Apple AirPods 5 review: The choice is clear

Engadget staff@engadget.com (Billy Steele)

19 Sept 2026 00:00 AEST 1 min read Review A judgment of a work or a place. Rewritten in plain language

Show what we removed Rules applied: A1×3 A3×5 A6×2 C2 D2×9 D3×24 D4×3 E3×47 E5×4 F2×5 all 30 rules

Overview

Apple's latest "regular" AirPods no longer force you to choose between living with or without active noise cancellation (ANC).
Don't get me wrong, it's great that you can now get ANC and Live Translation on Apple's cheapest earbuds.
Apple also upgraded the ANC performance and sound quality on both AirPods 5 models.
The result is ANC that blocks 50 percent more noise than the AirPods 4 and "richer, more detailed sound."
The $149 AirPods 5 is the better choice, and you can get it for just $20 more than the alternative.

5 sentences from our version of the report, chosen to cover it. Nothing here is written; every line is in the article below. How

Summarized version

Apple also upgraded the ANC performance and sound quality on both AirPods 5 models.

The report’s most important sentence, shortened and in plain words. How

Headline check

All two things this headline claims are in the report.

Figures, names and quoted words in the headline, looked for in the report itself — not in the summary above. How this is checked

The article, shortened and in plain language

There should only be one model of the AirPods 5.

Apple's latest "regular" AirPods no longer force you to choose between living with or without active noise cancellation (ANC). Since both models have the feature, it means they both also offer Live Translation, since that heavily relies on ANC to work its magic.

Don't get me wrong, it's great that you can now get ANC and Live Translation on Apple's cheapest earbuds. Before, your AirPods were only protected against splashes.

Apple also upgraded the ANC performance and sound quality on both AirPods 5 models. Of course, Apple also tweaked both its ANC algorithms and its Adaptive EQ tool to bolster the improvements. The result is ANC that blocks 50 percent more noise than the AirPods 4 and "richer, more detailed sound."

On the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, you get audible Find My abilities, swipeable volume controls and extended battery life in both the earbuds and the case. Additionally, as showed by the catchy name, you can also charge the whole set wirelessly via any Qi or Apple Watch charger.

With the changes Apple made to its audio platform on the AirPods 5, this isn't an issue.

When it comes to the ANC upgrade, the AirPods 5's advantage over the AirPods 4 with ANC is with constantly churning noises.

In terms of battery life, Apple promises up to five hours of listening time on the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case with ANC enabled.

The $149 AirPods 5 is the better choice, and you can get it for just $20 more than the alternative.

Shortened to 1 minute of reading, this version reads 9.9 on the Niral Score.

You are reading our version, not theirs. This is Engadget's report shortened to its most important sentences, in plainer words, with verdicts and loaded words taken out. Plain description stays, and so do adjectives that carry a fact, such as "former" or "federal". The reporting, the facts and the quotations are theirs — quotations are never edited — and the indicators beside it measure this version. Hover or tap Adjectives to see every one left in the text.

Indicators

Niral Score 11.9was 15.8 mundaneloaded

Highlighted in the text. Words that carry a fact and quoted words are not counted.

earbuds9company8get7noise7model6set6volume6cancellation5models5hours4version4active3back3battery3best3charger3enough3feature3features3five3hour3life3means3option3prefer3regular3sound3sure3use3biggest2choice2controls2course2difference2done2ears2expect2extra2force2hear2i've2iphone2latest2least2listening2made2make2minutes2need2open-wear2performance2power2pricier2quality2remain2seal2since2speaker2swipeable2think2

Sentiment +0.1was 0.2 hostilefavourable Sourcing 27was 26 unattributednamed sources Mood 58.8 sorrowjoyful

5 read zero: political diction, generational, gender, jingoistic, religious

Political diction 0 left-codedright-coded Generational 0 harder on the oldharder on the young Gender 0 no gendered framingframing throughout Jingoistic 0 reports to a readerwrites from a camp Religious 0 not invokedovert

Measurements of how this article is written, not of whether it is correct. How each one is measured.

Measured on our version above. Struck through: the same measure of Engadget’s report as filed. The outlet comparison and the extension show the same pair.

See every word we changed

How this outlet filed it, and how we rewrote it

No other newsroom we read has filed on this event, so there is nothing to compare it with yet.

Outlet	Niral Score	Adjectives	Sourcing	Sentiment	Happiness
Engadgetas they published this story	15.8	33	26	0.2	58.8
Mundane Readneutralized from Engadget	11.9	30	26	0.1	58.8

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