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For anyone who has the Power Beats Pro these AirPods pro are comparable. NC is nice but it’s not a game changer on these small headphones. I think clarity is a tad better on the Power Beats Pro because of the lack of audio processing with NC. If anyone has the older AirPods and jump to the AirPod Pro’s I think it’s a no brainer. If anyone has the Powerbeats pro I think it’ll be more of a fit choice. AirPods Pro fit a little better and the smaller case is nice but other than that no need to upgrade. I’m contemplating going whether to keep the AirPod Pro’s are not.

I have both and will probably keep them both, but I suspect my PBPs are going to end up used mostly for working out, hiking, etc. I’ve been carrying that absurd case in a pocket while at work for the past few months, and I’m incredibly relieved to be able to ditch that for the tiny Airpods Pro case instead. I agree that sound is similar — PBP is a little more musical and dynamic (not sure if that’s the ANC or the built in “dynamic equalization” of the AirPods Pro), but their isolation is iffy at best and the form factor is just not great. I had to customize some triflange tips to get a good sound on my PBPs, and they barely fit in the case now. AirPods Pro is very close to as good, with better isolation, and much much much better case and fit.
 
Takes:

-Sound is pretty good/decent. Would like a little more mid/high in the standard mix.

-ANC works rather well with the correctly fitted tips. The ear tips are key in isolating sound leaks into your ear.

-They fit GREAT! Finally AirPods that are secure. Almost on par with my Bose Soundsport.

-The press controls work very well. Since the click sound is very low you just need to trust that each press or hold on the stem is working. Great feature being able to dedicate each Airpod’s control to a different function.

-Only glitch so far is even with the pods inserted into the carry case and the lid closed, my right pod didn’t contact the charging node well enough to charge the pod. ***Must be cautious that the silicone tips aren’t making the pod sit awkwardly in the charging cradle***

Bottom line...
the Bose Soundsports are going to be retired. These AirPod Pros are an actual game changer.

Add on:

-the silicone tips are super soft and supple. Very comfortable. Having said that, they are pure white. Make sure your ears are nice and clean before using or else you’ll get a nice surprise when you take them out. Black tips coming Apple??😇
 
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Biggest issue I've had is taking them out of the case! They're so slippery because of their roundness. I had no problems with my original AirPods.

I've found that if I reach my top finger into the top of the case where the cavity is, then I can grip them and remove them.

Noise canceling works great. I compared them to my original AirPods, and it was a big difference. Also, was a difference (but not as big) between the AirPods Pro and my over-the-ear padded Bose QC35s. Bose wins out, but of course, any over-the-ear headphone would.

I had a co-worker talking, a radio on nearby, humming computer fans, and an A/C unit in the office. I could hear all 3 with the original AirPods, but with the AirPod Pros, when the music was on at a low volume I couldn't hear the humming computer fans, the A/C unit or the radio at all, but sometimes heard my co-worker talking softer (couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew that it was a voice). It's not perfect, but it's MUCH better.

noise cancelling works well with repeating sounds, e.g. engine noise, a/c, fans humming. Things that are not repeating sounds like voices and music are far more difficult to screen out. This applies to any noise cancelling device.
 
As someone who could never get the Apple wired ear buds or the AirPods to fit, I’m happy that these do fit a lot better.

One thing that would be nice, since Siri is always listening, would be to have the option to say, “hey Siri, turn [on/off] transparency mode”. As of now, (sorry, but) “you’ll have to unlock your iPhone first” (huh??)

I think you can do a shortcut in the Shortcuts app for that
 
I received mine this morning. The pairing is much better than the original AirPods (hmm) which have been super cranky with iOS 13. Honestly, these are over priced. The "noise cancelling" capability is barely noticeable. It hasn't been responding to "taps" to enable/disable "noise cancelling" mode, but there are controls under the iOS bluetooth settings. They do fit well, however. I'll keep them, but don't expect any meaningful "noise cancelling" -- I'm sticking with my bulky Sony headphones for that. Yes, I understand there is a difference in compute and features and size, but I don't appreciate the selling of a feature that really isn't much of a feature.

I had trouble with the ‘Taps’ to enable/disable noise cancelling mode, or pausing and changing music tracks too. I finally realized the little indented part on the stem where you think you should tap is actually a button. You need to kind of use your thumb and finger for support to click it in. You will feel/hear the click happen. Press and hold for a second or two until you hear a chime to change the noise cancelation mode. Just a quick press in to pause/restart music playback.

EDIT: tried pressing this ‘button’ while they weren’t in my ears, and of course it’s not a real button :p it’s one of those haptic ones kind of like the trackpads on newer macs or the home button on the last iPhones with one. Tricked me into feeling like a button.
 
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Gotta say the sound quality is improved but also might seem lackluster at first

The real-time EQ does do its work. It may take a few seconds to adjust and if you pay attention you will notice it working.

Compared to my Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless earbuds the sound is a bit flat but the Sennheisers are also quite bright so it’s gonna come up to personal preference.

For me the momentum’s are sonic gold.

Still the new AirPods are pretty decent. Earbud fit is fidgety. It’s again gonna depend on your ears. But I can tell you they don’t go in your canal and apparently aren’t meant to.
 
I received mine this morning. The pairing is much better than the original AirPods (hmm) which have been super cranky with iOS 13. Honestly, these are over priced. The "noise cancelling" capability is barely noticeable. It hasn't been responding to "taps" to enable/disable "noise cancelling" mode, but there are controls under the iOS bluetooth settings. They do fit well, however. I'll keep them, but don't expect any meaningful "noise cancelling" -- I'm sticking with my bulky Sony headphones for that. Yes, I understand there is a difference in compute and features and size, but I don't appreciate the selling of a feature that really isn't much of a feature.

I totally disagree...mine have great noise cancelling. They don't block certain high frequencies much like squeeling humans but they do work well to cancel the booms and hisses of things.

In case you didn't know, you have to hold the button a couple of seconds to disable and enable noise cancelling...no tapping like before.

For me, these new Airpods are a big improvement from the previous ones, plus noise cancelling really works!
 
Biggest issue I've had is taking them out of the case! They're so slippery because of their roundness. I had no problems with my original AirPods.

I've found that if I reach my top finger into the top of the case where the cavity is, then I can grip them and remove them.

Noise canceling works great. I compared them to my original AirPods, and it was a big difference. Also, was a difference (but not as big) between the AirPods Pro and my over-the-ear padded Bose QC35s. Bose wins out, but of course, any over-the-ear headphone would.

I had a co-worker talking, a radio on nearby, humming computer fans, and an A/C unit in the office. I could hear all 3 with the original AirPods, but with the AirPod Pros, when the music was on at a low volume I couldn't hear the humming computer fans, the A/C unit or the radio at all, but sometimes heard my co-worker talking softer (couldn't hear what they were saying, but I knew that it was a voice). It's not perfect, but it's MUCH better.

Ya. They are squirmy.
Just use one finger and pull from the back of each pod towards you they slide right out. No pinching or grabbing necessary.
 
I picked up mine a few hours ago and I will say this is a solid product refinement. I had version 1 and while the sound quality profile is fairly similar, the in ear design and noise cancellation are very well executed. Transparency mode is an excellent addition. Overall, I am very satisfied and in my opinion one of the best Apple products of the decade just got better. One complaint, as mentioned by others, is that they are tricky to pull out of the case.
 
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Count me jazzed! The original AirPods were never comfortable for me as they just plain didn’t fit my ears. Consequently, their sound sucked, no matter how I tried to seat them. Sold my old pair soon after purchase. Leap forward to AirPods Pro. Fit is great, out of the case. Love the auto fit test. Sound is really good, and noise cancellation, excellent. Turning on ANC is like stepping into a sound isolating chamber. Love it. Really surprised how good these are.
 
Count me jazzed! The original AirPods were never comfortable for me as they just plain didn’t fit my ears. Consequently, their sound sucked, no matter how I tried to seat them. Sold my old pair soon after purchase. Leap forward to AirPods Pro. Fit is great, out of the case. Love the auto fit test. Sound is really good, and noise cancellation, excellent. Turning on ANC is like stepping into a sound isolating chamber. Love it. Really surprised how good these are.

I think including the customizable tips is really going to set these off and draw a larger crowd, because you’re right, the AirPods are not an appropriate fit for everyone, and now with the customization with the tips, it should make it easier for those that might be leery of the fact of these would fit them.

Personally, I think having Apple launch these separately, was a brilliant idea versus throwing them in with the iPhone launch back in September as well.
 
I picked up mine a few hours ago and I will say this is a solid product refinement. I had version 1 and while the sound quality profile is fairly similar, the in ear design and noise cancellation are very well executed. Transparency mode is an excellent addition. Overall, I am very satisfied and in my opinion one of the best Apple products of the decade just got better. One complaint, as mentioned by others, is that they are tricky to pull out of the case.

As an example - for the left pod, with my index finger, I put my finger on side of the pod (the side that is closest to the back of the case). With your finger just slide the pod toward you (a motion that brings your finger from the back of the case toward the front of the case) and it slides right out with one finger, grabbing it with my thumb after it pops out, no pinching necessary like I’ve been doing the last hour. Thank goodness, such a simple thing.
 
Will they work with ios12? Apple tech specs pages says "latest version of iOS". This suggests that ios13 is required but I want to double check. Don't want to upgrade to ios13 yet.
 
Will they work with ios12? Apple tech specs pages says "latest version of iOS". This suggests that ios13 is required but I want to double check. Don't want to upgrade to ios13 yet.

Some of the features specifically require 13.2. I don’t have a list handy, they can function as normal bluetooth earbuds, but a different thread suggested being able to go from noise canceling to off etc requires 13.2

Edit: Apparently I am mistaken. Please see post #76 on page 4 to see that 12.4 is fine for most things, they go in better detail.
 
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Some of the features specifically require 13.2. I don’t have a list handy, they can function as normal bluetooth earbuds, but a different thread suggested being able to go from noise canceling to off etc requires 13.2
thanks! I thought this was the case but it's still a bummer. I want to wait a bit before installing ios13 till it reaches a somewhat stable state.
 
As an example - for the left pod, with my index finger, I put my finger on side of the pod (the side that is closest to the back of the case). With your finger just slide the pod toward you (a motion that brings your finger from the back of the case toward the front of the case) and it slides right out with one finger, grabbing it with my thumb after it pops out, no pinching necessary like I’ve been doing the last hour. Thank goodness, such a simple thing.

I tried your technique and I agree it works! Will take some getting used to but hopefully muscle memory takes over eventually!
 
I absolutely love them, they can finally stay in my ear wether i eat, run or shake my head. Only downside is that i miss tapping i dislike the stem pinch thing

That pinch is sooooo stupid. I will get them and hate them just for that.
 
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