Apple AirPods 5 — Review

Apple is ready to quietly silence naysayers with its latest open-ear wireless earbuds, and the AirPods 5 might just be one of the pleasant surprises of the year. While tech enthusiasts, audiophiles and modern users typically lean toward in-ear monitors with tips for proper isolation and a greater fit, Apple has managed to pull off an impressive feat by bringing effective Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to an open-ear form factor that simply rests the buds on your ear canal.

Replacing the previous-generation AirPods 4, the Apple AirPods 5 come packed with several meaningful performance upgrades, refined ergonomics, and two distinct model tiers designed to cater to different daily usage needs.

At the heart of the AirPods 5 is Apple’s custom high-excursion driver paired with the H2 Chip – the same silicon power processor driving its flagship AirPods Max 2 and AirPods Pro series. Physical durability also gets a slight bump, with the buds sporting an IP57 dust, sweat, and water resistance rating, making them hardy enough to handle intense workouts and sudden tropical downpours, once you get the hang of them, hanging securely on, but not directly in, your ear canal.

On the control front, the earbuds feature dual beamforming microphones and force sensors along the stem for media playback and call handling, but with a distinction for Apple to roll out two separate offerings. The base model AirPods 5 that comes with a standard case features the now-classic pinch-based force sensor stem controls, and it charges via USB-C cable. Then there is the AirPods 5 with the Wireless Charging Case, where the buds come with enhanced force sensors that support swipe gestures for volume on the stem – like those on the AirPods Pro. And it comes with a wireless charging case equipped with an integrated speaker for Apple’s Find My network, for when you will very likely and eventually misplace them.

Due to the differences in features, battery life differs as well. The regular AirPods 5 are rated for up to 6 hours with ANC turned off, and 4 hours with ANC enabled, while the wireless-charging version stretches to up to 7 hours without ANC, and 5 hours with it turned on. Our wireless charging review unit hit that number with ANC, and for it to last an extended stretch, we could depend on the accompanying wireless-charging case that pushed battery life up to 22 hours, which means we could last a little around three days of use on a full charge. Meanwhile, the case on the standard model offers up to 20 hours with ANC on.

At S$219, the wireless charging model only costs slightly more than the standard S$199 version, and also comes with support for Qi and Apple Watch chargers, which makes the extra S$20 easy to justify.

But how do they fit and sound? Weighing just a mere 4.3g per earbud, the AirPods 5 look and feel like the AirPods 4, as both are identical in looks and shape. Each unit’s contoured, open-ear structure sits naturally and comfortably in the ear, without the invasive pressure felt by the in-ear cousins. Once inserted, they sit securely, and you can go for short runs and even shake your head, without fearing that they might drop out.

But where these earbuds shine is with their baffling performance in ANC execution. Because open-ear designs lack a tight physical silicone seal, noise cancellation relies heavily on counter acoustics and some processing prowess to drown out external audio. During our daily commute tests, listening to heavy music tracks, with their heavy, overlapping instruments raised up to 70 per cent volume, easily doused out the standard train announcements, as well as the harsh screeching of train wheels grinding against the rails. And we had to check to make sure we weren’t testing our AirPods Pro 3 models by accident. 

That said, without the customizable ear tips, your ANC mileage will depend on the shape and structure of your ear, and in my ears, these provided noise isolation that surprised me. For my colleague, though, he felt that there was a slight imbalance, where the seal was not as strong in his right ear. 

Otherwise, audio performance itself is solid but with an open-ear design, you’ll get small reminders that not everything sounds right on occasions as some head movements or twitches can affect audio. The soundscape is lively, though, with enough detail to make everyday listening pleasant across various music genres.

The good news is that Apple gives you that flexibility, and the extra controls on the wireless-charging model make the whole experience feel more premium. And for this price, it also comes with the standard Apple features that users have become accustomed to, such as  Live Translation, a real-time language translator for when you’re travelling. For those who leave their earphones on most of the time, Transparency Mode remains a great feature and Apple still delivers the gold standard, with ambient audio pass-through and Conversation Awareness allows you to seamlessly listen when someone talks in your direction, or when you start speaking to someone and can hear their response. 

At this price and with these features, Apple has built one of the finest open-ear wireless earbuds available, packed with solid acoustics and a leading ANC implementation for non-in-ear buds, especially for those who dislike silicone tips.

Product images were shot using a Sony α7 IV Full-Frame Hybrid Camera equipped with the following lenses: Sony FE 90mm F2.8 Macro G OSS and 28-70mm F2 G2 GM.

Zinho De Costa

Abandon Reason Know Only War! Zinho is a shooter fanatic still waiting for direct sequels to Black (2006) and Star Wars: Republic Commandos. He also truly believes that the Warhammer 40K universe can take on any franchise and destroy them. To think any different is heresy and punishable by Exterminatus.