AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Review – Why Didn’t I Buy Them Sooner?
They are fantastic!
After using the Google Pixel Buds Pro as my main daily earbuds for a year, I decided it was time to switch.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m a massive fan of the Pixel Buds Pro as well as some of the smart features they offer. But with me moving back to the Apple ecosystem, I decided that it was time to upgrade.
I wasn’t actually planning to buy the AirPods Pro (2nd generation). I was actually looking at the Beats Studio Buds Plus, mainly because I like the look of the transparent version, but also because I’m not really a fan of the stem design.
Not only that, but I feel that earbuds without the stems just look better and slightly more modern, even though it’s not always the case as proved with the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) which were released in September 2023.
Moreover, having owned the 1st generation AirPods Pro a few years ago, I wanted to buy something more exciting, and looking back at my thought process behind that, I think I was wrong. Here’s why…
Powerful Active Noise Cancellation
We all know how horrible commuting via public transport can be. As someone who commutes via public transport on a weekly, sometimes daily basis, having earbuds with a decent level of active noise cancellation (ANC) is essential.
I know that to many people this seems to be only a gimmick, but trust me when I tell you, that once you’ve tried decent ANC, you won’t want to go back to normal earbuds or headphones!
The Google Pixel Buds Pro have a reasonable amount of active noise cancellation, but when I went on longer trips, I would usually take the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC. In fact, there was a brief period of time when I used the Soundcore Liberty 4 NC as my daily drivers!
I guess the main reason I went back to the Pixel Buds Pro was the smart features.
Going back to the AirPods Pro (2nd generation), I think that they offer a phenomenal level of active noise cancellation. I can comfortably sit on a train and relax or do some work without being interrupted by screaming kids or generally loud carriages.
They work great in cafés and open areas too! I tend to use them a lot at my day job, where I sit in an open-plan office. I mean, when everybody is on a call or talking, these types of offices can get pretty loud.
Furthermore, I also like the fact that these offer Adaptive Audio, which combines ANC and Transparency mode and adjusts the level based on the noise conditions around you.
Transparency Mode works really well!
If your headphones or earbuds have ANC, it is essential for them to have a decent amount of ambient pass-through or, in this case, a decent transparency mode.
It helps with important daily tasks such as ordering a coffee or showing your ticket to the ticket inspector when on the train.
The 2nd generation AirPods Pro doesn’t disappoint in this department!
I am comfortably able to have conversations with people, even if they speak quietly.
As we all know, sometimes technology tends to fail, and in this case, I am referring to the speaker system on trains as well as train stations.
The other day, this exact failure happened when I was waiting for the train, the announcements were incredibly quiet on my platform, and they didn’t sound very clear. I used the AirPods Pro in transparency mode, and it allowed me to clearly hear the announcements.
I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t heard the platform change announcement!
I also like the fact that, like on the Pixel Buds Pro, the AirPods Pro have a mode which Apple calls Conversation Awareness which lowers the volume and enhances voices around you.
I find this mode great for working in an office, especially when you have your AirPods in and someone pops up to you to start a conversation.
They have outstanding sound quality!
When it comes to sound quality, we all have different tastes in sound, some people prefer the sound to be flat, some prefer strong bass and some want it to be in the middle.
But the truth of the matter is that “good sound quality” can be defined in many ways, and it is dependent on the person. That is why when I review audio products, I try to talk about how the sound sounds, how I like my sound.
I like the sound to be clear so that I can clearly hear all the instruments, but at the same time, I like to be able to feel that bass. I think that the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) deliver on that incredibly well. I have yet to find a song that sounds tinny!
In terms of vocals, they sound incredibly clear, especially when on calls or when listening to podcasts or audiobooks, something I tend to do a lot when travelling. I would even go as far as saying that listening to audiobooks has practically changed my life!
Overall, I think that for my taste in sound, these sound fantastic!
They are packed with some incredibly useful features
The 2nd generation AirPods Pro come with some incredibly useful features, features that I think all premium earbuds should have, and I’m not talking about the ANC or premium sound quality.
I’m talking about the practical features such as the built-in speaker that allows you to easily find your case if you’ve misplaced it, as well as compatibility with the Find My app.
You can even use this feature to help you find a single earbud, but the alarm is considerably quieter.
However, I think it’s worth me mentioning that I haven’t yet had a chance to use the Find My feature in a real-world scenario. I only tried it in my office, and it worked incredibly well. So I suppose this feature is great for when you misplace an earbud on your desk.
Hopefully, I will never have to try it in a real-life scenario where I lose my earbuds or they get stolen.
I also like the Spatial Audio with face tracking. I know that to many this is just a gimmick, but I actually really like it, especially when watching movies.
Conclusion
To summarise my review of the AirPods Pro (2nd generation), I think that they are brilliant, and although I’ve only been daily driving them for a month, they will definitely remain my daily drivers for the foreseeable future.
I honestly don’t understand why I didn’t even consider getting these earlier, as they are incredibly good and fit my lifestyle perfectly!
And, that’s the thing with technology. I know that there will be people out there who will disagree with me on this and that is perfectly fine, after all, we all have our preferences and there are many other great sets of wireless earbuds out there!
Speaking of which, which earbuds or headphones do you currently use and why? Let us know in the comments.