Everyone has music in their life in some shape or form. We all have our most favored tracks and podcasts. Some of us even listen to our books instead of reading them.
Listening to something you are interested in or that you love makes commutes better and our lives easier. It helps to tolerate the modern world, as well as to get things done. Because of this, it is reasonable that you want to have the best audio experience possible.
The absolute greatest sound quality can be achieved only with a full set of earphones, but those tend to be heavy, awkward, and bulky. Not ideal for catching a crowded subway… But that’s where earbuds come in!
There are many players in the arena when it comes to earbuds, but two stand out among the rest: Raycon and Apple. Let’s take a look at the strengths and weaknesses of each company’s selection.
Raycons vs Airpods: Compared
If we’re comparing these products to each other, then the new Airpod Pro’s actually have a better quality of sound than the Raycon E55’s.
However, if you’re looking for earbuds for exercising, the Raycon Earbuds are the better choice of the two, as they are sweat resistant.
They are also the better choice for those who don’t already have a lot of Apple products, as they’re cheaper, and have a similar sound quality to Airpods.
Airpods are primarily good for those that have an iPhone and want a set of earbuds to match, as Apple products are all easily used with each other; iPad, iPhone, Mac, Airpods etc.
But for the most part, the difference between these two sets of earbuds isn’t that dramatic – neither brand have many bulky headphones you can choose from, and they do specialize in earbuds.
Let’s check out the ways these two are different in a little more detail.
Raycon
Raycon makes a good variety of sound playback devices, ranging from speakers to headphones and earbuds. They are well known for making good quality products that last a long time.
The most well known Raycon Earbuds are the E55’s, also known as the Performers. They have superb audio quality and they’re pretty solid when it comes to noise isolation too, so you don’t need to worry about upsetting people around you.
Their superior sound quality is probably the main thing people purchase them for, though.
Raycon has gotten a lot of good reviews about their audio spectrum – meaning that their tech has a really good range of high sounds, as well as low (bass!).
Let’s weigh up their earbud selection in full so you can find the best wireless listening experience for your needs.
E25 True Wireless Earbuds
With a battery life of up to 6 hours (playback time), these are just the cheapest ($80) of the lineup from Raycon. They are water-resistant, which means that you won’t have to worry about the rain seeping in and frying its circuitry.
These earbuds are easy to sync with your phone and can take calls on, as well as having a good, minimal design.
The issue with Raycon earbuds like these is that they struggle with noise cancellation, and for many people, noise cancellation is a feature that most audiophiles will want.
For practicality, a better battery life is something many ask for, but for that you’ll probably have to spend a little more of your budget.
E55 True Wireless Earbuds
Very similar to the above, with water resistance and easy sync. In addition to the E25, these come with a charging case, altogether coming to 36 hours of playback (including the charge from the case).
They are also easy to charge just by placing on a wireless Qi charging mat. The E55 is available in several colors and can be bought online for about $100.
The Raycon E55 earbuds are some of the bestselling earbuds that you can find online, so it’s no surprise that they have their fair share of fans. What’s good about them?
Well, they’re specifically designed for people who are looking for a set of earbuds that they can exercise in. This is one of the main problems with Apple airpods – they’re great for walking and day to day activities, but they’re not good for exercising in.
E100 True Wireless Earbuds
The E100 are Raycon’s sports earbud entry. They are designed to stay in your ear even through strenuous exercise, and they will last despite heavy sweating.
For about $120, you get the earbuds and the charging dock case, so you can still charge them while you are out and about. These are the most highly rated of all the Raycon earbuds, likely due to their comfortable shape and their amazing battery life.
Raycon E100 earbuds can be bought for a very decent price, even tho Raycon have been established for years.
The Jaybird X4 earbuds are Jaybird’s mid-range earbuds that released in 2016. Let’s find out how they stack up with Jaybird’s premium and value offerings.
The Jaybird X4 sports some interesting features, including a microphone integrated into the Jaybird logo (which is kind of cool), an inline controller nearly identical to that used by Jaybird BlueBuds X, Jaybird Freedom (no “XT”), and Jaybird Victory earbuds.
The Jaybirds are compatible with both iOS and Android devices as well as being sweatproof and water resistance which seems to be the standard these days for quality wireless headphones.
Jaybird advertises the X4s as having 8 hours of battery life at high volume use/5 hours at low volume use.
Raycon E100 earbuds is a bit pricey in comparison to their cheaper models, but as RayCon offer 5 or 10 years warranty depending where you buy it, RayCon try to keep their customers happy for life with the addition of that quality guarantee.
RayCon E100’s themselves come highly recommended by consumers who have purchased them as they are very comfortable to wear and don’t fall out your ears when running etc., which makes them great if you enjoy listening to music.
Apple Airpods
Apple is ubiquitous in the world of tech. They make everything from phones to tablets and of course, earbuds.
Apart from a wide range of Beats earbuds and headphones, they also sell their own brand earbuds: Apple Airpods. There are two versions on the market at the moment, the simple Airbuds set and the Airbuds Pro set.
Both are available with and without the charging case (you can get a wireless or a wired charging case).
Apple was one of the first to make wireless earbuds, so it stands to reason that they have the most experience in this area, and, by extension the best product. Let’s take a look at both their buds.
Airpods
Airpods battery will hold out for about 5 hours of playback time, with more if you buy the charging case as well (more on that later).
These are quite sophisticated in design and functionality, with proximity sensors that will halt your music if you take the earbuds out, and voice control via Siri.
They are very easy to connect to your phone, tablet or laptop with just a tap. You can buy the Apple Airpods online for $199 with the wireless case, and $159 with the normal case.
Airpods Pro
The Pro version has all the stuff that the normal version has, but with extra bells and whistles (as you would expect). For one, they have active noise cancellation.
This means that the earbuds will create the exact opposite soundwave to the sound that is interfering from the outside, like for example traffic or someone’s voice, and thus cancel out the background noise.
Aside from the excellent sound quality, something else that makes the Apple Airpods Pro stand out is the battery life. You can use these earphones for hours without having to worry about the battery life running down.
This is a relatively new technology in earbuds and is certainly worth the money, especially if public transport is part of your daily life. Airpods Pro also has transparency mode, which allows all noise-canceling effects to be switched off.
This way you can still hear what is going on around you. Lastly, there is a force sensor on the stem for control of music playback and Airpod functions.
The price for this with the wireless charging case is $250. The Airpods Pro have proven to be pretty popular, though they do tend to fit into your ear canal perfectly.
They also have a battery performance, which isn’t usually the case with Bluetooth earbuds. Plus, they have additional noise cancellation, which can stop you from annoying others when playing music.
Wireless Charging Case vs. Regular Charging Case
Apple Airpods can be bought with one of the two charging cases: wireless or regular. Both the Airpods and the Airpods Pro can be used with either case.
The difference between the two cases is that the wireless can be charged using a Qi wireless charging pad, while the normal cannot.
They will both hold a charge for up to four recharges of the earbuds. The price difference between the earbuds with the wireless charging case and the normal is $40.
The wireless case can be bought separately at the moment, but the normal case can’t. However, the Airbuds Pro come with a wireless case anyway, so it’s likely you won’t want to downgrade.
Raycon & Airpods – Common FAQs
Are Airpods worth the price?
A common question people have about Apple Airpods is whether they’re worth the price, which is pretty high. For many people, they may not be worth the price, as you can get similar quality headphones for a cheaper price. But, you are paying a premium for the Apple brand.
Do Airpods fall out?
Contrary to what you might think, Apple Airpods don’t actually fall out all of the time, and you don’t need to worry about losing them. However, some people find the ear tips of the Apple Airpod Pros to be a little different than the standard original ones.
Do Raycons have a mic?
Not all Raycon earbuds have an in-built mic, but many of the newer models do. It is worth checking that they have a mic before purchasing them. All Airpods do have a mic, however.
Are Airpods waterproof?
Although you’re unlikely to damage your Apple airpods by going out in the rain with them in, they aren’t entirely waterproof. So, it’s worth taking care of them to avoid getting them water damaged.
Can I swim with Raycon earbuds?
Although Raycon advertise their earbuds are water resistant, this doesn’t mean that you can go swimming with them. This means that they are sweat and rain proof, but not if you submerge yourself in water.
Which to Get? – Conclusion
It’s undoubtedly a hard decision to make, but if the price is a major factor, then you should go for Raycon. The earbuds they make are comfortable, sound amazing, and are a lot friendlier to a tight budget.
If you already have a lot of devices within the Apple ecosystem, then it might make more sense to buy their earbuds as well. The design is classic Apple sleek, and the functionality definitely tops that of the Raycon earbuds.
For the best quality sounds, you can choose either brand. Raycon has been one of the best in the sound playback industry for a while. Their sounds are so high quality that even their earbuds are better than many other brands’ headphone quality. With Apple, however, you are buying something that is tried and tested.
And, of course, if you buy the Apple Airpods Pro, then you are also getting active noise cancellation. That is something that not many earbuds have yet, including any of the Raycon ones.
Last update on 2022-09-07 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
