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Apple EarPods - USB-C Review

A cheap but lacking pair of wired earbuds that sound just ok
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Apple EarPods - USB-C Review
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Price:  $19 List
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Manufacturer:   Apple
58
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#19 of 25
  • Sound Quality - 40% 6.3
  • User Experience - 20% 3.2
  • Noise Cancellation - 15% 2.3
  • Battery life - 15% 10.0
  • Call Quality - 10% 8.4

Our Verdict

The shadowed silhouette of a pair of white, wired Apple EarPods has been a mainstay in modern culture since the early 2000s. This latest generation, the Apple EarPods - USB-C, sees the addition of the USB-C connector in lieu of the proprietary lightning connector. As one could expect, they perform very similarly to the Apple AirPods 2 and the Apple AirPods 3 in terms of sound quality and fit. Because the buds rest outside of the ear canal, they lack the immersive punch that a proper seal can provide. With zero fit customizability, if you happen to have an unlucky ear shape, these are not the best earbuds, often feeling uncomfortable and insecure. While they don't block out any background noise, which is a feature to some, they are not beholden to a battery and can facilitate infinite listening sessions. Their call quality is also better than their wireless counterparts. Ultimately, if you're not attached to wireless earbuds, these do everything the AirPods do for 1/8th of the price.
REASONS TO BUY
Multiple connector options (3.5mm
USB-C
And lighting)
REASONS TO AVOID
Bass is lacking
Insecure fit

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards  Editors' Choice Award
Best Wired Earbud
 Best Buy Award
Best Budget Wireless Earbuds
Best Buy Award
Best Wireless Earbuds on a Tight Budget
Price $19.00 List
$19.00 at Amazon
$18.00 List
$17.97 at Amazon
$22 List
$23.99 at Amazon
$150 List
$109.95 at Amazon
$50 List
$49.99 at Amazon
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Bottom Line These have an ancient earbud design with a new connectorForgoing flash for a great fit and impressive sound at a great price, these wired earbuds are hard to argue withTrades wireless ease for great sound, comfort, and a pleasantly low priceThese buds offer an impressive soundstage and sturdy construction — if they fitIf you don't need noise cancelation or top-notch audio, these are a good deal
Rating Categories Apple EarPods - USB-C UliX Rider - 3.5mm Linsoul KZ ZSN Pro X Jaybird Vista 2 Amazon Echo Buds
Sound Quality (40%)
6.3
8.1
7.3
7.8
5.0
User Experience (20%)
3.2
5.6
4.0
6.4
6.2
Noise Cancellation (15%)
2.3
2.5
5.3
3.6
2.3
Battery life (15%)
10.0
10.0
10.0
6.0
5.7
Call Quality (10%)
8.4
8.8
9.0
7.6
6.7
Specs Apple EarPods - USB-C UliX Rider - 3.5mm Linsoul KZ ZSN Pro X Jaybird Vista 2 Amazon Echo Buds
Active Noise Cancelling No No No Yes No
Earbud Location Tracking No No No Yes Yes
Measured Battery Life N/A N/A N/A 6.3 hr 5.9 hr
Waterproofing IP54 N/A N/A IP68 IPX2
Measured Weight 0.42 oz 0.62 oz 1.06 oz 0.24 oz 0.18 oz
Quick Charging N/A N/A N/A 5 mins = 1 hr 15 mins = 2 hrs
Charges Per Case N/A N/A N/A 2 3
Wired Charging Port USB-C 3.5mm jack 3.5mm jack USB-C USB-C
Wireless Charging Option No No No Yes No
Claimed Battery Life N/A N/A N/A 8 hrs 5 hrs
Charging Carrying Case N/A N/A N/A Yes Yes
Transparency Mode No No No Yes No
Multipoint No No No No No
In-ear Detection No No No Yes Yes
Multiple Ear Tips No Yes Yes Yes Yes

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Apple EarPods - USB-C suffer from a muddy soundstage and awkward fit, but for their affordable price, these do everything their wireless counterparts can.

Performance Comparison


apple earpods - usb-c - the usb-c appleearpods tucked into the ears of our testing rig...
The USB-C AppleEarPods tucked into the ears of our testing rig, ready to listen.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Sound Quality


Our panel of experts put the Apple EarPods - USB-C through rigorous sound tests, listening to a wide-ranging playlist before scoring their performance. They found that these earbuds sound muffled and vague compared to the rest of our lineup.


While the gain can be turned up higher than anyone would reasonably need, even at half volume, these buds are noticeably quieter than other wired earbuds.

At the 0:01 mark in “Lavender Haze” by Taylor Swift, the synth bass that drives the song sounds distant and deflated, highlighting the lack of bass. The mids are somewhat muddy, even though this range is more developed than the lower frequencies. The treble is decently clear and never tips into sharp or piercing territory, but it remains unremarkable. Overall, the Apple EarPods sound ok, but don't ever rise above a shrug.

Expert Panel Sound Quality Ratings
ProductBassMid-RangeTreble
Best8.79.09.0
Average6.66.96.6
Apple EarPods - USB-C5.56.56.8
Worst2.03.53.0

Soundstage


The soundstage of earbuds refers to the way they position music in a three-dimensional space around you. While a wide soundstage is unusual in earbuds, advancements in technology are making it more common for music to sound as though it's coming from outside your ears.

These buds have a muddy and confined soundstage that never creates a multi-dimensional listening experience. The sound feels flat, lacking the depth and weight that powerful bass lines can provide. Without that solid foundation, the sound lacks body overall, leaving it feeling thin and somewhat underwhelming, especially when compared to more robust options.

Soundstage Ratings
ProductSoundstage Rating
Best10.0
Average7.4
Apple EarPods - USB-C4.0
Worst4.0

These earbuds often sound distant or vaguely muffled, as though there's a barrier between the music and your ears. The lack of clarity can make the listening experience feel less immersive. While this doesn't fully ruin the listening experience, it lacks the depth and sharpness that better models provide.

On the plus side, the earbuds are great for background awareness. You can enjoy your music while still being fully aware of what's happening around you, making them ideal for environments where you need to stay alert.

We concluded our extensive sound quality testing by hooking them up to our audio testing rig and playing each frequency to measure their frequency response. We then compared that to our GearLab House Curve and scored each pair of earbuds on how contiguous their frequency response was with our curve.

The Apple EarPods struggled to keep up with our curve, as shown below, only aligning with it in the midrange and otherwise falling off sharply, indicating a lack of bass and treble abilities. We also noticed some strong dissonance in their left and right tracking, effectively making them sound uncentered or off-balance.


User Experience


We tested the Apple EarPods - USB-C in a variety of ear shapes and sizes to gauge fit and comfort. Then, we used them in various high-activity scenarios to see how well they performed. With no Bluetooth connection, these buds do not have an app to worry about, they're just plug-and-play.


Comfort


We strongly disliked the shape and fit of these earbuds. They feel plasticky, hard, and insecure in most ear shapes and sizes unless you were lucky enough to be born with the Goldilocks Apple-compatible ears. They do not have ear tips and just rest on the outer structure of your ear. If your ear is anything but perfectly shaped, these feel pretty awful, especially after wearing them for long periods.

If you don't have Apple's particular ear shape, you're going to have a bad time.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Stability


These earbuds do not have any sort of stabilization support or even a basic silicone ear tip. During physical activity like skiing, they constantly fall out during any sort of turbulence. We cannot recommend them for anything beyond sitting very still.

There are no ear tips or stabilization wings here, so keeping these...
There are no ear tips or stabilization wings here, so keeping these buds in your ears is a challenge.
Most will need to stay still with these earbuds, as wires can easily...
Most will need to stay still with these earbuds, as wires can easily snag on objects.

Customization


There is no EQ-ability here; what you get is what you get. However, you can plug these into any USB-C device that outputs sound and listen right away. Likewise, any device, Apple or Android, can plug and play these effortlessly. All told, considering the price, you can't expect a fleshed-out app or premium features of any kind.

apple earpods - usb-c - apple makes adapters for the three generations of earpod connectors...
Apple makes adapters for the three generations of EarPod connectors if you need to mix and match.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Noise Cancellation


The Apple EarPods - USB-C do not have noise cancellation, but we did test their passive ability to block out noise by setting them up in our testing rig and playing various background sounds that imitated real-world environments.


Because these buds have no silicone or foam tip, they don't block out any sound and perform just as poorly here as their wireless counterparts, the Apple AirPods 2 and the Apple AirPods 3. No matter what the environment, quiet or loud, you will hear background noise. While this allows for environmental awareness, you will struggle to hear these buds in loud spaces, like transit and busy offices.


Battery Life


There is no battery to test on Apple EarPods - USB-C, allowing for infinite playback sessions. Thus, we gave them a perfect score here, as there are no limits to how long you can listen to these.


Call Quality


To test the mic on the Apple EarPods - USB-C, we set them up in our testing rig and played a variety of phrases out of its “mouth.” We then played different environmental noises to test how clearly we could still hear the phrases. Below, you can listen to how these earbuds sound in both office and subway settings.


During the subway noise stress test, these buds still performed well. We were able to hear the woman and the man both clearly, though they lost some points for occasionally cutting out.

We were able to have a clear conversation in the Subway, though voices occasionally cut out for a moment.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

With office noise, voices remain clear, but you can hear the background, though not distractingly so.

Despite some faded chatter from nearby coworkers, these buds are a good option for office calls.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

In a private, silent place, these buds do quite well with very clear voice reproduction.

Our call in ideal conditions was very clear and easy to understand.

Should You Buy the Apple EarPods - USB-C?


The Apple EarPods - USB-C perform just as well as their wireless counterparts at a fraction of the cost. They even outperform them in the voice-isolation metric, allowing for clearer call quality. If you know your ear can accommodate Apple's EarPod design, you don't plan on using them during physical activity, and you don't really care about good sound quality, then these are a very affordable option. You might consider these the cheap readers or sunglasses of the earbud world–something of good enough quality that you buy because you know you're going to lose or break them and want to be able to cheaply and easily replace them.

apple earpods - usb-c - the overall package here leaves a lot to be desired.
The overall package here leaves a lot to be desired.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

What Other Earbuds Should You Consider?


At this price point, there are much better, wired earbuds in our lineup, namely the Linsoul KZ ZSN Pro X and the UliX Rider - 3.5mm. The Linsoul has much better sound quality, largely due to its construction, and the UiiX also scored well in this metric. For the same price, you can get much better sound quality, fit, and call quality from these other options.

apple earpods - usb-c - these earbuds struggled with everything we threw at them.
These earbuds struggled with everything we threw at them.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

Graham Faulknor, Genaveve Bradshaw, and Alex Hocevar-Smith