Was the Upgrade to this Small Package Enough?
Jeffrey Clos is a participant in the Amazon Associates LLC associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. There are some links within this article to the described product.
I’ll admit it; the marketing suckered me in. I saw all the ads and articles telling me that the new AirPod Pros 2 were a must-have, so I pulled the trigger and purchased a pair. It didn’t matter that I had the previous iteration (and a pair of the original Airpods), I was invited to the party, and it was time to dance. But now that I’ve had them for a little while, I’m not sure they were worth the hype. Don’t get me wrong, they’re still a great product, but I can’t say the upgrades to the previous model are that significant. Here’s my take on the new Airpod Pros 2.
Design and Comfort The first thing you’ll notice about the new AirPod Pros 2 is the design. They look very similar to the original AirPods Pro. As far as comfort goes, they fit snugly in your ear and don’t fall out, even when you’re sweating, but I never had any problems with my previous pair. The fit was a big complaint of the previous generation. Apple has now included four pairs of silicone tips to ensure they fit your ear snugly.
The case has been given IPX4 water and sweat resistance, although I feel it may have always had this capability. Full disclosure, I have accidentally washed my first-generation AirPods Pro’s, case and all, at least once. I am happy to say they lived to see another day. (I am by no means promoting you sending these through a wash cycle)
Sound Quality The sound quality of the new AirPods Pro 2 is excellent. It’s an improvement over the original AirPod Pro, but if you’re looking for top-of-the-line sound quality, you’ll be disappointed. Any audiophile will tell you the bass isn’t as heavy as they would like, and the high frequencies can sometimes be a bit harsh.
Upon first listening, though, you can see the subtle improvements to the previous generation. Still, some features make these shine. The Active Noise Reduction is greatly improved. I notice this during outdoor lawn tasks like mowing my lawn and edging. Apple put some innovation behind improving this while shutting out the outside world. The noise reduction on the previous models was solid, but the second generation is leaps above.
The Transparency Mode is still remarkably good in both AirPods Pro models. Let’s face it; you can’t always completely shut off the world around you! I have found there is a time and place for both features. The new AirPods Pro 2’s has gone a step further and added Adaptive Transparency, which reduces very loud and relatively harmful outside noises. This is a feature where you don’t always know when it is working, but you are glad to have it.
Battery Life The battery life on the new Airpod Pros is improved over the previous models. I can easily surpass 5 hours of use on a single charge, and I can get several additional charges with the charging case. Forgive me for not providing exact figures, as I generally keep the case topped off. I fear needing these to be functional and finding them devoid of charge when I want them most.
Additional Features I must mention the case has added a few welcome additions. First, there is a place for a lanyard, allowing the user to affix it to the wrist or backpack when needed. Second, the case has included a speaker, and during pairing, charging, or when the battery is too low, you will hear a chime. If you ever lose these, which is easy to do, you can use the Find My app and ring them out to find them. This is incredibly useful on the iPhone as well!
Should You Buy Them? So, should you buy the new AirPod Pros 2? If you’re in the market for a new pair of headphones and someone who likes to have the latest and greatest gadgets, then yes, go ahead and buy them. Someone starting fresh or purchasing these as a gift would love to have these. Now, if you already have the first generation, I have to admit, those are still pretty good, and I would be hard-pressed to implore anyone to upgrade.
The second-generation AirPods Pro 2 are Apple’s best earbuds yet. They sound better, have more effective noise canceling, last longer on a charge, and keep what is good about their predecessors. Now let’s see what they offer next.