Airpods didn't invent noise cancelling, Bose has been selling them since 2000. Price/quality has been always on the side of the wired devices. Unless you need wireless, get something wired. Airpod, and similar, are almost always less than 1 meter away from the phone.
>I didn't say they did but the Airpods are essentially best in class for this
Best in class are the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, (wireless is optional for the overears, as is should be in such a product). Sennheiser Momentum 4 (wire also optional for the overears) are also a very good alternative, maybe not as blocking as the Airpods, but the sound is probably better, more "natural", but that is a personal taste after all. Comparing only the ear buds, Airpods are the less forgiving with the ear fit of the three models, they clearly prioritized aestetics before ergonomics.
The point is that there were excellent NC options before the Airpods, and almost nobody gave a fuck about the technology. Suddenly Apple "invented" the tech for the masses, and now nobody can't live without it, to the point that you are a cavemen if you are not using them. They never were the best, they are just another ones. Kudos to Apple for good marketing and brand positioning.
Incidentally, I can't use regular ear buds for long without them moving around and losing a lot of sound quality. I have in-ear monitors custom made, and they still move and pop out sometimes. I tested the Airpods my sister has (the ones without silicone tip), and they simply don't do the work because they don't seal enough unless you push them with your fingers.
