Best AirPods 2025: The best Apple headphones tested and ranked

If you want the most premium experience possible from Apple’s earbud range then the conversation starts and ends with the AirPods Pro 2. Not only are they fantastic ANC earbuds in their own right, but they offer up a huge improvement over their predecessor.

Speaking of active noise cancelling, the Pro 2 pack powerful a powerful ANC performance that can reduce the world around you to a manageable hum. Apple claims that the ANC is 2x stronger than what was available on the first gen AirPods Pro, and while that’s a tricky statement to verify, it certainly feels apropos when you actually get to use the updated earbuds. This is a Godsend if you commute regularly or if you live in a busy household and getting a moment’s peace can be tricky.

If you’d prefer the ANC to change throughout the day however then there is an exclusive feature for the AirPods Pro 2 known as Adaptive Audio. This mode engages the AirPods Pro 2 to listen out to what’s going on around you, lowering and heightening either the ANC or Transparency Mode, depending on your surroundings.

On top of the beefed up ANC, the AirPods Pro 2 also have a handful of new quality of life features including speakers within the charging case that can emit a sound when prompted – handy if you ever misplace it. Although to make matters even easier, the case is now fitted with the same U1 chip as the Apple AirTag which allows you to locate it via Precision Finding.

Of course, any pair of earbuds has to be backed up by great audio quality and the AirPods Pro 2 aren’t lacking here either. There’s a case to be made that you might find a more balanced sound on the Sony WF-1000XM5 but the AirPods Pro 2 more than hold their own with luscious detail and powerful bass that can bring out the best in almost any track.

The AirPods 3 are the third-gen model in Apple’s standard AirPods line, and they are a solid recommendation for iPhone users and those after a pair of affordable true wireless earbuds.

The AirPods 3 feature a redesign with a shorter stem than those on the 1st and 2nd generation models, and the size of the housing is bigger so it can fit more ears. We took them on a couple of runs and found the buds stayed put. They’re a decent bet for fitness workouts with an IPX4 rating that protects against sweat and rain.

The AirPods 3 have a longer battery life than the Pro model at 30 hours total (6 in each earbud) and like the Pro they take advantage of MagSafe support, which allows them to magnetically attach to supported chargers for a simpler connection.

Like the other AirPods on this list, there’s excellent iOS and macOS integration for iPhone and Mac users. The implementation of Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, which supports immersive 3D audio with head tracking, and we found the effect a little off-putting when listening to something and moving around a lot.

To our ears, the sound quality is an improvement over the AirPods 2, but the vocals aren’t as crisply delivered as they are on the Pros. There’s also no noise cancellation, and with the open design that means sound will leak and affect what you’re listening to. They have been replaced by the AirPods 4, which has the same design but also offers noise-cancellation.

The AirPods Max are Apple’s first over-ear pair and their RRP of $549 / £549 instantly makes them more expensive than Sony’s WH-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, but we still found a lot to admire about them.

The design is unique but comfortable to wear with the Apple Watch-like Digital Crown and buttons built into the ear cups instead of gesture controls, an aspect of the headphones we appreciated for the feedback they offered. Unlike the true wireless AirPods, there’s a range of colourful choices to pick from, but the headphones can’t be folded due to their design and the carry case (which also charges the headphones) doesn’t offer much protection and looks silly.

There’s powerful adaptive noise cancellation that rivals that offered by the likes of Sony’s older WH-1000XM4, and there’s the usual fantastic integration with the Apple ecosystem, along with Spatial Audio Dolby Atmos for more immersive listening with Apple Music and some supported apps. Battery is towards the lower end of the market at only 20 hours, so they lack the longevity of other headphones on the market.

We found the audio quality to be excellent, the dual H1 chips and Adaptive EQ producing a balanced sound that impresses across a wide range of music. There’s plenty of bass to count on, while we never found higher frequencies to sound stressed either, and no distortion when the volume is pumped up.

For those who want higher quality audio over Bluetooth, the lack of any Hi-Res Audio support is a mark against it when less expensive Sony and Technics headphones feature that level of support. If you want some of the features of the AirPods Max it’s worth looking at the Beats Studio Pro.

The AirPods 4 are the sequel to the AirPods 3, and come in two versions: one with noise-cancellation, and another without.

The version we tested was the ANC model, and while we had doubts about how well an open-ear design would work with ANC, the AirPods 4 do a surprisingly good job at removing ambient noise. The AirPods Pro 2 are still the better option for noise-cancellation, but if you don’t like that design, the AirPods 4 are your next best bet.

We found the AirPods 4 to be more comfortable to wear than previous models, though the one-size design may not fit all ears as it doesn’t feature any ear-tips to provide a stronger seal. These headphones also use Apple’s Force Sensor for control, though disappointingly there’s no means of controlling the volume on the earbuds.

The AirPods 4 doesn’t have as long a battery life as the AirPods 3, registering four hours with ANC and five without in our tests. But these earbuds have switched from a Lightning connection to USB-C for charging, and there is wireless charging support included to.

There are Apple-specific features such as Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos, which supports immersive 3D audio with head tracking (on Apple Music), quick pairing with iOS devices as well as Audio Sharing, where you can share what you’re listening to with another pair of AirPods. The Conversation Awareness feature isn’t exclusive to iOS devices, as it enables the Transparency mode when you start talking, but we haven’t had much luck in making this feature work.

As long as you’re not looking for audiophile quality sound from the AirPods 4, we think you’ll be happy with the performance of these headphones. They register more in the bass department, the midrange performance is clear, and there’s a bright energy to the treble. Even with ANC they’re a better listen in quieter environments. Nevertheless, in terms of the standard AirPods line, these are the best ones yet.