How can I make wired Airpods Pro?

Question

I mostly use my Airpods Pro for their Active Noise Cancelling whilst working at my desk for ~8 hours a day.I'm finding their relatively short battery life and gradually deteriorating capacity highly frustrating (and ultimately wasteful).Is there a way to power these in wired mode? Surely something like a USB-C cable can do this?For comparison, I still have and use my original wired EarPods with their 3.5mm jack from back in the day - which work perfectly after many years of heavy use.I wish Apple would release a USB-C wired version of these with Active Noise Cancelling like in their AirPods Pro.It would be helluva practical for those long work sessions and also better for the environment.My next best bet is the Bose QC20 - but even these have a quasi-battery solution which ultimately depletes.

rvdbhc · Accepted Answer

There are really good /wired/ noise cancelling headphones on the market. Including in-ear ones. I love my Airpods Pro, but they are nowhere near as good as wired ones. So I'd look into those instead. (perhaps a second hand pair and sell the airpods ;) From a electrical perspective: the airpods have 2 small metal strips at the bottom. Improvising a little adapater should be straightforward. Main question is what voltage does it take and if the airpods themselves have built-in over-charge protection. (charging at 4v should prevent over-charging)

xvaier · Answer

I own the Sony WH-1000xm4 and their battery life is terrific. I work 8-10h during the day and sometimes add a 2-3h gaming session and they regularly last more than two full days without recharging.Their noise cancelling is top notch and the sound, even over bluetooth is very good. They can be plugged in using a 3.5mm cable, I use a V-Moda boom mic attachment that adds a high end mic for voice chat or zoom calls.

approxim8ion · Answer

The passive noise isolation you get with most IEMs has been pretty great for me, I don't miss ANC. I'd recommend you start cheap with a pair of KZ or Blon IEMs ($15-30) and getting the memory foam tips that give you a better seal in-ear ($5-10). If that doesn't do it for you, you can consider ANC options.It's true that transparency mode is not something you get with this option, so you will have to consider how important that is for you.

p49k · Answer

If you buy a good pair of IEMs and buy Comply foam tips, it will block outside noise better than the AirPods. You can go a step further by visiting an audiologist, having impressions made of your ear canals and ordering a custom set of IEMs for a perfect fit.

square_usual · Answer

I don't think there's any good wired headphones that power ANC without a battery - that's because ANC takes power which the 3.5mm jack can't deliver. Would love to be proven wrong on this, but even if you find a pair of wired headphones that do ANC off battery it's unlikely the ANC is any good, as there's only three manufacturers that seem to get it right - Sony, Bose and (now) Apple.

Andys · Answer

I was just thinking the same thing tonight, that I want apple to make wired versions of its headphones again

samrolken · Answer

The AirPods Max have ANC and they can be used while plugged in to power.

wildroadfilms · Answer

Buy a second pair?

superduperycomb · Answer

You can use them while they&rsquo;re charging