End of Day 1 impressions.
I used to switch between Bose NC700 and Airpods 2 throughout the day. So far the new Airpods have done the job of both perfectly. The only problem is that I can burn through the battery twice a day. Don't know how the battery would cope with 600 cycles a year.
Vs. NC700 for commuting: I'll keep my NC700s for now, because they may be better for 10 hour airplane rides, and to give a break for the Airpods. As far as home use and daily commuting is concerned, I don't otherwise expect much need for the NC700s from now on.
Sound: I find the sound profile overall quite similar with the Airpods. Very neutral and natural. But with the physical isolation and especially with ANC, it's easier to feel the low booms and hear the subtle echos. It's not heavenly good, but very good, no doubt satisfying almost everybody. ANC ON + no music = total silence. There's no static noise, even my breathing is canceled, if it's slow and steady. I can hear typing noises, or any high pitch uneven ticks, the higher frequencies in general. Thumping noises are canceled. It doesn't mute high-pitch chatter the way NC700s do. Unlike some say, these can definitely get loud, the full volume is a LOT of volume.
Stem: I was happy to notice that the shorter stem and in-ear fit makes the Airpods move much less, if leaning on a pillow, or using a tight cap. Winter is making its way here, and over-the-ear headwear is a must. Airpods didn't quite stay in place with caps or scarfs over them.
Fit: They stay in tight. I can't make these fall out of my ears without shaking my head so hard that it hurts
... definitely an improvement. I was fishing my Airpods 2 from the floor all the time. Big ear opening doesn't help. I use the big tips.
Vs. Powerbeats: The sound is much more balanced than with wired Powerbeats. These are sweat-proof. And if I wear a tight scarf over the ears, when riding with a bike, the Powerbeats would become muffled, the rubber eartip would become a rubber ball that doesn't let sound through. Don't know how universal that problem is, but it was a problem for me. Airpods Pro solve that, the earpiece mounting is not as finicky. I'll probably sell or give away the Powerbeats, and use Airpods for bike rides from now on. I don't yet know, how they tackle with wind though. Will test that first.
Overall, no complaints yet. Definitely an upgrade over Airpods 2, and will steal a lot of ear time from the Boses, and especially from the wired DT 770 PRO's, which I would otherwise use during iMac office hours. I still might, to conserve battery cycles.
One nicety is still missing: Why don't they connect to the nearest device, especially if that device is already showing the battery status pop-up? I mean, if I had them connected to my iPhone in the morning, but then "un-pack" the Airpods next to an iPad (pop-up shows) and put them in my ears... wouldn't it be logical to expect that I'm going to use them with the iPad now? I'd like to see an option to connect to the "nearest unlocked device" instead of the "last device". Bose kind of solves this by connecting to two devices at once. Airpods still require manual switching, and it's too many swipes and taps to switch each time.
