Going fully Wireless IEMs. Too soon? Or are we there yet?
Oct 30, 2019 at 1:37 PM Post #14,506 of 61,381
So I picked up the AirPod Pros on the way to work this morning. I echo the comments above about them being extremely comfortable and fitting very well. My ears are usually difficult to fit, but with the large tips these are so comfortable that I find it easy to forget I’m wearing earphones.

The ANC seems excellent so far. I’ll wear them on the subway this afternoon and know for sure how good the ANC is — but walking around the office with ANC is a surreal experience. The ANC is definitely closer in effectiveness to the Sony WF-1000XM3s than to the M&D MW07+.

The sound also seems very good. They sound accurate and pleasant (no sibilance or harshness in the treble whatsoever), and the bass is present — although these are not bass monsters, like the Liberty 2 Pros, for example. (I think the Liberty 2 Pros are more enjoyable to listen to, except in loud environments, like the subway, because they don’t isolate well and they obviously don’t have ANC.)

I’ve only taken one call with them, and (although it was a business call so I didn’t ask how I sounded) the person on the other end didn’t ask me to repeat myself — so that’s good. I recorded a voice memo, and based on that recording the microphone seems terrific.

The case is really small. I didn’t have the earlier iterations of the AirPods, so the case feels particularly small to me — small enough so that I can slip it into a pocket and (like the earphones, when I’m wearing them) forget I have it on me.

For the nerds among you (all of you?), I connected my iPhone to my Mac at work and used Console to check the connection speed of the AirPod Pros, and, as expected, they maintain a completely solid 256kbps connection. (In contrast, the connection speed of the Sony WF-1000XM3s deteriorates quickly to 127kbps — on my iPhone 11 Pro, at least — although Sony support tells me they’re working on a firmware update that should address that issue — and the Liberty 2 Pros connection speed quickly drops to 192kbps and stays there.)

Coincidentally (or not?), the Amazon Buds are arriving this afternoon. I’ll compare them tonight. I’ve promised myself that I’m not keeping all these earphones — but we’ll see :wink:.
Excellent Feedback, Thank you!
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 2:19 PM Post #14,507 of 61,381
I agree — the AirPod Pros are the ones to beat. They tick all the boxes except, perhaps, battery life. Ideally, they’d last 9 hours like the PBPs. The solution, I guess, is just to buy two pairs of AirPods :wink:. (Don’t tempt me!)

What boxes do they tick exactly? The sound quality is subpar to middling at best. The battery life is subpar. The design is much larger than many competitors on the market. And the price is double options that are better. So, I am failing to see what boxes they are ticking. A decent microphone maybe? Slightly easier pairing to device? Seems like a steep price to pay for such little benefit.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 2:28 PM Post #14,509 of 61,381
I agree — the AirPod Pros are the ones to beat. They tick all the boxes except, perhaps, battery life. Ideally, they’d last 9 hours like the PBPs. The solution, I guess, is just to buy two pairs of AirPods :wink:. (Don’t tempt me!)

the battery doesn’t even bother me as 5 min charge gets you another 1 hr of listening. Besides flying, i can’t think of when I needed headphones for 5hrs straight with no breaks. With as much charge as you get quickly, this is a moot point for me.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 2:44 PM Post #14,511 of 61,381
Quick impressions of the Airpods Pro.


I'm coming from the BeatsX, which I like, but the sound quality is mediocre. I have had other wired IEMs by Dunu, and CIEMs. The Pros are definitely better than the BeatsX, with good bass and a decent amount of detail. Not as good as the IEMs I'm used to, but good enough for out and about use.


These are a keeper.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 2:45 PM Post #14,512 of 61,381
What boxes do they tick exactly? The sound quality is subpar to middling at best. The battery life is subpar. The design is much larger than many competitors on the market. And the price is double options that are better. So, I am failing to see what boxes they are ticking. A decent microphone maybe? Slightly easier pairing to device? Seems like a steep price to pay for such little benefit.

  • I find the sound quality quite good. (Perhaps not as good as the M&Ds or the Liberty 2 Pros, but I’m still acclimating to the AirPods.)
  • The design is a matter of taste. (I hated the original AirPods when I first saw them, but they have become so ubiquitous that others don’t seem to mind — and these are smaller and less obtrusive than the OG AirPods.)
  • They are exceedingly comfortable. (They just disappear, once you put them on, and I can get a good seal — unlike with the PBPs.)
  • The mic quality is superb — better than “decent.” (This is important to me, since I’ve been looking for TWEs that I can actually use for work calls.)
  • The ANC is surprisingly good. (There aren’t a lot of options for ANC earphones — and ANC really makes a difference for my use cases.)
  • The H1 chip provides lots of convenience when changing devices. (I often go from my iPhone to a Mac to an iPad, and back — so easy switching is a real bonus for me.)
  • The connection is rock solid, and the connection speed is as good as it gets. (See my posts above re relative connection speeds.)
All in, I think the sum of the parts make these compelling, but tastes may reasonably differ. For example, for someone not invested in the Apple ecosystem, some of these advantages will be lost. Sound quality and design are, of course, subjective, as is fit. Perhaps I should have said “They tick all MY boxes.” The price is high, no doubt about it. But compared to the Sonys (at $230) or the M&Ds (at $300), these don’t feel overpriced for what they offer. As they say, YMMV.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 3:05 PM Post #14,513 of 61,381
What boxes do they tick exactly? The sound quality is subpar to middling at best. The battery life is subpar. The design is much larger than many competitors on the market. And the price is double options that are better. So, I am failing to see what boxes they are ticking. A decent microphone maybe? Slightly easier pairing to device? Seems like a steep price to pay for such little benefit.

Ok buddy.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 3:07 PM Post #14,514 of 61,381
The AP pro do an amazing job sound and isolation wise. While they might not isolate as well as the Sony wf1000m3 with the right tips and hence might seem less effective with ANC, I don't get the infamous walking thump that I loathe. Relax the fit with the Sony and then not only ANC but also SQ suffers.
I've been listening to the AP pro, Sony wf1000m3, Jabra 65t and MEE x10 all day and sound wise I am more than happy with the AP pro. The bass is all there, vocals are really smooth and absolutely no harsh treble. Actually, I'd say highs might be a bit rolled off.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 3:39 PM Post #14,515 of 61,381
Can't avoiding recommening this now for US$53 after applying cupon.
Screenshot_20191030-153638.jpg
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 4:11 PM Post #14,516 of 61,381
the battery doesn’t even bother me as 5 min charge gets you another 1 hr of listening. Besides flying, i can’t think of when I needed headphones for 5hrs straight with no breaks. With as much charge as you get quickly, this is a moot point for me.
I agree with this sentiment. Double digit battery life is good for marketing, but if I can at least get 3.5 to 4 hours, I'm fine. I rotate TWS' throughout the day and may spend the first half with this one, then the second half with that one, etc.

To each their own, but I suspect most people are good with 4+ hours for their uses and Apple has the market research to back that up (and sell millions of this things). That being said, I'm certainly not a fanboy of any kind and have stuff from Sony to Bose to Apple and from Android to iOS.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 4:22 PM Post #14,517 of 61,381
I agree with this sentiment. Double digit battery life is good for marketing, but if I can at least get 3.5 to 4 hours, I'm fine. I rotate TWS' throughout the day and may spend the first half with this one, then the second half with that one, etc.

To each their own, but I suspect most people are good with 4+ hours for their uses and Apple has the market research to back that up (and sell millions of this things). That being said, I'm certainly not a fanboy of any kind and have stuff from Sony to Bose to Apple and from Android to iOS.
I wouldn't support going with that battery life. Same reason I returned my Momentums in less than a weak. It's pretty much a manipulation where they hold specs to sell you a little upgrade in next release. When a $25 pair from who knows who can outdo worlds richest companies with such essential stuff, there its a sign that we are just an experiment. In fact, they pioneered the jack removal to sell a battery powered solution that cant last above 5 hours.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 4:28 PM Post #14,519 of 61,381
I wouldn't support going with that battery life. Same reason I returned my Momentums in less than a weak. It's pretty much a manipulation where they hold specs to sell you a little upgrade in next release. When a $25 pair from who knows who can outdo worlds richest companies with such essential stuff, there its a sign that we are just an experiment. In fact, they pioneered the jack removal to sell a battery powered solution that cant last above 5 hours.
I mirror your sentiments. Apple fully could of included a USB-C charging port on these, but chose to stick with lighting port to save money and force people next year to buy the new version to pair with the 2020 Iphone w/ USB-C is a clear indicator of how stupid they believe their customers are.
 
Oct 30, 2019 at 5:02 PM Post #14,520 of 61,381
The sound also seems very good. They sound accurate and pleasant (no sibilance or harshness in the treble whatsoever), and the bass is present — although these are not bass monsters, like the Liberty 2 Pros, for example. (I think the Liberty 2 Pros are more enjoyable to listen to, except in loud environments, like the subway, because they don’t isolate well and they obviously don’t have ANC.)

It was hard for me to imagine them sounding better than the liberty pro 2 but perhaps having both for different purposes wouldnbe nice. I am sure phone calls on the apple product is far better as well
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Back
Top