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Elite Status
Apple achieved elite status with the AirPods by becoming the most popular headphones on our planet, just 2-3 years after launch. So what do you do after that? Well, you launch a “professional” or Pro version. If you own the AirPods and consider upgrading to Pro, the quickest elevator pitch I can give you is, it has all the features of the AirPods, but with noise cancellation and a couple of new extra features. They are pretty good. Apple made the AirPods Pro NOT to replace the AirPods, but to live side by side with them.
New Features / What’s New?
Design
I always loved the minimalist design of the AirPods. Very Apple! I think this is now an iconic headphone / earbuds / earphone design that will live in tech history forever. The only reason I am not in love with them, or with any earbuds design, is that I think we are now spoiled with a lot of great earbuds and headphone design from all these competing brands. I was already alive in the 90’s and 2000’s. Back then you were cool if you owned a Sony Walkman or a CD Player. LOL!
The stems are now shorter. They still sound as good for phone calls, because I hear people are concerned that a shorter stem means the mic is now further from your mouth. I’m happy to report that’s not the case. At the bottom of the stem, you get a force sensor instead of a touch sensor.
*Squeeze – Play / Pause
*Double Squeeze – Go to the Next Track
*Long Squeeze – Turn On Noise Cancellation
What is Your Least Favorite Design Feature on the AirPods Pro?
Based on research and just asking around, the least favorite design feature of a lot of people is the AirPods Pro do not have volume controls on the buds themselves. I’m still used to controlling the volume of my earbuds directly on the phone. I guess I’m old school that way. You can do that here, or talk to Siri for hands free volume controls.
The Case
This case is bigger than the regular AirPods Case, but it’s still small enough to fit in your pocket. In fact, I noticed that most earbuds in the market today are copying the size and the minimalist design of the AirPods, but many of them are still bigger that the AirPods or AirPods Pro case. Some of them are not pocketable. This AirPods pro case still fits in that mini pocket inside my jeans and khaki pants, I don’t even use that pocket.
Silicone Instead of Hard Plastic in Your Ears
Maybe the most important difference of the AirPods Pro is that they use silicon eartips and not hard plastic. Every ear is different and I did not have the problem of regular AirPods sliding out of my ears after a few minutes. However, I know a number of people who had this problem, they couldn’t even wear regular AirPods for 5 minutes without it falling out. Those same people are now enjoying the AirPods pro, they can walk around, move regularly, and even workout because the buds do not fall out anymore from their ears.
Are They Comfortable?
Again, every ear is different, but here’s what Apple did with the AirPods Pro to address comfort. You see, when you put earbuds in your ears, you are also pushing air inside your ear, and that can be uncomfortable as it creates pressure. Apple designed the AirPods pro in a way that the passthrough cutout let’s the air through to balance out pressure. They are comfortable enough that sometimes, you forget that you’re wearing earbuds.
Do They Sound Great?
The short answer is Yes, but let me expound. When the noise cancellation is off, they sound like regular AirPods. When noise cancellation is on, they sound way better. They get really loud, I don’t use them in full volume. I think most of the improvement in the sound came from the seal that the silicone eartips gives us . Many of the audiophile reviews I saw rate them as mid heavy.
More on Noise Cancellation
For me, this is the biggest strength of the AirPods Pro. It actually has 3 modes:
1) Noise Cancellation
2) Off
3) Transparency Mode
The noise cancellation works really well. I think they are at their best with consistent white noise, like when you are at a coffee shop, in the car on the road, or in an airplane.
The transparency mode is also impressive. It uses the mic to passthrough around you. It has a very natural sound, so natural that sometimes, you feel like you’re not wearing anything on your ears. I use this when I am walking next to a road. When I need to cross the street, I want to be safe and hear my surroundings. This is also good if you are at the airport or the bank, waiting for your number or name to be called.
Battery Life
Apple advertised 4 hours with noise cancelling or transparency mode on, and 5 hours if they are off. I tried it with noise cancelling on all the time and got around 4 hours. A 5-minute charge gives you 1 hour of listening time.
Q & A:
Do They Work for Android?
Yes. But you loose some of the convenient features, like the auto play / pause and Siri. They just work as regular Bluetooth Earbuds.
Can You Replace the Silicone Eartips?
The answere is Yes, BUT, they seem to be proprietary and not the typical eartips that most other earbuds use. Too bad for me because I have a lot of extra eartips. Check out Eartips for the AirPods Pro here.
Are they Good for Workout?
Yes. It has an IXP4 Rating, which means water resistant and splash-proof. Just take note that these were not made to be sports or athletic headphones, unlike the Powerbeats Pro or the Jaybird Vista. I have a friend who runs every morning. He uses the AirPods pro and they do not fall of from his ears.
Verdict: Is the AirPods Pro the Best Wireless Earbuds?
The answer is yes, but no, but also yes. There are other earbuds that sound better, like the Sony WF1000XM3. They sound better than the AirPods or the Pro despite the terrible name. They have better noise cancellation, a longer battery life, and they have better customization in their app than the AirPods pro. Overall, they are better earbuds.
HOWEVER, the AirPods pro nails so many things for everyday use. For instance, the size of the case of Sony is like 25% larger than the AirPods Pro. The fast charging is convenient. The Apple H1 Chip allows them to pair with any iPhone as well as the rest of Apple devices, blending in with the latest iOS. All of these things makes up for it.
The AirPods Pro is not for you if you are looking for audiophile grade headphones, dedicated workout headphones, or the perfect headphones for flying. But if you only want one pair of earbuds to do all of this stuff, then the AirPods Pro is for you. A lot of people will make that choice, and a lot of people already did. They are imperfectly perfect. Maybe that’s the reason why they are The Most Popular Headphones on Planet Earth.
JG Perspective 