So what do these AirPods do different from regular ol Bluetooth headphones?
They have a beefy computer chip that is supposed to provide 5 hours of battery life, give a stronger wireless connection, sense when you are speaking by feeling if your jaw is moving, they can tell when they are put in and taken out of your ears (to automatically stop and start audio), and they are supposed to have a good "handoff" between Apple devices.
I've heard that one thing they didn't anticipate is how uncomfortable it is to have physical buttons on the earbud to activate Siri - some people find it really uncomfortable to poke themselves in the ear canal repeatedly I guess.
Bluetooth headphones are finally down to disposably cheap levels now. I bought a Taotronics pair for $12 last week and they're fine.