AirPods Pro 2 review – a stunning improvement and a unique audio experience

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• VERDICT

The AirPods Pro second generation might look like the same as the original, but they offer vast and easily noticeable improvements across the board including audio quality, noise cancellation, transparency and Spatial Audio. They offer the quality and experience that no other earphones can offer.

The new AirPods Pro have had one of the biggest improvements from one generation to the next that we’ve ever heard with improved audio, better spatial audio and transparency mode and excellent noise cancelation.

It’s been almost three years since the original AirPods Pro were introduced and it’s obvious Apple has been working away since that time to deliver a second-generation model that is dramatically better across the board all the way down to the charging case.

Design-wise there isn’t much different apart from a couple of slightly relocated sensors and vents.

Apple has included four soft ear tips so you can find the perfect fit for your ears.

We found them to quite comfortable and secure so there was never a feeling that they were going to come out of our ears.

For the first time there is now volume control – all you need to do is place your thumb on the base of the stalk to hold it still and then rub your index finger up and down to turn the volume up and down.

This means you don’t need to touch your device.

All the changes are under the hood with Apple’s new H2 chip which powers all the quality and improvements you’ll hear.

H2 has more than double the transistors of the H1 at more than a billion.

So how does a new chip make the AirPods Pro better?

H2 unlocks the potential of the Adaptive EQ to create better, richer sound across a wider range of frequencies and does the heavy lifting when it comes to improving transparency, noise cancellation and voice quality during calls.

Let’s start with audio quality.

From the minute you put the AirPods Pro in your ear you can hear the improvements.

The music has a bolder and larger scale with impressive bass levels to go with it.

Now it’s one thing for the earphones to sound good but there are sounds around you that threaten to ruin what you’re listening to.

That’s not an issue with the AirPods Pro because the active noise cancellation has been elevated to the point where it’s as good, if not slightly better, than the level of ANC you get from dedicated audio brands like Bose and Bowers & Wilkins.

When we activated ANC on the AirPods Pro with a long press of the stalk, it was like the ambient sound was sucked out of the room.

With ANC turned on we were able to enjoy the quality of every note of the music we were listening to and every word of the podcast or audio book.

But equally impressive was the Adaptive Transparency which lets the world back in when you need to talk to someone or hear your surroundings.

Transparency sounds remarkable – like we weren’t even wearing the AirPods Pro.

But the Adaptive part of this features means it will adjust to not give you the full onslaught of nearby loud noises like building sites, loud traffic and more.

Another brilliant feature is Spatial Audio which delivers your music like the band is playing in the same room.

The various elements of the song appear to be fixed in space so when you turn your head they stay in that position.

For example, if you’re hearing the vocals are coming from in front of you and you turn to the right you will hear it more in your left ear – and when you turn to the left, you’ll hear it in your right ear.

So any song on Apple Music that is marked with Dolby Atmos offers this Spatial Audio experience that’s quite remarkable.

It offers a way to listen to your music, even music you know very well, like never before.

But Spatial Audio gets even better because you can now personalise it to suit you.

You do this by taking a photo of your head and your left and right ears (you’re guided through the whole process) so the AirPods Pro can optimise the Spatial Audio effect for you.

We make a lot of calls and being able to answer them while we’re wearing earphones is important.

The AirPods Pro were so clear and cut out enough background noise that the person on the other end thought we were talking in the phone.

In fact, we did a few of our radio interviews while out on our morning walk and the quality was so good the hosts didn’t say a word.

The AirPods Pro charging case has also been updated.

It is now sweat and water resistant and can also be tracked like an AirTag if you misplace it.

You can even play a sound through the speaker on the case to make it easier to locate.

Battery life is about six hours – and that’s with ANC turned on. And with the case that’s a total of about 30 hours.

What we liked was the fact you can now charge the AirPods Pro case with Apple Watch charger as well as wirelessly on any other Qi charging mat.

The AirPods Pro go on sale on September 23 and are priced at $399.

VERDICT

The AirPods Pro second generation might look like the same as the original, but they offer vast and easily noticeable improvements across the board including audio quality, noise cancellation, transparency and Spatial Audio. They offer the quality and experience that no other earphones can offer.