There are lots of options when it comes to wireless earbuds. Should you consider the Apple AirPods Pro at a price of $249? Hands down the experts say they’re worth the money. And while they are not perfect, everyone agrees that they deliver the best combination of sound, comfort, ease of use and features. In short, they are almost magical. But of course there are a few things the experts wish were better. Read on to find out more.
Is the Fit Magical?
Two common complaints with the original AirPods had to do with fit and design. With the original AirPods, either they fit your ears well or they didn’t. There were no options for customizing the fit. Apple took care of this with the AirPods Pro by adding an adjustable silicon tip. Three different size tips come in the box. The experts all agree that the AirPods Pro are very comfortable. In fact many said you almost forget they’re there.
How do you know when you have the right size tip? Again Apple solves this with software that performs a fit test. Sara Dietschy shows how the fit test works.
Sara Dietchy Showing How the Fit Test Works
But what about if your’re using the AirPods Pro to workout out? Again, the experts agree that the fit is great. You can run, lie on a bench and given that they’re IP4 water resistant, you can sweat all over them without a worry. Take a look at JimsReviewRoom take and fit and water resistance.
Fit and Water Resistance Test with JimsReviewRoom
The second complaint about the original AirPods was the design. Some people hated those long white stems that stuck out of your ears. While Apple didn’t eliminate the stems, but on the AirPods Pro they’re about half the size. So if that was an issue for you. . . the issue is only half as big now.
The Case
Another design element to consider is the case. If this is your first set of wireless earbuds you might not even consider the case design. But the size of the case matters. Ultimately when you are out and about with your new earbuds, you’ll be taking the case along with you since the case doubles as a charger. The nice thing about the AirPods Pro case is that it’s small. How small? It’s small enough to fit in that little pocket on your pants that is otherwise useless. Check out Marques Brownlee to see what we’re talking about:
Marques Brownlee Shows How Small the Case Is
More on Comfort
We mentioned that the silicone tip design made the AirPods Pro very comfortable. By the way, if you happen to need replacement tips, Apple only charges $4. That’s pretty awesome. But, back to our comfort discussion. Another great design element is the air vent that Apple included in the AirPods Pro. For many people, earbuds with silicone tips can create pressure in the ear when they’re pushed in. This is very uncomfortable for many. To solve this Apple added an air vent that almost magically reduces the pressure. This is another example of what makes the AirPods so great and almost magical. Check out what Max Tech has to say about the air vent:
Max Tech Discuss the Air Vent – Super Cool
More Apple Magic – ANC
What is ANC? It stands for Automatic Noise Cancelation. The experts agree that this feature alone makes the cost of the AirPods Pro worth it. With ANC, background noise is eliminated. JimsReviewRoom demonstrates how they eliminate background noise and how the mic sounds with cars going by.
Noise Cancelation and Street Traffic – JimsReviewRoom
So if you’re flying on a plane, in the subway or just trying to block out the noise around your house, these do a fantastic job. In fact, the experts again agree that it’s almost magical how well this works. In fact, many of the experts think that these are almost as good as over the ear headphones. Sara Dietchy shows the ultimate way to block out noise in her video review.
Noise Cancelation Fun with Sara Dietchy
Of course there are times when you don’t want outside noise blocked out. Suppose you’re at the store and need to interact with the cashier or you’re riding your bike and want to hear the traffic around you. The AirPods Pro have Transparency mode. In this mode the outward facing mics pass audio from the outside world into your ears. It may seem strange, but again the experts say that it’s very natural sounding. Marques Brownlee says it’s as if you’re not wearing anything in your ears at all.
Marques Brownlee on Transparency Mode
The Controls
You can switch between ANC and Transparency mode from your iPhone or the AirPods Pro themselves. Apple added a Force Sensor to the stems of the AirPods Pros. When you squeeze the stem, you get a “click” sensation from the sensor. Not only can you switch between ANC and Transparency mode, but you can answer calls, pause/play and skip a track. JimsReviewRoom has a great graphic that show how the controls work.
Airpods Pro Controls
One knock that nearly all the experts had was the lack of volume controls on the earbuds themselves. There’s now way to control volume on the AirPods. You either have to use Siri or you have to use your phone. This isn’t ideal. Using Siri in public makes it look like you’re talking to yourself. . . but you may do that anyway. And pulling your phone out to control the volume is a bit of a pain. But this is about the only thing wrong with the AirPods Pros.
What about the Sound
Almost all the experts agree that the sound is great. There’s good bass. Good mids. The sound is clear and crisp. And Jervina from TechMeOut, like most experts, says there’s a noticeable difference between the original AirPods and the AirPods Pro.
TechMeOut Grooving on the Sound
But how good are they really? UrAvgConsumer compares the AirPods Pro and the Power Beats Pro. He admits that he’s blown away by the sound quality of the Power Beats Pro but the AirPods Pro rival the sound quality. In fact, he says he can’t tell the difference between the two.
UrAvgConsumer Comparing Beats Pro and Airpods Pro Sound
Battery Life
The experts again agree that battery life is good. The AirPods Pro have 5 hours of battery life with ANC off and 4.5 hours with ANC on. And while 4.5 hours might not get you through a plane ride, as iJustine mentions, you can just put the AirPods Pro in their case for 5 minutes and you’ll get an extra hour. The case itself carries a charge that can give up to 24 hours of battery life the the AirPods Pro. Pretty fantastic! The case also enables wireless charging. Great again.
iJustine on Battery Life
Other Fantastic Things about the Airpods Pro
There are two more features of the AirPods Pro that make them magical. First is the fact that they are so simple to use. Sometimes pairing Bluetooth devices can be a challenge but with the AirPods Pro, all you have to do is open the case and follow the simple instructions. You can see how easy it is in TechMeOut’s review.
Getting Setup with TechMeOut
Another cool feature that you might really like is dual audio. Have you ever wanted to share the music you’re listening to with someone else. Now you don’t have to give them your AirPods Pro while you sit in silence. Instead you can connect a second set of AirPods and share what you’re listening to.
So, Are they Perfect?
Nothing is perfect but LinusTechTips sums up the consensus of the experts. While there are lots of other earbuds that he can recommend, they would all come with a caveat. So these are hands down best. They provide the most refined combination of sound, comfort and ease of use. Watch Linus sum it up himself:
LinusTechTips on if Airpods Pro are the Best Earbuds
So while the AirPods Pro are not perfect, they are fantastic. In fact, they’re pretty much magical and are worth the $249 price tag. The experts agree that you can buy them with confidence!