Airpods Pro: The Good, The Bad, The WTF
a look into Airpods Pro, and if they're worth it. you decide!
Woh, tech talk already, and not cello talk? Holy Hell, Mark, are you okay?..
Yes, I can stifle my nerd-ism for the cello and swerve to a different facet of music, something thats more accessible and universal for us all: earbuds! There will be plenty, and let me repeat, PLENTY of cello related content in the future. This post will focus on the “newest” Airpods Pro, giving you a look at things from the perspective of a professional musician and quasi audiophile (if I can even call myself that, hell I don’t know).
To clarify, this will not be a post where I discuss exact details and “numbers” of the products, I’m pretty sure one can google all pertinent info. This will be a “from my distinguished, nearly crowned doctor” point of view, so expect things to hopefully be a lot more digestible. The important bits will be bolded so if you dislike my prose, look for them to find the exact points you care about!
An important note:
The music I listen to is quite varied. It’s classical, EDM, techno, Indie, Jazz, Rap, and Pop. As you read, bear in mind I did try different genres, different ages of recordings, and more. I may be a cellist who practically does classical music as a default, but remember, I am not THAT mono-stylistic (you just don’t know that about me yet, haha).
Noise Cancellation
The fit of the earbuds itself is fine, not my favorite. To remedy that, I switched the tips that came with the airpods to these foam tips (not sponsored at all, just a great product). This greatly improved seal, comfort, sound quality, and noise cancellation. That being said, the noise cancellation is pretty sub par, even with the foam tips. Compared to my previous buds, the Sony WF 1000 XM4’s, its kind of laughable. Had the Sonys not died into our two year friendship (battery issues and dying earbud, all issues Sony has confirmed subtly), I would still be using them today. Like I said, noise cancellation is okay, so if you’re looking to drown out crowds or loud train rides, these buds probably won’t do it for you. I find it annoying that their NC game is weak…Apple excels in so much, yet they kind of fail here. For a real life example, as I write this, I can ever so slightly the tv in the other room (it sounds distant, rather than muted). It’s not a total “make it or break it” moment, but it is something to note. Sony and Bose (the kings of NC, apparently) win this battle royale, that is for sure!
Battery
Battery is solid, lasts a long time, and the case supports solid charging. I’ve charged it very infrequently, thats how good it is. It’s also magsafe compatible, for all you up to date people. One thing to note though: if you change the tips to 3rd party tips, beware of how you put in the pods. If they’re not fully secure, they won’t charge properly.
Extras
If you’re stuck in the Apple eco system, these are the buds for you. The transition is smooth across all devices, which is a big plus. Sometimes I have issues with my phone, but I’ll equate that to it being old (Iphone Xs Max). If you’ve got an old iPhone, this may be something you’ll bump into, so heres your official heads up! Their adaptive control is great, which allows you to filter out a lot of extra outside noise (in case you don’t want to go full noise cancellation mode). Conversation awareness is also pretty awesome, allowing you to converse while having the music lower in volume, becoming part of the background. It’s great for when you want to listen to your jams, but occasionally expect to have to talk to others (though I suppose the wearing of earbuds should stave off people instead of inviting them over…?). Spatial audio is one of my favorite features. Basically, the music follows your head. It’s super dope and really adds to the overall experience. For me, it elevates the experience tremendously.
Buttons
When it comes to the buttons on the airpods, it took me a bit of time to get used to them. They’re located on the stems, and have the typical “press” function to receive/end calls, pause/play music, skip, etc… The volume feature was a bit of a curve for me to figure out at first, but after some practice I got used to it! You drag up and down the stems without applying too much pressure. Sounds confusing, right? There’s definitely a learning curve, but once you get past it, it’s pretty intuitive.
Sound Quality/Flexibility
Now, onto the thing that probably peaks your curiosity: how do they sound?Unfortunately, my comparison bracket isn’t too large, but I can discuss some of my thoughts in relation to Sony earbuds. The Airpods Pro sound real good. They’re lively, clear, and are an enjoyable listen. In comparison to the Sony WF1000 XM4’s, they’re slightly below in general delivery of sound. The XM4’s sound is deeper, sometimes crisper, and a really enjoyable listen. BUT, if you use the extra features of the Airpods (spatial audio, and maybe adaptive control) they definitely equal the playing field. I would still give the Sony’s the edge for basic sound. That being said, if you use Apple Music, the pairing of the airpods pro and the streaming service sound phenomenal together. The quality of music/sound is definitely better than Youtube music or even Spotify. I assume that’s a feature yet again reserved for the airpod pros and apple products. If you aren’t actively listening for that, then it doesn’t really matter to you. Sony has released an updated earbud, the XM5’s, which I hear really great things about. Since I don’t have them, can’t compare them, but there are literal troves of videos on youtube comparing the two earbuds in depth.
In terms of their sound customization, Sony wins. You have more options to tailor your sound to how you like it, especially with the EQ. You can slide and adjust to your liking to bring out the sound you so desire. On the flip side, Apple does offer different EQs (found under the music tab in settings) but to be honest, trying their preset EQs and switching between them did very little for me, and definitely did not enhance the sound of the music I was listening to. You can’t adjust within the EQs, so you’re basically stuck with what they give you. The pluses to Apple Music/Airpods is that you can listen to music in Dolby Atmos quality, which is super nice, and lossless, which keeps the music as close to its original sound as possible.
In terms of buttons, Apple is flexible on allowing you to designate which bud does what, and how many taps it takes. That’s nothing new, or exciting, but still helpful to have at your disposal.
SO…if you’re looking for complete control over your sound, it probably won’t be with the Airpods, but if that’s not your concern, Apple is the way to go.
Call Quality
When it comes to call quality, I will say this. Definitely one of the best I’ve used. People on the other end have noticed the difference in clarity, and I hear the calls better. Pair this with the adaptive controls, it’s a solid win over my old Sonys. An additional apple feature is the microphone options. There is the standard, which is self explanatory. Voice isolation is a great addition, which focuses in on your voice. Super helpful in crowds, or in places where you want your voice to be honed in on. This has been a hit during windy days. There is wide spectrum, but I have not used it, and can’t speak to it. One downside for me so far is the actual connection between phone and AirPods. Sometimes when I have them on and answer, the call wont go through or it’ll be silent and it takes forever to get them to work. Usually it works if I see the call and then pop them in my ears to answer. Other times, it works flawlessly. As of this post, I blame my old iPhone, but WHO KNOWS. Either way, overall, if you’re a big talker, these are the buds for you.
Verdict
As you can see, it’s kind of a mixed bag here. Some good, some bad, yays and nays. These buds won’t fit the needs of everyone…but where they lack in some departments, they make up for it with those lovely Apple centered bonuses. With the added features that my old Sony earbuds didn’t have, the Airpods Pro are quite a formidable pair of earbuds. At the end of the day, they sound good, work generally well, and are great for Apple users. Do they have some hiccups: absolutely, and I am not a fan of them. Is it enough to make me dislike/hate/regret using them: nope.
If you don’t have apple products…get something else, like Sony or Bose (though I would say Sony).
Cool, that’s all I got. Cheers! Next one will be music/cello related!