A Review of the Apple Airpods 2

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are widely considered to be excellent true wireless earbuds, especially for Apple users.¹ Here’s a breakdown of why they’re generally well-regarded:

Pros:

• Excellent Sound Quality: They offer a well-tuned, balanced, and natural sound signature with a strong and satisfying bass response.² Many reviewers, even audiophiles, are impressed by their sound for such a small, wireless form factor.³ Personalized Spatial Audio also enhances the immersive listening experience.⁴
• Superior Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): The ANC is a significant improvement over the first generation and is highly effective at blocking out ambient noise, including office chatter, train engines, and even consistent dog barking.⁵ While not quite as powerful as some over-ear headphones, they are among the best in the earbud category.
• Effective Transparency Mode with Adaptive Audio: The Transparency mode allows you to hear your surroundings clearly, and the “Adaptive Audio” feature intelligently blends ANC and Transparency, adjusting to your environment to reduce sudden loud noises.⁶
• Seamless Apple Ecosystem Integration: For iPhone, iPad, and Mac users, the AirPods Pro 2 offer unparalleled ease of use, including quick pairing, automatic switching between devices, and “Hey Siri” support.⁷
• Comfortable Fit: With four sizes of silicone ear tips (XS, S, M, L) and an ear tip fit test, you can achieve a secure and comfortable seal, which is crucial for both sound quality and noise cancellation.⁸
• Advanced Features: They boast features like Conversation Awareness (automatically lowers music when you speak), personalized volume, and a UWB chip in the case for Precision Finding with the Find My app.⁹ The case also has a built-in speaker for alerts.¹⁰
• Improved Battery Life: You get up to 6 hours of listening time on a single charge with ANC enabled, and a total of 30 hours with the charging case.
• Hearing Health Features: With upcoming software updates, they are expected to function as FDA-approved hearing aids and offer active hearing protection in loud environments.
• Durability: The earbuds and case are IP54 rated, meaning they are dust, sweat, and water resistant.¹¹

Cons (Minor):

• Battery Life (Compared to some competitors): While good, the 6-hour battery life on a single charge is slightly less than some competitors from Sony and Sennheiser, which can offer 8+ hours.
• No Built-in EQ Controls: Unlike some other earbuds, AirPods Pro 2 don’t offer a customizable EQ within the settings, though some iPhone accessibility settings can help.
• Ear Canal Fit Not for Everyone: While many find them comfortable, some users might still struggle to find a perfect fit or prefer earbuds that don’t go as deep into the ear canal.
• Cosmetic Durability: The case can scratch easily.
• Price: They are a premium product, and the price might be a deterrent for some.

Overall:

If you are an Apple user, the AirPods Pro 2 are arguably the best true wireless earbuds you can buy due to their excellent sound, top-tier noise cancellation, seamless integration, and host of smart features. While there are alternatives that might offer slightly better battery life or a customizable EQ, the overall package and user experience of the AirPods Pro 2 are hard to beat within the Apple ecosystem.