What does it mean for these to be “Pro” – Apple’s favourite buzz word – compared to the originals? The headline news is that in most ways the AirPods Pro are much better specced than the more basic – and, to be fair, £100/$100 cheaper – AirPods. The Pros give you a proper in-ear fit, gym-friendly sweat and water resistance (IPX4), and a wireless charging case as standard. They are also full-on noise-cancelling headphones… There are also clever additions such as a test to see if the AirPods Pro are fitted properly in your ears; adaptive sound that optimises audio based on your ears’ construction; and a new touch-based control system, replacing the taps you had to use on the original. There’s also all the usual Apple (and Beats by Dre) iPhone-specific features, such as ultra-quick pairing and hands-free Siri access.
The AirPods Pro do a really impressive job of letting every part of a track break through. That’s especially true when you have noise cancelling on, as it makes everything feel brighter, since it’s not competing with background sound. High-end, mids and bass don’t blur into each other, and every instrument feels like it is presented clearly. It’s not a hi-fi revelation in terms of quality, but it’s right up there with the best in this price range.
If you want brilliant-sounding headphones with the slickest possible experience on your iPhone, AirPods Pro are a slam dunk. With their improved fit and sweat-proofing, they’re even proficient headphones for workouts. You can definitely find buds that do individual things better than AirPods Pro, but as an all-rounder that doesn’t compromise in any area, they’re fantastic.
MacDailyNews Take: Yet another excellent rave review for Apple’s all-new AirPods Pro!
As an aside, as far as fit goes, we’ve run races with regular AirPods and they’ve never even come close to falling out of our ears, but we are happy to get all of the new features and much better sound quality that AirPods Pro offers.
