I got my new AirPods Pro and want to comment on how they fit but first my background to understand where I am coming from...
I am one of those people who COULD NOT wear AirPods. They literally fell out of my ears walking across a room or reaching for a drink while seated they were so loose in my ears. They felt horrible in my ears because they constantly felt like they were going to slip out. I was able to "fix" them with little rubber covers that had a hook (sold on Amazon) they made them comfortable and secure but I had to put those on and off every time I took them from the case or put them back and it was miserable. As for sound I thought there were good in a quiet room with modest bass but useless in lets say a plane where even on the highest volume you couldn't really understand lyrics or a podcast. The AirPods themselves I always thought looked weird too with the very long stem, I didn't look as "cool" wearing them as the models in Apple's ads.
As soon as Powerbeats Pro came out I purchased those and gave the AirPods to my son. The Powerbeats Pro are 100% secure, not as comfortable long term (but not bad, good enough for how long I use headphones at a stretch) but sounded considerably better to me. They sealed well enough I could use them for music on a plane. I did have to get used to that sense of being "sealed" off from the world and slight (not uncomfortable but "weird") pressure that a silicone in-ear tip gives you when in your ear. Running with them is fantastic, but I wish they let in slightly more sound for safety and didn't create a background "thud" sound as your foot hits the ground because of how the silicone tip sealed. The Powerbeats Pro case is big enough that you simply can't take it with you on a run and have to always pack it in a backpack or bag when you travel... no jeans pocket here. Much like the AirPods I thought the Powerbeats Pro looked great on the athletes in the ads but on me they still looked a bit nerdy.
Enter the AirPods Pro... first off I tried them with the stock medium tips. Clearly wouldn't fall out after I put them in for regular movement but felt a bit loose and with enough head shaking here we go again... fell out. The large tips did the trick, they make them fit really well and don't feel like they will fall out even on a run, although I haven't tested it yet. It's NIGHT AND DAY with the old AirPods which just didn't work at all for me. Clearly the Powerbeats Pro are much more completely locked in, the AirPods Pro will fall out if you brush them or you get bumped or knocked down... the Powerbeats Pro will be still on your ears when they scrape you off the pavement at the scene of the accident. The sound on the AirPods Pro is VERY MUCH like the AirPods just with a bit more bass, still less than the Powerbeats Pro but I'm very happy with it. These are no audiophile headphones and the AirPods Pro are about addressing issues of fit and noise more than making them sound better. UNLIKE the Powerbeats Pro the silicone tips on the AirPods Pro have a unique vent system that makes it feel like there isn't pressure in your ears, its very unique and makes these the most comfortable in ear headphones I've ever worn. No "bumping" sounds jogging in place, no weird seashell sound. Honestly it doesn't feel like "in ear" headphones that seal. The Active Noise Cancelation works very well and mainly eliminates lower frequency rumble so are bound to work well for trains, planes, cars etc. but less for higher pitch sounds including voice which are reduced but not fully eliminated, this is just the nature of how ANC works. The transparency is like magic, it really makes it sound 95% natural when you talk to people in the room etc. without over boosting and making it sound like you are listening through a drive through speaker which is what other headphones, including those from Bose, do when you use their equivalent of "transparency." I haven't used the new touch system enough to say if it is better or worse than the old AirPods, its different and for now I'm not great at it but I'm sure it will get better. The "larger" case size is a non-starter, it is SO close to the regular AirPods and the exact same thickness... it fits in the mini jeans pocket just the same and is a big reason why I love the form factor of AirPods. Finally the new AirPods Pro look much nicer in my ear... the shorter stem goes a long way to making this look less nerdy and less of a dangling ear ring. Because they fit tighter the stem fits flush against my earlobe and doesn't shift around causing the weird look of AirPods pointing one way with one ear and another with the other side that you see so much when people watching.
The AirPods Pro are the real deal. They fixed my fit issues. They fixed my inability to listen in loud environments. They made the AirPods not look so ugly. For me they are well worth it but I'm still keeping my Powerbeats Pro for running and strenuous workouts, I just love they are absolutely glued to my head and I don't have to worry about them... but when I travel I'll likely just use my AirPods Pro for workouts too just to take one less headphone.
Cheers.
I am one of those people who COULD NOT wear AirPods. They literally fell out of my ears walking across a room or reaching for a drink while seated they were so loose in my ears. They felt horrible in my ears because they constantly felt like they were going to slip out. I was able to "fix" them with little rubber covers that had a hook (sold on Amazon) they made them comfortable and secure but I had to put those on and off every time I took them from the case or put them back and it was miserable. As for sound I thought there were good in a quiet room with modest bass but useless in lets say a plane where even on the highest volume you couldn't really understand lyrics or a podcast. The AirPods themselves I always thought looked weird too with the very long stem, I didn't look as "cool" wearing them as the models in Apple's ads.
As soon as Powerbeats Pro came out I purchased those and gave the AirPods to my son. The Powerbeats Pro are 100% secure, not as comfortable long term (but not bad, good enough for how long I use headphones at a stretch) but sounded considerably better to me. They sealed well enough I could use them for music on a plane. I did have to get used to that sense of being "sealed" off from the world and slight (not uncomfortable but "weird") pressure that a silicone in-ear tip gives you when in your ear. Running with them is fantastic, but I wish they let in slightly more sound for safety and didn't create a background "thud" sound as your foot hits the ground because of how the silicone tip sealed. The Powerbeats Pro case is big enough that you simply can't take it with you on a run and have to always pack it in a backpack or bag when you travel... no jeans pocket here. Much like the AirPods I thought the Powerbeats Pro looked great on the athletes in the ads but on me they still looked a bit nerdy.
Enter the AirPods Pro... first off I tried them with the stock medium tips. Clearly wouldn't fall out after I put them in for regular movement but felt a bit loose and with enough head shaking here we go again... fell out. The large tips did the trick, they make them fit really well and don't feel like they will fall out even on a run, although I haven't tested it yet. It's NIGHT AND DAY with the old AirPods which just didn't work at all for me. Clearly the Powerbeats Pro are much more completely locked in, the AirPods Pro will fall out if you brush them or you get bumped or knocked down... the Powerbeats Pro will be still on your ears when they scrape you off the pavement at the scene of the accident. The sound on the AirPods Pro is VERY MUCH like the AirPods just with a bit more bass, still less than the Powerbeats Pro but I'm very happy with it. These are no audiophile headphones and the AirPods Pro are about addressing issues of fit and noise more than making them sound better. UNLIKE the Powerbeats Pro the silicone tips on the AirPods Pro have a unique vent system that makes it feel like there isn't pressure in your ears, its very unique and makes these the most comfortable in ear headphones I've ever worn. No "bumping" sounds jogging in place, no weird seashell sound. Honestly it doesn't feel like "in ear" headphones that seal. The Active Noise Cancelation works very well and mainly eliminates lower frequency rumble so are bound to work well for trains, planes, cars etc. but less for higher pitch sounds including voice which are reduced but not fully eliminated, this is just the nature of how ANC works. The transparency is like magic, it really makes it sound 95% natural when you talk to people in the room etc. without over boosting and making it sound like you are listening through a drive through speaker which is what other headphones, including those from Bose, do when you use their equivalent of "transparency." I haven't used the new touch system enough to say if it is better or worse than the old AirPods, its different and for now I'm not great at it but I'm sure it will get better. The "larger" case size is a non-starter, it is SO close to the regular AirPods and the exact same thickness... it fits in the mini jeans pocket just the same and is a big reason why I love the form factor of AirPods. Finally the new AirPods Pro look much nicer in my ear... the shorter stem goes a long way to making this look less nerdy and less of a dangling ear ring. Because they fit tighter the stem fits flush against my earlobe and doesn't shift around causing the weird look of AirPods pointing one way with one ear and another with the other side that you see so much when people watching.
The AirPods Pro are the real deal. They fixed my fit issues. They fixed my inability to listen in loud environments. They made the AirPods not look so ugly. For me they are well worth it but I'm still keeping my Powerbeats Pro for running and strenuous workouts, I just love they are absolutely glued to my head and I don't have to worry about them... but when I travel I'll likely just use my AirPods Pro for workouts too just to take one less headphone.
Cheers.
