Have you ever found yourself puzzled while choosing the right earbuds? You’re not alone. I was in the same boat, trying to decide between Raycon Earbuds and Apple’s AirPods. It’s a choice many of us face in the bustling world of technology. So, I decided to dive deep and compare these two popular brands myself. From comfort to sound quality, I’ve tested every aspect to help you (and frankly, myself too!) figure out which one truly fits our needs. Join me as we explore these two contenders in a detailed showdown to see who wins the battle of the buds!
Quick Comparison: Raycon Earbuds Vs. AirPods
| Features | Raycon Fitness Earbuds | AirPods Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Design | In-ear Snug Fit | Classic AirPod Design |
| Comfort | Very Comfortable+Lightweight | Not comfortable for prolonged use. |
| Physical Touch Control | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Assistant | Yes | Yes |
| Fitting | Customizable fitting | Universal fitting |
| Extra Gel-Tips | Yes | Yes ( 3 Silicon Tips) |
| Dust & Water Resistance | IPX7 | IPX4 |
| Case Exterior | Plastic | Highly durable material |
| Mic | Yes | Yes |
| Battery life | 8 hours Playtime 32 hours with charging case | 5 hours playtime. 24 hours with charging case. |
| Charging | USB-C Wireless | Apple Charging Port Wireless Charging |
| Charging Time | 2 hours Maximum | 0.5- 1 hour maximum |
| Noise Reduction | Noise Isolation Mild Active Noise Cancellation | Active Noise Cancellation |
| Power Saving mode | No | Yes |
| Companion App | No | Yes (iOS) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.3 |
| PC/PS4 Compatibility | No | No |
| Price | $119 | More Expensive than Raycon $100-$300 |
Detailed Comparison: Raycon Earbuds vs. AirPods
I’ll compare the Raycon Fitness earbuds to AirPods Pro Gen 2 to understand which one’s better.
Let’s get started.
Design Language & Build Quality:
Firstly, let’s compare the design of the two types of earbuds. The Raycon earbuds come in five colors, whereas the AirPods come in only classic white. The Raycon earbuds have a fitness stabilizer or fin that helps fit the earbuds in the ears comfortably, whereas Apple AirPods have no such luxury to provide extra stability.
I tried a shake test on both earbuds and to my surprise, the Raycon Fitness earbuds didn’t fall off in the first few attempts of the rigorous head shaking, whereas the Apple AirPods fell right off in the first attempt.
In addition, the Raycon Fitness earbuds case has a small holder, a carabiner, and two hooks to hang the earbuds with a bag without much trouble. However, the Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2 has no such accessory. You’ll have to carry it in your pocket at all times.
So, in terms of fitness and comfort, Raycon Fitness earbuds have it.
Durability:
Now, let’s talk about the durability of the two earbuds. The Raycon Fitness earbuds have an IPX7, and AirPods Pro Gen 2 have an IPX4 rating. It means that they both are advertised to have splash and sweat resistance, making them suitable for outdoor or during a workout in the gym.
I tested this rating by wearing both earbuds for equal time during a run and observed that they both remained unharmed from sweat trickles.
The build quality of both Raycon and AirPods is durable, whereas the AirPods seem to have a better exterior, scratch- and fingerprint-resistant. I tried a small scratch test on the earbuds case and Raycon because its matte finish had some scratches on the case, whereas the AirPods Case remained unharmed.
In addition, to check the sturdiness of both earbuds, I tried a drop test on the cases from a height of 4 feet on a concrete and carpeted floor. Both earbud cases survived the drop test without damage, making them equally sturdy.
Sound Quality:
Sound quality is crucial in choosing earbuds. The Raycon Earbuds offer three EQ profiles: Bass Boost, Pure Sound, and Balanced Sound, allowing audio customization. In contrast, Apple’s AirPods Pro Gen 2 doesn’t have built-in EQ presets but offers sound customization via the iOS Accessibility settings. In my testing, the Raycon’s Balanced Sound preset resulted in overemphasized bass, leading to a muffled and distorted sound, especially in the mid-range. This issue persisted across other EQ settings.
Conversely, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 delivered a well-balanced audio experience. Its sound profile was warm and balanced, with a clear and punchy bass that didn’t overpower the mids. The AirPods’ adaptive EQ, powered by the H2 chip, automatically adjusts bass and treble based on the music and volume, enhancing the overall listening experience. Additionally, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 features Spatial Audio, creating an immersive experience by adapting the sound to the movement of your head, a feature not available in Raycon Earbuds.
Battery Life:
Battery life is another important factor when choosing the best one for yourself. The AirPods Pro Gen 2 has an advertised battery life of 6 hours for continuous audio playback and 30 hours with the charging case, with five additional charges. In contrast, the Raycon Fitness earbuds have an advertised battery life of 8 hours for continuous playback and 56 hours with the charging case.
So, I tested out the battery life of both the earbuds. The AirPods Pro Gen 2 had the same battery life as advertised for a 50% volume. However, in a similar test, the Raycon Fitness earbuds had better battery life of up to 10 hours.
The results may vary depending on the audio type and the earbuds’ volume. However, the Raycon Fitness earbuds have an impressive battery life.
Mic Quality:
Both the earbuds advertise a crystal clear mic quality for taking calls. To check the mic quality, I tested the mic performance of both the earbuds in indoor and outdoor noisy settings.
Raycon Fitness earbuds and Apple Airpod Pro Gen 2 did a great job in indoor settings. However, the Raycon earbuds’ audio seemed slightly more distorted in the outdoor noisy settings than the Apple AirPods Pro. Both the earbuds could use noise canceling mic for better results in outdoor settings.
Connectivity:
AirPods Pro Gen 2 features Bluetooth 5.3, which has a great connectivity range, lag-free audio transmission, and can be connected to two Apple devices simultaneously. I tried out the Bluetooth range of the Apple AirPods Pro Gen 2 by connecting them with the audio source, took the devices up to 25 feet away in the line of sight, and observed that the music continued without distortion. The connection range for Bluetooth 5.3 is about 334 ft.
On the other hand, the Raycon Fitness earbuds feature Bluetooth 5.0, which is also a good option, but doesn’t have a great connectivity range as AirPods Pro Gen 2. Furthermore, the connectivity range is also shorter for these earbuds, i.e., 154 ft.
Additional Features:
Now, let’s talk about the additional features that both earbuds offer. First, Raycon earbuds have a touch button on the outside, making it easier to control the volume and audio playback and enabling the user to turn the earbuds off and On manually. Similarly, the AirPods have touch control to handle the audio playback, accept and reject calls, and adjust the volume.
However, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 has an auto-pause/play feature that pauses the music when the AirPods are removed from the ears and plays it back on when they are placed back. On the contrary, the Raycon Fitness or any other Raycon earbuds model doesn’t have this feature.
Furthermore, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 comes with a Spatial Audio effect, which allows the audio to position according to the position of your head, producing an immersive listening experience. However, the Raycon earbuds don’t have this feature. Raycon Fitness earbuds offer an IPX7, and AirPods Pro Gen 2 offer an IPX4 rating, which protects the earbuds from water splashes, as I tested against rain and sweat.
Finally, the AirPods Pro Gen 2 has excellent Active Noise Cancellation and blocks various noises. I tested the AirPods in different situations, including the AC unit’s traffic sounds, ambient chatter, and high-pitched hum. I found these earbuds a solid choice to block the noises or for Transparency Mode.
On the other hand, the Raycon Fitness earbuds advertise an Active Noise Cancellation; however, it’s not as good as the AirPods Pro Gen 2. These earbuds do not block out low-frequency noises like the rumbling of engines and high-pitched audio like the hum of an AC unit.
Price:
The AirPods Pro Gen 2 have a price tag of $250, whereas the Raycon Fitness earbuds have a price tag of $120. However, the AirPods Pro is worth the price for all the cool features and amazing audio quality.
Different Models Comparison: Raycon Earbuds vs. AirPods
Let’s compare the Raycon Earbuds models with Apple AirPods models to understand which earbuds stand out.
| Features | Raycon Fitness Earbuds | AirPods Pro (Gen 2) | Raycon Everyday Earbuds | Apple AirPods Pro |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Design | In-ear Snug Fit | Classic AirPod Design | In-ear Snug Fit | Classic AirPod Design |
| Comfort | Very Comfortable+Lightweight | Not comfortable for prolonged use. | Very Comfortable | Comfortable but not for longer hours. |
| Physical Touch Control | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Voice Assistant | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes (Siri) |
| Fitting | Customizable fitting | Universal fitting | Yes Customizable | Universal Fitting |
| Extra Gel-Tips | Yes | Yes ( 3 Silicon Tips) | Yes | Yes |
| Dust & Water Resistance | IPX7 | IPX4 | IPX6 | IPX |
| Case Exterior | Plastic | Highly durable material | Plastic (durable) | durable |
| Mic | Yes | Yes | Yes | yes |
| Battery life | 8 hours Playtime32 hours with charging case | 5 hours playtime.24 hours with charging case. | 8 hours playtime.24 hours with charging case | 5.3 hours.31.8 hours with case |
| Charging | USB-C Wireless | Apple Charging PortWireless Charging | USB-C | Apple Charging PortWireless Charging |
| Charging Time | 2 hours Maximum | 0.5- 1 hour maximum | 2 hours | 1 hour |
| Noise Reduction | Noise IsolationMild Active Noise Cancellation | Active Noise Cancellation | No | Active Noise Cancellation |
| Power Saving mode | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Companion App | No | Yes (iOS) | No | Yes (iOS) |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 | 5.3 | 5.0 | 5.0+H1 chip |
| PC/PS4 Compatibility | No | No | No | No |
| Price | $120 | More Expensive than Raycon$250 | $80 | $240 |
Which One’s Better?
After an in-depth comparison of AirPods and Raycon earbuds, I found the AirPods to be a better option. After conducting various fair tests on both earbuds, the Raycon Earbuds stand out as having a great build quality, comfortable sung fitting, and different sized-gel tips to fit different-sized ears. The material is quite sturdy, with an IPX6 for splash and water resistance and an amazing battery life. However, the sound quality of the Raycon earbuds is a huge turn-down. It has an exaggerated v-shaped sound signature, which means it has overly-emphasized bass, which sounds muddy and muffled with unclear mids and ear-piercing high-frequency audio notes. Furthermore, the earbuds do not have an auto-pause/play feature, Active Noise Cancellation, or a companion app for Equalizer settings.
However, AirPods, on the other hand, has a well-balanced audio signature; some models have spatial audio effects for an immersive listening experience, amazing battery life, an Active Noise Cancellation feature, and Transparency mode for enhancing audio performance.
I’m Shaun Conroy, an audiophile & founder of HiFi Audios. Holding a Bachelor’s in Sound Engineering, I bring deep expertise in audio devices and offer insights & recommendations to fellow enthusiasts.
