AirPods Pro 2

My AirPods Pro (2nd gen) are just about 3 years old, still going strong, used daily for anywhere from 30-minutes to a few hours. [...] The noise cancellation works great for something like that. [...]

[...] The mic doesn’t work well enough for making calls, but the noise cancellation is so good that it basically eliminates wind noise at highway speeds. [...] They are still holding up well over a year later and help preserve what hearing I have left after the military.

I bought a pair of AirPods Pro 2 to replace the 1s that I had owned for a year (both Mark Ellis influenced purchases) and I remember being stunned when I first listened to the 2s with my reference songs. [...] Nits: My ears still fail the fit test more often than not, and I've tried every tip size as well as aftermarket memory foam tips. [...] I think the Lightning charging port is related to the fact that all modern iPhones are still using that system. [...]

I have had AirPods Pro 2 since January and they are the best all round headphones out there if you have iphone. Sound is brilliant and they are very comfortable.

I don't usually defend Apple products, but my AirPods Pro 2nd gen have been rock solid and taken insane abuse. I use them working on cars, runs, hiking, rain, shine, sauna. [...] I use them a lot and if not love /really/ like them and nothing else has come close to the frictionless experience of them. [...]

[...] apple airpods pro 2nd gen 'just don't work' with say samsung phones (s24 in our case) - constant disconnections, pairing fails maybe 50% of the time. [...] Over effin' bluetooth that chinese plugs for 10 bucks have figured out better. Wake me up when I can go on filesystem and copy to my computer any damn file I want from the device running unix kernel that I supposedly own, like photos and videos I took, over open standard usb.

[...] Your integration story is nice, but same company does this actively: If you have airpods pro (2nd gen in this case) that kept working fine with apple phone, but then you got tired/annoyed/disgusted by their OS and ecosystem and migrated to Samsung S24 (my wife' story), those plugs effectively stop working via bluetooth. Disconnects, no good ANC, pairing is beyond miserable. [...] Now somebody could claim apple engineers are so incompetent they can't implement basic bluetooth connection that plugs from china for 10 bucks can do better but I have problem believing that. [...] Open standards and competition forces companies to behave nicely and ie buy bluetooth plugs without worry if any source device will work with it, not some wishful thinking. [...]

No wireless lossless audio means these are a hard pass for me. I really expected Apple of all folks to figure that out since they engineer their entire stack, hardware to software, but they’re still just pushing the same bluetooth audio that my Airpods Pro 2’s consume (which are half the price and incredibly excellent). Sony’s LDAC is niche, but sounds objectively better to my ears than the AAC used on Apple’s kit when I opt to use my Walkman+XM4s. [...] My XM4s sound okay wired in, and at home I’ve got critical-listening kit already. Adding a USB-C cable to the Max is not appealing given that 3.5mm already exists, USB-C cables are heavier than analog audio wires, and more corps block USB ports in general or mess with them in ways that corrupts the audio stack. Give me wireless CD-quality audio and I’ll be a happy dinosaur. [...]

I compared the mic quality of Airpods Pro 2, Airpods 4 ANC (similar), and freebie Apple 3.5mm wired earbuds. The earbuds won. My limited research suggested either 1) compression and transmission take a lot of power, so the Airpods don't do as good of a job as something with a bigger battery can afford to, 2) the mic position is worse, or 3) Bluetooth doesn't have enough bi-directional bandwidth for two good signals.

[...] I use my wired Sundara (which have dropped in price greatly since I got them years ago!) at my desk with DAC/AMP all the time, of course, and have a very nice set of Etymotic IEMs with a USB-C dongle permanently attached (once I stopped using it for my PC). For use with my phone I haven’t actually reached for those Etys over my AirPods Pro 2 in years as the latter are significantly more convenient. They also work fine with Windows 11 (which supports AAC over Bluetooth, as can Linux IIRC) if I want to use them there for whatever reason. Maybe I’m blessed in that I don’t require my phone to be a critical listening device? If you have hissing/interference/etc when plugging headphones into your PC, the Apple USB-C dongle is very good and only 9 USD.

I can’t get my Airpods Pro 2 to connect to Mavericks at all for any length of time, this has been driving me nuts for years! They’ll connect and play audio for a few seconds, then cut out, and I’ll have to re-pair to get any audio again. Did you have to do anything special?

[...] And I think for me the AirPods Pro 2 are just the most versatile.

I had something similar happen after sleeping a few times with my first-gen airpods pro. I think something must have gotten filled with earwax or something, because the noise cancelling got more and more broken and had more sudden sharp sounds until they were unusable But since then I've had two pairs of airpods pro 2 and bought the 3s on the first day, and I've had no such issues with any of them, including sleeping, and flying twice with the 3's so far. YMMV

[...] I wonder how safe that sound is bc its pretty uncomfortable. The seal also changes with any significant jaw movement (which I also do a lot in-flight normally) — noticeable degradation of noise cancellation, which then goes away (not sure if its the foam or anc adjusting). Tried to use my AirPods Pro 2 earhooks, which partially solved it - although at the cost of that crispy sound. [...]

I'm going back to the Airpods Pro 2. Pro 3 is a step backwards, there are these ANC noise issues not only on flights but also during heal-strikes when running down a hill, a staticky thump rather than high-pitched. [...]

The Airpods Pro 2 are probably the "best" headphones I've owned when you weigh sound quality, ease of use, convenience, etc. I've owned many, many sets of headphones over the years. The AirPods Pro 2 got the most use by far.

The fact that I rightfully qualify Apple products as overpriced don’t magically make the discussion about saving money. Sony headphones sounds noticeably better than AirPods Pro 2 by the way and their EQ is better. AirPods have great noise cancellation but their sound quality is not that great. [...] How do I disable noise cancellation and pass through? Where do I setup the level of noise cancellation? [...]

I have both a pair of the over ear Sony XM4’s and AirPods Pro 2 and I’m not sure I’d characterize the Sony’s sound as “better”, even when using lossless audio. They sound good but the sound profile is mostly just different, with the Sony’s leaning more bassy and the AirPods more balanced. The noise cancellation are neck and neck but the AirPods had much less of that “pressure” sensation when using it. [...] Comfort for long use sessions is better on the Sony’s. Mic is better on the AirPods.

I explored similar solutions but recently switched from AirPods Pro to AirPods Pro 2. I was genuinely surprised by how much better the noise canceling was for my needs, such as working in the office and doing yard work. [...]

I don't have hearing loss, but I wear 2 pairs of AirPods Pro 2 over the course of a 10 hour day. The reason I have 2 pairs is because 1 pair only gets 5-6 hours of battery life, and I need to swap them while they recharge in the case. Comfort? To me, very comfortable. I just leave them in there with Active Noise Canceling on all the time. I may be showing my age, but if you remember "Get Smart", AirPods Pro 2 are like a Cone of Silence -- except they actually work.

I haven't used the professional ones since they are prohibitively priced in India and hence very hard to compare. [...] Airpods Pro 2 work well for me and have made aware of many rich sounds around me and made conversations with family and cab drivers better. [...]

The AirPods Pro 2 are the absolute best headphones I have ever used hands down cord or no cord thee best. [...] The noise cancelation by the way is insanely good

[...] Sound quality is markedly improved and I can’t get my head round the fact that in transparency mode I am actually still wearing them! I agree with the lighting vs usb c comments, but tend to charge mine via MagSafe, so no big deal with this, although lightning charging is one of the 3 reasons I haven’t invested in a pair of AirPods Max yet (the weird bra thing and the lack of on/off being the other 2). I cannot recommend a pair of AirPods Pro 2 enough, love ‘em!!

[...] I can take phone calls and listen in to Zoom calls. All in all, battery life is a little over 4 hours and it’s not too bad when listening to a YouTube video like this one. [...] I have over the ear headphones made by Anker, (Soundcore Life Q20) and I have to admit the Anker headphones have a much deeper bass and overall dynamic range. But the AirPods Pro 2nd Gen sound very good also.

I can't recommend the AirPods Pro 2, I'm one of many who have lost all bass since an earlier firmware update and nothing recommended anywhere has fixed it besides audiograms, which Apple decided to break in iOS17.4.

I got the UBS-C ones on release. [...] Sound brilliant and noise cancelling is astoundingly good. I use them for road cycling and about my accommodation for about 9 hours a day

i haven't used my airpods pro 2 to listen to music in ages (i use them daily, but for listening to podcasts/tv/youtube or for calling) and it's crazy how crappy they sound to me now omfg. digging my maxes back out immediately

[...] My left earbud on my AirPods Pro 2 buzzes while I talk in transparency mode, and it is basically unusable like that. Replacement is $85. But at that point, I could save up and spend it on the newer ones for $250 BUT repairing my laptop battery is also $250... [...]

[...] Noticeable improvement in audio quality and fidelity. Adaptive audio is amazing. [...]

I feel like ANC was reduced by a lot with updates during early 2024, am I the only one? last year going on a plane I couldn't ear a thing, now I can ear everything

[...] Adaptive audio is amazing. Now that I've figured out the correct ear tips to use the sound quality, fit, and ANC is awesome too. [...]

[...] The sound difference is amazing. [...] The fake Airpods Pro 2 will look 99.99% the same. [...] They sound ok too. [...] You can change between features such as Noise Cancellation etc. [...] What they wont do is update the firmware, and transfer to another Apple device signed into the same account. [...] They appear in the Bluetooth menu but you cant switch to them. [...]

[...] I bought only 1 of these from the eBay link I sent last year when they were slightly cheaper and got a perfect sample on the first try. I actually used them like this when I was stuck in bed after a back surgery for a couple weeks, plugged into my laptop. [...] Same micro OLED panels and similar optical design. But they keep adding more features like better head tracking, better built in audio (I just use my AirPods Pro 2), built in cameras, more on-board processing for 3D stuff, that just makes the price go higher, so it's nice to see they still make a new pair with stripped down features for those of us who just want a basic display and for fairly cheap still. [...] Please contact us—we’ll send replacements for free and add a 5% partial refund. Fit, Compatibility, or Performance Issues: Discomfort, connection issues, or device malfunctions? [...]

I’ve recently started having some issues with my brand new AirPods Pro 2nd generation that I purchased in late February this year. Since last Wednesday, my right AirPod started having loud clicking noise followed by very loud static noise whenever the ANC or transparency was on. [...] I’m in the process of sending them for replacement/repair. Not sure if this is because of some bug or if anyone else is also facing this issue. [...]

I got the AirPods Pro 2 about a week ago and they just work great. [...] The sound of the Pro 2 is far better as well and ANC is just a godsend, tho I didn’t think it would become so much of a thing. Stupid expensive, but still worth it.

[...] AirPods Pro 2 make it so that I feel like I can hear in stereo while streaming without resorting to setting the balance 90% right and jacking the volume. [...]

I've actually tried using the AirPods Pro 2 transparency mode at a Coldplay concert where I was gifted a last minute ticket. [...] How do they compare to "concert" branded consumer earplugs, like Loop/Etymotic/SoundProtex ? Transparency mode was fine, but focuses on blocking and reproducing sound through the built-in microphone and speakers. [...]

[...] (It is also a steal for the insurance company since it costs roughly $10 a month.) I expect that insurance plans that cover hearing aids are going to cover this eventually, as a set of AirPods Pro 2 is $249, which is substantially cheaper than other hearing aids on the market. An open question is if any other manufacturer will be able to get a device that works this well at this price point - the amount of software and chip design engineering that went into H2 and the bridgeOS or RTKitOS that the AirPods run is just not something smaller manufacturers will be able to easily copy. [...] XS doesn't pass in the app as having a good enough seal, and S is just a little bit uncomfortable for me for all day use.

[...] Nothing beats them in sound and features. [...] If I had iOS and MacOS I'd definitely get the AirPods Pro 2, even though they are far from the best buds but they just work. [...] ANC and transparency are however UNBEATABLE.

I got the Pro 2's when they launched. [...] At first I was getting all sorts of audio glitches. One side sounded lower than the other and features like noise cancellation and transparency didn't work. [...] All features work, sound is back to normal, As good as they were before I put them in the wash. I've noticed rare charging issues where I leave them charging over night and one side didn't charge but I just fiddled around with them in the case and it worked. [...]

I got everything I was hoping for with the AirPods Pro 2. [...] The only thing that I hope can be improved is their performance in windy conditions, where they accentuate the whoosh of the wind noise if they are in transparency or noise cancelling mode. This is something that the 1st gen didn't suffer from because the microphone for analysing sound was in the inside edge of the AirPod next to the inside of your ear. It was much less prone to wind getting near it, but this meant the vent could get clogged with oily ear gunk which could compromise the sound quality over time. So, they moved the microphone to the outside, but this means the wind can get to it easily. It's not an easy problem to fix, but perhaps they can do something in software (as B&O recently did with an update for the EX) to mitigate the problem.

[...] I think I have probably have had a similar issue with AirPods Pro 2 (Lightning) and the Max. [...] But I wish, if there will be an update to them, they will feature adaptive audio. [...]

I feel like producing at such a massive scale results in sometimes selling some subpar units. I bought the AirPods Pro 2 in October of 2022 shortly after they were released, and even with quite a few drops and constant use I have not experienced any issues. I have heard of people with similar experiences as you and your friend though so it’s certainly not entirely uncommon.

I have been following u for 4 years now u r great Can u or someone clarify how much airpods pro 2 actually lasts after 2 years of usage My oneplus buds pro lastsvonly 30 minutes is the battery life on every tws is that bad for long term usage

[...] One was loud static and totally unusable so I got the AirPods Pro 2. No issues with them since I got them a few years ago other than the battery life. [...]

Ditto. I loved my Airpods Pro 2 but it was really clear Apple did not want me as a customer of their headphones. In a practical sense, the recent open source work would have mitigated most (all if it supports software updates) of my issues, but I still won't be buying any more Apple audio products out of principle.

The sony earbuds are about the best I’ve had for sound quality and noise cancellation. [...] I find AirPods Pro 2 to be “good enough” where I gave away my set of XMs to someone who will actually use them. Call (mic) quality in AirPods is better as well, if that matters at all to you. [...]

Seconding the other user saying that I also use AirPods Pro (2nd gen) in Teams at least twice a day, on macOS, iOS, and Windows (and had used them on android before, as well). Absolutely no issue whatsoever, and everyone mentions I usually have by far the best audio out of anyone else in the call. [...]

This excellent.. there needs to be a macos version as well. Using Mavericks I was unable to adjust any settings on my airpods pro 2

[...] How people are manage to run with noise cancelation? [...] I run with my AirPods Pro 2 and have no issues. I have some other in-ear buds where fit is also no issue but thumping sounds while running make them unusable.