When comparing Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B vs Apple Airpods, the Slant community recommends Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B for most people. In the question“What are the best headphones?” Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B is ranked 53rd while Apple Airpods is ranked 73rd. The most important reason people chose Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7B is:
The microphone has good clarity and can actually be used for tasks other than talking on the phone - like recording podcasts on the go for example.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Exceptional mic
The microphone has good clarity and can actually be used for tasks other than talking on the phone - like recording podcasts on the go for example.
Pro Comes with two different cords
One cord comes with an inline mic and with controls, and the other cord is your standard audio cable. This inclusion not only allows you to pick a cable to best suit your use-case for the headphone, but this also ensures that you have a spare cable should one get damaged.
Pro Good bass reproduction, warm mids and smooth highs
The bass of these headphones is pretty good. Bass drum hits have good power to them, yet they do not muddy up the sound. The mids are warm and forward, and should present vocals and mid-range sounds quite well. The highs do not have a lot of sparkle, but they are clear and present a good level of detail.
Pro Can effectively cancel out noise
With these headphones it will be much easier for you to focus on your music, or whatever it is that you are listening to. Combined with the closed back design, airplane/train/bus engine noises are effectively cancelled out.
Pro A good number of accessories are included
Along with the two headphone cables, you get a carrying case, an airline adapter and a 6.3mm plug. These should help make the headphones easier to transport and also make them compatible with a wider range of audio sources.
Pro Lightweight
These come in at only 4 grams per earpiece. The absence of a connecting cable further minimizes the weight.
Pro True wireless
There is no band or cable connecting the earpieces. You won't have to deal with the noise caused by a cable rubbing against your clothes or body.
Pro Bass-light sound signature with good clarity
These headphones do produce some low-end, but the bass does not come with a lot of power and oomph. The highs and mids are good though. They are not too forward and present a nice level of clarity. Most genres of music will sound good with these, though bass heavy tracks like dance, hip-hop, EDM and the like may sound lacking.
Pro Easy to connect with Apple devices
Thanks to the proprietary connectivity chip used, the Airpods sync to Apple devices without a hitch. This is a noticeable advantage over many third-party wireless headphones where you might need to go through a lot of steps just to get them synced properly.
Pro Signal stability and quality is great
The signal cuts-off only on very few occasions. Generally, you should have a stable wireless listening experience. Also, there is no noticeable lag between what is happening on screen and when you get to hear the sound from these headphones when watching videos.
Pro Microphone sound quality is good
Voices sound clear and full so conversations will not be an issue.
Cons
Con Requires an amp for optimal volume/sound quality
If you really want to get the best sound quality as well as volume from these headphones then you will need a decent headphone amp. The impedance of these headphones is quite high at 300 Ohms, so these require a good bit of power to function optimally.
Con Can get uncomfortable for people with larger ears
The ear cups of these headphones are quite compact, and may rub against the ears of some users, which can get quite uncomfortable.
Con Limited controls
There are only two control gestures (double tap on either one of the two Airpods), which is enough for basic running (where you might only skip a song once in a while), but less than any other headphones with inline controls.
Con If you get sweaty ears, there is a good chance these will fall out
Con Bass may be too light
If you listen to a lot of bass heavy tracks or if you want all of your music to have great low-end punch then the bass reproduction may be too thin for you.
Con Hard to acquire
In most places of the world, you need to wait about 6 weeks to get your hands on these.