Apple products working so much better than everybody elses? Are Apple part of the e-waste problem? Absolutely. Do they do enough to mitigate it? Definitely not. But they actually support their devices longer than much of the competition. In my opinion, they worst offenders in tech are those who race to the bottom. The whole trend of buying crap because it’s cheap has to go. Spend your money on a few thing you really want and take care of them instead. I usually really like your channel. I try to buy quality, environmentally friendly things that last and I think you usually push this message. This video felt like the “bash Apple for clicks” crap that tech youtubers love.

I literally accidently put them in the washing machine when they were in my trousers. They survived and still work perfectly. Airpods are great if you are outside or something else. I only really use them when I am doing something outside of using my pc.

There are so many choices out there I personally use pixels buds they've been rock solid

I get what you are saying but I still have my Gen 1 air pods. Used them for years all day at work and now I just use them occasionally. I plan on getting the batteries changed on them soon. I also have a pair of power Beats Pro and love them as well. I love not being tethered to my device. Not having cords is amazing. Also, I love not having a headphone Jack and having a waterproof phone. I can wash it under the sink. I can take it in the pool or river and not worry about it. I also take care of my things and never broken a screen and have been using iPhone since iPhone 4. I think it is great that apple has battery service. I also have a 2012 MacBook Pro and have upgraded ram and ssd drive and it is STILL my main computer. They make great products that last. That is why i buy apple.

For wireless earphones, I got rayons a couple years ago. At first, I was skeptical cause they mostly do their product marketing online. After a couple years they still work perfectly and I definitely abuse them.

Still rolling with the lightning chord earbuds for as long as possible. Air pods look like the date scene in There’s Something About Mary.

You keep going off about the battery life, but I use my AirPod pros every day at work for my eight hour shift and only after six hours do I need to pop them back in for a quick recharge and they’re over a year and a half old.

I loved that we got wireless earphones, but my gosh do I miss the original design of a simple earphone.

I got a pair of over ear wired ATH-M50X’s in 2018 on clearance at Walmart for $30 because they were the 2017 model. I sold them last month for $45 with the original cable, still working perfectly, albeit heavily used and the foam showed it. Definitely going with another wired pair after having my AirPods Pro last 2 years before only holding a charge for a half hour now. Any recommendations? I’m looking to stay under 300 as much as possible

at 2:30 Onkyo is a massive Japanese audio company, the makers of the first true wireless headphones, they are most known in the Home A/V Space, they also own Pioneer Audio. their revenue is around 500 Million dollars

18 months!! Bought my gen 2 AirPods in August 2019 and they still work after 4 years and 5 months and only one of the microphones has issues so I have the microphone set to the AirPod that works well. It all comes down to taking good care of your tech!

In my experience, wired headphones die super fast compared to wireless since the wire itself seems to break easily. Maybe the whole modularity thing is the solution for that I guess...or maybe I'm just too violent with my headphones haha

The new “find my” feature on the AirPods Pro is a game changer that no other company can compete with yet. It doesn’t matter if I lose them, my phone will perfectly guide me to them every time

Ive been using the same pair of wireless Motorola Vervebuds for like three years now and they're still going strong.

I have a pair of Marley's Positive Vibrator XLs, and have used them daily for 2+ years, battery still lasts 3 days of almost constant use, and they connect super fast to my Android and my laptops

As someone who is neurodiverse, I cannot live without my noise-cancelling AirPods Pro. I used to make fun of Air Pods when they first came out because I didn't understand the hype and tbh the 1st generation really wasn't that great as the sound would spill out and people could hear what you're listening to when sitting next to you (no thank you). However, since getting my AirPods Pro as a gift 2 years ago I honestly couldn't imagine myself using anything else, hopefully, they will last me a long time. Before I was a Marshal wired over-ear user but after a couple of hours they would hurt my ears and were not great for working out. The one thing I don't agree with when it comes to Apple is their lack of repairability for their accessories and the high price tag....

I was pretty proud of getting nearly 3 years from my original AirPods Pro. The batteries weren’t the issue, it was a hardware problem that makes them unusable for phone calls and the ANC is clicky, but I still keep them around as a backup or for when I’m in the outdoors.

i find it so interesting that they were announced all the way back in 2007 in that original iPhone presentation. yet it took another 9 years for the first gen model to come out.

It's true that the wires break pretty easily on cheap wired earbuds, but they are also simple to repair. I have an old pair that I kept fixing. Shorten the wires a bit and resolder them on. Eventually I got tired of it and used some heat shrink tubing to make a strain relief. Apple led the way in making cables without proper strain relief because they 'look cleaner'. I fixed an old magsafe cord for a friend which broke because the connector is just box with a wire coming from it, the only strain relief is a 1/4" long bit of plastic tubing. I had to saw the damn thing apart to be able to resolder the connections. I glued it back together and used white heat-shrink to hide the repair, add strain relief and make it look clean. The next week he bought a brand new one with the same design flaw. It was a bit of a slap in the face.

This is infuriating. I recently pulled out my old Koss Porta pro headphones, bought some replacement foam ear pads, and a lightning connector adaptor, and they still work!

Wrong. After the headphone jack was removed, iPhones still came with earpods but with a lightning connector.

Love your channel. Always fresh and relevant! BTW, love my AirPods Pro, tho.

I've had really good luck with Apple products so I normally skip AppleCare. But when I got airpods for my daughter I made sure to buy the $30 AppleCare because I knew full well that the batteries would be worthless before AppleCare expired. And we found ourselves in that case recently and she got new Airpods for "free".

Wired headphones have the shortest lifespan with me, I always end up getting the cord caught on something. On top of that the shape of apple’s earbuds, being the smooth rounded pebble shape, in my experience, are the only design that actually sit in my ear properly. I wasn’t fully convinced in purchasing them but after throwing away so many over the ear headphones and corded earbuds, it literally was the most sense for me. I am also so happy that if I lose an earbud I can use the app to track it down 😂

I’ve had the same pair or airpod pros for the last 4 years. Only downside to them is that they make a clicking sound when I use the noise canceling or the outside noise feature but they’ve done that since I took them out of the box. Other than that I’ve had zero issues. These are the only brand I’ve ever used that I haven’t had to replace before the 1 year mark. I can’t imagine ever using a different brand. They just work so well with your phone especially with them able to read out your notifications.

Judging by recent trends, watch for when Apple is going to "solve" this problem by offering "sound as a subscription" More than 10years ago Ive bought my Audio Technicas ATH M50. Still running strong, no plans to replace any time soon (just service), hate this planned obsolence.

When it comes to phones, I wouldn't mind wireless headphones if we were given more of a choice on whether to listen wirelessly or not, but most phone manufacturers are ditching the headphone jack for no other reason but to shill their wireless buds. In addition, as you said, repairing them and replacing the battery is a nightmare, not something that your average consumer could pull off easily. Personally I have a pair of IEMs with a replaceable cable which allows for easy repairs and not having to throw the whole thing out if the cable goes bad. However, you can get a dongle but that's just another layer of inconvenience and who knows if that specific dongle is compatible with your phone or if its DAC is even decent enough. If the DAC is good enough it'll most likely cost more so losing/breaking it will be even worse. In general, going wireless isn't a bad thing but the push for wireless only products and lack of repairability is.

Oh god when it comes to headphones reparibility I have so much to say. On one hand I do love the convenience of true wireless headphones but at the same traditional headphones can just be so god damned durable (minus the earpads, that's a whole different conversation). My Sennheiser HD 25 has been with me for 5 years. I used it every single day and it's still work as fine as I first got it. Really wish that true wireless headphones can have the same durability.

Currently at 14 months of use with 5-6 hours a day usage. Still working perfect and holding charge. (Regular AirPods 2nd gen)

Quickest I've been on one of your videos. Good to see notification bell works fine lol

They might be almost worth it if they would stay in your ears when you move 10° past vertical when walking. There are better options out there for people willing to manually pair a set of Bluetooth earbuds.

I love the interoperability of the AirPods, but I had to replace them 3 times under warranty and the 4th pair is now failing out of warranty. I know my case is extreme, but it’s what I’m dealing with. Also AppleCare still has a “per replacement charge” unlike most extended warranties.

Thanks! Because of the "Money is no Object" clip I have the Veggie Tails song stuck in my head. Please keep up the great work and nice to see the channel still growing.

I still have a first gen pair. Use them everyday. No issues and not in a landfill.

Nice video! For me, the most sustainable classic professional cable-headphone is the entirely modular "Sennheiser HD-25". You will see them on Pro-DJs, Cameramen, Jet-Pilots etc. I got mine since over 20 years in everyday use and until now I only had to replace the cable and the earcups. They sound excellent and are only around 150$/€. More videos on audio stuff on my channel! 🍀

I used to use the old wired earbuds with the little dongle attachment to listen to music at work and tbh the wired headphones are not very durable to wear and tear. I was buying 2-3 dongles per year and had to replace the buds every 6ish months. I also thought the airpods were silly. Now that I have my airpods( recieved them for free with my macbook) I have one pair that has worked perfectly for the last 3 years. Admittedly they are perfect for my needs.

Apple: "If there's no problem, create a problem"

I am looking at the BGVP Q2S. It's a brand I never heard of, but the reviews seem OK. They are wireless but have a MMCX connector so when the battery dies, they just become regular in-ear headphones

You forgot to mention they bricked the noise cancellation 6 months ago with a firmware update. Taking them from one of the best NC headphones and turning them into a potato. Apparently from a “jawbone lawsuit”. Thus forcing you to buy the new AirPod pro 2’s. There isn’t much on KZfaq covering this. Maybe a future video…

bruh they use black ppl in the airpods ads so the airpods will be more visible 💀

I’ve had the original AirPod pros since the day they came out and mine still function great. Maybe a little tempermental at times but works awesome. I had the OG AirPods and left them at the library and they got stolen but this is my second pair and I will definitely be upgrading

Hey! loving these videos!

I had the AirPods Pro for a year and a half, during which I had to go exchange one or both at the Apple Store 6 TIMES because of sound issues (crackling, no sound, hissing, etc). If you’re looking for the Apple ecosystem connectivity, there’s no better than both of the Beats buds, I got them after I finally gave up on the AirPods and haven’t had to return because of issues and they just, work. And I think they sound better too.

Apple Audio is just not good, overpriced mid range audio

I have AirPods Pro, and max but honestly I’ve been using wired more and more. The budget wired in ear market has been popping off lately, and I literally have a $80 set that sounds better than both of the wireless offerings from apple. I still use both those wireless sets, but not nearly as much as when I first picked them up.

Algorithm must have heard me screaming at my online Rx prescribing software. I always rock a very respectable set of wired DJ cans on (now a LG V60). When the fight dragged on 9 hours. Those bloothooth people got very upset. I proceeded back to slapping loud 100 % power monitor sound. I had to snicker at them a little

“Bose: a brand literally specializing in audio”. That’s the kindest way I think you could describe modern Bose 😂

Maybe I'm an exception here, but I've had my airpods for over 2 years and they've been a great fit for me so far (I literally just watched this video wearing them). If anything, they've been keeping me from creating more waste. As opposed to when I used wired headphones back in the day, I never have to replace them regularly like some people do. And honestly, I've never lost any of the buds. Before buying them, I used to fear that possibility, but now after more than 2 years I see that... It's not that hard NOT to lose them, anyone can do that with minimum effort and attention. Maybe these people who keep losing them are just... not being careful enough i guess lmao. And when I used wired headphones it would piss me OFF that literally every cable would eventually have connection issues with time, regardless of how much I would pay for them. So yeah, it's been nice not having to worry about that for the past 2 years!

I've had AirPod Pro's for over 3 years and they're still working with daily use. Currently using the AirPods Max atm and not having any issues, I've never really had much issues with Apple products 🤷‍♂

I’ve had my AirPods for over 3 years now. It works perfectly still. Never had a problem. Clean them regularly, as one would with a normal headphones too. I think it’s great.

As with most Apple products, there are cheaper and better choices.

I’m not a fan of everything apple does, but removing the 3.5mm jack did not make people’s headphones “obsolete”. You could get a lighting adapter or just keep your old phone with headphone jack.

even with wired headphones the cables fail very quickly so always make sure to get ones with easily replaceable cables or cables that seem sturdy and reliable

I seen an adapter that some use- with a 3.5mm regular headphone jack at the end. Plug into the bottom middle charge jack. Do these work?

I'll never forget when I worked for Apple. The week that they finalized the Beats sale they banned Bose products in the store. We literally rioted until they caved. The number one word on that quarters feedback was Bose. Proud to say that I led that campaign. Such a morally dubious company.