Apple’s AirPods Pro are among the most popular wireless earbuds on the market. For many iPhone owners, they have become an essential accessory. What can the second generation do?
In a café, on the bus or in the park: you see Apple’s white headphones everywhere. The wireless in-ear model AirPods Pro with active noise cancellation (ANC) is particularly popular. Three years after the introduction of the first generation, a major update was due. A practice test of the AirPods Pro 2.
H2 chip noticeably improves active noise canceling
Externally, they can hardly be distinguished from their predecessors. Two black lines on the white plastic housing draw attention to the two built-in microphones. With the new technology, ambient noise can be suppressed even better. And when you’re on the phone outside on the street, the artificial intelligence chooses the side where the wind isn’t howling so loud. The actual noise suppression is calculated by Apple’s self-developed H chip, currently in version H2.
You can really feel this upgrade. At the desk in the open-plan office, voices are conjured away much more effectively than with the previous model. On the train, the screaming baby two rows down is hardly heard at all. And even on the plane, the annoying drone is faded out more effectively. The active noise canceling (ANC) works so well that it is better not to switch it on in certain situations, for example on a bike. Otherwise it could well be that you notice the approaching ambulance too late.
Whenever it is important to be aware of the surroundings, you can switch on the transparency mode. It was already there in the first generation. With the new AirPods Pro, however, ambient noise and conversations sound even more natural. Also, the transparency mode is now adaptive. This means that noise spikes are muted like a fire engine siren. Although they are still easy to hear, they are no longer so loud that it hurts the ear.
New case with speaker
Setting up the AirPods Pro 2 is as easy as usual for iPhone owners. You only have to open the case, the in-ear headphones are recognized and the battery level of the headphones themselves and the case are displayed on the smartphone.
There is now also a tiny loudspeaker in the case, which can make a lot of noise if necessary, if you should have misplaced the case. The iCloud Find My service also shows where you last saved it. Like an AirTag, it can be located with the help of the iPhone.
With an Android smartphone, you have to do without these convenience functions. Here the AirPods Pro can be paired like any Bluetooth headphones. Noise cancellation and transparency mode also work on Android, but voice control with Siri and 3D audio features do not.
Also interesting: Apple’s iPhone now recognizes counterfeit AirPods
New fit and volume controls
Compared to the first generation, only a little has changed optically here. The shape has remained almost identical. However, Apple is now putting silicone adapters in four different sizes in the box: L, M, S and now also XS for particularly small ears. The headphones are comfortable but at the same time so tight that you don’t lose them when jogging, for example.
The second generation AirPods Pro features improved touch input on the stick. As before, you can use this control element to start and stop playback with the grip of the tweezers. What is new is that the volume can be adjusted by swiping up and down on the stick. That was overdue.
Finally better sound
The predecessors sounded good, but the new model takes it one step further. In the test, the AirPods Pro 2 delivered deeper bass, clearer mids and an overall brighter and livelier sound. If you listen to Johnny Cash’s “Hurt”, the prominent guitar sounds even more impressive with the new headphones than with its predecessor. In Vivaldi’s violin concerto “The Four Seasons” the image of a violent summer thunderstorm appears vividly in the mind’s eye. However, some competing models let the acoustic storm clouds roll in with even more bass.
In any case, the new AirPods Pro 2 sound much better than the first generation. That’s also because Apple now uses a new lower-distortion driver paired with a dedicated amplifier. With the AirPods Pro 2, Apple also has personalized 3D audio presented. 3D Audio (Spatial Audio) creates a three-dimensional sound field together with the iPhone or iPad. Sounds in films then come from the right direction, even when you turn your head.
Personalized 3D Audio uses the iPhone’s Face ID camera to create a 3D scan of the ears. The feature is also coming to the first generation AirPods Pro, as well as AirPods Max, AirPods 3 and Beats Fit Pro.
AirPods Pro 2 last longer in the test
According to Apple, the AirPods Pro 2 should be able to play music for up to six hours at a time with one battery charge. In the practical test, they got out after a good five and a half hours. The short charging time is impressive: after 35 minutes in the charging cradle, the headphones were fully charged again. Unfortunately, Apple doesn’t say how many charge cycles the batteries will last. A replacement is practically impossible because everything is firmly glued.
Conclusion
Users of iPhones or other Apple devices get excellent earbuds with effective, active noise cancellation and great sound for 299 euros. Owners of an Android cell phone are probably better off with a competing product like the Sony WF-1000XM4, since they don’t benefit from the seamless interaction between the AirPods Pro and the smartphone as much as Apple customers.