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iPad Pro Speakers 2020 vs. 2021?
- Thread starter Artsketch
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It's weird how few comparisons there are for the speakers, I don't know about the 12.9 ipad, but my girfriend has the 11' 2020 ipp and bought the new 2021 11'
The sound is definitly different and was the first thing I noticed.
The 2020 version is sharper in the highs and has punchier bass, the 2021 is more rounded and balanced if that makes sense.
For lower volumes I prefer the 2020 ipad, the sharper highs make it easier for speech to stand out from background sound in movies and series, for music and volume above 50% the 2021 sounds more balanced with less distortion and is imo easier on the ears.
Because the audio is more balanced on the 2021 it could also be perceived as having a lower volume, especially below 50%, for example if I want to watch a series in bed I would normally put the volume on 20% on the 2020 ipad, with the new one I have to put it 10% higher to get the same volume and even then, because of the lower highs, voices sometimes blend in with the rest of the sound.
All in all they're both great, but I wish they gave the 2021 version a bit more attention in the high range.
The sound is definitly different and was the first thing I noticed.
The 2020 version is sharper in the highs and has punchier bass, the 2021 is more rounded and balanced if that makes sense.
For lower volumes I prefer the 2020 ipad, the sharper highs make it easier for speech to stand out from background sound in movies and series, for music and volume above 50% the 2021 sounds more balanced with less distortion and is imo easier on the ears.
Because the audio is more balanced on the 2021 it could also be perceived as having a lower volume, especially below 50%, for example if I want to watch a series in bed I would normally put the volume on 20% on the 2020 ipad, with the new one I have to put it 10% higher to get the same volume and even then, because of the lower highs, voices sometimes blend in with the rest of the sound.
All in all they're both great, but I wish they gave the 2021 version a bit more attention in the high range.
I haven't done side-by-side comparisons, but for movies I hear virtual surround on the new iPad Pro, that I never before noticed at all with the 2020 model.
Based on Maxtech comparison, at least at max volume, they sound exactly the same
Well sound is subjective of course, but even with the max tech comparison I can hear a notable difference.
The more I listen to it the less happy i am with the changes to be honest, I don't use my ipad for music playing, I mostly use it to watch some youtube and series, mostly with lower volume so clear voices are preferred in my usecase, wich the 2020 ipad does better.
Also I'm not sure if this is an apple thing, but the volume slider behaves a bit strange, the first 25% I can barely hear, then 25-75% is a decent volume and from 75% to max volume it gets really loud, don;t know how to explain it but it sounds like the volume is on a curve instead of linear progression.
The more I listen to it the less happy i am with the changes to be honest, I don't use my ipad for music playing, I mostly use it to watch some youtube and series, mostly with lower volume so clear voices are preferred in my usecase, wich the 2020 ipad does better.
Also I'm not sure if this is an apple thing, but the volume slider behaves a bit strange, the first 25% I can barely hear, then 25-75% is a decent volume and from 75% to max volume it gets really loud, don;t know how to explain it but it sounds like the volume is on a curve instead of linear progression.
I really can’t understand why they degrade the speakers in 2021?
Timmy Boy must need the cash, heard his doing it hard lately, had to cut cost somewhere I guess.
I wouldnt say that they degraded the speakers, at higher volumes I definitly think they outshine the 2020 speakers, it's just at lower volumes that the higher pitch of the 2020 speakers really help with clarity.
It's stupid that apple doesn't allow you to adjust the sound trough an equalizer or something.
Again I can only speak for the 11 inch version, but I do think it's weird that every reviewer sofar only compares the speakers at max volume where they're at their best, for most people it's the low-mid volumes that matter.
It's stupid that apple doesn't allow you to adjust the sound trough an equalizer or something.
Again I can only speak for the 11 inch version, but I do think it's weird that every reviewer sofar only compares the speakers at max volume where they're at their best, for most people it's the low-mid volumes that matter.
Most people would hear absolutely no difference between the speakers... I think this difference, if any, is being vastly exaggerated...
Even my girlfriend, who doesn't care less about audio quality, could hear the difference, so putting them side by side the difference is very notable, doesn't mean one is worse, just different, but depending on your usecase you might prefer one or the other.
To get the same volume you have to adjust the slider approximately from 15% on the 2020 to 50% on the 2021 and it’s still less pronounced. First I thought the speakers are defective at 30%. Maybe they optimized the speakers for Dolby Atmos.
My wife has the 2020 version and I have a 2021 (that I'll be returning shortly due to an issue). I saw this thread and decided to test it. I definitely can attest that the 2020 iPad is louder at lower volumes. I can barely hear the 2021 at the lowest setting but the 2020 I can hear just fine. At full volume they sound pretty close. I think the 2020 definitely sounds a little better, at least to my ears. Its not a huge deal to me, but something that I do think there is a difference between the two. These are both the 12.9" models.
Thats kinda good to hear, with all these reviews saying that the new speakers are louder and more clear I thought I was the crazy one or that my iPad was the culprit, it's not really a big deal for my either since I mostly use earphones, but its strange nontheless, you'd think someone at quality control would've pointed this out.
The speakers on my 2021 12.9 definitely seem louder than the 2020. I sold the 2020, so I can't do a side-by-side, but FaceTime calls definitely seemed louder, which was needed imo.
I find the speakers on the 2021 way better. The highs and lows are incredibly detailed compared to the 2020 version. I have both iPad Pro 12.9 from 2020 and 2021.
I haven’t tried them on max volume, though. Only up to 60% (husband is in Zoom meetings all day… home office life.)
I haven’t tried them on max volume, though. Only up to 60% (husband is in Zoom meetings all day… home office life.)
Bought 11" 2021 today. Speaker quality is really good, but they seem a bit quiet to me. I use them on cca. 50 percent minimum. Could it be some EU regulation, or something in the settings?
There are volume limit settings you can tweak. Not sure if EU limits are the defaults for devices sold in EU but I’m going to guess yes. The question is, do the volume limits just drop volume or do they apply the limit throughout the entire volume range? For example, would 8-10 on the volume knob stay at the same output level due to EU volume limits, or would the volume curve be tweaked so there is a difference between 8 and 10 on the volume knob.
I doubt it, EU regulations would only apply to maximum volumes and those are on par with previous iPads.
What I find strange is how different people perceive this 'issue' differently, so either they're not that picky about sound or some ipads just sound differently than others.
I agree with your observation about nonlinear loudness. For me 50 percent is standard, and 60 or 70 percent is "normal loud". I would go to 30 only if in bed before sleep.