Apple isn't the first company to make true wireless earphones, but there's no denying it's the company that popularized them with its seemingly ubiquitous AirPods. Despite their popularity, we weren't big fans of the first two models, so it comes as a surprise how much we like the new AirPods Pro. For $249, these are actual earphones that seal off your ear canal, as opposed to resting against it like regular AirPods. This makes for a tremendous improvement in fit as well as audio performance, with rich bass depth and crisp high-mid presence. The AirPods Pro also deliver strong active noise cancellation (ANC) in a certified splash-proof build. They're easily worth the premium over the standard model, and earn our Editors' Choice.
Design and Controls
The glossy white design of the AirPods Pro looks pretty similar to the regular model, but has some new twists. For starters, there are now black grilles on the outer panels for the ANC/ambient mics, and there's a control panel strip on the front of each earpiece's "stem." An IPX4 rating also means the earpieces are safe from splashes, which isn't as strong as the IPX7 rating we see on some gym-friendly, waterproof models, but is a marked improvement over the standard AirPods, which carry no official rating. That said, don't expose them to real water pressure or submerge them, and don't get the case wet, as the IPX4 rating applies to the earpieces only.
The AirPods Pro ship with three pairs of silicone eartips in small, medium, and large sizes, all of which are slightly oval rather than perfectly circular. The in-ear fit is ideal—these should stay in place without issue and actually seal off the ear canal, unlike the regular AirPods.
The 1.6-ounce wireless charging case, which measures 1.8 by 2.4 by 0.9 inches (HWD), can be charged with a Qi pad (not included) or with the included USB-C-to-Lightning cable. Opening the case for the first time triggers an on-screen prompt on your nearby iOS device. If a software update is needed, the first prompt will advise you to download and install it.
Similar Products
Once the software update is complete, the earphones are ready to pair, and this is also achieved with an on-screen prompt, rather than having to go to the Bluetooth menu on your phone. This is all enabled by Apple's H1 chip, an update to the W1. Both chips enable similar features, but the H1 supports newer Bluetooth technology, which allows for lower latency as a result. You can also share music between two pairs of AirPods provided they both have the H1 chip.
![Apple AirPods Pro Review](https://zmgvideos.mashable.com/cms/2019/11/765efe94-18ec-f220/uploaded_thumbnail.jpg)
The on-ear controls are fairly straightforward. Press either ear once to play or pause, double-tap to skip forward a track, and triple-tap to skip backward. There are thin strips on the front of the stems that you can lightly press for switching between ANC and Transparency modes. The only thing we don't like about the design is that there are still no physcial volume controls.
The earpieces immediately sense when you place them in your ear or take them out, and will automatically play or pause accordingly. This feature can be jarring if you're not ready for music to start up, but you can disable it by turning off Automatic Ear Detection in your iPhone's Bluetooth settings.
Features
Hands-free "Hey Siri" voice control is available, and you can now have Siri read you your messages.
As previously mentioned, you can switch between ANC and Transparency modes. In order to completely disable ANC, you have to go to the Bluetooth settings menu on your device and click on the paired AirPods Pro. This opens a menu that lets you press and hold the earpiece stem to activate Siri instead of ANC, or you can assign one ear to activate Siri and the other to activate ANC. It would be even more useful if Apple created a dedicated AirPods app that has all of these settings available, rather than requiring you to navigate through the Bluetooth menu to get there. Regardless, the controls are customizable and far improved from the regular model, both in terms of functionality and ease of use.
Adaptive EQ scans the shape of your ear and changes the sound signature automatically based on the results. Technically, it's impossible for me to know if the shape of my ear is really prompting a custom sound signature for me in a way that it wouldn't for someone else. And personally, I'd rather be able to adjust bass, mids, and treble on my own, and there's no way to do that here. There are, of course, EQ modes on any iOS device that you use, but there's nothing like having real control with a 5- or 10-band graphic EQ.
Dual mics deliver the ANC and Transparency modes, both of which we'll discuss in the next section, but it is not adaptable ANC in the sense that you can adjust its levels like you can with the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. So again, if there's one broad complaint here, it's that we'd like to see a dedicated app or some other method to adjust ANC levels and EQ customization.
Apple estimates battery life to be a fairly average 4.5 hours per charge. With ANC in the mix, your results can vary greatly, and volume levels also play a key role. (Apple claims the battery life is 5 hours without ANC or Transparency mode use.) The charging case provides an additional 19 to 20 hours, but keep in mind that Apple's battery estimates are based on listening at 50-percent volume levels.
ANC and Transparency Modes
In terms of noise cancellation, the AirPods Pro do an excellent job of tamping down keyboard clicks and even nearby music and office chatter. They also take out a solid amount of low-frequency rumble, making them ideal for planes and trains.
We can detect a very slight hiss when the ANC is enabled, which is common. It's very low in volume and doesn't sound unpleasant, though the top-notch ANC circuitry out there doesn't have this issue. Regardless, it's barely audible, and not even close to a deal breaker. It's hard to detect much of a difference in audio performance when ANC is enabled or off, which is a sign of quality active noise cancellation. Ultimately, it isn't as good as what Bose is capable of, but it's some of the better ANC we've tested among wireless earphones.
In addition to the ANC, there's a Transparency listening mode, in which the ANC mics allow you to hear your surroundings so you can communicate without removing the earpieces. This mode is excellent in giving you just the right amount of surrounding audio needed for natural conversation.
Audio and Mic Performance
On tracks with intense sub-bass content, like The Knife's "Silent Shout," the AirPods Pro deliver powerful bass depth paired with crisp highs. At top, unwise listening levels, the drivers don't distort, and at more moderate levels, the lows are still intense.
Bill Callahan's "Drover," a track with far less deep bass in the mix, gives us a better sense of the AirPods Pro's general sound signature. The drums here have a pleasant bass depth to them—nothing over the top, but a solid, round thump. Callahan's baritone vocals get some pleasantly boosted low-mid richness, complemented by a crisp high-mid edge for added clarity, while the acoustic strums and higher-register percussive hits have an appealingly bright presence. This is a sculpted sound signature that won't appeal to purists, but the bass boosting is not insane, and the highs are thoughtfully sculpted for an overall solid balance.
On Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," the kick drum loop receives a solid amount of high-mid presence, allowing its attack to retain its punchiness. We hear the vinyl crackle and hiss, usually relegated to background status, pushed forward a bit, while the sub-bass synth hits that punctuate the beat are delivered with strong depth, but never veer into subwoofer-on-steroids territory. The vocals on this track are delivered with excellent high-mid clarity—there's perhaps a hint of added sibilance here and there, but it doesn't sound bad.
Orchestral tracks, like the opening scene from John Adams' The Gospel According to the Other Mary, get some added bass depth that, again, won't appeal to purists, but will suit most listeners just fine. The lower-register instrumentation never sounds unnatural, it's just lent a bit more body, and the higher-register brass, strings, and vocals retain their bright, prominent place in the mix. Even with the boosting and sculpting, this is a nicely balanced sound signature.
The voice mic offers above-average intelligibility. Using the Voice Memos app on an iPhone 8, we got a loud, clear signal, which isn't always the case with true wireless in-ear mics. We also heard a bit of typical Bluetooth distortion around the edges, but it's nothing that would make a conversation hard to understand. Generally speaking, the mic quality here is in the upper tier of what we've tested.
Comparisons and Conclusions
If you're just looking for quality true wireless in-ears and don't need the ANC—or the Apple branding that adds to the price—consider the JBL UA True Wireless Flash or the RHA True Connect. Both options cost about $170, with the JBL pair delivering a bass-forward, gym-friendly design (with an IPX7 rating), and the RHA pair offering a stylish, classy look and excellent audio performance. But the AirPods Pro do several things very well, and they integrate rather seamlessly into the iOS ecosystem.
With the AirPods Pro, Apple shows us that simple changes can make a huge difference. Compared with the standard AirPods, the AirPods Pro have a much better fit for improved audio quality, an official water-resistance rating, and impressive noise cancellation. All these features earn the earphones their $250 price, and to be blunt, they should be made Apple's standard offering in place of the regular AirPods. We're surprised and impressed by this turn of events, and happy to award the AirPods Pro our Editors' Choice.
Apple's true wireless AirPods Pro earphones are vastly superior to the standard model, with solid noise cancellation, quality audio performance, and a far better in-ear fit that justifies the extra cost.
Apple Fan?
Sign up for our Weekly Apple Brief for the latest news, reviews, tips, and more delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
Thanks for signing up!
Your subscription has been confirmed. Keep an eye on your inbox!
Sign up for other newslettersAbout Tim Gideon
Contributing Editor, Audio
![Tim Gideon](https://i.pcmag.com/imagery/authors/04896dWbRzLlA7BUwmQSojs.fit_lim.size_200x200.v1723226071.png)