Apple Airpods Pro
Apple claims its original Airpods are now the world’s most popular headphones. But, despite this, the one-size-fits-all approach means that for some people they simply don’t fit at all. Apple has sought to address this issue with the Airpods Pros, which sit above the existing Airpods. By combining the magic of the original Airpods with active noise-cancelling, Apple hopes to have another hit on its hands. While the Airpods Pros aren’t the best sounding noise-cancelling in-ears, they are still a joy to own and use.
Less conspicuous looks
While there’s no denying the similarities between the 2nd-gen Airpods and the Airpods Pros – the glossy white finish, protruding stem and bulbous body – there are clear differences, too. Most obvious is the silicone tip of the new Airpods, which is shorter than on many in-ear headphones and elliptical rather than round. Though the main body is chunkier, the stem is shorter, making the Airpods Pros look less conspicuous.
The controls have been moved to the stems, which now contain force sensors. A quick squeeze on either stem pauses or resumes a track, a double-squeeze skips forward, a triple-squeeze skips back and a long squeeze switches between noise-cancelling modes. The squeezes are fiddly to perform, particularly when exercising, which you can do with the Airpods Pros thanks to their sweat- and water-resistance.
The Airpods Pros stay in our ears when running during testing. They are so light (5.4g each) and comfortable that they can give the impression of not being secure, but they refuse to budge in action. Apple supplies just three pairs of tips, though the pre-attached, mediumsized pair should fit most people.
Click on the Airpods Pros in the Bluetooth menu of your iphone and you’ll find an ‘Ear Tip Fit Test’ that, when tapped, plays five seconds of music that’s analysed to identify any sound leakage. Get a green ‘Good Seal’ result and you’re ready to go, but if the Pros identify an issue you’ll be prompted to try the bigger or smaller tips.
The biggest change here is, of course, noise cancelling. Each Pro has two microphones, one on the outside to detect incoming noise that can be cancelled out by anti-noise, and one on the inside that detects any noise that makes it through the seal and also analyses how your music is responding to the individual geometry of your ear.
The noise cancelling is adjusted 200 times per second – Apple claims these are the only headphones to take this approach. It is effective, more or less eradicating constant noises and reducing office chatter to a whisper.
Apple has ignored the trend for noise-cancelling modes, with the exception of the ‘Transparency’ mode, which actively allows sound in from the outside world. There seems to be a slight enhancement to midrange sounds, which helps you hear voices, but it’s so subtly done that it never feels anything other than completely natural.
Siri, at a pinch
The Pros support Apple’s voice assistant, Siri, which can also be activated by pinching the buds. In fact, Siri is the only method for adjusting volume without reaching for your phone. Other brands have managed to squeeze volume controls into true wireless earphones and we wish Apple would do the same.
Battery life is a claimed five hours for the earphones with another 19 hours from the charging case. If the earphones run out, five minutes back in the case will give you another hour of listening.
Apple has taken the same approach with the Pros as with other products, favouring clarity and a neutral tonal balance rather than lots of weighty bass. However, the performance alters slightly when noise-cancelling is switched on. Playing R.E.M.’S Belong via Tidal, we notice that ‘Off’ produces a slightly tonally richer and rhythmically crisper performance. There’s an extra warmth to Michael Stipe’s deep, spoken vocals and more texture to that bubbling bassline.
The Airpods Pros don’t quite match the sound quality of the Sony WF1000XM3, which are that bit more dynamic and attacking. The Pros counter with an easy-going nature that ensures even low-quality Spotify streams sound acceptable. The Pros also combine the directness inherent in the design with a spaciousness that allows instruments to breathe. There isn’t lots of bass, but they avoid sounding lightweight. The Airpods Pros really shine in the midrange, with vocals reproduced with plenty of texture and detail. There’s sparkle in the treble, but no hint of brightness sneaking in.
Switch on Noise Cancellation or Transparency and there is a small step down in sound quality with a touch of sibilance in the vocals and a slight lack of tonal warmth in the bass. Significantly, timing takes a bit of a hit, which means tracks can lose a bit of overall impact.
The Airpods Pros can’t quite match the best-in-class noise-cancelling true wireless headphones for sound quality, but the user experience and level of comfort still make them a strong option.