Impressions of AirPods Pro 2 after AirPods Pro 1. Heaven and earth, but there is a drawback

I’ve been using AirPods since the very first generation. These are amazing headphones in all of their iterations.

However, unlike iPhones, I don’t update them on each next generation. I’m waiting for more useful features, and then I decide whether the upgrade is worth it. The first generation lasted me for many years, and then AirPods Pro came out, which were better than the most notable first headphones.

After being with them for 5 years, I realized that it was time to upgrade again. The sound was no longer so impressive, the volume dropped significantly, and they also had time to wash – the microphone on one earphone stopped working. Accordingly, the noise reduction also said goodbye to me.

And then Apple announced AirPods 4. Having tested them and remembering the other advantages of AirPods Pro 2, I realized that I had to take the firmware. This turned out to be the best solution.

Why I liked AirPods Pro 2

Firstly, sound. Compared to the “tired” generation of the first, it turned out to be noticeably better. And in general, in Pro 2 it is more pronounced than in the regular Pro. There is more bass, better detail, a wider stage, and so on.

Secondly, noise reduction they have additional restrictions. Not even that, they noticeably pumped it up: it turns on smoother, you don’t even notice how the surrounding sounds disappear, and you find yourself in a vacuum. This is especially noticeable in the metro, where the sound is already 50% high and you can’t hear the knocks and cracks of the cars, especially on the green line in the Moscow metro.

Transparency too pumped up. And so I now understand why Apple registered these headphones as a hearing analyzer and hearing device. Even my hard-of-hearing grandmother confirmed this: during tests, she heard my speech as clearly as if she had no hearing problems.

In the format of using one earphone, transparency generally works perfectly. It was as if he hadn’t even worn the accessory.

In terms of operating time, compared to the old ones, the difference is not very big, only an hour. But after my “problems” this is already heaven and earth. It’s like there’s not enough charge for a week while actively listening to music every day. In the old “ears” it was a maximum of 3 days, no more.

I was especially pleased Adaptive modewhich independently regulates noise reduction and transparency depending on the time of visit. Now I only use it, this is the top feature of the headphones.

Well, it’s cool that it appeared in the case MagSafe support. I’ve already tested it with my “puck” – it works great, holds securely and doesn’t slip thanks to the chic magnets.

Plus, the charging status of each earphone is now always displayed for me. Even if they leave it in the case. Convenient and cool! The first generation can’t do that.

I felt the transition to USB-C. Now I have no problems replacing the cable in the power adapter. I can easily charge my headphones using the included iPhone charger.

What I don’t like and what I don’t use

This conversation mode – this is, perhaps, to a greater extent because of what really upsets me. He adapts the noise reduction too quickly to my speech. He especially loves turning the transparency on when I’m walking the dog. For some reason, this mode can also react to barking. And as soon as I call my dog, at that moment I begin to hear everything around me even better than I was tuned in before.

As soon as people next to me start talking, perhaps on the phone, the noise reduction immediately turns off.

As a result, I decided to turn it off and block it.

A new feature has also appeared this year that allows you to attend calls or reject them with head gestures. Perhaps this function will be useful to someone, but not to me. There is always the option to press the tail instead of shaking your head like crazy.

I also don’t adjust the volume via the touch panel, although there is such an option. It’s easier for me to do this with Siri.

There is one more problem, but it does not apply specifically to this model. Periodically AirPods Pro won’t connect to iPhone or do not switch in the player. To do this, restart Bluetooth.

What else will we enjoy in 2024?

AirPods Pro 2 on the left, AirPods 4 on the right

As I said above, until the end of the year, earphone holders can take an approved hearing test directly on the iPhone. It is based on Apple’s hearing vulnerability research and was developed using large-scale real-world data.

Once tested, the headphones can be configured as a personal hearing aid.

Last resort: hearing protection. The ear pads in AirPods Pro help provide passive noise cancellation, while the H2 chip helps actively reduce louder, more intermittent noise at a rate of 48 thousand times per second.

All this will be available in AirPods Pro 2 this year.