Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless Headphones Review

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 have nearly the same design as their predecessor, the Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless. They have a sleek white design with a stem design and white silicone tips. They only come in one color variant, which is to be expected from Apple products.

These in-ears are comfortable and lightweight. Unlike their predecessor, Apple has included an extra small pair of ear tips, raising the total number of pairs of included ear tips to four. Their fit doesn't apply pressure to your ear and won't be pushed further into your ear if you're trying to register commands. However, like the previous generation, the earbuds can wiggle out of your ear over time. While this doesn't affect all users, some people have solved this issue by purchasing foam ear tips, which mold to your ear.

These buds have very good controls. Compared to the first gen, the manufacturer has improved the 'Force Sensor' controls, and there's click feedback for the amount of clicks you make on the stem. There are different chimes when cycling between ANC modes, as well as touch volume chimes when adjusting the volume and reaching min/max volume. Overall, the controls are easy to use and responsive.

On either stems' force sensor:

• Single press: Plays or pauses audio. Also answers and ends a call.
• Double press: Skips the track forward.
• Triple press: Skips the track backward.
• Press and hold: Cycles between ANC on, off, and transparency mode, which allows you to hear your surroundings without turning off your audio.
• Say 'Hey Siri': Activates Siri voice assistant. This command only works on iOS devices, though.

These earbuds have a lightweight design that's very portable. You can easily put them into most bags or pockets without an issue, even if they're inside their carrying case.

The carrying case is great. It has the same plastic design and finish as the previous generation. It supports MagSafe charging and has a lanyard loop if you want to attach it to something. It's also certified IPX4 for resistance against water splashes and has a U1 chip that lets you easily find the case if you lose it using the 'Find My' app. Keep in mind that the original version of this case uses a Lightning port, but Apple offers a carrying case with a USB-C port.

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 have a great build quality, like other products from this manufacturer. They're mostly made of plastic with silicone ear tips. They're also certified IPX4 for resistance against water splashes, which is good if you want to wear them to the gym.

These in-ears have a stable in-ear fit. Some users may find that the buds wiggle out of their ears over time, but once you achieve a good fit, they'll stay in place with moderate head movements. If you want to use them while running, they may fall out of your ears.

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 headphones
• Charging case
• USB-C to Lightning cable
• 4x tip size options
• Manuals

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 have an adaptive EQ, and when on, they have a slightly warm sound profile, which is great if you like genres with a bit more bass or if you like your vocals and instruments to sound cozier in your mixes. Compared to their Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless, they also have better bass extension, which helps improve the depth of bass in your audio. Overall, their sound is quite versatile and is well-suited for a variety of audio content. However, there are no built-in EQs or presets to help you tweak their sound. If you're an iOS user, you can access sound customization features in your settings via the 'Accessibility' tab.

Thanks to their H2 chip, these headphones can adjust their bass and treble response, depending on the listening volume. However, this is only noticeable when connected to an iOS device. This change mitigates the effects of equal-loudness contours (and more specifically, the Fletcher-Munson curve). To simplify, this research explores the perception of constant sound pressure based on listening volume. At high volumes, the listener perceives more bass and treble than mid. However, at low volumes, the listener perceives less bass and treble than mid. These headphones counter this issue in their frequency response by increasing bass and treble at lower volumes to encourage people to listen to audio at lower volumes. You can see the change in frequency response when using an iOS device with ANC on and ANC off. This effect doesn't apply to PCs or Android devices.

There have been user reports that firmware 5E133 added more bass and treble to the frequency response. However, upon retesting them using several reseats, we didn't notice a change. It's important to note that frequency response does change depending on whether you turn the ANC on/off, though.

Note: There's a slight discrepancy between the left and right driver in the raw frequency response graphs. It's due to how the files were processed and level-matched. However, all other graphs are correct, and this difference isn't audible. We also don't expect users to encounter this issue with their own units.

The frequency response consistency is outstanding. As long as you achieve a proper fit, you'll get consistent bass and treble delivery each time you use them.

These in-ears have great bass accuracy. They have an extended low-bass, which helps the bass have more depth in your mixes. There's also a bump of extra warmth to help balance their underemphasized low-bass. While the bassline in songs like Lavender Haze by Taylor Swift feels a little lacking compared to other in-ears, like the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro True Wireless, the bass still feels satisfying and present without overwhelming vocals and instruments.

The mid accuracy is excellent. There's some warmth coming from the bass range into the mid. This overemphasis clutters vocals and instruments a bit, but the rest of the range is flat, so these sounds are still present and detailed in mixes. In vocal-centric songs like Vegas by Doja Cat, Doja's voice sounds cozy and warm but a little muddy.

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 have great treble accuracy. The response is slightly underemphasized across the range, which takes the edge off of vocals and instruments. The upper harmonics of these sounds are slightly veiled, while sibilants like hi-hats lose a bit of their sharpness.

The peaks and dips performance is great. There's a peak across the high-bass to low-mid, which muddies mixes a bit, while a dip in the mid-mid affects the left driver more prominently and nudges vocals and instruments to the back of the mix. Another bump in the mid-treble makes sibilants like cymbals piercing.

The imaging performance is outstanding. Apple works hard to ensure good quality control over their products. As a result, our unit's L/R drivers are well-matched in group delay, phase, amplitude, and frequency response, which is important for the accurate placement of objects like voices in the stereo image. Imaging can vary between units due to quality control and ergonomics, though.

These in-ears have a bad passive soundstage, but that's normal from in-ear headphones. Since they bypass the pinna by design, their soundstage feels closed-off and as if sound is coming from inside your head rather than from speakers placed in the room around you.

These in-ears are compatible with Apple's Spatial Audio in the iOS interface. It scans your face from the front as you rotate it to capture all the angles of your face. Once complete, sound will follow your head movements, making for a more immersive audio experience.

The weighted harmonic distortion performance is great. All frequencies fall within good limits, resulting in clear and pure audio reproduction.

These are the settings used to test these headphones. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

The Apple AirPods Pro 2's noise isolation performance is excellent. They can block out a wide array of noise very well. This includes the low rumble of buses, to ambient chatter, to the high-pitched hums of an AC unit. As a result, these buds are a solid choice if you're looking for something to use during busy commutes or noisy days at the office. If you're looking for an even better noise isolation performance from in-ears, it's worth considering the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Truly Wireless.

Note: Due to user feedback, we've tested these headphones using firmware 5A377 and 5B58 to see if the noise isolation changed. You can see a comparison of both firmware here. We also did multiple passes using firmware 5E133, and you can see a comparison of 5B58 and 5E133 here. However, there wasn't much of a difference between firmware updates.

The leakage performance is great. Leakage is mostly concentrated in the mid to treble range and sounds pretty thin. If you like to listen to your favorite tracks at high volume, then others around you won't hear it.

The integrated mic has disappointing recording quality. Your voice sounds thin and somewhat muffled, making it harder to be understood well.

The mic's noise handling performance is okay. The mic has trouble separating your voice from background noise, and speech can be drowned out altogether if you're taking a call from a noisy environment. However, this won't be much of a problem if you're calling from a quiet space, like home.

The Apple AirPods Pro 2's battery performance is decent. The manufacturer advertises them to last six hours continuously, and we measured a similar amount. Battery life can vary depending on use, though. Luckily, there are roughly four additional charges in the case if you need it, and the buds go into standby mode, which is good for conserving battery life.

You can access the headphones' interface if you're connected via iOS; check out a video of how the interface works here. You can check the battery life of the headphones as well as the case, switch between ANC modes, and remap the press and hold control. You can also use the 'Find My' feature to track the case if you misplace it, and do a fit check to ensure the best possible fit. While there isn't any EQ in this app, you can access sound customization features via your iOS device's 'Accessibility' tab.

The Apple AirPods Pro 2 have decent Bluetooth connectivity. You can connect them simultaneously to two different Apple devices, though this won't work if you're using Android devices. They also have high latency when connected to PCs, but luckily, their latency is lower on iOS and Android devices. Latency can vary depending on the app and device, though.

Since our model's carrying case has a Lightning port, these headphones come with a lightning to USB-C cable for recharging it. You can't use this cable for audio. If you have the carrying case with a USB-C port, Apple provides a USB-C cable in the box.

These headphones can connect to Bluetooth-enabled PCs with full audio and mic compatibility. However, you can't connect them to your PC in any other way.

This model comes with a carrying case that has a lightning point for recharging it. It also supports wireless charging. However, you can also purchase this model with a case that has a USB-C port and wireless charging support.