AirPods Pro Review

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I’ve now spent a few weeks with the AirPods Pro headphones, and I think it’s time to tell you a bit more about them, aside from my initial impressions. They might be my favorite headphones, but not just because of how they sound. In fact, the AirPods Pro comes with a series of features that make them a sort of tool for Apple’s augmented reality future, while also being good for music, podcasts, games, videos, and anything else you’d like to listen to.

Yes, the sound quality’s pretty good. But that’s not why you’re buying AirPods Pro. You get them because they’re good at things you didn’t even realize you wanted headphones to be good at.

Noise Cancellation

When I first started my new job, I noticed something immediately. There was no large separation from the business and engineering departments. Why is this a problem? Because business folks talk for a job, and engineers need silence to concentrate on their job. I had my simple AirPods, and quickly realized that, even blasting white noise into my ears, I’d need something better.

At first, I got the Audio Technica AT-ANC700BT QuietPoint headphones. Those didn’t work out too well. So I preordered the Beats Solo Pro headphones because I didn’t think Apple’s rumored AirPods Pro would come out until next year. Then, Apple surprised us all.

With that in mind, I’ve now used my AirPods Pro in the same location I used my Audio Technica headphones. I can now say that the noise cancellation effect is startlingly better.

And I don’t use startling lightly. The first time I turned them on, I almost winced. The dramatic reduction of sound from something in my ear was downright jarring. Switching from Apple’s transparency mode (described below) is even more jarring.

Apple’s noise canceling is absurdly good. Even without music on, it makes trains sound tolerable, but gives me just enough of an audio cue to know when an announcement is being made. Still, I can’t make it out unless I turn off noise cancellation. My office becomes a place where I can focus and work. Simply using these all day greatly improved my productivity at work. I didn’t realize how much the noise in the office was holding me back. With these, it was like I had a bubble, and I got more work done more quickly just because I had that bubble around me.

Then I used it while laying in bed. The fan on my HVAC unit was running, but when I put in my headphones, it completely disappeared. It was, frankly, a little scary. Transparency mode revealed that the fan was, in fact, still running, but with noise cancellation on, I couldn’t tell.

The other day I was waiting outside of a train station where someone was using a jack hammer. It was incredibly loud. But with noise cancellation on, it was tolerable. It didn’t hurt my ears. A jackhammer! Could these be used for hearing protection? No, it’s still generating a lot of pressure to dampen that noise, and it’s not complete. But it’s certainly far more comfortable! Truly, it was a little astounding.

Transparency Mode

As good as Apple’s noise cancellation is, transparency mode is what makes it possible. It would be incredibly annoying if you had to take these out completely to hear anything. Transparency mode is what allows you to keep them in at all times. It really does make you feel like your headphones aren’t even there. I found that, when switching from noise cancellation to transparency mode, it takes my brain a slight delay to figure out where environmental sounds are coming from, but once it does, locating objects by sound still works as you’d expect without something in your ears.

I love that I can notice a coworker trying to talk to me and turn on transparency mode, allowing me to wear these around my office and still talk to everyone. Now, I don’t have to take them out, put them in the case, and then pull them back out upon returning to my desk. I can hear through them better than I could the original AirPods, and then choose to tune everything out if I wish.

Limitations of Transparency Mode

I did notice that it’s ever so slightly easier to talk to someone with them out, rather than in my head with transparency mode on. I think this might just be a mental block, the discomfort of having something in my ear when I’m talking to someone, but it’s hardly a problem. I’ve had meetings, spoken to coworkers and strangers, and I’ve been able to do so with these in my ears.

The real limitation of transparency mode is wind and louder objects. The microphones pick up wind noise and pipe that into your ears when your moving. That makes them imperfect for biking or skating. But this is Apple we’re talking about. They still don’t have biking directions in Maps. It’s the one reason I can’t ditch Google Maps!

I’ve found that I can still hear cars around me while I’m out skating with these in, but I need to double check with my eyes to properly judge distance. In part because of the wind noise, and another part because of the volume. We can use changing volume to figure out when an object is moving towards us. With loud cars or trucks, however, Apple’s not going to blast our ears with uncomfortably loud sound. Therefore, there can be a cutoff, where something sounds like it’s not approaching you as fast as it is.

I suppose what I’m saying is that these help a lot for talking to people, but you’ll still have to be extra careful if you’re biking, skating, or engaging in some other alternative form of transport on the road. Drivers aren’t looking out for you, their faces are likely glued to smartphones anyway, so it’s up to you to look out for yourself.

Comfort and Ergonomics

The idea of the AirPods Pro and its noise cancellation and transparency modes is that you can keep your AirPods Pro in your ears at all times. Apple even created a special venting system, so your ears don’t feel stifled or sweaty over long listening sessions. I found that, usually, I can listen to them for quite a few hours without needing to take them out. That’s actually better comfort than my AirPods my other in-ear headphones. I found on the first day I wore them I could go about 4 hours before I just had to take them out. That’s incredible, for me. Usually I get fed up sooner.

These may actually be the most comfortable headphones I own. That’s the point. Apple wants me to only have to take these out to charge. They want us using them at all times for Siri, messages, notifications, notes, focusing, and, of course, whatever we’re listening to. Apple set out to make their most comfortable headphones ever, and I think they succeeded.

One Size Fits Most

The headphones also come with three silicone tips. They’re not standardized tips, in part for that venting capability, so, for now, those are the only size you can get. I’m sure third party manufacturers will make more, but, as it stands, this is what we’ve got. One reviewer did say that none of the sizes worked for both of their ears, but nearly every review I’ve seen says they fit perfectly.

You can even use a special “Ear Tip Fit Test” in the Bluetooth settings to make sure your headphones have a perfect seal. I had a seal with all three tip sizes, but I wear the medium for optimal grip and sound quality.

Stays in Your Ears, Not on the Ground

One of the problems I had with the original AirPods was how well they stayed in my ears. The fact is, while they were 100 times better than Apple’s wired earbuds, they weren’t perfect. A bump, like from taking off my helmet, could cause them to fall out of my ear and on to the ground. These stay in much better, refusing to move around.

An Awkward Case

I’ve got a bit of a flare for the dramatic. I like spinning my iPhone around when I pull it out of my back pocket. I used to flip open my flip phones with similar pizazz. When I smoked in college I had a fancy Zippo lighter. So with the AirPods, I’d pull out the case, flip it open, pull out my headphones, and give it a flick to snap it closed. I don’t know, it’s likely dorky, but it feels cool.

But these have a lid that takes up about 33% of the case. You can barely wrap a finger around the bottom. The most seamless way I’ve found of getting your AirPods in or out was to kind of peel the case back with your one hand and then pull the AirPods out with the other. The whole process just feels more clinical. Less casual. Maybe that’s more “pro,” but it feels more awkward.

If this case had just been a bit taller, you’d have even more battery life and more area to grip so you don’t drop your expensive AirPods Pro headphones when pulling the case out of your bag.

Hey Siri

Okay. I’m always honest with you, dear reader, so I’m going to admit to something nerdy. I got the original AirPods, in part, because I really loved the idea of an augmented reality (AR) future. The idea is we could go about our normal lives, but have information injected almost passively. I really became infatuated with the idea after playing Horizon: Zero Dawn. Plenty of games have done AR, but none really showed it working as seamlessly as an Apple product, while still feeling like a piece of technology like the Focus in Horizon Zero Dawn. I wanted to have something like that, information at my beck and call.

But the original AirPods didn’t work great for that. The tap gesture wasn’t as intuitive, I couldn’t have my messages read to me, and I felt silly using it half the time. But I’ve found I’ve used these features now on my AirPods Pro. They can read me messages, give me information, control my lights, and all with my hands full. I use Siri far more now than I used to, and have even started using Alexa less frequently at home.

The other night I was making dinner and I said “Hey Siri, play the latest episode of Supergirl on my Apple TV.” I was mostly having a laugh, there was no way Siri could do all of that, right? It turned on my Apple TV, which turned on my TV, loaded up the CW app, and started playing Supergirl. I didn’t even realize that could work. Now I wonder how much Siri has grown as an assistant, and how these AirPods Pro can work towards bringing that connectivity everywhere.

I finally feel like we’re inching towards an AR future, and AirPods Pro are going to be a huge part of it.

Sound Quality

I’ve got a bit of all over musical tastes, but I’d say it centers on rock. I’ve been on a The Struts kick lately, and did extensive testing with their fantastically varied rock sound. I also pulled out an old favorite, Colors by Halsey. This is a track with strong bass, a variety of details from synths and other electronic sources, and Halsey’s incredible voice. I feel like I can tell how good a pair of headphones are just by how this track makes me feel. Everything I threw at the AirPods Pro had surprisingly good balance. There’s decent enough detail in the highs, vocals, and bass. It’s not my best in-ear monitor (IEM). It’s not as good as my Harman Kardon over ears. It lacks the surprisingly fine detail of the Beats Solo Pro headphones. There’s a bit lacking on the highs and higher mids of the vocal range. But, unlike the Beats Solo Pro headphones, there’s more “feel” to the bass, surprisingly.

Honestly? These sound better than AirPods, and about what you’d expect from mid-range IEMs. The sound quality is good. You won’t be disappointed listening to your music on these. But audiophiles will likely still want something with a little more detail. There are better sounding truly wireless headphones, like the Sony WF-1000XM3, but, again, you don’t buy the AirPods just for the sound quality. In fact, if you were to do so, I’d say you were a fool. These don’t sound like $250 headphones, they sound like something more in the $80-$120 range. What you’re buying is the AirPods Pro experience.

Can you use these to enjoy your music? Of course! They’re definitely not bad. They lack some detail, which is disappointing, but the sound itself is actually not bad. The noise cancellation, transparency mode, Siri, easy connection, battery life, reliability, and other benefits are why you choose AirPods Pro over other headphones.

Note: Turning it all off

As an aside, I believe these, like many other noise cancellation headphones, sound ever so slightly better with both transparency mode and noise cancellation turned completely off. So, if you’re listening in a quiet space and you just want to enjoy your music, turn them off for slightly better quality. There’s definitely a bit more detail and improved mids when I do this.

Mic Quality

One of the reasons I returned the Audio Technica headphones was the fact that the microphones were utterly useless. I’d have to take my headphones out and put in my AirPods to carry on a conversation. But the AirPods Pro, despite the fact that they don’t have the downward facing microphone of the original AirPods, sound just as good. This is because they have dual beamforming microphones, which help them pick up sound only from one direction. By combining the audio from both headphones and canceling background noise, the AirPods are the ultimate headphones for phonecalls.

For a test, I compared them to my Blue Yeti microphone, and it’s incredibly clear that the Blue Yeti is better. It just captures more audio detail. Still, the AirPods Pro sound just as good as the AirPods when it comes to the microphone, voice memos, or phonecalls, and that means they sound great.

Battery Life

In a perfect world, these would last at least 10+ hours so I could wear them to the office and on my commute without ever having to charge. Unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world, and 3D space doesn’t work like that. You need bigger batteries for more battery life. However, Apple claims they’ll last 4.5 hours on a charge with transparency mode or noise cancellation on, and 5 hours with them off. In my testing, I found they operated for about 4.5-5 hours with noise cancellation and transparency mode on, meeting or exceeding Apple’s expectations.

I found battery life to be about what you’d expect. The larger battery case helps these survive for about 24 hours of audio playback (less if you’re using them for talking or recording). After two days of regular use, my battery was down to 31%. This is something you won’t have to charge every night, but perhaps every two to three nights.

Since the battery case has wireless charging, I typically just let it sit on a charging pad when I’m at work. It’s easy, I come in, put my case down on the charger, and my AirPods Pro and case are always at 100% when I need them. The AirPods themselves charge incredibly fast. In about an hour, they fully charge, but the first 50% of charge is under 15 minutes. Realistically, you could get an extra hour of listening in under a 5 minute charge. The battery life then, is actually pretty good. Between fast charging and multiple days of use, you won’t have to think about juicing up your AirPods Pro very often. In fact, I rarely think about the battery life in my AirPods Pro at all.

Connectivity

One of the best parts about the AirPods have always been the way they can bounce between your devices with ease. I can have them hooked up to my computer while at work, quickly swap over to my iPhone on my way home, and then sync with my Apple TV when I get home so I can hear while cooking. It’s incredible. No difficult setup, just hopping between my Apple devices like there’s no barriers at all. Having used all manner of Bluetooth device, it’s always been refreshing.

The pro version of the AirPods do this as well. No better or worse. I have noticed a few small hiccups, but it’s nothing like those I’ve experienced with Bluetooth controllers or headphones. It’s a consistent and reliable connection.

When things do go wrong, it can be very annoying. It’s not as though you have an off switch you can quickly toggle. Instead, you’ll have to put them back in the case for a few seconds, turn off Bluetooth on your device and potentially even press the button on the back of the AirPods to re-sync as them as a new device. It can be quite troublesome. Fortunately, you won’t have to do anything like that often, but in my two weeks of testing, I have had to do it twice now. Apple just updated the firmware of these on Thursday, so, hopefully, they fixed these problems.

Appearance

I had a fun disagreement with a high school kid in my office. He believed that the AirPods looked cooler than the AirPods Pro. Maybe I’m too old and don’t have taste anymore. However, I think the new AirPods Pro headphones look cooler than the originals. The beefier part by the ear and shorter stem, to me, look more complete, more balanced. The stark contrast of the black grille on the outer microphone just make the new devices look far more professional. But I can’t deny that the longer stems of the AirPods can do wonders for a jawline. The new ones don’t have the same effect, and the stems actually look more out of place, but I like the overall presentation more.

But it’s obviously a matter of opinion, and they’ll look different on everyone.

Odds & Ends

Auto Transparency Mode

For some reason, people still try talking to you when they see you have headphones in your hears or over them. I’ll never understand it. You said how many sentences to someone, knowing they couldn’t hear you? How are you that ridiculous? It will forever perplex me. If you need to quickly snap your AirPods out of your ears to hear one of those people, the AirPod that remains in your other ear will engage transparency mode. This way, you won’t feel like you’re only hearing them in one ear.

The latest firmware introduced the opposite effect when using transparency mode. If you had transparency mode on, turning it off will engage noise cancellation. I have no idea why, this doesn’t seem to make sense. You may want to take them out to hear someone better, even on top of transparency mode, and this gets in the way of that. I hope Apple goes back to the way things were.

Fit Test

This is a neat feature. Using the external microphones and some music played through your headphones, your AirPods Pro headphones can tell you about their fit. If you have to try a larger ear tip or adjust the fit. You can find it in Settings > Bluetooth, and tap the ‘i’ next to your AirPods Pro for settings and this fit test.

I AM Squeezing!

This doesn’t happen to me as much as it did when I first got them, perhaps because I’ve gotten more used to them. But I found that they don’t always register a squeeze on the stem. This is because they don’t actually have moving parts here. It’s a force sensor, which creates a click sound in your ear to tell you that they’ve been pressed. I’d say it works about 93.726%* of the time, but I wish it was a little more reliable.

*That’s a completely arbitrary estimation.

Are You Charging?

A neat feature my coworker showed me has to do with the case. You don’t have to open it up near your phone to see if it’s still charging or if it’s fully charged. You can just give the case a little double tap while it’s charging, and the light on the outside will tell you whether or not it’s fully charged. Such a clever little addition to the AirPods Pro that the AirPods lack.

Overall: 9 / 10

• Noise Cancellation and Transparency: 10/10: Create a bubble or pop it instantly
• Sound Quality: 6/10: Beaten by headphones half their price
• Fit and Comfort: 9.5/10: All day wear from in-ear headphones? Yes!
• Connectivity: 10/10: Connect in a tap
• Ergonomics: 8/10 : Compact & portable, but a little more difficult to open
• Value: 8/10: They’re not cheap, but you get a lot for them

The only thing really holding these back from a perfect 10/10 rating is the sound quality. If the music quality was just a little better, they’d be perfect. They sync quickly and easily, the noise canceling and transparency modes are excellent, the battery life is good enough that you’ll rarely think about it, Hey Siri works well and brings us closer to an augmented reality future, and the sound quality is improved over previous AirPods. Really, the AirPods Pro are excellent headphones, but what make them the best truly wireless headphones on the market have little to do with the sound quality.