Apple EarPods
Hacker ApprovedThe most recommended of 3 wired earphones
People recommend the wired EarPods for a reliable connection, no batteries, and a good microphone for calls. Caveat: they pick up more background noise than AirPods.
People recommend the wired EarPods for a reliable connection, no batteries, and a good microphone for calls. Caveat: they pick up more background noise than AirPods.
22 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 18
- criticize it
- 4
- approval share
- 82%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it carries the badge
- 18 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 4.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Good microphone for calls
“The audio quality is acceptable on public transit, they’re cheap enough to lose and the mic is surprisingly good.”
Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?” “With wired earpods, people put the mic next to their mouth and get above-average audio quality.”
Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?” “Speech clarity is just so much better even with Earpods compared to tws earplugs.”
Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?” - Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?”
- Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?”
- Comment from 13 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?”
- Comment from 30 Dec 2025 in “Return of wired headphones is restoring friction to our convenience-addled lives”
Reliable wired connection, no batteries
“I like having a reliable wired connection that works and disconnects predictably.”
Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?” “no battery, no silicone tip, no bt compression, happiness”
Comment from 10 Sep 2026 in “AirPods 5” “Wired solves all of this.”
Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?” Cheap and solid build
“The audio quality is acceptable on public transit, they’re cheap enough to lose and the mic is surprisingly good.”
Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?” “the Apple ones are cheap and solid, mic is also nice for calls”
Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?” Works with iPhone and iPad
“If you want Apple-quality headphones to go with your MacBook Neo”
Comment from 17 Mar 2026 in “AirPods Max 2” “I cannot be happier with those for my iphone and ipad, resp.”
Comment from 14 Mar 2026 in “Wired headphone sales are exploding. What's with the Bluetooth backlash?” “I've had no trouble using corded headphones with my iphones”
Comment from 24 Dec 2025 in “iOS 26.3 brings AirPods-like pairing to third-party devices in EU under DMA”
Other wired earphones people recommend
The two most recommended other wired earphones, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple EarPodsThis page | 18 | 4 | 82% | 4 | — | Approved |
| Sony wired earbuds | 10 | 6 | 63% | 5 | — | — |
| Shure SE215 | 5 | 0 | 100% | 1 | — | — |
What people said
20 of the 22 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Apple just outputs propaganda so that they can sell everyone overpriced earpods.”
“no battery, no silicone tip, no bt compression, happiness”
“they'll pick up more background noise whereas AirPods seem to only transmit my voice”
“The loose fit of the regular AirPods and the wired EarPods never made any sense to me.”
“sound like earpods have always sounded: crap, absent lows, terrible separation”
“If you want Apple-quality headphones to go with your MacBook Neo”
“Speech clarity is just so much better even with Earpods compared to tws earplugs.”
“the Apple ones are cheap and solid, mic is also nice for calls”
“I like having a reliable wired connection that works and disconnects predictably.”
“The microphone quality is multiple times better and that’s important to me.”
“They had a good mic + music controls, sounded fine, and didn't need a dongle.”
“I cannot be happier with those for my iphone and ipad, resp.”
“The audio quality is acceptable on public transit, they’re cheap enough to lose and the mic is surprisingly good.”
“Wired solves all of this.”
“With wired earpods, people put the mic next to their mouth and get above-average audio quality.”
“They have a good mic and fit properly.”
“works better because you can press it right up against the case back”
“I've heard wired EarPods are great”
“they're great for phone calls”
“I've had no trouble using corded headphones with my iphones”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.