Apple
Written By Aaron X
The 2nd generation AirPods Pro packs the latest H2 processor which Apple says drastically improves noise cancelling, that it can cancel more than twice the noise. In this article we will discover how much of an upgrade is the new version compared to the first gen AirPods Pro, not only in terms of noise cancelling, but also call quality and sound. First let’s talk about its specs, features, and it’s new design. (Yes it’s actually different from Gen 1)
New Specs and Features
It’s got better battery life compared to the previous version, up to 6 hours in the earbuds and 30 hours with the case. That is up from the previous version’s 4.5 hours in the earbuds and 24 hours in case.
It also has Adaptive transparency, which gives you clean ambient passthrough while keeping loud noises under control. It’s activated by default in the Pro 2’s iOS settings, and it also has an option to personalize spatial audio to the user, to make it more accurate because we all perceive sound differently. Settings are done by taking snapshots of your ear, and making calculations based on that.
Furthermore, the Gen 2 Pros support the latest LC3 audio codec, while the old Pros only support the older AAC or SBC. So with devices that support LC3 it sips a little less battery from your AirPods, which is great.
The Biggest Improvement since sliced bread
One of the biggest improvements to the AirPods Pro is volume controls on the stems. So you don’t have to control the volume on your phone or on your Apple Watch anymore, you can do it directly from the AirPods Pro. It is a little awkward though, how you have to curl your fingers to control the volume, but either way, this is definitely an upgrade over the first generation AirPods, which didn’t have volume controls at all.
Design changes (Yes, it’s different!)
There are also some design changes to the case and the earbuds. The case seems to be a little wider but thinner, and the earbuds seem to be a little rounder, which is great because when I’m wearing these, they seem to fit a bit more snugly than Gen 1. That’s another improvement worth mentioning cause this means that it seals in the bass and the noise cancelling better than Gen 1.
Sound Quality
In terms of sound, it seems that Gen 2 does sound a little different. Though the overall sound signature of the AirPods Pro hasn't changed much, in that it still has that clean analytical sound, fantastic track separation and detail retrieval. Yet Gen 2 seems to have higher gain in the bass frequencies right up to the mids. The frequency sweep below shows a 3-5 decibel gain all the way to 1.3khz. Listening to some synthwave and RnB music, it also has a little more sizzle in the treble. So the Gen 2 has a more exciting, heavy sound signature with a bit more crispiness in the highs. Is it a big improvement over Gen 1? Not really but it is definitely closer to what I prefer my sound to be. You can listen to the side by side comparison here.
Call Quality
In terms of call quality, the microphone pickup is definitely better on gen 2. There simply is more clarity and it cuts more of that extremely loud background noise compared to the first gen AirPods Pro. You can listen to the samples here, which are recorded under extremely noisy conditions using simulated cafe noise and wind noise from a fan.
Active Noise Cancelling
Is the gen 2 really going to cancel more than double the noise? In terms of Noise Cancelling, the AirPods Pro 2 is definitely doing a much better job at cancelling lower frequency noises, and cutting mid range noises compared to Gen 1. So you hear less noise in general whether it be in the train, the plane, or the cafe. I can’t say for sure that it’s double the noise but it’s definitely a lot quieter than the old AirPods Pro. Listen to the difference here.
I Have The High Ground, Thieves!
So the 2nd generation AirPods Pro definitely has some performance upgrades. And it also packs new features like a speaker built into the case, so that you can locate your AirPods with Find My even if your buds are inside. (Demo here) It also delivers delightful little audio cues when charging or pairing the AirPods.
There is now a lanyard loop so it’s even harder to lose them now (or get them stolen). Disclaimer: The lanyard shown in the pictures is not supplied by Apple, this is an old lanyard which the writer found tucked under his old camera bags. He probably used it for his VR controllers, or something. Note that Apple doesn’t supply a lanyard with the AirPods Pro.
For me, my favorite upgrade is the addition of volume controls. But is it worth upgrading from the old one?
Conclusion
Well, the Gen 2 does feel like an incremental upgrade. So if you recently bought your first gen AirPods Pro, this may not look so attractive because it’s essentially the same thing, with souped up performance, specs and some extra features. But the way I see it, this is what the AirPods Pro is meant to be. It fits a little better, it’s got volume controls. Basically the things that I didn’t like about Gen 1 seem to be addressed here in Gen 2.
So if you don’t have the AirPods Pro yet, or you bought your AirPodss Pro a long time ago, this is definitely worth the upgrade. And if you’re on Apple’s ecosystem, it’s easy to point to the AirPods Pro as one of the best earbuds you can get. It’s seamlessly integrated with iOS, and one of the features that I really enjoy about the AirPods is, it lets me share the audio with my partner if both of us are using AirPods. Plus, at the time of this article, you get 6 months of free Apple Music subscription. That’s another thing I really enjoyed about Apple’s best earbuds. Subscribe to the main YouTube channel for more analysis on the AirPods Pro 2.
To check the latest prices or purchase them, you may visit their Amazon pages at the links below.
AirPods Pro 2 - https://amzn.to/3VbAmsW
AirPods Pro 1 wih MagSafe - https://amzn.to/3BlueTI
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Aaron X
