The AirPods Pro released by Apple in October 2019. In the ever-evolving world of technological gadgets, three years feels like an eternity. Since then, Apple consumers have had to wait for an upgrade virtually annually. One exists right now. And according to Apple's naming conventions, it is known as the AirPods Pro 2. Apple is adhering to the convention in more ways than simply the name, though. With the new Pods Pro, the company is likewise adhering to the adage "if it isn’t broken, don't repair it." The AirPods Pro 2 resembles the first Pro in terms of appearance.
How big of an improvement is this over the first-generation AirPods Pro? The response is quite important. That is because, in this instance, appearances might be deceiving.
Same fit, Same Design
Apple has resolved that it would not introduce change for the sake of change in the design of the AirPods Pro 2. This is because the prior Pods Pro had one of the best designs. Because of its low weight and short stem, it doesn't hang out on the cheeks or clumsily protrudes into the ears. The rubber tips of the Pro AirPods guarantee a secure fit and sound isolation.
The AirPods Pro 2 from Apple maintains the same design as the original Pro, and when I used them, I experienced the same level of comfort and snugness. In other words, I believe the AirPods Pro 2 to be among the best-looking and most comfortable earbuds on the market, even if they have a three-year-old design.
The Pro 2 is sweat-and water-resistant like its predecessor. The sealing and fitting were snugs when I used the buds with the standard rubber tips, which I believe will fit most people. They were cozy and I could wear them in my ears for hours. And they remain firmly in place as they jog. You should be aware that Apple offers tips in four sizes: XS, S, M, and L, just in case they are too loose or too tight for you. Select what’s suits you best.
Select the option that best suits your needs. Like before, the linked iPhone checks for noise leaks to help customers discover the optimal fit (the option is in Bluetooth settings when AirPods Pro are paired with the phone.)
There are a few modifications. A new skin-detecting sensor, to start. This is meant to be more exact. In my use, I saw no appreciable distinction between the Pro and the Pro 2 on this score. the Pro 2 has a somewhat modified microphone placement. In actuality, this is the only discernible design difference between the Pro 2 and the Pro, other than the skin sensor's new location.
A more functional stem is another modification that is not immediately apparent. The Pro 2 now offers volume control, in contrast to the Pro, which only permits pausing and resuming music playback. The volume can be decreased while wearing the Pods Pro 2 by sliding your finger down the stem. Sliding up makes it bigger. The user is alerted that the volume level has changed by a very slight clicking sound that occurs with each up and down. The controls are effective, and I had no trouble using the AirPods Pro 2 to control the music even while jogging.
With a few changes, the design case is also similar.
One is that it has a few metal holes for lanyards. I don't use the lanyard, so my feelings toward this modification are completely conflicted. However, those who do will enjoy it. Earlier, a cover was necessary to have the same capability. The U1 chip and a tiny speaker have also been added to the casing. The chip makes it possible for the AirPods Pro 2 to use "Find Me." The Pro 2 is locked to your unique ID and Apple account when you pair the phone and headphones. This makes it possible for a user to locate the buds in case they lose them.
As an illustration, if you leave your AirPods Pro 2 in the workplace, you will receive a notification on your phone letting you know that they are in a distant area. Or you may use the Find My function on a map to manually look for them.
When the battery is running low, the case's tiny speaker dings. or after you set it to charge. Additionally, it can ring when you are trying to find it after it has slid into a sofa corner.
Even while I appreciate the way the case and the headphones are made and the designs, I do wish they came in more colors. or perhaps a unique finish. In particular, in this case, the shiny finish is prone to smudges and scratches, and the white plastic finish is just plain uninteresting.
Noise Cancellation
Thankfully, an earphone set and its carrying bag don't have to look good. It must satisfy the ears. And in that area, Apple has improved and paid greater attention to the AirPods Pro 2. Noise cancellation comes first. According to Apple, the Pro 2 features significantly enhanced noise cancellation. And I agree. When the noise-canceling feature is on, the AirPods Pro 2 becomes startlingly silent. Apple claims that the Pods Pro 2's ability to perform more calculations in real-time and better muffle background noise is due to the H2 chip, which is somewhat more powerful than the H1 chip. But regardless of how Apple accomplishes it, based on my experience with the Pro 2, I can say that they do it very effectively.
The Pro 2 does a great job of muffling noises in a workplace, especially voices and conversation. Sharper noises, like the sound of a keyboard, still make their way in. But what about the sounds of nearby conversations? Exactly nothing. In other words, I'm not hesitating to call these the greatest noise-canceling headphones I've used thus far.
One area where I think the Pro 2 outperforms its predecessor is noise cancellation. However, there has been a more subtle improvement to the music playback. Although the Pro 2 has a little bit more bass and a little larger soundstage than the first-generation model, the gap between the two is not particularly wide. The soundstage, which is the capacity to make all sounds in a song feel full and in a type of 3D-way, is, in my opinion, not as good as some others on the market, like some Sennheiser and Bose. But for its price, I believe the Pro 2 performs well enough to uphold Apple's brand and its name.
I experimented with various musical genres on the Pro 2, including Bollywood, pop, hip-hop, rock, classical, and even folk. On these, most contemporary music sounds fantastic. Since the sound is largely neutral, I believe that most people will like it. Even in Adele's Rolling In The Deep, the bass is present yet does not seem muddy. Sia's tracks sounded great on the Buds Pro thanks to her distinctive vocal style. Lenard Cohen's rich voice was also present. I did miss the impression of a large soundstage in classical music. And I experienced the same thing while I listened to classic metal songs like Judas' Painkiller's guitar chords.
However, I think the AirPods Pro 2 are wonderful as a whole because of their superb noise reduction and good sound quality. However, I believe that if they had supported higher-res audio, the sound quality of these may have been better. They don't currently, and I think that when rivals like Sony provide lossless audio streaming via Bluetooth, the AirPods Pro is beginning to stand out as the odd man out.
Beyond the fundamentals, however, two aspects make them practically a necessity for iPhone users:
- The spatial audio from Apple's When it first came out, I thought the spatial audio was terrific. Since then, we have started to buy headphones that enable some form of surround sound, so the rest of the world likely felt the same way. Well, based on my personal experience, I still think the AirPods Pro's spatial audio is awesome! Every time the sounds travel in the ear canals with head movement, it is still the kind of experience that can make a user grin.
- Excellent compatibility with Apple products. The AirPods Pro is yet another item that functions best within the Apple ecosystem, like the Apple Watch, iPad, and HomePod. And it is the finest in its field—not merely the best at what it does. This indicates that while the top models from Sony or Bose may have somewhat higher sound quality than the Pods Pro 2, they lack the kind of intelligent and comprehensive experience that Apple can provide with the help of the goods in its ecosystem.
I thought the AirPods Pro 2 worked well during calls. Even if the battery life is still not the best in the business, I frequently received five to six hours of music listening while the noise canceling was on. That's better than average. It is also, in my opinion, a minor improvement over the last Pro, by perhaps 40 to 50 minutes.
Is it worth buying?
The AirPods Pro 2 is a no-brainer if you have an iPhone or other Apple device and need headphones to sync with it. It is a top-notch product and costs Rs 26,900. However, I believe the original AirPods Pro was the same. So, if you discover the original Pro on sale for less than Rs 20,000, do consider it as well.
If you currently own the AirPods Pro and are satisfied with them, there is no reason for you to upgrade. However, if you are a first-time customer or upgrading from the standard AirPods, which I dislike due to their all-plastic and no-rubber design, choose the Pro 2. You'll adore the new features and the experience.
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