Not Apple Alone: Worthy AirPods Competitors

The Meizu brand pleases its fans not only with smartphones balanced in price and quality, but also with accessories to them. Meizu POP headphones are the answer to the famous AirPods, which have already been appreciated by many "meizumans" and just adherents of comfortable portable sound.

Unlike AirPods, POP does not have characteristic long arms, these are intra-channel sports models with IPx5 moisture protection. Bathing them in water, of course, is not worth it, but a little rain or drops of sweat will not be terrible to them. For additional protection, silicone cases are included in the kit, which you can put on headphones and worry even less about their safety.

Ear pads of different sizes provide a reliable "fit" in the ear, so that the headphones do not fall out during walking or training.

Since the model is wireless, Meizu has worked hard on battery life. The compact plastic case has a built-in 700 mA battery that allows you to charge the headphones 4 times. Each charge will take an hour and a half, after which the "plugs" can be used for about 3 hours. That is, in total, the case provides battery life to the headphones for up to 12 hours. It itself is charged from a USB-C cable or wireless charging for about 2 hours. The external dot indication shows how much charge is left in the battery of the case.

There are a couple of comments on charging the case. Firstly, for some reason the Type C is located at the bottom of the case, and not on the side, that is, the case will have to be charged only on the side, and secondly, not every wireless charging will be able to charge. You need to check compatibility.

Otherwise, there are no complaints about the case, the headphones in it are tightly held on magnets, and are conveniently removed from the sockets when the lid is opened.

Turning to the characteristics of the sound, we immediately note that it is low-cost. Not worse than in AirPods, and even better for someone, but neither aptX, nor, moreover, aptX HD, or LDAC codec Meizu POP do not support, only the usual Bluetooth SBC standard. This means that it is pointless to talk about any detail, frequency study.

You can hardly distinguish a double bass from a bass guitar, and high ones are simply not able to accurately draw the textures of live instruments. Things are better with medium frequencies, there are no complaints about the vocal transmission, but the overall scene is blurred. However, considering that Miezu Pop was created for active people, as well as as a headset, there are no comments on these issues. The sound is well separated from external noises, which is especially important during training, in the gym or on the street, and the audibility of the interlocutor during a conversation is quite clear.

The headphones can be used separately. But the right one is a priority. If you hide it in a case, the left earphone will not work.

Touch control is conveniently implemented. With a light touch to any of the headphones, you can adjust the volume, rewind tracks, turn on voice control, accept/reject calls. The set of functions depends on the capabilities of your smartphone or player. You should get used to the control in order to avoid accidental touches and sensor triggers.

Meizu POP cannot be considered a tracing paper with AirPods and even more so positioned as the "killer of the Apple device", they are different and attractive in their own way. But the main thing is that they are significantly cheaper (from $80), and here AirPods definitely lose.

JBL from Harman is considered the flagship in the world of sound. Its portable acoustics are distinguished by an expressive bass sound and good battery life. The Free headphone model combines the best qualities that the brand is proud of.

You can't call AirPods JBL Free a direct competitor. If only because they are intra-channel, and they sound better. Fans of the brand will hear in them the same trademark JBL sound with an assertive elastic bass and an accentuated rhythm section.

The advantages of the model do not end there. IPx5 protection allows you to play sports without worrying about contact with copious sweat, and silicone covers and ear pads provide a reliable fixation in the ear. Let's just say that if you shake your head, the Free Ones won't fall out, but you still shouldn't run in them.

Since the headphones are devoid of any wires, in order not to lose them, it is better to always carry a case with you. Moreover, it performs not only the function of a case, but also a charger. The built-in battery has a capacity of 1500 mA, which makes it possible to charge each earphone fully 6 times. And given the battery life of operation from a single charge of 3.5 – 4 hours, it is easy to calculate that after charging the case completely, you will be able to use headphones for up to 24 hours. However you will have to take 2-hour breaks for a full recharge, but if anything, the fast charging function allows you to charge the headphones for an hour of work in just 15 minutes.

JBL Free has touch controls that allow you to intuitively and simply control the functions of track playback, volume, calls, and even Siri and Google Now voice mode.

The lead earphone is on the right. That is, it is he who connects to the device, and then transmits the signal to the left "ear". This means that the model supports mono and stereo modes. The first one is automatically turned on when the call is accepted. For some users, this may cause some inconvenience. For example, a person is used to putting the phone to his left ear, and the sound comes only from the right earphone. In this case, the stereo mode can be turned on forcibly. And headphones will not appeal to fans who often switch between devices. There is no Multipoint support in them.

Despite such subjective shortcomings, JBL Free, nevertheless, are good, they are not inferior to AirPods in battery life, and they definitely surpass them in sound. Well, they are cheaper, about $150. Also an argument.

Huawei smartphones have proven themselves as excellent, functional and ergonomic gadgets, and headphones are not far behind them. FreeBuds CM-H1 was created as a competitor to AirPods and eventually managed to take away a considerable piece of the market from the "apple" flagship.

Externally, FreeBuds resemble AirPods. They have a similar long leg, but unlike the Apple device, the Huawei model is in-channel. This means that it cuts off external noises well and sits deep in the ear. However, the complete ear pads are not so hot, because of them, the headphones may not sit tight enough and fall out with sudden movements, so they are not suitable for sports. But in bad weather they will come just right. IP54 protection allows you to use the products even in the rain. They pass the test for contact with water without any problems.

Like all fully wireless models,Free Buds have a compact charging case. It is offered in the colour of headphones and can be not only white, as in the case of AirPods or Meizu Pop, but also black. The case is oblong in shape, made of matte plastic, pleasant to the touch and fits comfortably in the front pocket of jeans. But in terms of battery life, he does not spoil too much.

The built-in battery ensures the headphones work for up to 9 hours. This is almost 3 times less than the AirPods case offers. FreeBuds work for up to 3 hours from one charge, and they charge for half in just 15 minutes, and this significantly saves the situation. The full charging cycle of the case itself is 1.5 hours.

Modest battery life fades into the background when you start listening to music. The sound of Free Buds is pleasant. Clean and accented in the middle and upper ranges. This sound is achieved through the use of two types of emitters: dynamic and armature, as well as support for the AAC codec. Free Buds can't boast of anything else in terms of sound, but they sound an order of magnitude better than AirPods and Meizu POP, and this is already a success.

And yet, first of all, Free Buds is a high-quality headset and only then headphones for listening to music. By the way, touch control does not support rewinding tracks, only through a voice assistant. And this is a clear inconvenience for music lovers. But there is an interesting, although not the most necessary option — mute when removing the earphone from the ear — the built-in accelerometer is triggered.

On older firmware, there may be delays in syncing audio with video, but for android it is proposed to install the proprietary software Free Buds Assistant and upgrade to the latest version, which fixes almost all problems.

Free Buds is significantly cheaper than AirPods and even slightly cheaper JBL Free , so Huawei fans and those who are looking for a profitable alternative to the Apple gadget will definitely like it.

In the second half of 2018, Huawei's Honor brand pleased fans with many new products, the most anticipated of which were FlyPods, another fully wireless headphones after Free Buds.

To begin with, we note that the model was originally supposed to be released under the name Huawei FreeBuds 2, but for some reason the company decided to replay everything. As a result, FlyPods began to look more like AirPods externally, added battery life, and left a number of key functions of FreeBuds, for example, an accelerometer that turns off the earphone if it is removed from the ear.

FlyPods almost completely repeat the form factor of AirPods, they are also earbuds, only not with round legs, but oval. I am also pleased with several colour options, not just white and black.

The model supports Bluetooth 5.0. The left earphone is used to launch the voice assistant, the right one allows you to control music playback, although, as in FreeBuds, there is still no track rewinding function. But there is protection from moisture and sweat IP54. And she is not afraid of even decent rain.

The battery life is the same as that of FreeBuds — 3 hours, but with a case it takes up to 20 hours. The case turned out to be slightly larger than in AirPods, more faceted in shape, but just as neat. You can charge it both via USB-C and wirelessly, and in just 20 minutes, thanks to fast charging technology. What I didn't like was the lack of charge indication on the smartphone for "non-native" models, only a dot indication on the case itself.

By sound, everything is expected, it is almost the same as in AirPods, except that it is more dense and legible at medium frequencies. Low and high are quite predictable, as for inserts. The bass is present, but distantly, the tops are squeaking. But the volume level is excessive. At the maximum sensitivity level of 120 dB, many may feel discomfort.

In addition to the standard version, we note FlyPods with the prefix Pro. Their main difference and feature is the support of BoneID technology, a user authentication system that uses bone conduction technology to improve sound reproduction. And headphones can also be used to unlock a paired smartphone and to confirm payments. Also in the Pro there is a Yoyo voice assistant, with which you can, in particular, control the playback of music.

If FlyPods costs about $115, then you will have to pay $35 more for the Pro version. But even this is significantly less than the cost of AirPods and suggests that the Apple gadget has a powerful competitor.

The flagship killer among smartphones, Xiaomi has finally reached true wireless headphones. The novelty of the end of 2018 Mi AirDots is designed to "tear to shreds" AirPods on all fronts. And if Xiaomi's victory is quite predictable in terms of cost ($45 – $50), there are questions about other characteristics. So, let's get started.

Mi AirDots are positioned as headphones for young people. They are light, compact, comfortable, fit snugly in the ear, made of matte soft-touch plastic. The form factor is rather reminiscent of Meizu Pop, also intra-channel and without legs. The colour is offered so far only white. But, I think, in the future, Xiaomi will expand the range of colours.

Protection from moisture and sweat is not stated, but for such a price, its presence would be a gift. But AirDots are almost close to AirPods in terms of battery life. 4 hours in stereo mode and 5 in mono (one earphone) — a very good result. But the battery capacity of the case does not spoil the battery life, you can charge the headphones three times in it, however, quite quickly, in just half an hour.

The model claims Bluetooth 5.0 support. And although not all smartphones work on this version, 4.2 is also suitable.

Touch control supports a minimal set of functions, without switching tracks and adjusting the volume. This will have to be done, either manually from the device, or with the help of a voice assistant.

We did not expect good sound from Bluetooth headphones for $50 without aptX support, even taking into account the manufacturer's statement about super bass 7 mm drivers. But we were pleasantly surprised when he, this very sound, turned out to be no worse than in Meizu Pop. The scene is presented relatively legibly, especially in those compositions where there is no wide instrumental mix. The microphone also writes acceptably, quite clearly and almost without distortion.

This is probably all, but there is already a lot of this for AirDots. There are, of course, shortcomings, such as a small out-of-sync of sound and video, or the periodic fall off of one earphone from another, but all of them will surely be solved by updating the firmware.

It is unlikely to be possible to "kill" AirPods Mi Dots, even despite the 5-fold difference in cost, but they will definitely occupy their niche and quite wide, guaranteed to displace Meizu Pop in the market.