RELEASED in October, the second generation of AirPods Pro (hyperbole alert!) might be the best gadget Apple makes. From ease of use, to its comfortable fit, extended battery life, and audio quality (disclaimer: I am not an audiophile), it just ticks all the right boxes.
Noise Cancellation and Adaptive Transparency
What’s really different is what’s under the hood. Thanks to the new H2 chip, the AirPods Pro provides an improved audio experience, as well as even better noise cancellation performance. The two main settings are Noise Cancellation and Transparency, with the latter offering something no other earbud has right now.
While Noise Cancellation – as per its name – substantially reduces outside noise, making commuting and noisy office environments nice and quiet, the updated Transparency mode uses the H2 chip to selectively reduce loud noises like vehicles sirens, construction sites, and loud music at live events.
Think of it as ‘smart’ noise cancelling. Sometimes you want to cut down on how loud your environment is, but true Noise Cancellation might be too much. Transparency offers the best of both worlds. Going back and forth between both settings is also easy and just takes a few swipes on the iPhone – or you can press and hold the stem of the AirPods.
In terms of the physical feel, the tight seal between earbud and ear canal is nice and comfortable, you can wear them for hours and hours without discomfort. In fact, if you’re not using Noise Cancellation, you might not even notice that you have them on.
Audio quality
In comparison to the 3rd generation of the standard AirPods, which are already quite good, the bass is a lot more pronounced in the Pro model. For the vast majority of users, the sound is very clear.
This is true with media consumption, in fact listening to movies or shows is probably a superior experience with the AirPods Pro than it is with your standard TV setup – unless you have a soundbar or a professional AV setup. Depending on the quality of the content and with spatial audio activated, it’s almost a surround sound package that can fit inside your pocket.
Phone calls are equally clear, with the microphone being easily able to isolate your voice in a noisy situation. The incoming audio is just as clear.
Getting handsy
In terms of controls, the AirPods Pro comes with new touch controls that can take a little getting used to. You have to stroke downwards from the stem to lower the volume, and stroke upwards to turn it up. It feels a bit silly, but after a while, it becomes really intuitive. It also has the same clicking operation as earlier models to answer calls or play the next music track.
Case in point
The carrying/charging case is a more obvious revision, though it still has the same dimensions and weight. There’s now a built-in speaker that beeps when you’re looking for it using Apple’s Find My app. But don’t expect to be blasting tunes with it, it’s not that kind of speaker.
The automatic ear detection has been improved from previous models of the AirPods, meaning that if you take them off and stow them in a pocket or anywhere else, they won’t randomly turn on. It’s a little thing that creates a sense of ease around the AirPods – they work when you want them to.
Pairing is instantaneous, and for those with the latest version of iOS installed on their iPhones, there’s a new dedicated AirPods section in the menu. There’s an ear tip fit test (self-explanatory), as well as a fairly easy-to-set-up Apple’s Spatial Audio.
With the improved battery life in both the earbuds and the charging case, you can go a really long time in between charges. You can be at ease leaving the case at home when you go out because the AirPods can last for six hours of listening with Noise Cancellation – that’s pretty much a whole day at the office.
The case itself can carry a charge for up to 30 hours, making it perfect for long trips. In addition to being charged with USB-C, it can also use an Apple Watch charger, which is great if you’re trying to cut down on cable clutter.
Summing it up
It’s very hard to find something wrong with the second-generation AirPods Pro. Ever since smartphone makers (following Apple’s lead) got rid of the headphone jack on their flagship devices, Bluetooth earbuds have become unavoidable.
However, in keeping with Apple’s focus on a closed ecosystem of their own devices, ease of use with Android phones, is a whole other matter, with workarounds needed to install updates and use some features. For those people, the argument for getting the AirPods Pro is less welcoming.
At RM1,099, these earbuds are not what anyone would call an impulse buy, but for a device that one is likely to use for hours and hours every day, for music, phone calls, watching videos… it just might be worth it. – The Vibes, November 22, 2022
