The first opinions on the AirPods Pro 2 have just fallen. Ahead of shipments starting this Friday, these first tests give us an in-depth look at improvements to audio quality, the new design of the MagSafe charging case, Find My capabilities, and more like noise reduction.
AirPods Pro 2022 review
noise reduction
For CNET, Apple has improved the active noise cancellation function while enhancing the bass better:
You can definitely hear the improvements in both noise cancellation and sound. When it comes to sound, you get better clarity, more bass punch with better definition, and simply greater depth and more dynamic sound. The sound just has a little more breadth and dimension. I compared a few tunes I always use during testing, like Spoon’s Knock Knock Knock, and you can really notice a difference in bass performance. The headphones use the Adaptive EQ system, which uses an inward-facing microphone to monitor the sound entering your ears, and the H2 chip, which optimizes the sound you’re listening to on the fly (there’s no adjustment EQ manual). The increased computing power of the chip allows it to process and optimize a wider range of frequencies, especially the highs.
On the side of The Verge, there are also “substantial” improvements made to active noise cancellation:
But Apple has made substantial gains with its active noise cancellation. The company claims that, on average, the new implementation is “up to” twice as efficient as the original AirPods Pro. And although I don’t have any scientific measuring tools, that statement doesn’t seem unrealistic. At our office, I recently switched desks and am now sitting near an air vent that emits a persistent hum. The original AirPods Pro leave a trace of that hum in noise-canceling mode, but it’s completely muffled and unnoticeable with the second-gen pair. I can still hear co-workers chatting if they pass by my desk, but most of the time the AirPods Pro give me great peace of mind. I’ve also seen legit improvements when commuting on the subway, and there’s less street noise when driving through Brooklyn on a daily basis.
sound quality
The Verge also mentions an improvement in sound quality in general:
Let’s get straight to the sound quality. Apple completely redesigned the amplifier and speaker in AirPods Pro, and while these speakers are the same 11-millimeter size as those in third-generation AirPods, they sound superior and deliver the crispest output. and the most dynamic of all AirPods to date.
Autonomy
For Engadget, the autonomy is really six hours, as advertised:
In my testing, I managed to get six hours and fifteen minutes of use with a mix of noise cancellation, transparency mode, and calls. That’s more than the previous generation (4.5 hours) and it’s comparable to most competitors these days. Sure, some companies offer over 10 hours of battery life, but the average is between 5 and 7 hours for the noise canceling products I tested. Longer battery life would still be nice, but Apple’s six or seven hours is enough to get you through your workday if you take a short break.
Smart Transparency Mode
PCMag was impressed with the adaptive transparency feature, which is an enhancement to the transparency mode.
But another possibility is to use the headphones as active, semi-transparent earplugs during a concert. Adaptive mode intelligently lowers the volume; it keeps the basic timbre and envelope of the audio intact, while reducing anything over 85dB to that level. As a result, you hear music much as you would without them and can avoid potential hearing damage. (…) Compared to the Bose version of this function – ActiveSense Aware – the Apple version seems much more natural. You can easily hear when Bose’s Aware mode adapts to loud sounds, and at high decibel levels it doesn’t behave much differently than regular ANC mode.
Comfort
When it comes to comfort, BGR says the AirPods Pro 2 are just as comfortable as the previous generation:
Wearing the second-generation AirPods Pro headphones is exactly the same as wearing the original AirPods Pro – which is a good thing. I find these to be some of the most comfortable headphones out there, and keeping the same shape means they stay as comfortable as before. They also stay in place in your ears really well, and I even use them for running from time to time with no problem. New for the AirPods Pro is a pair of extra small tips. I haven’t needed them and haven’t tested them, but including them can help ensure the headphones fit well in different ear shapes.
Reviewers are also talking about the new XS tip – although some are complaining that Apple should also include an XL tip.
Tom’s Guide praises the new volume button, which was a feature missing from all previous AirPods models:
One of the problems with the original AirPods Pro that wasn’t often talked about was the inability to change the volume on the headphones. If you wanted to change the volume, you either had to ask Siri nicely or take your phone out of your pocket to change it yourself.That’s not a problem with the 2nd-gen AirPods Pro, which feature improved touch controls to slide the stems up and down to increase or decrease the volume. Beyond the volume controls, you can tap the earbuds once to play or pause music, skip or rewind tracks with two or three taps, respectively, and hold the tap to activate active noise cancellation.
“Locate” compatible box
DigitalTrends highlights the new AirPods Pro 2 case with Find My features but complains about the lack of a lanyard in the product box:
Speaking of the case, I have to say two things quickly: firstly, the precise search via Apple’s ‘Find My’ feature which is enabled by the U1 chip is brilliant, as is the built-in speaker. Just having a confirmation tone for wireless charging is worth the upgrade. But then – really Apple, you put a lanyard loop on this thing but couldn’t give us a real lanyard in the box?
Conclusion
Overall, testers seem impressed with these new wireless headphones. While the exterior hasn’t changed much, Apple has done a good job modifying the interior. A real evolution, three years after the release of the first model.
Buy AirPods Pro
The AirPods Pro 2 are therefore available to order at 299 €.
AirPods Pro 2 Video Review
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