The Apple AirPods Pro Truly Wireless are a welcome upgrade of the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless. Their in-ear fit helps make them more stable, and they've significantly improved their audio delivery, though some may find this design less comfortable. Their active noise cancelling feature also works very well and makes them well-suited for use at work. While they're smaller than previous models thanks to their shorter stems, they offer longer battery life and have an easier-to-use touch control scheme.
Our Verdict
The Apple AirPods Pro are decent for neutral sound. They can deliver audio very consistently, and they have a fairly flat and neutral sound profile that's well-suited for a variety of audio content. However, their low bass is a bit underemphasized, so mixes lack thump and rumble. Their passive soundstage also seems small and closed-off due to their in-ear fit.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- Premium, well-built design.
- Poor customization options, especially on Android.
- Bad passive soundstage.
The Apple AirPods Pro are great for commuting. These in-ears have a small and lightweight design, which makes it easy to take them with you on the go. They have an ANC system that can block out the low rumble of bus and plane engines. Unfortunately, their continuous playback time of over five hours may not be enough for long days on the road, although their carrying case holds roughly five extra charges if you need it.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- Great ANC performance.
- Premium, well-built design.
- Poor customization options, especially on Android.
The Apple AirPods Pro are great for sports. They have good stability, although it can vary depending on your ear shape, and also come with a few different tip sizes so you can find the best fit for you. They're also small, lightweight, and are certified IPX4 for protection against splashes of water. They also have a great ANC feature that helps to cut down ambient noise at the gym.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- Great ANC performance.
- Premium, well-built design.
- Poor customization options, especially on Android.
The Apple AirPods Pro are decent for office use. They're comfortable and block out a good amount of ambient chatter around you. They're very lightweight and comfortable, meaning you can wear them for a full workday without feeling too fatigued. Unfortunately, their battery won't quite last a full day of work, and they take a bit longer than previous models to fully charge, meaning you may need to take a break from your music while they charge.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- Great ANC performance.
- Premium, well-built design.
- Poor customization options, especially on Android.
- No NFC or multi-device pairing.
- Mediocre controls.
The Apple AirPods Pro aren't recommended for wireless gaming. They're Bluetooth-only, so they aren't compatible with Xbox or PlayStation consoles. While you can connect them to a Bluetooth-enabled PC, the latency will likely be too high for gaming.
The Apple AirPods Pro are Bluetooth-only headphones, and you can't use them wired.
The Apple AirPods Pro are alright for phone calls. Unfortunately, their integrated mic does a disappointing job of capturing your voice on PCs, so it sounds muffled and a bit distorted. While the mic does a better job of noise handling, it can still be difficult for the person on the other end of the line to hear you clearly if you're in a moderately noisy environment like a busy street. That said, if you're taking a call via iPhone, the mic offers a slightly better noise handling performance when it comes to loud sounds. These headphones also have a great ANC feature, so you can focus on your call.
- Comfortable and stable fit.
- Great ANC performance.
- Premium, well-built design.
- Poor customization options, especially on Android.
- Disappointing mic recording quality.
- Mic has passable noise handling.
Changelog
- Updated Sep 19, 2023: Added a note that the Denon PerL Pro True Wireless have app support with more customization features.
- Updated Jan 17, 2023: We've added information regarding Apple's Headphone Accommodations feature in theSound Profile and App Support tests. However, the scoring of these tests hasn't changed.
- Updated Dec 09, 2022: Users have requested us to retest the ANC's Noise Isolationperformance after FW 5B58. However, we encountered issues and are currently investigating and will update our review with our results.
- Updated Nov 23, 2022: We have added a comparison between these headphones and the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) Truly Wireless in Comfort.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Apple AirPods Pro come in one color variant: 'White'. That said, in 2021, Apple released an upgraded variant of these headphones that come with a MagSafe-compatible charging case. There wasn't an advertised change to the performance of the headphones, though. We tested the original variant, and their carrying case doesn't support this feature. However, we expect this variant to otherwise perform similarly to our model.
This review also currently reflects the performance of our original unit, which we don't have anymore. That said, we've purchased a second model, which matches the performance of our first unit. If there's a difference in performance during future retests, we will update the review accordingly. You can see our new unit's label here.
If you come across another variant of these headphones, please let us know in the discussions.
Popular Headphones Comparisons
The Apple AirPods Pro are solid, truly wireless earbuds that look and feel premium as well as have a great ANC feature. Their sound reproduction may not be as good as some similarly-priced options from competitors, but they're a big improvement over the Apple AirPods (2nd generation) Truly Wireless. They also have an H1 chip so that you can seamlessly pair them with your Apple devices and newer models have a carrying case that supports MagSafe wireless charging.
We suggest looking at our recommendations for the best truly wireless earbuds, the best noise cancelling earbuds, and the best wireless earbuds for iPhone.
The Apple AirPods Pro are an older model than the Apple AirPods 4 and each have slightly different strengths. If you want noise cancelling and an isolating fit, the AirPods Pro provide a more predictable in-ear fit compared to the loose and open-backed fit of the AirPods 4. The AirPods 4 have a better mic with more powerful noise handling for calls and the newer H2 chip, but they don't isolate you from the environment.
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 outdo the Apple AirPods Pro across nearly every metric. They have a longer battery life, greater dust and waterproofing, and class-leading ANC. If you want more technology and features like using the buds as hearing aids, as hearing protection, or to track your health, these are possible with the AirPods Pro 3. The technology outpaces the original AirPods Pro, but they're still a decent choice for music and seamless switching with devices signed into the same iCloud account.
The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Truly Wireless and the Apple AirPods Pro have different strengths, and you may prefer one over the other depending on your usage. The Apple headphones are more comfortable and have features like an H1 chip for seamless pairing with your Apple devices and Spatial Audio on supported iOS devices. However, the Bose are slightly better balanced, their ANC blocks out a bit more noise across all frequencies, and their integrated mic has a better recording quality. The Bose also have a better companion app and a lower latency on iOS and Android, although some apps compensate for latency differently.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are the next version of the Apple AirPods Pro. While not a lot has changed in terms of comfort and premium build quality, there have been slight changes to their sound profile and noise isolation performance. The Pro 2's ANC does a significantly better job of blocking out background noise across the spectrum. Additionally, they have a longer continuous battery life, though they're one extra charge short of their predecessor. Their carrying case has a U1 chip, too, so you can easily locate your case if you lose it. Overall, the changes are somewhat minor, but the Pro 2 make good strides in the right places.
Our How We Test Headphones article takes you behind the scenes in our lab. You'll learn how we choose and purchase products and dive into the details of our review philosophy, from testing and scoring to writing and editing.
You can also discover how we produce recommendations like this one so that you can find the best headphones (or earbuds!) for your needs.
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