Raycon vs AirPods (2022): Comparing Two Popular Wireless Earbuds With Different Prices

When we think of wireless earbuds, AirPods are usually the first thing to come to mind. While they’re a popular choice among Apple fans and music lovers, they’re not for everyone because they’re quite pricey. Which is why we’re taking a look at Raycon and comparing them against this expensive crowd favorite. They’re a fraction of the price but are they actually good enough to replace the AirPods? To help you answer this question, here’s an in-depth Raycon E55 vs Apple AirPods Pro comparison that covers their design, sound quality, noise cancellation, and battery life.

Raycon vs AirPods Comparison Chart

Model	Raycon E55	Apple AirPods Pro
Price	Check Price at Amazon	Check Price at Amazon
Water-Resistance	IPX6 rating	IPX4 rating
Active Noise Cancellation	No	Yes
Transparency Mode	No	Yes
Spatial Audio	No	Yes
Battery Life	6 hours; 36 hours with charging case	5 hours; 24 hours with charging case
Charging Port	USB-C port	Lightning port

Design

The Apple AirPods are sleek while the Raycon E55 are curvy.

The Apple AirPods Pro and the Raycon E55 couldn’t be any more different if we’re talking about looks. The AirPods Pro are sleek with long stems while the Raycon E55 are curvy and don’t have anything protruding from them. We can’t say which design is better as it all really depends on your style and preference. We will, however, give props to Raycon for offering the E55 in a bunch of different colors like rose gold, electric blue, and flare red. Unfortunately, you can only get the AirPods in white.

As for comfort, both the AirPods Pro and the Raycon E55 are lightweight and fit nicely inside the ears and without causing any pain or fatigue. We’re giving the Raycon E55 extra points though because they come with five pairs of gel tips so you’re sure to find the perfect size for you. The AirPods only come with three pairs of silicone ear tips (small, medium, and large) so you get less of a customized fit. Regardless, you’ll have a comfortable and enjoyable experience with both models.

Sound Quality

Both the Apple AirPods and the Raycon E55 leave room for improvement in terms of audio quality.

If you love a thumping bass performance, you’re going to enjoy the Raycon E55’s sound. They’re definitely able to pump out the low-end frequencies with a lot of gusto so they should come in handy when you need some motivation at the gym. That said, this kind of sound isn’t for everyone. If you prefer a sound that’s well-balanced and accurate with a lot of clarity, then you might get tired of the Raycon E55 pretty quickly. Unfortunately, the mids and the highs tend to get overpowered by the bass so the details aren’t all there.

As for the AirPods Pro, they have a more balanced sound than the Raycon E55. The bass is noticeably more powerful than past generations’ but a lot more reined in than the Raycon E55’s. That doesn’t mean they’re perfect though. While the vocals come across as very rich, there’s still not a lot separation between the mids and the highs like how it is with high-end earphones. Ideally, you should be able to hear the sounds coming at you from all directions. But with the AirPods Pro, everything seems to be jumbled up inside your head.

Noise Cancellation

The AirPods Pro trumps the Raycon E55 when it comes to noise cancelling abilities.

This is the part where the Apple AirPods Pro leave the Raycon E55 in the dust. Unfortunately, the Raycon E55 only have noise isolation and it doesn’t even function all that well. But with the AirPods Pro, you get active noise cancellation that’s actually effective in blocking out external noises. You could even say that they’re one of the best noise cancelling wireless earbuds you can currently get your hands on.

While they’re not able to get rid of every single noise, they do an impressive job of shutting out chatty officemates, cars zooming by, and the continuous whirring of appliances. According to Apple, the AirPods Pro’s internal mics analyze sound 200 times per second to make sure that they’re counteracting them accurately. While it’s impossible to put this claim to the test, it can’t be denied that the AirPods Pro have top-notch ANC.

Another commendable feature that you can enjoy with the AirPods Pro is their transparent mode. When it’s enabled, the mics inside the AirPods Pro let just the right amount of external sound pass through. So even if music is playing, you’ll be able to hold a conversation with a friend or hear oncoming traffic as you’re jogging outside.

Battery Life

The Raycon E55 have better battery life than the AirPods Pro.

The Raycon E55 might be greatly lacking in the noise cancelling department but they try to make up for this with good battery life. With a single charge, you should be able to enjoy around six hours of playtime which adds up to a total of 36 hours if you include the charging case. And because the charging case is equipped with a USB-C port, it charges pretty fast.

As for the AirPods Pro, they’re able to go on for 5 hours before calling it quits. Their charging case holds less juice too, only able to provide 24 hours of battery life. But as for charging time, it’s a fast and easy experience thanks to the Lightning port.

Verdict

The Apple AirPods Pro win in terms of quality but the Raycon E55 are better value for money.

Raycon E55

Apple AirPods Pro

If the question is whether the Raycon E55 can replace the Apple AirPods Pro in terms of quality, our answer to that is no. The AirPods Pro are able to provide a well-balanced sound and effective active noise cancellation, both of which the Raycon E55 struggle with.

However, it’s a different story if we’re taking price into consideration. The Raycon E55 are around a hundred bucks cheaper than the AirPods Pro so it’s easy to forgive their imperfections. If you just want a pair of comfortable wireless earbuds that will let you jam out to your favorite tracks, then the Raycon E55 should be enough.

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