Apple AirPods Pro (1st Generation) with MagSafe Charging Case

Wow, these really exceeded my expectations. I’m usually slow to buy new Apple products because mostly I feel my needs are more than met by the iPhone and MacBook Air I own. But I also find myself frequently fumbling with ugly tangled headphone cables, attaching and detaching (and sometimes losing) the obnoxious “dongle” needed to switch from my iPhone’s lightning jack to my MacBook’s headphone jack, and I find the sound quality on the standard Apple earbuds pretty bad for anything but the most utilitarian listening, e.g. a news podcast or a call to the bank. So I’m pleased to report that my AirPods have already become *incredibly* useful in the first week of use for their ability to connect almost instantly, and with fabulous intuition about when and where to connect, to either my two primary devices, transforming my day’s patchwork of Zoom sessions (I’m a therapist and a yoga teacher), phone calls, audiobooks, podcasts, and music into something much smoother and more flowing. The features, and their usefulness, were what surprised me. When I bought these I had assumed, wrongly, that they would basically be the same as the standard Apple earbuds, but made wireless. On the contrary, the sound here is massively better, a gigantic leap from one end of the quality spectrum to the other, and the sound can be shaped in several useful ways: 1) Noise-Cancelling Mode, which instantly sucks the background noise out so well for a moment you’ll think you’ve gone deaf 2) Transparency Mode, my favorite, which beautifully mixes the original sound source (music, podcast, etc) with the sound of your own breath and the outside world. The levels are perfectly adjusted to give you an amazingly crisp listening experiencing while remaining aware of your surroundings. It’s ideal. If in a dystopian Total Recall scenario a microchip were implanted in my head to play music, this would represent the best possible audio mix. 3) Normal Mode/“Off”, which gives the unmixed, untreated effect of standard headphones, allowing the normal amount of bleed between the sound in the ears and the slightly muffled sound of the outside world. This is the only mode I have no use for, because the other two are such big improvements to me. Turning these features on and off, pausing, or switching between music tracks works very well with the old “pinch the stem” technique that most wireless earbuds use. It’s the Morse Code style, squeeze once for this, squeeze twice for that system, and while it occasionally fails to understand what I want to do, it is much more intuitive and accurate than the few other brands I’ve tried. I’d say it following 3/4 of my commands perfectly, which for me is good enough, and again a vast improvement on other wireless earbuds I’ve tried, which usually suffer horribly in this category. I was a bit worried about this feature due to past negative experiences, but there was nothing to fear. Once again, Apple made the best. My strongest area of constructive critique is the voice quality of a AirPod user as experienced by the listener. The sound is crystal clear, and the volume is well-controlled, but it does sound slightly sterile and thin to my ears. I am a therapist and a yoga teacher and I frequently see clients through Zoom or other streaming video, so I was hopeful that these might also double as a solution for a wireless microphone. But I find the sound of a voice over AirPods in Zoom to be too thin and papery to match the sound of a good or even mid-level wireless mic. They sound best-suited to business purposes to me. Your experience may differ! That said, these are about half the price of an average studio or wireless mic, so this is not a crime, merely a point worth noting for other users. They are also a bit distracting visually for me, as their shape is a little chunky and protruding from the ears, and their milk-white color really pops against the skin. They are by no means huge or ridiculous, you’ll feel fine wearing them, but they are large enough that I am persistently aware of them when I see someone over video talking to me or giving some kind of instruction. It also throws me off slightly because I associate headphones with someone being unable to hear me, rather than as a way to connect with me. This is another reason that a wireless mic or a proper studio mic still has its place. That said, connecting a wireless or studio mic to literally any Apple device requires a bit of technical knowhow, plus a receiver and a collection of cables and connectors to get it to work, and with AirPods you just take them out of the case and that’s it, and you’re connected! Great product. These are the droids you’re looking for.

After owning my air pod pros for nearly two years now I feel that I am qualified to give an accurate and in-depth review over this popular product. I originally bought them due to my right original air pod dying, so naturally since I liked the first once I decided to go onto the next ones. I have used them for all the most common activities that the average headphone user does such as: working out, traveling, studying, and general use to listen to music or podcasts. Considering my time of ownership and widespread use of them I feel that I am qualified to tell you the pros and cons as well as why I think you should pick up your own pair of air pod pros. If you have owned the previous generation of air pods or any other apple product, then you will find that the pros come in the typical apple packaging which keeps the headphones and accessories secure and in good condition upon opening. Out of the box you will have the air pods themselves inside the portable charging case, as well as a usb-c charging cable (an upgrade from the usb-a in the original air pods), instructions, an apple sticker, and a few interchangeable sized silicon ear tips to fit best into your ear. To set them up simply open the case (the air pods will already be partially charged when you get them) and open you iPhone and a button will pop up to connect them. Next apple will take you through a sizing test to get a crisp and comfortable fit in your ear. As mentioned, the pros fit differently than the original air pods which is great for those who found the plastic design didn’t cater to their ears. Now with 3 different sized silicon tips buyers can find a snug personalized fit. The silicon tips also help introduce the new and biggest feature of the pros being Noise cancellation and transparency mode. The noise cancellation works very well when you need to tune out outside noise to focus, study, or are trying to sleep on an airplane. Sometimes I find myself putting them in without playing anything simply to make the surrounding are quieter. The transparency mode conversely also works well to help you hear the surrounding area which is great if your study buddy needs to talk to you, or you want to hear things around you on a run or bike ride. Now that we covered some of the highlights let’s review some of the negative. The sound quality is good, however, if you are a self-proclaimed “audiophile” then they made not be the earbuds for you as there is better quality out there. I found that it lacks some of the base that I personally prefer, but the mids and highs both sound good. Additionally, I found them to be just good and not great for working out. When trying to wear them to run I found that sweat often caused them to fall out and I even lost one in a stream once while running and had to replace it. There are aftermarket tips you can put on them to fight this, but I think something like the Beats powerbeat pros suit an active user needs more with the hook around ear design. Finally, the price for these is a bit steep at $250 although right now they are on sale for $180. Overall, I think that these are the best earbuds on the market right now and worth your money.

For reference I purchased the item 'Wireless Earbuds made in China' E10 $20 after coupon (left, white, smallest case), Air Pods Pro $175 (2nd left, white), Pixel Buds Pro $200 (2nd right, black), Bose SoundSport $109 (right, black, wired). All tested using a Pixel 6 to play the music. I received Google Pixel Buds for my birthday this month. I will say they had excellent touch controls, better than Apple's and Google assistant was always on point. I'd imagine best wireless battery life too, marginally better than Apple. Probably the best noise cancelling I've ever had plus transparency mode is nice and easy to switch between. Even better than my, albeit older, Bose Quiet Comfort 25 over the ear wired headphones. Just can't stand how quickly these come out of my ears, the fit is like the tip of an adult thumb to the first knuckle shoved vertically in your ear. Also noted as the best bass. Pixel buds did connect easily to a Pixel 6 phone, a littleore difficult to connect to a laptop but they did. I bought my wife AirPods Pro for her birthday earlier this year. AirPods are definitely more comfortable than the E10 knock offs, but E10 are close with minimal activity. Airpods aren't perfect, and will still fall out running or jumping for kids... I'd rather drop the E10s for the price. Sound quality is better than Google but not as good as my Bose, not as much bass as the pixel buds but Apple has far superior overall sound quality than the Pixel Buds. The touch controls do work, I do have some issues squeezing the right spot but I'm getting older and have fatter fingers than when I was in my 20s. I found Pixel Buds touch controls to be a little better. My wife uses these with her laptop (windows) at work for meetings more than her phone. They connected easier with her iPhone 13, but I did connect them to a Pixel 6 and her laptop fairly easily. AirPods charging case feels the most durable with a metal hinge, plus wireless charging works good. Noise cancelling is good and it has transparency mode, I think Google may be a tad better. Bose SoundSport have the BEST fit of any ear buds I've ever worn. So tight, I've actually pulled the cord loose from my phone instead of out of both my ears. Also the most comfortable since it's all a rubberish material touching your ear that sort of forms to your ear. Plus Bose have the best overall sound, but AirPods are very close. I will admit pixel buds have the most bass of any of these 4. Actually these 2015 released ear buds have the weakest bass of any of the 4 being reviewed. These are wired and still expensive, and now hard to find reasonably priced in 2022. I have used them hard and they keep on trucking. I will continue to use them if the battery is dead in my E10s. More and more devices are lacking an auxiliary port to connect to, I currently have an adapter for auxiliary to USB-C to use with a Pixel 6 phone, which also does work on my laptop. These E10s have better overall sound than Pixel Buds Pro. More bass than my (very old) Bose SoundSport headphones. Smallest charging case for wireless, also cheapest feel and the hinge wouldn't stay open when laid down. Touch controls also suck the most, I did get volume up to work, sometimes volume down. Non existent noise cancelling. Only says noise cancelling in the name on the manual, no where in the manual. Mic must work fine, Google assistant heard me clear. I haven't tested a call. These are the only headphones to come with a charging cord, no brick to plug into the wall, but USB-C to USB. My Pixel 6 charger with the official Google brick did charge this. Bottom line. I'm returning $200 Pixel Buds Pro for the $20 E10s... And I will settle for my wired Bose if these don't have battery. I couldn't justify buying currently priced $179 AirPods at the time of this review for my Pixel 6. Plus my wife won't let me keep her birthday gift. Time will tell if the upcoming Pixel watch is a success or a failure. I may be converting to Apple if the watch flops. I can't stand my Fitbit versa 2 compared to any apple watch (series 1 included).

I've been using the Apple AirPods Pro, and I have to say, they're pretty awesome, earning a solid 4 stars from me. The noise cancellation is the real deal; it's like a little bubble of peace amidst the noise and chaos. And that transparency mode? It's like they disappear in your ears while keeping you in the loop. I love it! But, here's the thing. I do wish the battery life was a bit better. Sometimes, I find myself wanting more juice to keep the music going. When I compare them to other top headphones out there, the AirPods Pro have some perks and a couple of downsides: **Pros:** 1. **Apple Ecosystem Integration:** They play super nicely with all my Apple gear. Connecting and switching between devices is a breeze. 2. **Sound Quality:** They deliver fantastic audio with impressive bass and crisp highs. 3. **Comfort:** These little things are comfy to wear for hours. 4. **Compact Case:** The charging case is pocket-friendly and keeps them going on the move. 5. **Noise Cancellation:** It's among the best you'll find in the market. 6. **Transparency Mode:** Let's you be aware of what's going on around you without removing them. **Cons:** 1. **Battery Life:** It's not terrible, but it's not the best, especially when compared to headphones with marathon battery performance. 2. **Price:** They're a bit on the spendy side. 3. **Customization:** Some folks might find the customization options somewhat limited. 4. **Equalizer Settings:** If you're into fine-tuning your sound, you'll miss not having EQ settings. In a nutshell, if you're in the Apple ecosystem and you're all about noise cancellation and seamless integration, the AirPods Pro are a solid choice. But, if you want something with longer battery life or more customizable features, there are other headphones out there to consider.

The Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation) with MagSafe Charging Case are a popular choice for Apple users looking for a convenient and feature-rich wireless earbud experience. Here's a breakdown of the pros and cons to help you decide if they're right for you. Pros: Excellent Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): Blocks out external noise for an immersive listening experience. Transparency Mode: Lets you hear your surroundings when needed, ideal for safety or situational awareness. Spatial Audio: Creates a 3D soundscape for a more cinematic listening experience (works best with compatible content). Comfortable fit: Includes multiple silicone ear tip sizes for a customizable fit that creates a good seal for optimal noise cancellation. MagSafe Charging Case: Charges wirelessly on MagSafe chargers (sold separately) for added convenience. Seamless integration with Apple devices: Easy pairing and control with Apple devices through iCloud. Cons: Price: AirPods Pro are more expensive than many other wireless earbuds on the market. Fit: The in-ear design may not be comfortable for everyone, especially for long listening sessions. Finding the right ear tip size is crucial. Average battery life: Battery life is decent, but not the best compared to some competitors. Limited control: On-ear controls may not be as intuitive or customizable as some other wireless earbuds. Reliance on Apple ecosystem: AirPods Pro offer the best features and functionality when paired with Apple devices. Overall: The Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation) with MagSafe Charging Case are a great choice for iPhone users who prioritize active noise cancellation, seamless integration with Apple devices, and a comfortable, customizable fit. However, the high price tag, potentially uncomfortable in-ear design, and average battery life may make them less appealing for Android users or those on a tight budget. Consider your priorities and try them out if possible to see if the fit works for you before buying.

There are a billion reviews for these things so why another one? Well, today I'm hoping to help those trying to decide between these or the Sony WF-1000XM4 in ear noise cancelling buds (see pics). Both are top of the line in terms of noise cancelling. I love love love Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) headphones. My at-home go to cans are the Sony XM4, with a XM3 as backup. I also own and love my Bose QC 35 II. I've lived with ANC cans on my head for the better part of 5 years. While I realize the sound quality for music is often a little compromised, for non-audiophiles it's usually more than good enough IMO. But as awesome as the full sized Sony and Bose cans are, when I leave the home I prefer not to look like someone from the 1980s, so I pop in either my Apple Air Pods Pro or my Sony WF-1000XM4 buds. I need good ANC but also comfortable but SECURE fit, good track controls, portability, and decent battery life. So which is better? COMMONALITIES Stuff both the Airpod Pro and Sony have in common: - both have decent ANC - both have a great case which can charge the buds while on the go - both have reasonably good audio quality - both allow for being connected to multiple devices at the same time - both can turn off when taken out of the ears (except Airpod can only do this with iPhone/iPad) - both can start/stop tracks by touch - both cases can do wireless charging - both let you see the battery levels for each bud - both can be set to turn ANC off, and both have "transparency mode" where the mics stop canceling noise and actually amplify your surroundings so you can hear better without having to remove the buds - NEITHER can increase or decrease volume by touching (!) . Airpods require you say the "Hey Siri"-command ("hey Siri, increase volume by 20 percent") , or fiddling with your phone. For the Sony you'll need to go straight to your device, or set your chosen voice assistant to do it for you via the Sony Headphones app (not tested). The Airpods Pro and Sony WF have more in common than not. And the few differences may or may not be big enough for you to write home about. Let's have a look: ANC - Active Noise Cancelling (If you need details exactly how ANC works, please google it as I don't have the space here to explain this.) SONY wins here IMO. Both the Airpods Pro and the XM4 are almost equally good at reducing much of traffic, air conditioner and other steady noises. Sony might be a little bit better, but that's subjective. However, for voices (playground, restaurants, etc), and other non-static noise, the Sony do offer noticeably better noise cancelling in my opinion. It's not a HUGE difference in most situations but I did notice it on occasion and other reviewers seem to agree. COMFORT and FIT Airpod Pro wins here (for me). In fact the fit is probably the single biggest fail with the Sony buds. Have a look at my pics and notice how much bigger the Sony buds are. Now remember the whole thing (the big outer part) has to sit between your ears' conch and antihelix, and the actual sound producing part of course goes inside your ear canal. This means the weight of the outer part is dragging on your inner ear quite a bit if not balanced correctly. Since the Sony are so bulky, there's a good chance that parts of it won't ever sit properly in your ears and try to pull out the tips from your ear canal. Critics would say to just "put them in properly" but this is surprisingly hard to do with the XM4 buds. You'll also see comments that the way the Sony buds curve is better for ears. IDK, I'm not feeling it. And I'm pretty sure I don't have freak ears. I've never had problems fitting and balancing any buds like the Sony XM4. The Sony units have a much larger and honestly rather uncomfortably shaped body that houses the ANC chip and microphone. Even when properly placed in the ears, they stick out. Weight distribution always seems off to me. I'm a tall man with average sized ears, and it's a chore to make the Sony buds fit comfortably. Once they're in, they often fall out or FEEL like they're about to fall out. This is because the size and weight of the outer parts of the XM4 buds is rather high, at least compared to the Airpods Pro. Another part of this is the size of the ear tips (see below). To get the Sony buds in my ear I have to use both hands: one to tug and pull the ears, the other to wedge and move the buds into place. If I don't get it juuuuuust right, they are prone to fall out. Very annoying. Airpods Pro: one hand, quick move and they're in - and stay in. I have more confidence in that the buds will stay in during movement compared to the Sony XM4. Somehow the weight, size, and ear tips all just work better for me. Your ears may vary. Side note: the part that goes INSIDE your ear canal has a removable and replaceable ear tips. Those tips come in several sizes and most people find one that fits. Somehow none of the 3 that Sony provides really fit me, but the "Large" are the closest ones. Since they're very tight on me, they provide a better passive noise cancelling. But they're quite uncomfortable. The other 2 are just too small for me. They're also sweaty and pick up lint and dust and (icky alert!) ear wax easily. The fit really matters with these buds, especially considering that they have to compensate somewhat for the extra bulk and weight of the overall unit. Soundguys claims the Sony have a better fit but I have to disagree. And I really do love Sony headphones in general. The Airpod Pro on the other hand come with cleaner and better fitting ear tips. They have a neat magnetic thing where you "clip on" the tips. It's a strong connection and yet makes it easier to replace them if you need to. They're also easier to clean (bye ear wax!) Since the buds aren't as bulky or heavy, it feels like the tips stay in the ear canal better. I can use the Medium size tips and they fit perfectly. BATTERY LIFE TIE. Assuming you have ANC on all the time, and have the case with you (the case houses a battery which in turn can charge the ear buds batteries), you'll get about the same play time out of either set. Some sites say the Sony get longer playback before needing to be charged, others say the opposite. MY experience is that both have about the same playback time, and both have another 18 or so hours of juice from the case. Again, your use of ANC and other factors change these numbers somewhat. CHARGING Sony wins here because you can charge the case using USB-C cables - much faster than Apple's slower Lightning. In my experience, the case charges up about twice as fast as the Airpods Pro case. I have not tested wireless charging for either. SOFTWARE I've not tested Sony's Headphones app much except I downloaded it on both my iPhone, iPad, and Android phone. It works flawlessly on all devices for me. You can change some parameters but overall it's probably not something you'll need to use a lot. I didn't, hence no further ratings Apple Aiprods Pro work perfectly with iOS devices right out of the box. Pairing is super fast, and all settings can be changed within iOS directly. OTHER I find that both connect to all my devices just fine, Bluetooth connectivity is strong on both, and the distance between ear buds and device is about the same before I get connectivity problems. I do like the seamless switching between iPad, iPhone and Macbook Pro that the Airpods Pro can pull off. It's almost instant and just works - IF you're on iOS or Mac OS The Sony also work on all devices I tried them on but switching between them is not always as seamless or fast. I HATE that I can't change volume directly on the buds on either of these. Sony has these awful "touch" pads on the side and I find myself constantly tapping and re-tapping to start or stop the audio because I sometimes miss hitting that tiny spot where you're supposed to touch. The Airpods have a dedicated little clicky button that just works more reliably in my experience. You WILL lose one or both of your ear buds at some point. Death, taxes, and losing ear buds. It's a law. And I love how Apple implemented the FIND MY option here. If you lose your Airbuds Pro, simply make them sound an alarm and use the GPS feature on your phone to find them. It works really well. I didn't find a way to do this on the Sony buds. SOUND QUALITY This one's a bit subjective. I find the Sony to be a tad better, with a little more bass and oomph yet they never sound muddy to me. The difference isn't massive and audiophiles probably have their own overly persnickety opinions about either option. FINAL WORDS There are several things I either didn't test or don't want to spend time talking about. The apps (equalizer options, voice assistant options, etc) are something you'll need to figure out for yourself if that's important. For me, the default settings are sufficient for both the Sony and the Airpods Pro. The biggest takeaway for me is that the Airpods Pro fit my ears a lot better and feel more "secure" in my ears than the Sony. The Sony have better noise cancelling. You'll find online reviews that claim the opposite, other reviews that agree with my findings. You really need to figure it out yourself. One final suggestion is that if you primarily or solely use Apple devices, your better bet is probably to invest in Airpods Pro - the seamless switching is excellent.

new features are fantastic. sound is good enough. not the highest end sound quality but for the price ($170 something) they get the job done for most occasions. the micro phone is descent considering the distance from your mouth. new features. noise cancelation is okay. they drown out most of the noise pretty well. they are not going to do as good of a job like a higher end over the ear headset but then again that isn't why we buy these. i have been flying alot lately and these are a game changer on flights. drowns out the plane and people pretty well. even better if you're watching a movie. Passive mode is excellent. its like having hearing aids in. i swear i can pick up on conversations in a noisy place from across the room. its a bit weird at first but this is one of my favorite features. this feature is also very dynamic. you can clearly tell which side the sounds are coming from which is just great. Hate life. i feel like mine die alot, but i use them all of the time. you get about 4 hours of play time but they use power just sitting in your ear so take that into consideration. however, the case charges them pretty quickly to get a few more hours out of it. which is so clutch. and it doesnt take long to charge either. final thoughts. if your looking for studio quality headphones ,well these are not it. but for the price ($175) they are incredible. good sound, noise canceling , passive mode, charging case, iphone support and features, track my device, and they make a noise when you lose them( which you will ) make these then in their class. i was on the fence buying these and not once in the few months of owing these have i thought to myself " wish i didn't buy these". in fact i think quite frequently "man, made im glad i have these to cancel out that screaming baby three seats behind me". if you have an iPhone then get them. if not get something else beach you'll be missing half of their features.

These were my go to gym and plane travel pair. They worked well. Noise cancellation is fantastic so long as you can get a good seal. Now some folks might have a hard time with fitment but they do have multiple size ear pieces. Music wise? This had clean clear vocals, the bass is not as heavy as beats are. Worked great for my music library. Now I lost my set, but for the year i used it it held charge for the gym week. 1-1.5hr a day / 4 days a week before i needed to charge it. I also paid for a $50 protective waterproof case for it haha so im even more annoyed i cant find them. Anyways the new gens are probably better but this generation i liked a lot.