AirPods Pro - Pictures and first impressions

[yegon]

This indeed is a stupid thing to do. Never max out volume on ANY headphones. Especially with in-ears, don’t do it! With in-ears the sound is closer to the eardrum, so keep it at a moderate level.

My doctor always tells me: don’t listen too loud, and don’t listen too long. You can for example listen three hours without a break on a moderate volume, but it still will do harm to your ears.

Exactly. It’s for this reason my original AirPods were relegated to quiet environments and calls soon after purchase. I loved them, but they’re severely limited by lack of isolation/cancellation.

Really happy with the Pro’s, used them today in noisy environments and can comfortably set volume to about 40%. They’ve leaped from occasional use to frequent use.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'm looking forward to more honest reviews.

Me too

 

[DesertSilver]

I haven't tried on a pair of ANC headphones since about 15 years ago when I worked in retail so I'm sure a lot of products are equal to and better than the Airpods Pro, but holy cow, I CANNOT hear my dryer that's 5 feet away from me. It sounds like it's off, no exaggeration. Very bizarre.

 

[oneMadRssn]

First impression are the ANC on the AirPods Pro is about 70% as good as Bose QC20 (which to my ears are the gold standard), and about 80% as good as Bose QC30 and QC35II.

Which is to say, pretty damn good for true wireless earbuds.

I ride the subway everyday to/from work, so that will be the real test later tonight. I have my QC35IIs with me, so I can do a side-by-side comparison.

 

[sithjedi333]

Quick impressions of the Airpods Pro.

I'm coming from the BeatsX, which I like, but the sound quality is mediocre. I have had other wired IEMs by Dunu, and CIEMs. The Pros are definitely better than the BeatsX, with good bass and a decent amount of detail. Not as good as the IEMs I'm used to, but good enough for out and about use.

These are a keeper.

 

[Tommy Hewitt]

1. Every time I open the AirPods lid, the pop-up dialog shows a red exclamation mark on the right earbud. They work fine, but it's worrying nonetheless.

Have you tried restarting your iPhone? I experienced the same weird behavior but a restart fixed it.

Edit: Ok, "problem" is still there. It's always the Airpod that was put into the charging case first that shows the exclamation mark after the second one is seated in there too. E.g.: Put in the left one, then put in the right one, exclamation mark will show for the left one. Reseat the left one and the right one will start to show the exclamation mark now

 

[turbineseaplane]

I haven't tried on a pair of ANC headphones since about 15 years ago

That explains your surprise here..

 

[AppleMan2015]

I just got mine about an hour ago. I kept the first version of the Air Pods (the ones that came out, what, in 2016 or something like that?)

I am not a "true" audiophile, but I do appreciate depth and decent audio.

Coming from the first version, I can immediately say 2 things: first, audio is much more richer and deeper; second, the Air pods Pro are much louder - even without noise cancellation.

I have the volume slightly below half and I hear everything very clearly and the bass is booming. Turn it to around 75% volume and I get LOUD audio and LOUD AND BIG BOOMS for bass. That rarely happened with Air Pods 1.

I have it set so Siri can alert me to texts, and my mom texted me and it was a very smooth and soft alert with Siri alerting me what my mom said. Impressive, that's for sure. That's what I want these earphones to do!

Audio blows me away though. From most of the reviews, I thought audio was poor or equivalent to Air Pods 1. I can definitely say, the audio is fantastic. Blown away by it honestly. Well worth the price premium for this alone, quite frankly. If this is "poor" audio, then damn I need to try these other earphones I've seen mentioned here!

As for comfort, I am probably in the minority, but I LOVED the Air Pods 1 design and I LOVED that they were extremely comfortable for me. They slipped out occasionally, but nothing too bad. I got over it eventually. I honestly hate silicone tips, and that's one of the most attractive features for the Air Pods for me. The pressure for all types of headphones and earphones with silicone tips I have tried all sucked and gave me a headache. The silicone always got slippery because I have EXTREMELY oily skin (not by choice) and these types of earphones always slipped out. That's one of the reasons why I LOVED Air Pods 1 for not having this.

I was slightly hesitant going to Air Pods Pro for the silicone tips. But if any company can make me like silicone tips on earphones, it's Apple. I tried the medium tips and settled on the small ones for now.

First impressions of Air Pods Pro: I completely forgot there was something in my ear. They are lightweight, snug, comfortable. With NC on, I definitely feel some pressure that gives me a headache, but I only had this for an hour so I can't exactly comment on this being a larger issue or not. Overall, comfort is great. Hasn't slipped out of my ear yet, so whatever silicone these are- good for Apple!

I am pretty impressed with NC. It never was a make it or break it feature for me, but I'll definitely test it out at the gym tonight over the loud gym music that plays. Bass with NC is killer, holy hell. I listen to quite a bit of EDM and I'm feeling the bass all the way in the back of my skull. Woah. The volume isn't even 60%+!!

Can't comment on battery life, obviously, but my Air Pods 1 were great. I used them every day, at least, and every day when I went on the treadmill, to the gym, or for a walk. I always forgot to recharge them, and battery was never an issue. I got Air Pods 1 day 1. The original pair I had had volume and other issues, so within the first five months, Apple gave me Air Pods 1 replacements. I've never had a single issue since then. So say they came out exactly 36 months ago, I've had Air Pods 1 in commission every day for at least 30+ minutes for 31 months, no issue. That's impressive and well worth the money. I hope Air Pods Pro last just as long. In fact, I'm handing Air Pods 1 down to my sister for like $20 because they are still in near-perfect condition.

Overall, thus far, I am very impressed with Air Pods Pro. I am still hesitant on the silicone tips and headaches. But so far, these things are winning me over. The vent in the office I am in is completely silent with NC on. That's INSANE!

I like the long press and double press too. I never really used this feature in original Air Pods because they were really confusing and i always ended up with Siri even though I never ever wanted Siri by pressing on the side of the Air Pod haha. I can pause the music, and skip music, turn on and off NC. All with touches. I'll definitely need like a week or two to remember the 1, 2, hold taps, but overall, I love this feature.

Air Pods 1: 7/10
Air Pods Pro: (so far) 8.5/10

 

[turbineseaplane]

@AppleMan2015 Great review

 

[The Game 161]

Loving the fit much more comfortable

And sound clearly better

 

[dotzero123]

Clean, loud, fit perfect out of the box! Compared my Ap2 they are much better. The initial update took a bit longer than expected. So far I’m happy with these ?

 

[lindseybp]

Just got mine a short while ago and listening to music with them now. I'm coming from the Airpods 1. So far absolutely love these pro's. Sound sooooo much better than Airpods 1. I'm not a fan of silicon tip in ears but these are incredibly comfortable. I usually get sweaty ears when I have on ear headphones on so was a little concerned about these clogging up my ears. But the "air vent" really seems to work. So far so good! Very happy with the purchase even at this price. Now onto a work call using them in 30 min.....

 

[crouch]

Now onto a work call using them in 30 min.....

Can you let us know how your call goes, especially if you're surrounded by background noises (like a coffeeshop, etc.) I haven't read a review yet that talks about callers on the other end of the AirPod Pros, and whether they're inundated with background noise picked up from the mics. The EarPods that ship with iPhones seem great about handling this, but the first AirPods, not so much.

So curious if the Pros apply NC to the mics on calls!

 

[turbineseaplane]

@crouch

Good request...
My AirPod v1's are useless for calls....awful quality.

 

[jbonbainbridge]

Listening to Wilco’s latest. All headphones and earbuds have their own sound. Better? Worse? Sometimes you can say, but I would argue that it’s more a question of whether they sound good to YOU.

These sound just great to me present, but not overly bright, immediate - these are tighter in the ear than AirPods, so the sound seems very direct. They are not crazy bass-y, but have a nice solid low end. The noise cancelling is quite good. Makes a big difference in the city.

They are very comfortable for me, and I wear glasses so no more competing for space behind my ear with the Powerbeats Pro.

if they keep on working well, I’m sold.

 

[kitt9000]

Listening to Wilco’s latest. All headphones and earbuds have their own sound. Better? Worse? Sometimes you can say, but I would argue that it’s more a question of whether they sound good to YOU.

These sound just great to me present, but not overly bright, immediate - these are tighter in the ear than AirPods, so the sound seems very direct. They are not crazy bass-y, but have a nice solid low end. The noise cancelling is quite good. Makes a big difference in the city.

They are very comfortable for me, and I wear glasses so no more competing for space behind my ear with the Powerbeats Pro.

if they keep on working well, I’m sold.

hows the sounds quality compared to powerbeats pro in your opinion. I have powerbeats pro, but seriously tempted to try these out and if better, sell the power beats pro. Looking for more feedback re fit and overall sound quality, controlled base, open soundstage etc. thank you much.

 

[mjschabow]

This indeed is a stupid thing to do. Never max out volume on ANY headphones. Especially with in-ears, don’t do it! With in-ears the sound is closer to the eardrum, so keep it at a moderate level.

My doctor always tells me: don’t listen too loud, and don’t listen too long. You can for example listen three hours without a break on a moderate volume, but it still will do harm to your ears.

Oh. Maybe that’s what my doctor was trying to tell me the last time I saw him. He was talking really quiet for some reason so I just nodded in agreement.

 

[jbonbainbridge]

hows the sounds quality compared to powerbeats pro in your opinion. I have powerbeats pro, but seriously tempted to try these out and if better, sell the power beats pro. Looking for more feedback re fit and overall sound quality, controlled base, open soundstage etc. thank you much.

They seem quite similar to the Powerbeats pro. Possibly a little less low end, but my use for these will not be in critical listening environments. I will be walking in the city, mowing, working outside. So I’m not looking for audiophile quality - I want noise reduction and functionality. I can say that they sound great to me tho. I am an audio recording engineer but not necessarily an audiophile.

There are some interesting artifacts in some cases, as they adjust to low frequency sounds - but it’s better than heading the actual sounds themselves... I am guessing there will be a firmware update as they get feedback...

 

[lindseybp]

Can you let us know how your call goes, especially if you're surrounded by background noises (like a coffeeshop, etc.) I haven't read a review yet that talks about callers on the other end of the AirPod Pros, and whether they're inundated with background noise picked up from the mics. The EarPods that ship with iPhones seem great about handling this, but the first AirPods, not so much.

So curious if the Pros apply NC to the mics on calls!

Yes NC is applied on calls. I switched between transparency mode and NC a few times during the call and NC definitely works as far as I can tell.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Yes NC is applied on calls. I switched between transparency mode and NC a few times during the call and NC definitely works as far as I can tell.

But how do you sound to the people on the other end?
I think that was the crux of what some of us are curious about

 

[petterihiisila]

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.

 

[JamieLannister]

These AirPods pro are truly, without a single doubt, the BEST in-earphones on the planet bar none. I mean they are only $249 which is a steal compared to any professional in-earphones because there is no compromise here. The ANC is truly amazing because apple has created something that is just out of this world.

I’m so in awe of these they beat out the sony’s, Bose, senny’s, any other brand that claim professional is full of bologna. This is truly the holy grail of in-earphones. The ANC is just spectacular I mean oh my god they are incredible. I have never heard anything this great. THey are just too good for the price tag.

Disregard any negative reviews because they aren’t hearing it right. These are the ones to get! I will be so happy to pay $15 for better ear tips as long as they come from apple. No other brand can sell me ear tips for $4 each and I am so glad to pay that premium because they are just incredible. I am telling you guys you are missing out - $249 is nothing when these sound like $1000 sets. I cannot believe how cheap these are and apple is just not pricing them correctly - they need to be priced at $500 min. that way i can make sure these are that good. Just so good. Oh My!

edit: I need these to be about 2 hour battery life because if they can give me so good of sounds coming from these little guys I can’t imagine if the battery life is only 1-2 hours because apple can squeeze even better fidelity out of these. Incredible. Just incredible I tell you.

 

[turbineseaplane]

These AirPods pro are truly, without a single doubt, the BEST in-earphones on the planet bar none. I mean they are only $249 which is a steal compared to any professional in-earphones because there is no compromise here. The ANC is truly amazing because apple has created something that is just out of this world.

I’m so in awe of these they beat out the sony’s, Bose, senny’s, any other brand that claim professional is full of bologna. This is truly the holy grail of in-earphones. The ANC is just spectacular I mean oh my god they are incredible. I have never heard anything this great. THey are just too good for the price tag.

Disregard any negative reviews because they aren’t hearing it right. These are the ones to get! I will be so happy to pay $15 for better ear tips as long as they come from apple. No other brand can sell me ear tips for $4 each and I am so glad to pay that premium because they are just incredible. I am telling you guys you are missing out - $249 is nothing when these sound like $1000 sets. I cannot believe how cheap these are and apple is just not pricing them correctly - they need to be priced at $500 min. that way i can make sure these are that good. Just so good. Oh My!

Ok. We get it. You’re excited.
There’s maybe just a touch of hyperbole and exaggeration here though.

 

[JamieLannister]

Ok. We get it. You’re excited.
There’s maybe just a touch of hyperbole and exaggeration here though.

You do not understand until you have tried these! They are just INCREDIBLE. APple has hit this out of the ball park into space. I mean just incredible the richness and fidelity from these tiny pieces of silicon. There are no competitors that make such small PCBs and can produce such sound quality. THe openings for air To move thru is just amazing. I mean amazing. I have never heard of such great sound quality. LIke I said I am willing to pay $500 min. $249 is just WAY TOO CHEAP!

IGNORE ALL THE HATER COMMENTS - THEY DON’T KNOW WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT. There is just no way these earphones are NOT FANTASTIC. I mean it’s $249 they sound like $1000 in earphones. I have never heard $1000 ones but if apple makes a $249 model that sounds this good, i can’t imagine if apple prices them at $1000!

Just crazy good. Don’t believe the honest reviews because they can’t afford $250 earphones. Sucks to be poor! I love you apple!

 

[KowalskiFUT]

These AirPods pro are truly, without a single doubt, the BEST in-earphones on the planet bar none. I mean they are only $249 which is a steal compared to any professional in-earphones because there is no compromise here. The ANC is truly amazing because apple has created something that is just out of this world.

I’m so in awe of these they beat out the sony’s, Bose, senny’s, any other brand that claim professional is full of bologna. This is truly the holy grail of in-earphones. The ANC is just spectacular I mean oh my god they are incredible. I have never heard anything this great. THey are just too good for the price tag.

Disregard any negative reviews because they aren’t hearing it right. These are the ones to get! I will be so happy to pay $15 for better ear tips as long as they come from apple. No other brand can sell me ear tips for $4 each and I am so glad to pay that premium because they are just incredible. I am telling you guys you are missing out - $249 is nothing when these sound like $1000 sets. I cannot believe how cheap these are and apple is just not pricing them correctly - they need to be priced at $500 min. that way i can make sure these are that good. Just so good. Oh My!

Lol, I believe they sound decent, but there are tons of hundreds times better IEMs out there. Campfire Andromeda, Solaris, Noble K10, JH Angie, Shure KSE 1500 etc. Airpods Pro are probably decent sounding wireless rig for an (above) average user. This forum contains too much basic users hyping every Apple product. And I'm saying this as someone who is probably gonna buy Airpods Pro for EDC convenient usage. But they cannot touch real HiFi IEMs in terms of sound quality.