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Apple just put active noise cancellation in the cheapest AirPods. The AirPods 5 start at $130, which is exactly what the AirPods 4 cost, and those did not have noise cancellation at that price. The AirPods 5 also sound significantly better, and the noise cancellation is a real step up.
I have been living with them for a while now, comparing them side by side with the AirPods 4 and the AirPods Pro 3, and testing them everywhere from my desk to the lawn. Here is my honest take: for most people these are the AirPods to buy, but there is one buying decision Apple made harder than it needed to be, and one situation where you should still spend more.
The best value AirPods Apple has made, as long as you buy the version with the wireless charging case.
- Full, clean sound with bass that hits harder than the AirPods 4
- Noise cancellation better than any AirPods except the Pro 3
- Open fit with no silicone tips, so no plugged-in feeling
- Live translation, Find My, and automatic device switching
- Splitting wireless charging into a $150 case is a needless upsell
- Not as snug in your ears as the Pro 3
- Still lets some leaf blower noise through
- Wireless case does not snap onto MagSafe
Two versions, and the case that matters
The first thing to know is that there are two versions of the AirPods 5. The $130 model comes with a case that can only be charged with USB-C. The $150 model adds wireless charging, a speaker in the case for Find My, swipe-to-adjust volume on the stem, and extra battery life.
I have been listening to the version with the wireless charging case, which you can top up with USB-C, an Apple Watch charger, or a wireless charging pad. It works with the MagSafe pad, but it will not stay magnetically attached to the charger.
Honestly, my biggest complaint with the AirPods 5 is that this split exists at all. Apple should have just put wireless charging in both cases. If you save the money and later wish you had wireless charging, you are stuck. For $20 you get wireless charging, the Find My speaker, swipe volume, and more battery. To me that $20 is absolutely worth spending, and the wireless charging case is the one I would tell you to buy. I go through every difference in $130 vs $150 AirPods 5.
| $130 AirPods 5 | $150 AirPods 5 | |
|---|---|---|
| Case charging | USB-C only | USB-C, Apple Watch charger, or wireless pad |
| Find My speaker in case | No | Yes |
| Swipe volume on stem | No | Yes |
| Battery, ANC on | 4 hours | 5 hours |
| Battery, ANC off | 6 hours | 7 hours |
| Total with case | 20 hours | 22 hours |
Fit and design
The AirPods 5 keep the same open-ear design as before. There are no silicone tips, so they slide into your ear and rest there without sealing it up. That may be exactly what you want if you do not like the plugged-in feeling silicone ear tips are known for.
They look very similar to the AirPods 4. Side by side I thought they were almost the same, and they even sit in each other’s cases slightly differently. The easiest way to tell them apart is the case: the AirPods 5 say “Apple AirPods” on the back, and the AirPods 4 say “Designed by Apple in California.”
They do not stay in your ears quite as well as a sealed earbud. I ran a couple of laps and shook my head around, and they did not fall out, but they feel like they could, and they are not as snug as the Pro 3. For everyday listening they work really well.
Sound quality
The main difference I noticed in the sound is that the low end hits harder on the AirPods 5. That is a little crazy to me, because I thought the AirPods 4 already had a decent amount of bass for an unsealed earbud. These sound a lot fuller without needing as much volume.
Part of that is the better noise cancellation. You do not have to turn them up as loud to appreciate the sound. It is not just the bass, either. Vocals come through clear and the overall sound is very clean. I listened to everything from funk to metal to pop, and it all sounded excellent. The high end is smooth, so nothing gets harsh or fatiguing, and they stay clean even when you turn them up.
You can adjust the sound profile from your iPhone, and the microphones on the inside of the AirPods adapt the EQ to the noise around you.
Noise cancellation, tested outside
Apple says the AirPods 5 block up to 50% more noise than the AirPods 4, and the noise cancellation here is better than any other AirPods besides the Pro 3. I tested that while mowing and weed eating, and they are much better than the AirPods 4. The AirPods 4 did pretty well for mowing but not as well for weed eating. With the AirPods 5 you can barely hear the weed eater.
The one thing that got through was the leaf blower. I could still hear it, but I have that same issue with the Pro 3. Both are significantly better than the AirPods Pro 2 or the AirPods 4 with noise cancellation.
Transparency mode is still here too, letting outside sound in through the external microphones, which is handy when you need to hear what is going on around you.
Battery life
Battery is one of the places the two versions differ. The $130 model gets up to 4 hours of listening with noise cancellation on and 6 hours with it off. The $150 model gets 5 hours with noise cancellation on and 7 hours off. Counting the case, that is 20 hours total for the cheaper version and 22 hours for the wireless case version.
Either way, 5 minutes in the case gives you about an hour of listening, which is super handy if you run into the old AirPods problem where they do not seat all the way in the case and charge.
The Apple features
Both versions get the full set of Apple features: adaptive audio, conversation awareness, transparency, live translation just like the AirPods Pro 2 and Pro 3, and Find My. The upgraded case adds the speaker that makes the case easier to find, which really should be in both.
The one I love most is automatic switching. Pair them once and they work with every device in your Apple ecosystem, moving from your watch to your phone to your iPad to your Mac with no fuss. The device switching just works.
AirPods 5 vs AirPods Pro 3
If you care more about sound quality and noise cancellation, the AirPods Pro 3 are still the better option. You get extra bass from the silicone tips sealing your ears, the highs are crisper, and that seal gives you the best sound isolation you can get in true wireless earbuds. The Pro 3 also sit more securely if you never want to worry about them falling out.
That said, I kept going back and forth between them while mowing, and I kept realizing the AirPods 5 are honestly great earbuds that stack up really well. I break the two down in detail in AirPods 5 vs AirPods Pro 3.
The bottom line
The AirPods 5 are a great value at $130 or $150, and if silicone ear tips bug you, these are the AirPods to get. The sound is phenomenal for an open design, the noise cancellation holds up outside, and you get all the Apple features that made AirPods so popular. I highly recommend them.
Buy the wireless charging case version. The extra features and battery life make it a must in my opinion. Step up to the AirPods Pro 3 only if you want the best seal, the best sound isolation, and a more secure fit. If you are coming from the AirPods 4, see AirPods 4 vs AirPods 5 for whether it is worth upgrading.
If you are weighing AirPods as part of a bigger Apple setup, I also offer free personalized Mac buying recommendations.
