- Wearability and comfort
- IPX4 certification
- Active Noise Cancelling
- Pressure controls on the stem
- High audio quality
Cons:
- High-end price
- Lightning-only connection for charging
- The intensity of the noise canceling cannot be decided
Verdict:
The Airpods Pro are the best true wireless headphones with inear design for iPhone users. They sound great, have effective noise cancellation, and a clever design. The price of the new earphones is high-end, but they are worth it because they lend themselves very well for all daily activities, even for playing sports.
The Airpods Pro are the latest version of Apple’s true wireless bluetooth earbuds . We all know the classic Airpods, the white wireless earphones that are often used by iPhone owners to listen to music and make calls.
There are two main problems that we had encountered in the old Airpods : being headphones that do not fit inside the ear canal, their stability is not the best and especially when we use them for sports activities, they tend to fall or move.
The second problem is the total absence of noise reduction, which forces us to turn up the volume in noisy environments, without being able to obtain a good sound as the low frequencies were cut.
The Pro version of the Airpods was designed with the intention of answering these problems. A new design has been introduced , with rubber pads of different sizes to obstruct the ear canal, and active noise cancellation technology has been implemented .
The Airpods Pro aren’t the only true wireless noise canceling in-ear headphones on the market, but they promise to be one of the best models for sound quality, noise cancellation and versatility.
There are several reasons why we have included the Airpods Pro among the best true wireless headphone , and in this review we will discover all the features.
Design
We have always had some doubts about the shape of the old Airpods, especially as regards the stem, which is not the best from an aesthetic point of view.
From a practical point of view, however, it is useful for improving the quality of voice calls, because it brings the microphone closer to the user’s mouth and makes it possible to direct the audio signal when speaking.
With the inear Airpods Pro headphones, Apple then decides to keep the stel o, but to shorten it . In this way we still have a good rendering of the microphone, but less protuberance.
Still on the subject of the stem, here we find a section with pressure controlcapacitive type. It is useful for the play-pause functions, changing tracks, activating the voice assistant and for the transparency function (more on that later).
The charging case takes up the same space as the original Airpods case, the only difference is that the opening is now on the long side. There is a magnetic socket which helps to store the earphones in the right position, and also to avoid accidentally dropping them.
Checks
Unlike other true wireless headphones where the controls are implemented directly on the headset, having the controls on the stem allows you to avoid pushing the headset inside the ear (which is sometimes painful) to try to change tracks or respond. to a call.
The tactile feedback is pleasant , easy to find with your fingers thanks to the indentation of the design, the capacitive push button is a completely interesting gimmick, which we really appreciate in everyday use. The only note we would make to Apple for the next version is that it would be great to have haptic feedback similar to that of the Apple watch.
At the end of the stem, on each earphone, there is a microphone for the detection of our voice, and then there is a sensor used for the automatic pause function when we remove the earphone from the ear (only works with devices iOS).
Comfort and wearability
The most noticeable change is then in the shape of the earphone itself, which now has a very well designed rubber interlocking mechanism, different from all other earphones. There are three rubber tips supplied , for the different sizes of the ear canal. It is important that you use the right size rubber pad, because if we choose one that is too large, it will annoy in the long run, but if we use one that is too small, the headphones will slip out of the ear.
To find out which is the right rubber to use, we recommend that you follow the installation process via iPhone, which tells you exactly what to do. From this point of view, although the Airpods Pro are also compatible with Android, we recommend them above all to Apple users (obviously) for the degree of compatibility and additional functions that you can take advantage of.
Once worn with the right rubber, the headphones are comfortable, firm and do not give the sensation of moving from the original position. A shake of the head, a run, a brusque gesture, the headphones remain firmly in the ear, unlike the Airpods we feel we can also use them for sports .
And just for sport, since the Airpods Pro are IPX4 certified, they can survive a splash of water (be careful, they are not waterproof) or sweat. For this they lend themselves much better than Airpods for versatile use. We use them on the train to go to work and listen to our favorite podcast, and then go to the gym we don’t have to equip ourselves with a second pair of dedicated headphones, the Airpods Pro are great for all uses.
Features and Connectivity
Inside the headphones we find the same H1 chip mounted on the second generation Airpods . This powerful processor is responsible for the proper functioning of wireless connectivity.
To perform the pairing with iPhone, we open the charging case and instantly a card appears on the smartphone screen that allows us to connect the earphones automatically.
Once paired with iPhone, which requires a long press of the button on the back of the case, the headphones will automatically be connected to each Apple device in your iCloud account. If you’ve chosen the Apple ecosystem for all your tech needs, the Airpods Pro are incredibly user-friendly.
ThereBluetooth stability with iPhone is truly exceptional, there are no interruptions or pairing problems. Just take the Airpods Pro out of the charging case and bring them to your ear to start using them.
The H1 chip also allows support for activating the Siri voice assistant by voice (just say “hey Siri”), or we can call Siri by pressing the stem.
With Android and Windows devices, the pairing process is less fast, you have to enter the bluetooth settings of your smartphone, tablet or computer, and search for the Airpods manually, like any other pair of bluetooth headphones. While we don’t have the additional features like the earphone fit test and the auto-pause function when we remove the earphone, the bluetooth connection is still exceptionally stable.
One feature we miss is the ability to adjust the volume through the controls on the headset. The only alternative to avoid taking the phone out of your pocket is to tell Siri to turn the volume down. Other brands of true wireless earbuds have managed to include a volume control function from the earphone, it would be great to see this option added in the next version.
The hearing health function is interesting, the headset sends information about the volume inside the ear to the phone, and alerts us if the listening volume is too high . Very useful from the point of view of the health of the ear canal. This feature is not new, we also find it in the old Airpods and in the Beats Powerbeats Pro.
Audio quality
For sound quality, the difference between the Airpods Pro and the Airpods is huge. The first and second version of the Airpods did not impress us much, while with the Airpods Pro, especially thanks to the sound insulation system, the sound is much more full-bodied and rich in all frequencies.
The only other pair of true wireless headphones that have such a qualitative sound are the Sony WF-1000XM3, which sound slightly better, the Airpods Pro however, from them have the most versatility for sports use.
Without activating the noise canceling function, the Airpods Pro have a natural, clear and balanced sound. Once the noise canceling is activated, we hear a slight change, the sound becomes a little less neutral due to the interference of the software, but still very qualitative and definitely above average.
One feature that we find remarkable is the ability to put music into our ear canal without being intrusive . With other true wireless in-ear canal earphones, we have the feeling that the sound is “shot” directly into the brain, the Airpods Pro instead manage to isolate the ear canal, but without making it weigh on us.
In the sound spectrum, the Airpods Pro stand out in the representation of the mid frequencies . In this range, we find that the human voice, both in speech and in songs, is reproduced with a wealth of detail and sound texture.
Not only the audio quality of the headset, but also that of the built- in microphoneIt is very good. This is an important aspect in choosing an everyday true wireless headset, because most of the time we will find ourselves handling calls through the earbuds.
Our voice is clear and understandable , even in fairly noisy environments, the earphones do a good job of managing frequencies between 100Hz and 3000Hz (the range where the human voice resides), without overemphasizing and being annoying, but excluding the sounds. environmental around us.
Soundproofing
The most innovative feature of the Airpods Pro is the technology used for noise canceling . On each of the two earphones there are two microphones, one on the outside, and one on the inside.
The first captures the external sounds, to send the signal to be canceled to the processor , the second captures the sounds reproduced by the headphones inside the ear, to optimize the audio performance according to the shape of our ear canal.
Incredible but true, this process takes place at an unthinkable frequency of 200 times per second, with micro adjustments in real time to improve the quality of the sound reproduced in the headphones.
In practical terms, the Airpods Pro sound just fine, and theactive noise cancellation is fully effective . Not as good as that of other over noise – ear canceling headphones , but in the true wireless earphone industry, they are the best of all (along with the Sony WF-1000XM3).
Traveling around the city, or on public transport, the Airpods Pro do a good job of effectively reducing environmental noise in the frequencies that disturb and dirty listening. This means being able to listen to your music in peace, and it also means being able to keep the volume low without having to turn it up disproportionately to drown out external noises.
If we have to talk to someone, just press on the stem and the headphones enter transparency mode, the listening volume is turned down, and ambient noise is filtered out.
Among other things, unlike other cheaper noise canceling headphones, we hear a remarkable quality of reproduction of external noise.
Remember that, in the transparency mode of a noise canceling headset, you are not listening to the actual sound source, but you are hearing the version “filtered” by the external microphone and reproduced in the headphones. In other models this process makes the sound rather “fake” and processed, so when we talk to a cashier at the supermarket we hear his almost metallic voice, while with the Airpods Pro headphones the sensation is just natural . Seeing is believing.
The only flaw of the ANC system of the Airpods Pro isthe absence of intensity selection . Noise cancellation has three options: on, off or transparency mode. Therefore, there is no possibility of deciding how much external noise to let in, an option that we find for example in the Jabra noise canceling headphones.
Autonomy
As far as battery life is concerned, the Airpods Pro beat expectations and offer an autonomy of about 5 hours with ANC active , which is above the average in the true wireless earphone sector.
The case offers an additional 20 hours of additional charging , and thanks to the fast charging function, by placing the headphones inside the case for only 5 minutes, we will have about an hour of playback available.
The case must be recharged using the lightning cable, the same as for iPhones. For Apple users this method is fine, but for other users it would have been more convenient to use the USB-C connection. On the plus side, the charging case is compatible with any Qi-type wireless charging base.
Apple Airpods Pro: Opinions and Final Verdict
The Apple Airpods Pro are the ideal true wireless bluetooth headphones for iPhone owners, they far exceed the Airpods in sound quality and features, and the premium price you pay is justified by the amount of features available.
If you are the owner of traditional Airpods, and you are tired of losing them from the ear, or of the poor sound insulation, the purchase of the Pro will solve all your problems. Airpods Pro are also more recommended to protect your hearing, because they don’t force you to turn up the volume in public places.
If you own more Apple products, even better. The integration of headphones will be completely natural, and switching between iDevices will soon be even easier, with the next update.
For Android and Windows users, the market for true wireless noise canceling headphones is quite large, and you don’t necessarily have to choose the Airpods Pro to get the best quality. Sony and Jabra for example offer very interesting models.
The Airpods Pro are however a good choice for you too, their noise cancellation is among the best and they are versatile for sports and everyday activities.
If used for a run or in the gym, they stay firmly in the ear, but if you are looking for specific alternatives for this use, the Powerbeats Pro or the Jabra Elite Sport are a better choice.
The everyday use of the Airpods Pro is really pleasant, the headphones are comfortable to wear for a long time, and offer excellent sound quality. The button on the stem is a much smarter solution than other models and we find ourselves using it often so as not to have to take the phone out of our pocket.
The quality of noise canceling is amazing, and the only option that is missing is the ability to be able to raise or lower the intensity, but honestly, between the on, off and transparency options, we have everything you need for every situation.
Im very happy to find this web site. I wanted to thank you for your time just for this fantastic read!! I definitely liked every bit of it and i also have you book-marked to see new things in your website.