Apple AirPods Pro 2: The Wait Was Worth It | Analysis / Review

After a hiatus of 3 years without releasing a renewed version, Apple announced the new AirPods Pro 2 last September, its high-performance headphones aimed at those who want to have the best music experience possible without giving up the model’s already known portability .

But is the Pro 2 really all that Apple promises and is it worth the interest of those who are thinking of having them as their new musical companions? You can find that and much more in our full review below.

Following a movement that we are used to seeing in Apple’s product lineup, the new AirPods bring practically the same design and construction as the previous generation. That is, the same excellent quality plastic finish, light and compact, with no color option other than white.

Not to say that nothing has changed, we have some occasional changes; some of which are very welcome.

In the case, in addition to the slightly smaller size, Apple has built-in a speaker for alerts and a loop for lanyards – so you can hang the case around your neck or backpack. And now the whole set has IPX4 protection against splashing water and sweat.

For the pair, the changes were also discreet. The noise canceling microphone has been separated from the skin detection sensor, moving to the outermost part of the earcups, and the sensor itself is a little smaller.

Another change concerns the contents of the package. For the new model, the company has included a fourth silicone tip, ensuring that people with a slightly smaller ear canal can also enjoy a better fit.

But the visual changes end there, and despite all the similarities, unfortunately the case is not backwards compatible. That is, it is not possible to carry the pair of the previous model over here and vice versa.

Bringing the same good integration that we are used to seeing for Apple products, pairing in a simplified way with the brand’s phones, tablets and computers – including switching between devices connected to the same iCloud account automatically, the new model brings great surprises in its operation.

Featuring Bluetooth 5.3 with support for the AAC LC3 codec, the new AirPods bring with them the brand new H2 and U1 chips; and while the first of them is the highlight of the new generation, the second, which is already present in other devices from the company, can help you not to lose your headphones.

That is, the AirPods Pro 2 join the hall of branded products compatible with Find My – the company’s service that allows users to find their devices. And thanks to the new built-in speaker in the case, the beep that comes out can be heard much more easily.

This same speaker, in addition to the sound warning, also serves to indicate pairing and warn when the battery is low. Don’t expect, however, that the case will play your tunes. That, only the pair of headphones is able to do.

And speaking of them, here we have the same independence between sides and the same good fit and seal seen in the previous generation, with built-in “ventilation” that ensures that despite the noise cancellation, the user will not feel that feeling of absolute seal seen in the headphones from some other brands.

Now, in addition to the touch controls that were already present in the last generation, Apple has added a new swipe gesture on the outside of the pair to allow for volume control. And for those who have the peripheral paired with an Apple device, it is possible to give direct commands to the phone through “Hey Siri”.

But the changes are not just outside! Here, we have onboard the new H2 chip, which delivers more processing and more energy efficiency to the model. It guarantees, in conjunction with the physical relocation of one of the microphones, better noise cancellation and the brand new Adaptive Transparency Mode.

This new mode “guarantees” the health of your ears, reducing the intensity of any noise greater than 85 dB, keeping all the sounds around you balanced, acting as a true sound filter.

App

Although it is possible to interact with most of these features through the headphones themselves, it is possible to better see all these options through the adjustments of some device of the brand.

For those who are already used to the world of AirPods, they know that there is no specific app to configure the headphones. Basically, all adjustments are made through the iPad or iPhone settings menus.

As soon as you connect the Pro 2 to a branded device, the device’s system will prompt you to adjust for spatial audio – very similar to what happens with Face ID.

With everything ready, you can use your tablet or phone system to check battery levels, run tests to see if the eartip fits your ears, check for firmware updates, set noise reduction mode and of transparency and even define which side will use the microphone for calls.

Unfortunately, as you can already imagine, although the headphones can be paired with non-Apple devices, none of these options will be available.

But putting that a little aside, let’s go to one of the strengths of the new model: autonomy. Compared to its predecessor, the AirPods Pro 2 surprises, sometimes lasting 3x longer.

In uninterrupted playback, without noise cancellation activated, it is possible to exceed the 6 hour mark in a few minutes. With the feature activated, this value drops to just over 5 hours.

Back in the case, the headphones are capable of delivering another 4 periods of full playback, totaling just over 30 hours before needing to be plugged in. And now, in addition to being able to charge the set through the Lightning port, MagSafe and QI wireless charging base, it is also possible to use the Apple Watch magnetic charger to fill the battery of the AirPods.

And if the battery doesn’t disappoint, we can say the same about the sound quality. Although not yet compatible with Apple’s own Lossless uncompressed playback profile, the new AirPods bring excellent playback quality; even better than the previous generation.

Here, we notice an even more crystalline sound, loaded with definition, dynamics, dimension and depth, with well-defined bass even at the lowest volumes, but which does not invade other frequencies.

To deliver this advancement, Apple brings a combination of new drivers, new amplifiers and the new H2.

The company claims that the new chip uses a microphone aimed inside the ears to assess, in real time, what the user is listening to. Then, based on that assessment, the built-in algorithms perform automatic equalization to deliver the best playback experience.

call quality

This increase in quality is also seen in calls. The two built-in microphones – one on the outside and the other at the bottom of the stem – ensure excellent pickup quality, making the voice sound very clear on the other end of the call.

In very noisy environments, the headphones don’t try to mute all external sound, they just lower the sound levels. This guarantees a greater naturalness for the conversation, not making the abrupt turn from a moment of absolute silence to one filled by voice.

You can make calls with noise cancellation on or off and with or without Adaptive Transparency Mode. On the other side of the line, no difference should be noticed.

Including, using the new transparency mode during calls can be an excellent request. That’s because it allows you to make the call while listening to ambient noises at a reduced volume, giving the impression that you are not using the headphones.

Check the capture quality of the model below. Sound was recorded directly in macOS Recorder with the system capture volume set to 50%.

Without a doubt, the new AirPods Pro 2 are better than their predecessors. They bring better playback and capture quality, improved noise cancellation and transparency modes, more autonomy and unique compatibility with Apple’s tracking service.

With that, it is impossible to say that the new model is not a good choice for those who are Apple users and are looking for one of the best sound experiences that the company has to offer; either for first-timers, or for those who already have a simpler model or for those who have a very worn out first-generation Pro battery.

But as you can imagine, he’s not perfect! In addition to the price, which can be prohibitive for some budgets, the R$ 1000 more charged – currently – at retail does not justify your choice over the first generation. For real, even with all the improvements mentioned, this difference would have to be at least a little smaller.

In addition, since it does not offer compatibility with its predecessor, it would be cool to see Apple experimenting a little more in the design, even if it is risking new colors – because, let’s face it, this white is already a little beaten.

Last but not least, if you’re an Android user, don’t buy the new AirPods Pro 2. Yes, you’ll be able to pair it with your smartphone, but you won’t even be able to enjoy all the features that the headphones have to offer. to offer. Outside the Apple world, in this price and quality range, it might be better to bet on options from Sony, Audio Technica or Bose, for example.

Strong points and weak points

But what about you, what do you think of the new Apple headphones? Tell us here in the comments! As always, you can find the best prices on the cards below. To the next!