Apple AirPods Pro Review
Introduction
Apple’s AirPods have been a wildly popular success since launching in late 2016. With their seamless pairing to Apple devices and long battery life, it’s not hard to see why AirPods quickly became one of Apple’s best-selling products. The original AirPods had one major drawback – their open design lacked noise isolation and passive noise cancellation. This meant they did not block ambient noise very well, making them less than ideal for noisy environments like public transportation or airplanes.
In late 2019, Apple sought to address this issue with the launch of the AirPods Pro. Boasting an in-ear design with silicone tips and active noise cancellation, the AirPods Pro aimed to provide a superior listening experience compared to the original AirPods. As an Apple user who appreciates great audio quality but also values convenience features like instant pairing and “Hey Siri” support, I was eager to try the AirPods Pro for myself and see if they lived up to the hype. Here is my in-depth AirPods Pro review after using them for over 3 months.
Design and Comfort
Right out of the box, it’s clear that the AirPods Pro have a very different design compared to the original AirPods. Gone is the familiar stick-like design, replaced by shorter stems and oval silicone tips. The tips are available in 3 sizes to help achieve a comfortable, secure fit. I found the medium tips to fit my ears perfectly right away.
The oval tips provide a far superior seal compared to the open design of the original AirPods. This seal is key to achieving proper noise isolation and also prevents the AirPods Pro from falling out during exercise or movement. The AirPods Pro feel very secure once inserted and I never experienced them falling out, even during calls or workouts.
The outer portion of each AirPod Pro features the same multi-function force sensor as the regular AirPods. A long press allows you to switch between Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes. Short presses play/pause media and answer/end phone calls. The sensors are very responsive without excessive presses being registered.
Similar to the original AirPods, the AirPods Pro are charged via a wireless charging case. The case is slightly larger than the original AirPods case to accommodate the new in-ear design of the AirPods themselves. It still retains the same slim, pocket-friendly design that makes AirPods cases so portable.
Overall, I’m very impressed with the ergonomic and comfortable design of the AirPods Pro. The soft silicone tips conform perfectly to my ears without feeling restrictive. And the new form factor allows them to achieve far greater noise isolation than the original open design AirPods.
Active Noise Cancellation
Impressively, the AirPods Pro pack active noise cancellation into their small package through the use of two microphones in each AirPod. One microphone faces outward to analyze environmental noise, while another faces inward to analyze noise reaching your ears. The two microphones work together to generate opposite phase noise patterns to cancel out ambient noise.
I was blown away by just how effective the noise cancellation is on the AirPods Pro. Whether commuting on public transportation, working in a noisy office, or simply wanting peace and quiet on an airplane, the AirPods Pro do an outstanding job blocking out ambient noise. Low frequency rumble from buses and planes is cancelled out just as well as higher frequency sounds like conversations.
The noise cancellation performs far better than I expected considering the small size of the AirPods Pro. I’ve used premium over-ear noise cancelling headphones like Bose and Sony which work great but struggle with lower frequencies – the AirPods Pro hold their own surprisingly well across the entire audible spectrum. A nice touch is that iOS automatically activates noise cancellation when the AirPods Pro are inserted without needing to manually toggle the settings.
Transparency Mode
While Active Noise Cancellation creates a cocoon of silence, Transparency Mode works in the opposite manner by piping in environmental sound. This allows you to still be aware of your surroundings for things like safety alerts or casual conversations without needing to remove your AirPods.
As someone who commutes on public transportation daily, I found Transparency Mode to be a killer feature. It lets me maintain full awareness of train and station announcements without needing to pause my music. The mode is remarkably natural – I can’t discern any digital processing of sound and it truly feels like my ears have been uncovered despite still wearing the AirPods Pro.
Transparency works very well both for ambient noise awareness as well as phone calls. When activated, callers said my voice sounded completely natural and couldn’t tell I was using Bluetooth earbuds. Combined with the noise cancellation, having both these modes allows the AirPods Pro to be very flexible for different usage scenarios.
Audio Quality
Being made by Apple, high fidelity audio is a major priority for the AirPods Pro. Each earbud packs a custom driver and high dynamic range amplifier to deliver crystal clear sound. Bass levels are greater than the original AirPods thanks to a custom dual-element design.
I’m pleased to report that the AirPods Pro sound exceptional for truly wireless earbuds. Vocals and instrumentation across a variety of genres all sounded balanced and detailed. Bass levels provided sufficient low-end rumble without being overbearing. Highs were articulate without harshness. Their sound signature seems to target an overall balanced, coherent listen rather than just boosted bass.
They also get very loud – way louder than necessary for typical use. Even at high volumes, distortion was minimal. Apple has packed high-quality audio circuitry into each tiny AirPod Pro. While audiophiles may still prefer over-ears, the AirPods Pro are reference quality for a truly wireless form factor. The high level of detail and refinement is impressive.
In addition to great sound quality, the AirPods Pro support the same hands-free “Hey Siri” functionality introduced with the original AirPods using the H1 chip. Siri responses are near instant and recognize voice commands reliably even in loud environments. Being able to quickly call up the digital assistant is a convenience I’ve come to appreciate.
Battery Life
Apple rates the AirPods Pro at up to 4.5 hours of listening time on a single charge and around 24 hours of total use factoring in charges from the wireless charging case. In real world testing, I found these estimates to be quite accurate. With moderate volume levels and some Siri usage mixed in, a full charge usually lasted 4-4.5 hours – matching Apple’s claims.
The charging case itself holds multiple additional charges, giving the AirPods Pro enough battery life for full days of typical use before needing to plug in the case. The case charges wirelessly on any Qi-compatible charging mat or can connect to lighting for a faster wired top-up. A 5 minute charge in the case provides over 1 hour of listening time.
Overall, the AirPods Pro delivered strong battery performance that met Apple’s published specs. Unlike some truly wireless buds I’ve tested that struggle to match manufacturer ratings, the AirPods Pro reliably hit the 4.5 hour single charge mark in my experience. Factor in the quick charging abilities of the case and battery life is a non-issue.
Conclusion
After over 3 months of daily use, I am beyond impressed with the AirPods Pro and can easily say they set a new bar for truly wireless earbuds. Their new design achieves industry-leading noise cancellation in a compact wireless form factor. Audio performance is best-in-class for Bluetooth buds at this size. And features like instant pairing, hands-free Siri and Transparency Mode bring it all together into a killer package.
At $249, the AirPods Pro do carry a premium price tag over the original $159 AirPods. I believe their outstanding noise cancellation, comfort and stellar user experience easily justify the higher cost compared to most other true wireless earbuds on the market. If money was no object and you value great sound in a seamless wireless package, I unreservedly recommend the AirPods Pro. Even for the price, their combination of performance and convenience make a very compelling case. Apple continues to prove why they dominate personal audio with products like these.
Andrew Stroud