RTINGS.com Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen) Review now posted

[WeekendGearGuide]

I just saw that RTINGS.com posted their review of the Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen using 5B58 firmware.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Review

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are the next generation of the Apple AirPods Pro. They look remarkably similar to their predecessor, but there have been s...

www.rtings.com

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) vs Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless Side-by-Side Headphones Comparison

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless and the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are both great in-ears with different strengths. Both earbuds have similarly great levels of noise isolation thanks to their ANC systems, but the Bose are more comfortable in-ears. Their companion app also...

www.rtings.com

Some of my highlights from the review:

Noise Isolation (aka ANC):

• Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen scored 8.8
• Bose QuietComfort EarBuds II scored 9.5
• Summary: This pretty much aligns with my ANC experience with both Earbuds, and shows that Bose is #1 for ANC, even beating out their own Bose NC700 Headphones which scored 8.9. Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen score of 8.8 is still respectable, and handedly beats the Apple AirPods Pro and Apple AirPods Max, which both scored 8.3

Recording Quality (aka Voice Call Quality):

• Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen scored 5.3 with no noise and 6.4 with background noise
• Bose QuietComfort EarBuds II scored 6.6 with no noise and 4.3 with background noise
• Summary: This is the one area where I disagree with RTINGS.com test methodology, since they are using the Voice Recorder which utilizes Bluetooth A2DP Profile, which is not the Bluetooth Profile used for Video Conferencing and Voice Calls, which uses Bluetooth HSP/HFP Profile. In my own tests, I record my voice using Zoom, which uses the actual Bluetooth HSP/HFP Profile, and in my tests, Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen sounds significantly better and more natural than the Bose QC EarBuds II, which contradicts RTINGS.com results. However, in general, both my tests and RTINGS.com tests with background noise pretty much match up.