If you’ve never considered changing out the ear tips on your Apple AirPods Pro, you’re not alone, mainly because there haven’t been any other options. Now theKeyBudz HyperFoamtips promise better comfort, improved noise cancelling, and even better sound quality. Are they worth the low asking price?
KeyBudz HyperFoam
The KeyBudz HyperFoam are a novel product that adds comfort to your AirPods Pro, while also improving the noise cancellation and making for subtle improvements in sound quality, all at an affordable price.
Price and Availability
The KeyBuds HyperFoam ear tips retail for $29.95 and are available via the KeyBudz website, as well as Amazon and other retailers. They’re only available in one color scheme, a black with green highlights scheme that doesn’t quite fit with the all-white aesthetic of the AirPods Pro.
When it comes to compatibility, these work with both the first and second generation of the Apple AirPods Pro, so either version currently available at the time of this writing is compatible. Standard AirPods don’t use removable tips, so they are incompatible.
Specifications
Getting Started With the KeyBudz HyperFoam: It’s a Snap
I’m no stranger to swapping out contact points on audio products, whether its ear pads on headphones or the tips on earbuds. In many cases, foam ear tips can be tough to install and remove, as they’re a little more fragile than the silicone tips that many earbuds use by default. That isn’t the case with the AirPods Pro or the KeyBudz HyperFoam.
The tips easily snapped off of my second-generation AirPods Pro, and the HyperFoam tips snapped on just as easily. There are three sizes to choose from: small, medium, and large. The snap-on, snap-off nature of these tips makes swapping out sizes until you find the perfect fit easy.
Comfort is one of the major selling points of the HyperFoam tips. I’ve never found either the first or second-generation AirPods Pro uncomfortable, but these tips definitely upped the comfort level somewhat, with a more pillowy feel in my ear.
I was initially concerned about the foam tips being squashed when I kept them in the case, but with the medium tip size that fit me best, it wasn’t a problem. Just to test out the larger size, I swapped them on and left them in the case overnight, but they remained un-squished when I checked on them in the morning.
Sound Is Somewhat Improved, but Noise Cancellation Takes a Big Step Forward
Whenever I’ve swapped out ear pads or ear tips, I’ve nearly always noticed some change in the sound, whether for better or worse. In the case of the KeyBudz HyperFoam, there was a definite improvement in sound, but it was subtle. Most of the changes I noticed came from slightly improved low end response, likely from a more snug fit.
Fleetwood Mac’s “Walk A Thin Line” is a frequent test track I turn to, and it sounded just as spacious with the KeyBudz as with the standard ear tips. That said, I noticed the HyperFoam tips gave the song a fuller, more rounded out low end.
Sun Ra’s “There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)” sounds as otherworldly as ever, but the bass and lower-pitched horns jump out more than with the original ear tips. Again, it’s a subtle but positive change.
While I noticed some slight changes for the better when it came to sound quality, the differences were much more noticeable in terms of noise cancelling. Even with all of the AirPods Pro’s processing turned off, I noticed more passive isolation from the foam tips. Enabling ANC, the differences were even more noticeable, improving on the already solid cancellation.
While I did notice a difference in terms of ANC and passive isolation, the Transparency mode remained unchanged. This was more or less what I expected, but it’s worth mentioning that the foam tips didn’t negatively affect the Transparency mode’s performance in any noticeable way.
Should You Buy the KeyBudz HyperFoam?
If you’ve ever had issues finding a comfortable fit or not getting the noise cancelling performance you’re looking for, theKeyBudz HyperFoamare an excellent problem solver product. That said, even if you’re perfectly happy with your AirPods Pro, these are still absolutely worth a try. Before I tried them, I was skeptical, but after trying them myself, I don’t plan to switch back to the original tips.
At the roughly $30 asking price, they’re not particularly expensive, and they’re even easier to swap out than standard tips for earbuds. Even if you only end up using them for a more secure fit at the gym, for example, they’re a worthwhile accessory to keep around.
