---
title: 'The One Apple Product I Fanboy Over'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=DLOQOUWmRpI'
video_id: 'DLOQOUWmRpI'
date: 2026-09-24
duration_sec: 715
channel: 'Linus Tech Tips'
---

# The One Apple Product I Fanboy Over

> Source: [The One Apple Product I Fanboy Over](https://youtube.com/watch?v=DLOQOUWmRpI)

## Summary

The video is a review of the Apple AirPods 5, highlighting their improved features, lower starting price, and the addition of a system-wide EQ, while also criticizing the lack of Android support and the limitations of the new EQ. The reviewer ultimately recommends the AirPods 5 as a great value, especially the upgraded model, and notes the unification of design across the AirPods lineup.

### Key Points

- **Introduction and Initial Impressions** [00:00] — The reviewer initially wrote 1,800 words about the AirPods 5, finding them very interesting, particularly due to their price. They express a love-hate relationship with Apple, loving the AirPods but hating the removal of the 3.5mm jack.
- **Pricing and Value Proposition** [00:15] — Despite silicon shortages and tariffs, Apple delivered a better product at a lower starting price of $129. The AirPods 5 offer all-day battery life, adequate sound quality, and outstanding active noise cancellation, making them a compelling value.
- **Sound Quality and Bass** [07:12] — The AirPods 5 have impressive bass for an open-ear design, which is a notable accomplishment. However, the non-ceiling design means sound perception varies based on individual ear physiology.
- **New EQ Feature** [07:39] — Apple introduced a native, system-wide EQ for the first time, but it only has three bands, which the reviewer finds too limited. They humorously suggest Apple's design choice is to keep things simple for 'adult-sized babies.'
- **Lack of Android Support** [08:24] — The reviewer criticizes Apple for not providing accommodations for Android users, such as the ability to update firmware or monitor battery levels without additional Apple products. They call the solution of visiting an Apple Store 'profoundly disappointing.'
- **Recommendation and Model Choices** [09:20] — The reviewer recommends the $150 upgraded model for its extra battery life, wireless charging case, and on-ear force sensor. They appreciate that the $130 model is available for those who don't need these features, and that Apple has not paywalled active noise cancellation.
- **Unified Design Across Lineup** [09:44] — Apple has unified the aesthetics of the AirPods and AirPods Pro, removing the status symbol of the Pro model. The reviewer finds this a positive change, making the products more affordable and less ostentatious.

### Conclusion

The AirPods 5 are a significant upgrade, offering excellent value with their lower price and improved features. Despite some limitations like the restricted EQ and lack of Android support, they are a strong recommendation for most users.

## Transcript

You know, it's funny, I sat down, I wasn't sure how much I was going to have to say about these, and then I wrote, like, 1,800 words. They're very interesting. The price makes them very interesting. While I may hate that Apple took away my 3.5mm jack, I love that they gave me AirPods.
And after spending the last week with the AirPods 5, I think these might be the most exciting ones yet. At a time when silicon shortages, import tariffs, not to mention out-of-control fuel costs, have sent prices spiraling on everything from computer memory to softwood lumber,
Apple has delivered a better product across the board at, somehow, a lower starting price. Just $129 with all-day battery life, adequate sound quality, and truly outstanding active noise cancellation inside your pocket.
Seriously, guys, show me the Apple tasks here, and I'll show you an Apple hater. They are just that good. Not perfect, I mean. It's me, baby. Of course I can find something wrong with them. But looking at the bigger picture, I'm not sure if any of it matters.
Not nearly as much as this segue matters. To our sponsor. After the break, we will see the final results of the Tech Minister Dog Show, where Pembroke, Texas, Rick looks to upstage fan-favorite perfect PC upgrade material,
the Sonic Focus GX1000. So don't turn that dial. Every time I go back to regular AirPods from the pros,
I'm struck by just how compact this case is. Like, it makes the Pro 3 feel like clunky, first-generation true wireless buds by comparison, and yet, Apple still manages to pack 20-plus hours of extra ANC listening into this bad boy,
a built-in speaker to help find it in between the couch cushions, and on the upgraded model, you get wireless charging to go along with the basic USB-C port that charges up the king so fast that it's unlikely to ever bother you.
I do have my complaints. The ultra-wideband chip that makes it easier to find your AirPods Pro's with high precision is still absent here, and I'm not a fan of the removal of the physical pairing button that used to be on the back.
Yes, I know, this isn't a new thing, it was already a thing on the 4s. I just, I don't like it. There's so many Bluetooth things in my life, and I don't want to memorize how to shake this one or knock on that one. Just give me your button, please.
Everybody, thank you. Taking earphones out, we get pretty much the same physical design as last gen. Short stems and a really comfortable but non-feeling fit that is just, okay, I said this already, but it bears repeating, so comfortable.
The mileage may vary a little bit, but for me, it really does feel like wearing nothing at all. And I'm not even the kind of person who minds your in-ear canal silicone ear tips, but these are so light and so easy to forget about that I would say they even surpass my previous favorites my AirPods Pro 2 when it comes to daily wear comfort And I even surpass them in noise cancellation as well at least in certain circumstances
Even as I was typing this, I could hear the tap, tap, tap of my thumbs on my phone screen that would have been masked by the silicone tips on the Pros. I actually couldn't hear that train.
I was like, why is he stopping me? That's how good they are. What a moment to capture right now, like, seriously. And yet, for other background noises, I never thought that open-air AMC could be this good.
My son was walking around while I was writing it, could barely hear, my HVAC system completely disappeared, even louder stuff like my vocal vacuum was so quiet that if I had literally any music playing in them,
there is no way that I could tell you if it was funny or not. Something that's unresolved from previous AirPods, though, in spite of a much better noise cancellation overall, is the small shifts that are caused by anything from bumping your AirPods with your hand
as you brush your hair away, or tapping at them to interact with the volume control. It sets them on a bit of a reset that needs a couple of seconds for the ANC to kick back in. I found that even something as small as, like, the audio could unseat them enough
that it would cause ambient noise to make through. Also, because they use a non-sealing design, the 5s are utterly incapable of handling even light ear protection duties like the Pro Champ.
I tried it out for lols, because, you know, it's my job, and I can confidently say that a table saw or any kind of power tool is going to easily overwhelm the noise cancellation. Do not use them for that.
Battery life is another area where the AirPods 5s feel weak compared to the Pro 3s. Apple rates the two models of these for either 4 hours or 5 hours of ANC playback on a single charge, which was enough on most days, but I did have one particularly long tour day where I was all over the house
working on everything from the chicken coop to lighting automations and home assistant, and it wasn't convenient to turn on speakers wherever I happened to be. Well, hey, that's what AirPods are pretty much made for. And I did run out of battery life on that day when my pros would have powered through it.
The good news, though, is that Apple's advertised one hour of battery life per five minutes in the charging case seems to be pretty well near accurate. Another place the reduced battery life affected me though was sleeping. I'm an earphone sleeper and my pros will usually make it through the morning.
These, I mean, not unless I'm only sleeping for 4-5 hours. And it was hardly even an issue anyway because well before the 4 hours was up, they would have fallen out of my ears anyway.
Definitely not for sleeping, but hey, if that's a use case that's very important to you, you might want to consider something more specialized like the Oslo sleep buds instead. I'll top it by the way. Also, can you please stop sending me those emails? I already have your earphones.
By the way, guys, let me know if you want to see a review of those. They were a pretty nice upgrade over the last gen. Anywho very often when I review something that takes the place of a product that I daily drive I feel compelled to keep my version of it in my back pocket just for comparison for convenience in case I need to actually enjoy the things I doing
You know, stuff like that. This, however, was not one of those times. The AirPods 5s are small, they work great, they stay in well, even if not quite as well as something with a silicone tip, and they just generally feel like they're all you really need at a much lower price.
And as for the pros, well, they just feel extra. even if those extras might be quite meaningful to you, like the hearing aids that are under-boosting or the integrated heart rate monitor. Of course, this entire comparison is moot if the sound quality on these sucks though, isn't it?
So, how is that? Well, if you want to get empirical, the guy to look to is DMF. He's been guest-hosting some really great videos around our Short Circuit channel, and he's been lending his expertise to our upcoming headphone podcast.
Did I just leak that? Don't worry about it. The point is, he'll have full measurements over there. As for my impressions, I would say the sound could be best described as basic, but fun. There are things to complain about.
I was listening to a bit of 9 to 5, rest in peace, Ms. Parton, and I would have liked to have her vocals a little less overwhelmed by the hi-hat and the bass guitar on either side, but that's a sound signature that a lot of people like,
and to Apple's credit, packing this much bass punch to the point where I wouldn't even want to complain about it into an open-ear earphone is an accomplishment that is worthy of respect, whether you like a lot of bass or not. It's also worth noting that not everyone is going to have the same experience with these.
This is a non-ceiling design, so there's going to be a fair bit of variation in how things are perceived by folks with different ear physiology. And besides, if you want to tune things, you can, to a degree.
After 10 years with iOS 27, Apple has finally delivered what audiophile AirPods enjoyers have wanted since the beginning, A native, operating system-wide EQ. Except, of course, they did it in the most Apple-made possible.
We imagine the average adult iPhone user is having the competence and body of a large baby. Like an adult-sized baby. So while 31 or even 10-band EQ might have been ideal, we only included three.
So it's easier for pudgy big baby fingers to use. Not to mention how clean it looks. Isn't it stunning? So there's still some room for improvement there. We don't have nearly enough granularity to boost up this mid-range scoop
that manifests as the kind of muted vocals that I was describing before, but hey, at least they're allowing us to do this at all, right? Baby steps! Where we unfortunately aren't getting any baby steps is accommodations for Android users, though.
Once again, Apple is holding firm in their belief that if you want access to basic functionality, must be the ability to monitor battery levels or update your device firmware. You're just going to have to suck it up and buy even more Apple products.
Yes by the way I am aware that you can take your AirPods to the Apple Store to update the firmware but I don consider that to be a reasonable solution because not everybody lives close to an Apple Store Also that just ridiculous because maybe I don want to go to an Apple Store
No, that's a profoundly disappointing solution, especially for a company that had its origins in the hacker maker space. Yeah, I'm afraid of that. I'm going to buy them anyway. And so will you because the AirPods 5s are freaking awesome.
Personally, I would spring for the upgraded model for $150 US dollars. It's got an extra hour of battery life per charge, the wireless charging case with the slightly bigger battery, and the on-ear force sensor for changing the volume with the flight.
But I also love that the $130 model is available as an option for anyone who doesn't need all of that, or for kids who are likely to lose them anyway, and that Apple has no longer paywalled their active noise cancellation.
Like, it's from the entry-level product. It's so cool. And speaking of kids, I also love that Apple has nearly completely unified the aesthetics across both their AirPods and their AirPods Pro lineups
to the point where there's no real status symbol anymore for having the Pro one. Like, seriously, can you tell which of my ears has a regular one and which one has a Pro? Unless you're absolutely obsessive.
It's a small thing, but it just makes life that little bit more affordable in these trying times. Speaking of affordable, here's something you can have for free. A segue to our sponsor. Yes, yes, Pepe the Wonder Poodle put up a phenomenal showing, just phenomenal, truly magnificent.
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And to nobody's surprise, in first place, Sea Sonic has shown up once again with a Focus GX-1000, A power supply that has that dog in it. Truly magnificent.
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Yes, yes. I believe that is true. And do you know what I love about this Focus GX1000? The hybrid fan control keeps it both cool and silent. You can't say that about some of these other poochers, can you?
No you can't Hank, no you can't. For what you can say is, there's more information about Sea Sonic and their beastly power supply in the description. True that Archie, true that.
Truly magnificent. If you guys enjoyed this video, why not check out my full video on the AirPods Pro 3s. They're not perfect, they're still not perfect, I never did fully get used to the reduced comfort over the AirPods Pro 2,
but, I mean, obviously, they're still in my pocket. What are you going to do?