“The 5's are pretty good. I live in the city and these cut out about 40%-50% of the noise around. But oddly enough, wind noise is amplified over a non-ANC pair like my beloved 3's (regular plastic-tip version).”

65% of 129 verified owners recommend the Apple AirPods 5, based on real owner verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube.
The headline score reflects owners (Reddit, enthusiast forums), independent lab tests, blogs with no affiliate links, and YouTube owner-comments when they line up with owners. is shown for perspective but kept out here — hover the i for why.
Synthesized from what Apple AirPods 5 owners say — not a spec sheet.
“The 5's are pretty good. I live in the city and these cut out about 40%-50% of the noise around. But oddly enough, wind noise is amplified over a non-ANC pair like my beloved 3's (regular plastic-tip version).”
“these are by far the best airpods apple has made great fit (although the gen 2 are my favorite fit) best sound and has the option of anc / transparency plus the new equalizer is really handy and the volume swipe and extra battery are worth it in my opinion”
“I just got them, the bummer thing is the ANC being too strong I can't stand the pressure in my ears”
“Just bought the 5’s with the upgraded case coming from 1st gen that finally died. Wow, night and day difference. ANC is really good and they sound great”
“I have both APP3’s and AP5’s. The 5’s sound richer to me but don’t fit as well. The right one falls out sometimes so I use the 3’s for activities.”
“I bought them but they do hurt my ear and the left one falls off . even when i was in bed my right one keep falling off that’s do anoying so I’m going to return them.”
“With music on medium to higher volumes this isn’t a problem and even on low volume not all people I’ve talked to are even noticing that noise, but I would only recommend getting the 5s at a store with a good return policy.”
“Upgraded from AP2 - difficult to remove them from the case. Awkward”
“I have had the AirPods 5 for a few days now, and I really enjoy them.”
“I went from AirPods 2 to AirPods 5 and they are so painful after an hour of usage. I’m considering returning them. Also the bass seems way to overpowering even after adjusting EQ”
“the ANC is crazy on these things. coming from the original airpods pros, i was impressed with how much sound they blocked out.”
“I haven‘t noticed any significant differences between the airpods 4 anc and the airpods 5 in terms of noise cancelling or sound quality.”
“Air Pods 5 sound great, They fit well in my right ear, but not in my left ear. So, I use them only at home.”
“For me, I find the fit of the AirPods 5 much better and more comfortable than the AirPods Pro 3.”
“These fall right out of your ears every time. They also are NOT i repeat NOT compatible with the Ipod Touch. Save yourself the aggravation & irritation of returning them.”
“I also went with the 5’s. My pro 2’s left earbud stoppped working so I just bought the 5. The only thing that sucks is that the right one doesn’t stay secured in my ear. This is most likely due to my canal shape though but I do like the sound and fit.”
“I ended up buying the 5’s for casual listening and at the office. I really really like the smaller case which is cool.”
“I just boght them and I dont know what to do with them... I though they are the same like the wired headphones which fit me perfectly and the sole reason I got these.”
“I feel bass is low on 5s and i donot have ios27 since i did not upgrade hence feeling sound a bit flat”
“I just bought airpods 5,and they fit my ears perfectly,they don't fall out,very comfortable!”
“I bought the AirPods 5. As much as I tried to like them , I think my AirPods 4 have better midrange, less V shaped sound profile. I returned the AirPods 5 to Apple.”
“I had the same problem. I went to the Genius Bar, they exchanged them. The new ones sound way better.”
“Have encountered some prob with 5, like -A couple of times, my AirPods have made a crackling or popping sound at the exact moment an incoming call came in, instead of playing the normal ringtone.”
“Prefer these to my pro 3, much comfier no more itchy ears.”
Ranked by the share of owners who recommend each one.
Practical notes owners raise — setup, quirks, and issues to watch for. They don't say whether the person likes the product, so they're not counted in the score, but they inform the pros, cons, and who it's for.
“The 4s battery life is such trash though. The 5s anc magsafe are much better. A meaningful difference in battery life and swiping the stem to change volume are nice.”
“UPDATE: The Find My issue is fixed! My phone and iPad were not updated to the new iOS and a quick check in with Customer Service fixed the issue! Make sure if you buy these AirPods to update your phone✅”
“For the pressure issue after a week it’s disappear. and especially in daily life use (subway / bus / walking in the street) you won’t feel it anymore as if you put music or listening to you video, you will enjoy ANC even more”
“That sucks. I wish you luck with the 5s then, because those are “one size fits all” unless you spend money on third party attachments.”
“It's absolutely ridiculous that they even made the cheaper version TBH. Who gives AF about saving $20 if you have the budget for $100+ airpods?? They should have just made one version only IMHO - the one with the wireless charging case.”
“they fit the exact same as the 2nd gen’s (in my opinion) maybe even better actually. they don’t feel as big in the ear”
“Yeah, for a design without sealing off your ears, it’s very impressive. Road noise, constant humming noises or AC fans etc. are blocked very effectively. More dynamic noises like from a construction site loud background chatter isn’t cancelled very well.”