We’ve put the AirPods Pro to the test – and we’re mightily impressed with the Apple earbuds.
The Apple AirPods Pro deliver active noise cancellation and an improved design compared to the original AirPods – and that’s why they’re still the best Apple headphones you can buy today. However, at $249 / £249 / AU$399, they’re pretty pricey too, and as such, can’t be called the very best wireless headphones out there, even though they do come close. A rumored entry level version of these Apple earbuds – the so-called AirPods Pro 2 – could change this, however. If you’re an iPhone user looking for some well-fitting wireless earbuds with strong sound quality, you could do a lot worse than the latest AirPods. The redesign means they’re far less likely to fall out than their predecessors, and the additional microphones provide strong noise cancellation (particularly when commuting), as well as a useful Transparency mode, which really does let the outside world in. While the fit is better than the original AirPods, you will need to get used to controlling them with the capacitive, touch-sensitive ridge on each stem – this takes some getting used to, but it’s a neat way to activate noise cancellation and skip tracks. There’s so much ‘Apple-ness’ that runs through the AirPods Pro – from the initial setup, where the true wireless earbuds scan your ears to check they’re the right fit, through to the fact there’s a small air vent to make putting them in or removing them a more comfortable experience. In short, fans of the Apple ethos will be overjoyed with their purchase here. The sound quality of the AirPods Pro has certainly improved since the previous iteration – there’s a notable emphasis on vocals and bass, meaning these earbuds are better for pop fans than those that enjoy a more natural presentation that lends itself to classical music or more orchestral sounds. The battery life is strong (for Apple earbuds – not compared to the eight-to-nine hours other true wireless earbuds offer), and we found that the advertised four-to-five hours from a single charge was accurate, although we recommend charging the case regularly (a wireless charging pad is a convenient and cool way to do this) as you can get caught out when the case has suddenly run out of juice. If you want some of the best headphones Apple has made, the AirPods Pro are the culmination of many years’ work into a strong audio product. There are better true wireless earbuds out there, but for Apple fans and iPhone users (with the means to afford them) they’re a great choice. The AirPods Pro release date was 30 October 2019 worldwide, and you can pick them up from Apple and a number of other retailers. The important thing to note here is that they are not a replacement for the 2019 AirPods model… and that’s reflected in the AirPods Pro price point. You can buy the AirPods Pro for $249 / £249 / AU$399 – which is a considerable hike over the 2019 AirPods‘ $159 / £159 / AU$249 (with the standard charging case), and even the $199 / £199 / AU$319 with the AirPods‘ Wireless Charging Case bundled in. AirPods Pro deals are often available, but don’t expect any huge price cuts. However, you might find some better deals on Amazon Prime Day 2021, which will be taking place over June 21 and 22. We never know for certain which products will be getting a discount for Prime Day, but considering the AirPods Pro are nearly two years old now there’s a good chance they’ll be reduced. Still too pricey? It’s rumored that a cheaper AirPods Pro model is on the cards; the AirPods Pro Lite could be an entry-level version of the noise-cancelling earbuds, though a release date still eludes us. Like so many other Apple devices, the AirPods Pro instantly connect to your iPhone or iPad – you simply need to open the case to get going. Well, we say ‘simply’ – you’ll need to make sure that iOS 13.2 or above is downloaded to your device so you can get, in Apple’s words, “all the advanced features” on offer – we believe these are the new icons for the AirPods Pro as well as the ability to control the Transparency and noise cancellation directly from the Control Center. Once activated, the AirPods Pro will be automatically paired with your phone and all Apple devices linked to your iCloud account (including Apple Watch, iPad and Macs), so you won’t need to keep connecting your new buds to your other Apple devices. Once you’re in, heading into the Bluetooth settings will assess your fit, checking whether the earbud tips you’ve chosen (whether that’s small, medium or large – medium is the default) are creating the right seal. Achieving a tight seal against your ear canal is an important aspect of the overall sound quality of the earbuds, and helps to create physical sound isolation and passive noise reduction; in a perfect world, no sound gets in, and no sound leaks out. This is achieved by the playing of a short piece of music, with the AirPods Pro microphones internally assessing whether this sounds as it should – if you’re like most people and get a good fit, you’re given the green light (or green lettering, to be more precise). This writer’s ears are just terrible when it comes to having most kinds of earbuds fall out, and we achieved a good fit straight away, with the AirPods Pro feeling like they were in no danger of detaching from the ol‘ head holes easily; in the headphones-reviewing world, we call that a plus. Playing around with the fit and letting them dangle loosely out showed that the AirPods Pro are able to tell when there’s sound leakage – another pal of ours who used the new AirPods for the first time found that Apple suggested a larger bud, and then the seal was fine. Switching between the tips in the box is, once again, very Apple – whether that’s a positive or negative thing depends on how you feel about the company. Rather than a silicon bud that you have to wiggle onto or off a small stem, these just click into place. This allows the AirPods Pro to have a more compact design, and makes setting them up feel more premium… but at $4 apiece, they’re not exactly cheap to replace. And while you can pick up new silicon tips for standard earbuds easily, fitting them to the new AirPods isn’t as easy thanks to the little clips, rather than simply wiggling silicon onto a stem. Getting the eartips on and off is really fiddly though – they don’t snap off instantly, and require a little bit of force to remove. However, the system seems robust and once you gain the confidence to do so, it’s fairly easy – and it’s not like you’ll have to do it that often.
