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Airpods GEN 1 vs Airpods Pro

coolieza

coolieza

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Oct 13, 2020
22
13
Hi,

I bought the Airpods GEN 1 back in 2016, they served me perfectly in the past 4 years taking a lot of beating, going inside the washing machine 😅 and pretty much going with me everywhere, but now i'm thinking about replacing them with the new "pro's".

It will be a significant difference of sound? Or should i keep my GEN 1 for a bit longer and wait for something else in 2021/2022?
 
I just retired my gen 1’s, purchased at launch in 2016, with the AirPods Pro. It’s a night and day difference to me. There’s a much richer soundstage, the noise canceling is great, and for me they’re a lot more comfortable. Spatial Audio is really impressive also. It’s a worthy upgrade in my opinion.
 
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Just remember that the form factor is totally different.

The number one thing I love, still, about my Gen 1's (and Gen 2's) is the way they just rest at the entrance to my ears and allow all the sounds around me to enter.

The APP's are much more of a sealed, nearly in-ear, design that is highly isolating. Yes there is transparency mode, but it isn't quite the same as natural ambient noise mixing in.

Nothing wrong with APP approach, but it should be noted that it *is* different than the AP g1/g2.

AP G2 should be on your radar if you need a direct upgrade from G1 - depending upon how you want to use your APs
 
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turbineseaplane said:
Just remember that the form factor is totally different.

The number one thing I love, still, about my Gen 1's (and Gen 2's) is the way they just rest at the entrance to my ears and allow all the sounds around me to enter.

The APP's are much more of a sealed, nearly in-ear, design that is highly isolating. Yes there is transparency mode, but it isn't quite the same as natural ambient noise mixing in.

Nothing wrong with APP approach, but it should be noted that it *is* different than the AP g1/g2.

AP G2 should be on your radar if you need a direct upgrade from G1 - depending upon how you want to use your APs
Click to expand...

The form factor is the one thing that scares me the most because i really never liked earphones with rubber like Apple Airpods Pro on the other side i don't wanna go with Gen 2 because i think it's a small increment in sound so i either go all in or i keep my GEN 1 until 2021 release 😅
 
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coolieza said:
The form factor is the one thing that scares me the most because i really never liked earphones with rubber like Apple Airpods Pro on the other side i don't wanna go with Gen 2 because i think it's a small increment in sound so i either go all in or i keep my GEN 1 until 2021 release 😅
Click to expand...

I totally get it and agree.
Last winter I bought some APP from Apple Store and returned them in under a few days.

It just isn't the form factor I'm looking for with how I personally use my AP's

I'd love to have a set of APP just for travel type situations, but not at the price point they are.
 
I recently upgraded from the Gen 1 to the pro, they sound the same but a bit better because of the cushion tips. I got them for $90 bucks with the education deal but idk if they are $250 good. They don't sound great but I understand why they are popular, work well between apple products.

It also has been a full year with the pro's, I say get an upgrade if you can get it for a bit off. Not full price.
 
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coolieza said:
on the other side i don't wanna go with Gen 2 because i think it's a small increment in sound
Click to expand...
Gen 1 & Gen 2 sound were found to be the same.

The Pros sound slightly better with background noise, but when you’re in a quiet environment & using Transparency mode, you hear more of the music because of the better seal, but then Noise Cancellation mode puts even more emphasis on the content, so it appears to sound even better. I think they do sound better in all modes compared to the AP1, but the added flexibility of being able to customise how much of the detail you want in your ear compared to your external noises is brilliant.

The squeeze commands are also better implemented imo. You may need to get used to not tapping them as you do now, but that won’t take long.

You’ll also love the ”Hey Siri” feature which aren’t on the Gen 1s (even as poor as Siri can be) as it takes away the need to touch the APP/device.

& if you have an iPad, the recently added auto-switch feature’s a useful convenience.

I’d be surprised if APP2 were released in the first half of next year. If anything, I’d say the 2 year mark (November) may be more realistic, or at iPhone 13 release at the earliest, but that’s my guess. They will be pricey though, & the current APP have been on sale a bit, so they’ll be great value for anyone who’s mildly into the IOS ecosystem.

Edit...I have to add that everything I mentioned means nothing if they don’t suit your ears. You need the fit to be right first & foremost. If it isn’t, then they’ll sound ordinary as they slip out of your ears & lose their seal which they rely upon heavily.
 
coolieza said:
Hi,

I bought the Airpods GEN 1 back in 2016, they served me perfectly in the past 4 years taking a lot of beating, going inside the washing machine 😅 and pretty much going with me everywhere, but now i'm thinking about replacing them with the new "pro's".

It will be a significant difference of sound? Or should i keep my GEN 1 for a bit longer and wait for something else in 2021/2022?
Click to expand...
It is night and day difference. I used the first gen and got rid of them because I didn’t like the way they fit. I LOVE the pros from fitting to sound.
 
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I starting using the gen 1 airpods 3.5 years ago and picked up a pair of APP around May of this year. I primarily use the gen 1s for work calls as it’s easy to pop them out of the case and into my ear without any fuss at all. Downside is the batteries only last about 40 minutes nowadays, but they’re by far the easiest to use. The APP on the other hand, I use for travel or sound isolation. They’re more fiddly to get out of the case and into your ears so unless you keep them in all day, it’s not as quick/easy to use them for phone calls. The ANC is better than I was expecting having previously used Sony’s top of the line wireless buds and due to the APP smaller size, they stay in my ears better. I can’t use either the gen 1 or the APP for working out/running or anything that really involves moving much; they will fall out of my ears (even when using foam tips).

So for me, I keep them both around as I prefer the gen 1s loose fit for phone calls and the APP for listening to music/movies
 
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I also still use my Gen 1s at home, to save the battery of the APP. But when out of the house, the the APP cover every scenario, including exercising & gym workouts.
 
Knowing that Gen 1 and Gen 2 AirPods sound and feel fairly similar, I suggest having a look at this comparison of Gen 2 and APPs:

www.rtings.com

Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless vs Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless Side-by-Side Headphones Comparison

The Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless are much better than the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless. The Pro's sound profile is much more balanced, especially in the bass range, and their in-ear design and ANC provide significantly better noise isolation. The Pro also have an...
www.rtings.com www.rtings.com

The Pros measure (and sound) much more balanced and have, compared to "audiophile" headphones, a very decent sound profile and quality.

They may lack a bit of bass emphasis for some, but I am pretty sure that was a deliberate decision by Apple to make them less fatiguing to listen to. When looking at graphs like the ones RTINGS provides, remember that the frequency response (the tuning, basically) is always evaluated against a reference curve which is a (good) attempt of reflecting the average taste in tuning.
 
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lmitch6 said:
I just retired my gen 1’s, purchased at launch in 2016, with the AirPods Pro. It’s a night and day difference to me. There’s a much richer soundstage, the noise canceling is great, and for me they’re a lot more comfortable. Spatial Audio is really impressive also. It’s a worthy upgrade in my opinion.
Click to expand...
I too just upgraded and I find the connection to be much better! Much greater range and instant connection often the OG AirPods would not recognize they were connectable when out of the case - much better experience overall - I also LOVE the stem clicks for pausing - hated those touch controls!
 
My time with AirPods Pro (vs my Gen1's) made me realize that I'm really just in the market for AirPods Gen 3, that hopefully keep a semi-open design/feel that is similar to Gen 1/2, but also keep upgrading the capability/functionality, etc

I really don't enjoy the plug-tip fit of APP type of designs -- at least not for how I use my AirPods
 
MrTSolar said:
So far, the only negative is talking with noise cancellation on. All I can hear is my own voice rattling my head.
Click to expand...
Bar the above, it sounds like you’re getting the most out of them. A good fit allows you to experience them at their best.

The tolerance to the voice rattling is subjective, but you may get used to it over time.
 
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