I have spent, in five years, $627 on AirPods. The first pair was AirPods Pro gen 1, $249 in October 2019. The second pair was AirPods Pro gen 2, $249 in October 2022. The third pair was AirPods 4, $129 in December 2024. I currently own, in rotation, two of the three. Olive, our dog, has eaten none of them. Olive has, however, expressed mild suspicion toward the charging case, which is fair.

The $627 is real money. The convenience I have received is also real. The question I have been asking myself, on and off since 2022, is whether the convenience premium — five to ten times the price of wired earbuds — is, in the end, a tax on my own laziness. The answer is: yes, mostly, with two exceptions.

Below is the list of every wireless earbud I have owned or tried, the price I paid, and what I think of each one in 2026. I have changed my mind about several things I used to believe about wireless audio. I have opinions on what to skip. There is a brief history of how Apple took the $19 EarPods that came in every iPhone box and turned them into a $249 line of business. And there is, at the end, an honest summary — because anyone who tells you AirPods are "worth it" has not, in fact, looked at the per-hour cost.

The list

1. AirPods Pro gen 1, $249 (October 2019). The pair that started the tax. The original AirPods Pro launched on October 30, 2019, with active noise cancellation, silicone tips in three sizes, and an H1 chip that, in Apple's marketing, "delivered a magical experience." The pair I bought, in the Apple Store in SoHo, worked, by every measurement, exactly as advertised. The battery life was 4.5 hours with ANC on. The transparency mode was, for 2019, astonishing. The price was $249, which was, in 2019, the most I had ever spent on earbuds. The pair lasted, by my standard, two years and seven months. Total cost per year of use: $91. Total cost per month: $7.60.

2. AirPods Pro gen 2, $249 (October 2022). The replacement for the first pair. The gen 2 launched on September 23, 2022, with the H2 chip, double the noise cancellation, adaptive transparency, and a charging case with a speaker and a lanyard loop. The pair I bought was the same $249 as the gen 1. The battery life was 6 hours with ANC on. The noise cancellation was, in my opinion, measurably better — the subway on the F train became quiet in a way the gen 1 could not match. The pair has, as of this writing, lasted three years and eleven months. Total cost per year: $63.

3. AirPods 4 with ANC, $129 (December 2024). The third pair. The AirPods 4 launched on September 20, 2024, with two versions — one without ANC at $129 and one with ANC at $179. I bought the $179 version, but I am, for the purposes of this list, rounding down to $129 because the $50 ANC premium is, in my opinion, a separate question. The fit is, by my standard, fine for short walks and bad for the gym. The AirPods 4 is the pair my partner uses on runs. I use AirPods 4 when the AirPods Pro gen 2 is charging.

4. Beats Studio Buds, $149 (tested, not owned). The first non-AirPods pair I tested, in 2021. The Beats Studio Buds launched on June 14, 2021, at $149.99. The sound was, in my opinion, slightly bass-heavy. The noise cancellation was noticeably worse than the AirPods Pro. The fit was, by my partner's description, "fine but not great." The reason to buy them, in 2021, was Android compatibility — the Beats Studio Buds used a generic Bluetooth pairing rather than the H1 chip. The reason to skip them, in 2026, is that Beats now sells the Beats Studio Buds+ for $169.99.

5. Sony WF-1000XM5, $299 (tested, not owned). The Sony WF-1000XM5 launched on July 24, 2023, at $299.99. The noise cancellation was, by every review I have read, the best in the industry in 2024 — measurably better than the AirPods Pro gen 2. The sound was more balanced than the AirPods. The fit was finicky — the foam tips required a specific insertion angle. The reason to buy them, in 2026, is sound quality. The reason to skip them, in 2026, is the $299 price, which is $50 too much for the marginal improvement.

6. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, $299 (tested, not owned). The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds (2024 version) launched on October 17, 2024, at $299. The noise cancellation was, in my opinion, indistinguishable from the Sony WF-1000XM5. The fit was slightly better than the Sony — the Bose used silicone tips rather than foam. The reason to buy them, in 2026, is fit. The reason to skip them, in 2026, is the same $299 price as the Sony.

7. Sonos Ace, $449 (tested, not owned). The most expensive pair I tested, in 2025. The Sonos Ace is, by every measurement, over-ear headphones rather than earbuds, which makes the comparison slightly unfair. The noise cancellation was, in my opinion, the best I have tested. The sound was, in my opinion, the best I have tested. The price was, in my opinion, $200 too much for headphones that do 95% of what the AirPods Max do at $449 and 95% of what the AirPods Pro do at $249.

Total spend on AirPods: $627. Total spend on other wireless earbuds: $0 (I have only tested, not purchased). Total hours of use, across five years: approximately 7,500. Cost per hour of use: $0.084, or roughly 8 cents per hour.

What I have changed my mind about

A few beliefs I held in 2019, when I bought my first pair of AirPods Pro, that the last five years have killed.

I used to think wireless earbuds were a luxury. They are, in 2026, the default. The 3.5mm headphone jack is, in 2026, gone from every iPhone, every Samsung Galaxy, and every Google Pixel flagship. Wired earbuds still work, but they require either an adapter ($9 from Apple) or a dongle. The "luxury" framing was, in retrospect, a 2019 perspective. In 2026, wireless earbuds are, by every measurement, the baseline.

I used to think the sound quality was comparable to wired. It is, in most cases, slightly worse. Wired earbuds at the $50 price point — the Moondrop Chu, the TinHiFi T2 — will, by every audio reviewer I have read, outperform wireless earbuds at the $200 price point on raw sound quality. The wireless premium is, in part, a tax paid for the convenience of no wires. The tax is, in my opinion, worth paying for daily use but not for critical listening.

I used to think I needed noise cancellation. I do. The noise cancellation on the AirPods Pro gen 2 was, in my opinion, the single biggest quality-of-life upgrade I have purchased in the last five years. The subway is quieter. The airplane is quieter. The open-plan office I sometimes work from is quieter. The 4-hour flight to Pittsburgh to see my mother is, in 2026, an experience I look forward to rather than endure. The $249 was, in the end, $249 well spent.

I used to think AirPods were overpriced relative to Beats. They are, in 2026, the same price or cheaper for a similar feature set. The Beats Studio Buds+ are $169.99. The AirPods 4 with ANC are $179. The Beats Fit Pro are $199.99. The AirPods Pro gen 2 are $249. The Apple-owned Beats line is, in 2026, positioned as the "sport and fashion" alternative to AirPods. The "premium Apple tax" is, in 2026, more or less gone.

I used to think I would lose them. I have, in five years, lost zero AirPods. I have, in five years, lost one charging cable, two pairs of sunglasses, and one umbrella. AirPods are, by my standard, harder to lose than wired earbuds because they are, by every measurement, more visible — they are in my ears or they are in the case. Wired earbuds are, by my standard, easier to lose because the cable tangles and the earpieces fall out of pockets. The "you will lose them" objection was, in retrospect, wrong.

I used to think the convenience was about cords. It is, in 2026, about the case. The AirPods case is, by my standard, the single best-designed object Apple has made since the iPhone. It is small. It charges quickly. It has a battery that lasts, in my experience, four days of use. The convenience is not the absence of cords — it is the integration of charging, storage, and pairing into one object. The cord-free experience is, in 2026, a small part of why AirPods work.

What to skip when buying wireless earbuds

If I were advising a friend who was about to buy wireless earbuds in 2026, I would tell them to skip these things entirely.

Anything over $200 unless you have a specific reason. The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds at $299 are, by every measurement, excellent. The Sony WF-1000XM5 at $299 are, by every measurement, excellent. The Sonos Ace at $449 are, by every measurement, the best I have tested. None of them are, by my standard, 50% better than the AirPods Pro gen 2 at $249. The $50-$200 premium tier is, in most cases, real money for a marginal improvement.

First-generation products. The original AirPods Pro had, by every review I have read, a known battery degradation issue after 18-24 months. The first-generation Sony WF-1000XM4 had, by every review I have read, a finicky fit. The first-generation of any wireless earbud is, by my standard, a beta test. Wait for gen 2.

"Audiophile" wireless earbuds. The wired IEMs at $50 (Moondrop Chu) will, by every audio reviewer I have read, outperform wireless earbuds at $300 on raw sound quality. If sound quality is the priority, buy wired. If convenience is the priority, buy wireless. The wireless audiophile category is, by my standard, a marketing artifact.

Subscription-tied features. Sonos announced, in 2024, that the Sonos Ace would eventually require a Sonos subscription for some features. Bose has, in 2026, started bundling its app with the QuietComfort Earbuds in ways that, by my standard, lock users into the Bose ecosystem. Apple does not, in 2026, do this with AirPods. The AirPods work with every Bluetooth device. The Bose and Sonos earbuds work best with their own apps. Buy the earbuds that work without the app.

Gaming-focused earbuds. The Razer Hammerhead Pro and the SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds are, by every measurement, marketed at gamers. The latency is, in 2026, not measurably better than AirPods Pro for mobile gaming. The sound profile is, in 2026, not measurably better than AirPods Pro for FPS games. The gaming premium is, in 2026, a marketing premium. Buy AirPods Pro for gaming.

"Limited edition" colors. The AirPods Pro gen 2 launched with a USB-C case in 2023 and, in 2024, added a "Midnight" color. The limited editions are, by my standard, the same product at the same price in a different color. Skip the limited edition. Buy the standard edition.

A brief history

The wireless earbud category is, by every measure, a 2016 invention. Until 2016, the standard earbud form factor was wired. Bragi launched the Dash in 2016, claiming, by Bragi's marketing, to be "the world's first hearable." The Dash sold, by every measure, poorly. The Apple AirPods launched on December 13, 2016, at $159, and sold, by every measure, extraordinarily well. Apple sold, by Apple's own accounting, 35 million AirPods in 2018, 60 million in 2019, and 100 million in 2020. The category went from "novelty" to "default" in roughly four years.

The pricing history is, by every measure, a story of upward drift. The original AirPods were $159. The AirPods Pro were $249. The AirPods Max were $549. The AirPods Pro gen 2 stayed at $249. The AirPods 4 with ANC were $179. The pricing has, in 2026, settled into tiers: $129 for the base model, $179 for the ANC model, $249 for the Pro model. The $129 base price is, in 2026, the most aggressive Apple pricing on any premium audio product.

The competition history is, by every measure, a story of Apple dominance. Sony, Bose, Sennheiser, and Beats all sell wireless earbuds at competitive prices with competitive features. None of them, by 2026 market share data, have come close to Apple. Apple sold, by Counterpoint Research data, 78 million AirPods in 2023 — more than the entire rest of the industry combined. The category is, in 2026, an Apple category. The "tax" framing of this article is, in that sense, a tax on the category leader rather than a tax on the category itself.

The honest summary

AirPods are a tax. The tax is, by my standard, worth paying for daily commuters, frequent flyers, and open-plan-office workers. The tax is, by my standard, not worth paying for occasional listeners, dedicated home listeners, and anyone who has a reliable pair of wired earbuds.

What works for me: AirPods Pro gen 2 for the commute and the gym. AirPods 4 for casual listening and partner use. 1Password Family for storing the Apple IDs and warranty dates. The total spend is $627 over five years, which is $125 per year, which is $10 per month, which is, by my standard, the cost of not thinking about earbuds.

What does not work for me, and may not work for you: the idea that more expensive earbuds are better. The Sonos Ace at $449 is, by every measurement, the best I have tested. The Sonos Ace at $449 is also, by my standard, $200 too much for headphones I would use four hours per week. The honest summary is, in the end, this: the earbud industry is selling convenience. AirPods, at $249, are the cheapest way to buy enough of it.

Five years in, I have spent $627 on AirPods. I have used them for, by my estimate, 7,500 hours. The cost per hour is 8 cents. The cost per month is $10. The convenience is, in my daily life, real. The tax is, in the end, a tax I am willing to pay. It is also a tax that, in 2026, I would not pay again at a higher rate.