The headphones are generally amazing and comfortable for everyday use, always speaking in terms of quality-price personally in this price range you might find something better! They are a solid choice if you have Apple devices and offer you a wide range of features that make your daily life easier. Of course, they also work on Android-Windows with limited functionalities, and don't make the mistake of buying them used because 99% of the time you'll end up with non-authentic ones that have nothing to do with the originals.
1) Sound Quality, Codec, Compatibility: The 2nd generation Airpods do not have any magical peculiarity in sound quality, as they focus on sounding more balanced. The Airpods therefore offer a Neutral Balanced sound experience this year with slightly increased bass compared to the previous model, thanks to their smart construction the Soundstage is quite Wide for TWS. What I personally don't like is the Tuning at frequencies 370-650Hz; the low frequencies are quite good, the boost in bass has been done at smooth levels and is quite pleasant if you are a lover of real bass and not enhanced bass. The mids are quite elevated, the Vocals somewhat thin, however, they offer enough Extension and are clear. In the highs, they sound slightly Sparkly, the SPL of the headphones is around 97dB and the volume is okay. Regarding the encoding, the headphones play in AAC which is fine if you listen to music, e.g., from Spotify because it is compressed anyway, but we are in 2023 and other headphones offer LDAC. The connectivity is excellent, however, the headphones do not have Multipoint Pairing to switch Seamlessly with my Laptop which bothers me considering how expensive these headphones are.
2) Adaptive EQ, Equal Loudness DSP, Spatial Audio, Personalized Audio: The Adaptive EQ helps the headphones adjust based on the Fit they have in your ears, so it is very important to find the right Eartips. Then, the more you raise the volume, the bass and treble decrease and vice versa, which solves the apparent Fletcher Munson problem. The Personalized Audio personally did not help me as it completely eliminated my ability to hear frequencies above 15K. The Spatial Audio did not excite me personally; I would prefer less Reverb and not such a large increase in bass. The Response in the EQ is good and does not require a Limiter. If you use them on Android, they often experience Glitches in Transparency; sometimes one works and the other will stutter, purely a Software issue.
3) Build Quality, Design, App: Very good build quality, sturdy construction of the case, however, keep in mind that cases tend to get scratches and marks. The hinge does not seem like it will break as it is metal. The headphones are very good in comfort and fit, and I can wear them for hours. However, if you have a problem with the fit, try the Spinfit Superfine Eartips. The design of the headphones, placing meshes on the top, helps the sound travel spherically and completely into the ear, which means that, for example, the Background Vocals are more distinct. I would like the charging contacts to change in the next version because sometimes they need cleaning to recharge even if you keep them clean.
4) ANC, Transparency, Features: the ANC is simply AMAZING, it's like a glimpse into the life of a deaf person, out on the street in a busy city with plenty of noise and traffic on the highways, you put them on and everything is eliminated, as if you have no hearing ability, like earplugs. The Transparency is good but not as good as I would like based on the price, I struggle a bit to hear people and may need to take them off, especially when I'm wearing a hood or in a windy environment, because it comes through the microphones, they have a Pause Sensor that works very well without issues, removing one earbud puts the headphones into Transparency Mode to help you hear, the headphones feature the U1 Chip allowing you to locate them if you lose them like I do.
5) Touch Controls, Microphones, Battery: fantastic pinch control, they always respond correctly with ease, easy control of the volume with Slide, the gestures are on the sides and not on the back, to avoid accidental presses, the microphones are crystal clear and in most conditions you won't have a problem talking on the phone, the battery is excellent with long duration as they play back with AAC, they can last from 4 to 6 hours depending on the features that are on, personally I reach 5 hours with Transparency always on. I would like when the case's battery runs out, the earbuds don't discharge and hold a bit of energy for one last listen because without the case the earbuds don't turn on.
6) Value for money: based on many other tests I can easily say the best things about these, however, you might find better ones like the Sony WF1000XM5