Apple AirPods vs. AirPods Pro: Worth it to upgrade?

The AirPods Pro are a new version of Apple’s wireless earphones. They offer better sound quality, a longer battery life, and the ability to connect to two devices at once. Is it worth upgrading from the standard AirPods?

The apple airpods pro 2 is a new model of the Apple AirPods that has been released. It is worth it to upgrade if you are currently using an original or first generation AirPods.

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AirPods Pro rapidly became the gold standard in truly wireless earphones in my opinion. They have a distinctive design that fits snugly in your ear, great sound thanks to Adaptive EQ, and they’re well integrated with the Apple ecosystem. They’re not cheap at $249, and even when reduced to $179.99, they’re not cheap.

Apple had regular AirPods for a long time before AirPods Pro. In fact, I was in line for the first pair in December of 2016! AirPods are a pair of wireless headphones that come in a one-size-fits-all style. And after months of working from home and testing literally dozens of pairs of earphones, I’ve ditched the AirPods Pro in favor of the regular AirPods.

You may be perplexed as to why, but there are a few key factors. For starters, at an MSRP of $159, they’re considerably more reasonable, and they’re often available for much, much less. They are now available for $115 on Amazon. And that’s just the beginning: AirPods Pro have the same Apple integration as the Pro, as well as a rich soundscape and reliable connection. Oh, and it’s all contained in a more compact container. So, let’s take a look at why I switched back to the regular AirPods.

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The standard AirPods feature a longer design than the AirPods Pro. They’ll protrude farther from your ears, and instead of fitting snugly within, they’ll float and snuggle into the canal. Ear tips aren’t included in the package since Apple opted for a one-size-fits-all approach with the standard AirPods.

But it’s a design that works for a lot of people. You won’t notice them once they’re in your ears – until the stem touches your face, that is. That’s conceivable, however unlike some other earbuds on the market, they don’t clog up your ears. The standard AirPods are 0.14 ounces apiece, which isn’t a huge lot of weight. AirPods Pro, on the other hand, are somewhat lighter (0.11 ounces) and more compact.

They’re still very comfy in my opinion, and the lack of an ear tip adds a bit more flow. Would I use them for a tough endurance workout? They do not have sweat or water resistance, therefore the answer is no. Although I haven’t had an AirPod fall out, coworkers and internet users can attest that it’s not an uncommon occurrence. Standard AirPods have a strong hold in the ear thanks to their design, so they shouldn’t bounce around too much.

You can’t control anything with the stems here, either; everything is controlled through touch on the top of the AirPods. With a double touch on each AirPod, you can activate Siri, play or stop the music, skip ahead or backward, and skip forward or backward. When AirPods are paired, you may change this in Settings on your iPhone. It’s not a selective touch surface like the Galaxy Buds, which we’ve found to be inconvenient, but rather a very direct and responsive area.

Also, with the AirPods Pro, you have to squeeze to click on the stems, which isn’t really practical. It also requires a higher level of precision when pressing it than just tapping or double tapping the AirPods themselves.

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CNN/Jacob Krol

The Apple H1 chip is used in standard AirPods, and it’s the same chip used in AirPods Pro. AirPods’ Bluetooth connection (and audio streaming), quick pairing, and easy switching are all powered by this. You can still set them up next to your iPhone, have them sync with your Apple ID, and then connect to them from any of your synced Apple devices this way.

It’s really useful, and it still works well in my tests across a couple iPhones, an iPad Pro, a MacBook Pro, an eighth-generation iPad, and an Apple TV 4K, which allows me to listen to music privately without bothering others. There’s a lot of functionality here, and for some reason, the regular AirPods are less fussy about moving between devices than the AirPods Pro.

With Bluetooth 5.0 within the regular AirPods, connection is still strong. Over the course of two years, you’re going to lose connection, but in my experience, these are few and far between.

AirPods are now very useful when connected with any Apple device, in addition to providing connection. For instance, you may say “Hey Siri” anytime you want to do a job fast, like as sending a message or dialing a phone number. You may even have Siri announce messages to you (by reading them loudly) and let you to reply — all while remaining hands-free. When wearing them around the home or out and about, this has proven particularly useful. It basically allows me to do these activities without having to take my phone out of my pocket.

Best of all, you can simply share audio with another pair of AirPods for when we can travel again. Last year, I recall enjoying music with my pals and even seeing a movie on a plane. It’s also not only AirPods to AirPods; AirPods to AirPods Pro or even AirPods to AirPods Max and AirPods Pro are all possibilities. Basically, all of the AirPods’ main functions are here, and they perform just as well.

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CNN/Jacob Krol

The sound quality is perhaps the most significant change between the regular AirPods and the AirPods Pro (apart from the appearance). To be clear, standard AirPods do not outperform the Pros in this category. There’s a good explanation for this: AirPods don’t completely seal your ears, so the music doesn’t have somewhere to go. AirPods Pro include silicone ear tips that seal tightly in your ear for a better fit, greater immersion, and more powerful sound.

Nonetheless, regular AirPods make me feel less claustrophobic — particularly when compared to AirPods Pro when Transparency or active noise cancellation (ANC) are turned off. Because I don’t have a seal, they simply sit in my ears and I’m still aware of what’s going on around me. It also doesn’t detract from the sound quality, which is excellent. AirPods continue to provide a broad soundstage that strives for a clean and balanced mix, as shown by my initial evaluation in 2019 and retesting over the last few weeks. It’s a powerful mix that sheds a light on all elements of a music equally, although the bass may be weak at times.

With a wall-of-sound track like Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run,” the standard AirPods still provide a powerful push. It’s common for earbuds to mash certain sounds together in a more dynamic song like Olivia Rodrigo’s “Brutal,” but AirPods do a great job mixing Rodrigo’s vocals on top, supporting elements in the center, and the primary drum below.

When it comes to battery life, AirPods are on par with AirPods Pro. I’ve been getting close to five hours of listening time out of each listen, and the case can give up to 24 hours of listening time with fast recharges. You must also choose between AirPods with a conventional charging case and AirPods with a wireless charging case. Unless you’ve gone all in with wireless chargers in your environment, I believe the former is plenty for most people. It’s a simple method to save money, and you’ll be able to charge your AirPods using the Lightning connection on the bottom of the case – which, I might add, is more pocketable than the AirPods Pro case.

The regular AirPods have a lot to offer, including a cheaper price point and a style that just sits in your ears. After returning them and being with them for longer than I expected, I quickly realized this. The sound quality is still excellent, with a large soundstage that fits well with a variety of genres. The battery life is adequate, and the AirPods’ essential functions remain.

You’ll lose out on a more adjustable design that fits snugly in your ear for greater comfort and sound, as well as noise cancelling and Transparency modes, if you choose AirPods over AirPods Pro. For some, the latter is essential, although turning up the volume on ordinary AirPods may help filter out some background noise.

With regular AirPods, you may save a lot of money while still getting a great experience, particularly if you’re in the Apple ecosystem. Even better, the basic case is just $114.99, while the wireless charging case is only $149.99.

When it comes to airline travel and even longer commuter trains, I think I’ll go for AirPods Pro to shut out the world without having to crank up the volume on the regular ones. I also like the AirPods Pro for workouts because of the sweat resistance. But for everything else, I’m sticking with my old AirPods, which have a simpler design, better controls, and all of the essential functions.

That said, when the AirPods 3 do come, I’m sure I’ll be testing them out.

The airpods pro vs airpods pro 2 is a debate that has been going on for a while. Apple released the AirPods Pro, which are worth it to upgrade?

Frequently Asked Questions

Are AirPods Pro worth upgrading?

The AirPods Pro are a great upgrade for those who already have the original AirPods, and also offer some advantages over other wireless headphones.

Are AirPods Pro worth it if you have AirPods?

The AirPods Pro are not worth it if you already own the regular AirPods.

Are AirPods Pro worth it 2021?

 

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