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Are the pros worth it for better sound quality?

S

Seanm87

macrumors 68020
Original poster
Oct 10, 2014
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I have AirPods 2 and considering upgrading to the pros.

Is the sound significantly better or is it just for noise cancellation? The noise cancellation i probably wouldn’t even need to use much anyway so not bothered about that, its more how they actually sound.

So is it worth it just for the sound? Or is it only marginal?
 
There is the rattling and other performance issues some users have experienced. Wise to do some intensive research before giving Tim your hard earned cash.
 
There was a software update that came with iOS 14. They have added spatial audio to the pros only. The tech YouTuber, unbox therapy, highlighted this in one of his videos



 
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Seanm87 said:
I have AirPods 2 and considering upgrading to the pros.

Is the sound significantly better or is it just for noise cancellation? The noise cancellation i probably wouldn’t even need to use much anyway so not bothered about that, its more how they actually sound.

So is it worth it just for the sound? Or is it only marginal?
Click to expand...
For me both sound exactly the same
 
I have the AirPods 2 (had) and upgraded to the Pros. Yes, I can tell a difference. The thing that helps the quality the most is the noise cancellation. Makes everything sound so crisp.
 
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Seanm87 said:
Is the sound significantly better or is it just for noise cancellation? The noise cancellation i probably wouldn’t even need to use much anyway so not bothered about that, its more how they actually sound.
Click to expand...

Having used both and currently using APP I can't say whether the actual sound is significantly better from a technical sound viewpoint, what I can say is that simply due to the fact the APP fit properly in the ears, the sound is better without all the external noise interference. Add noise cancellation and that improves in my view.
 
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I didn't have the AirPods 2, but the only time I use my AirPods 1 now is the couple of times my AirPods Pro ran out of battery. I think they're a significant upgrade.
 
The biggest upgrade for me was the fit. I was always fidgeting with the AirPods to repair the seal and get the bass back. Whenever it was fitting well, the sound probably matched what I’m getting with the Pro’s.

With the Pro’s, however, I never have to adjust them in my ears, even after hours. After 15 years of switching among multiple brands (whenever cables stopped working) and always having to use third-party tips (except for Shure), I’m happy with the fit out of the box, which obviously affects the sound quality.

I didn’t expect to like —or even need —the noice cancellation but it’s awesome, easy to use, and I now use it often, when needed. I also like the transparency mode and use it for different situations.

I also had to replace a Pro pod under warranty for the rattle issue.

And recalling how my Airpods stopped holding a charge and had to be recycled, I’m trying to conserve my Pro’s batteries and only using them for those tasks where noise cancellation or transparency is required.

I’m now spoiled by all the convenience features and thinking that a Studio version sounds very appealing, but only if the inevitable battery service is affordable and/or if the headphones could remain functional by using the charging cable once the batteries are too old to hold a charge.
 
Before I purchased my APP, I had about six pairs of different earpods from various manufacturers, including Apple's own wired EarPods. At the $50-80 price point that I normally frequent, the sound quality were all pretty similar and so was the fit for me.

"250 dollars for AirPods Pro?" I was pretty skeptical but I knew that if I was unsatisfied I could easy return them no-questions-asked to Apple. I already had a pair of Bose QuietComfort QC25 wired headphones that I always take on long-haul flights.

The AirPods Pro are a game changer. My ears hurt when I wear any headphones for more than an hour. The APP active noise cancellation isn't quite as good as the QC25s but I can wear the APP for hours without my ears hurting or sweating. And no cords.

The effectiveness of the APP active noise cancellation is largely a function of whether or not they fit well in your particular ears. Since I had little problem with six other earpods, I was unsurprised that the APP also provided a good fit.

Hell, they are so convenient, I put on the APPs and switch on ANC when the gardeners are running their noisy leaf blowers outside my home. I never did this in the years that I owned my QC25s.

This was all before Apple enabled Spatial Audio with iOS 14. Very nice. The AirPods Pro are better today than the day I bought them (about 11 months ago) due to a software upgrade.

How many aftermarket headphones manufacturers do that?
 
Just focusing on sound when listening to music: In my opinion, they’re worth the upgrade. Compared to the AirPods, they sound significantly better, with better bass extension (deeper bass, not necessarily louder bass), less muddled/overemphasized mid bass, more clarity in mids and treble, better separation.

They are tuned to be quite neutral and even a bit on the brighter side, though. Apple definitely took a more „audiophile“ approach when tuning these. If you really want bass-heavy sound, I’d not recommend them unless you want to mess around with an equalizer.

While ANC is not your priority, it also helps sound quality by blocking noise which often drowns out lower frequencies, letting you listen at lower volumes. Classic AirPods become pretty useless on the subway, if you don’t want to blast your ears and ruin your hearing.
 
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I am debating if I should pick these up since it’s on sale for $200.
I currently have the Bose sound sport free and love them, but the rubber buttons have fallen apart and eventually water will leak into it and damage/break it.
I love the sound of the Bose, but this deal seems tempting.
 
Sound quality is always subjective, but I find it mediocre at best with AirPod Pro. My previous earphones were Master & Dynamic MW07 which give fantastic detailed sound. APP are muddy, losing detail and quality easily. APP are great for watching movies, but not for music IMO.

I must also point out that I thought the original AirPods were some of the worst earphones I’d ever tried....
 
Seanm87 said:
I have AirPods 2 and considering upgrading to the pros.

Is the sound significantly better or is it just for noise cancellation? The noise cancellation i probably wouldn’t even need to use much anyway so not bothered about that, its more how they actually sound.

So is it worth it just for the sound? Or is it only marginal?
Click to expand...


Compared to the original AirPods - definitely, those were garbage, the AirPods Pro are miles better.
If you don't need noise cancelation, then you can get much better sounding options with other earbuds, like Sennheiser Momentum for example.
 
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The ear tips are different so the seal to your ear is better. That alone will make a huge sound difference whether the audio electronics is different or not.
 
Pangalactic said:
Compared to the original AirPods - definitely, those were garbage, the AirPods Pro are miles better.
If you don't need noise cancelation, then you can get much better sounding options with other earbuds, like Sennheiser Momentum for example.
Click to expand...

Thanks but I’ve had 2 different sennheisers and they’ve both stopped working, one within 6 months and the replacement after 2 years. So I think I’m done with them. Excellent sound quality but longevity just isn’t there.
 
Ideally, you need to try Pros to hear it for yourself. Pre-Covid I would recommend popping into one of Apple Stores to try them. Nowadays, it is probably better buying them somewhere with a return period and properly checking them out with your usual setup.
 
MayaTlab said:
With a frequency response like that, that’s highly debatable :
www.rtings.com

Headphones v1.5 - Graph Tool

www.rtings.com www.rtings.com
Click to expand...

It's still my opinion that there are better sounding options than the Airpods Pro. However, I think the Airpods Pro are the best all-rounders without excelling at anything. They have good but not great sound quality, good but not great noise cancellation, good but not great battery life, good but not great waterproofness, and so on, and while you can find something better for each particular factor, there are no other earbuds that combine everything in one package.
 
I have a slightly other question but also considering an upgrade to the pros. Is it worth to buy the pros if I just need the airpods for exercise and otherwise podcast?
 
I just got the pro's today and "upgraded" from the gen 1 AirPods, they are the same sound quality. I don't think anyone is buying AirPods because they sound good or decent, they sound just like the wired earbuds that used to come with the phone. They are more comfortable with the cushion but yea if you want good quality headphones, don't buy these (I got them with the education deal).
 
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