Apple AirPods Pro Announced

Discussion in 'IEMs and Portable Gear' started by pure5152, Oct 28, 2019.

  1. pure5152

    pure5152 Friend

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    Macrumors link:
    https://www.macrumors.com/2019/10/28/apple-airpods-pro-october-30/

    Apple tech specs:
    https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/specs/


    Key points:
    • Now include silicone rubber tips for a “customized fit”, as well as software feedback if a fit is good/bad from your iOS device.
    • $249 (up from $199 in AirPods 2).
    • Active noise cancellation and transparency mode.
    • Fatter case, same battery life as AirPods 2 (5 hour regular, 4.5 hour noise cancelling).
    • New driver with “high-excursion” for bass.
    • Adaptive EQ that analyzes your ear drum shape(??) and adjusts sound accordingly.
    • Case charges through wireless qi charging, or lighting cable (usb c to lightening included).
    • New Apple-developed high-dynamic-range amplifier.
    • Available to buy now.
    I’m excited by all this new software functionality that Apple is developing. They did the same with the home pod analyzing its nearby environment and tuning sound direction accordingly. I also like the general convenience of the regular airpods (just pop it in and start listening), and appreciate that these now have sound isolation. I don’t expect these to sound amazing, but I’m open to trying them out.

    I bought one, will post impressions soon.

    Curious to hear what you guys think.

    (Also, let me know if I should move this post to the "Product Announcements" sub-forum. Thought this thread would be good for discussion/impressions, but I'm still learning.)
     
    Last edited: Oct 28, 2019
  2. Erikdayo

    Erikdayo Friend

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    Looking forward to your impressions. I have the Sony TWS with ANC, and I can’t say I love them. Definitely have my eyes on the AirPods Pro but not dying to blind buy.

    Since I got into ANC headphones I’ve shifted my usage to more over ear than IEMs on the go and at work so I wouldn’t say that sound quality is the biggest priority for me. I probably won’t use them much outside of when it’s raining or I just want a break from over ears. Good iso/ANC, comfort, decent sound, and not hideous would be nice.
     
  3. pure5152

    pure5152 Friend

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    Yeah I can understand that not wanting to "blind-buy"; I loved the first gen airpods and they're starting to buy, so this new release seemed tempting enough for meto want to try it.

    MKBHD just released an unboxing/impressions video.
    • Gives more of an idea what the software features (like the fit-testing feedback) work like
    • He seems to like the noise cancelling - not quite "airplane-level", but apparently doesn't have that "vacuum" feeling because of that air pass-through
    • Looks a bit larger than the previous case dimensions-wise, but not that big of a difference
    • Sound apparently sounds better than the previous airpods?


    I ordered a bit late, so mine are coming Nov 4 - Nov 6. When they come I'll definitely post/share impressions here.
     
  4. iFi audio

    iFi audio MOT iFi Audio

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    Interesting. Please ping us once you have something to share, thanks!
     
  5. pyu

    pyu New

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    I managed to take a listen to it at my local Apple Store.
    • Pairs seamlessly with iPhone.
    • Ear tips: Apple uses silicone rubber tips, with small, large, medium. On the iPhone, you can call up a menu that plays a short audio clip through the AirPods Pro to check if the fit/seal is good.
    • Noise cancellation: No basis for comparison since I have not listened to anything that had noise cancellation in this form factor. I brought the over-ear WH-1000XM3 and in the noisy store, the Sony was superior, but do remember, it is also an over-ear solution. I suspect the AirPods Pro will do moderately well on a plane but not as good as an over-ear solution.
    • Fit: I walked around the store and moved my head vigorously. Didn't fall out. I do think you still need to try it out first to see if it works for you.
    • From your iPhone Control Panel, you can toggle on/off the Noise Cancellation. There's a transparency mode that allows some background noise to filter in.
    • The AirPods Pro container / battery / charger comes out of the box with Qi compatibility. That is a plus considering that option is additional cost for the AirPods
    Sound quality - I will be honest, raise my hand and say I am the last person to comment. This is coming from a guy who eventually gave up a pair of Noble Kaiser 10 universals for no wires.

    FWIW, I asked if I could buy it. The staff politely asked me to join the queue - which snaked around the shop. Since I had to go back for work/meetings, I left.

    Perhaps I am wrong, but the only similar big brand model with noise cancelling is Sony's WF-1000XM3.

    Lastly, I will probably buy this because I am so deep into Apple stuff that I will probably never be able to extract myself from their eco-system unless circumstances force me to, a big fan of true wireless and don't really like headphone bands - both the WH-1000XM3 and Bose 700 exerts a force that makes the top of my head hurt - unless I have no choice (read airplane trips)
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2019
  6. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    Picking up my pair at our local Apple store later today. Luckily it's only about a 10 minute walk from my house. Will post some impressions later.
     
  7. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    What do you not like about the Sony TWS ( I assume you mean 1000XM3)? I'm considering them now.
     
  8. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    Not him but for me, I ended up returning the sonys because of an annoying software glitch I experienced whenever I switched pairings from iphone to macbook pro. The maximum volume I could get out of the macbook pro would be "fixed" by the volume last used by the iphone. So I would need to turn the iphone volume all the way up (while music is playing) then switch pairing to get good range of volume on the macbook pro. It's a bummer because I thought it sounded quite good for a TWS.
     
  9. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    Picked them up earlier and have been listening a bit, and also already used them for some calls. Very early impressions:

    - Importantly (especially for anyone wanting to use these as an 'all-in-one) the phone functionality appears to work well. Asked the people I was calling how they sounded and they said it was good. I rely on my Airpods to do most of my business calls, so they must work well here. Check

    - Fit is good. I apparently take the M size, which is what comes mounted on them from the box, although the S and L silicone tips are also included. They’re lighter than I would have thought, which makes them secure when you move your head around – they don’t slip and slide. Will have to see how that changes when I use them working out.

    - Pairing was a snap, just like the Airpods always have been.

    - The case is about 20% larger in volume than the prior case – it’s ~36% wider, but ~17% shorter, and only ~5% thicker. Still easily pocketable.

    - Q wireless charging is a nice feature. I have a charging pad built into my desk and I can just lay the case on it.

    - System settings are pretty cool. When you pull down the screen from the upper right corner and get the quick-access adjustment screen you just hold down on the volume slider bar and it takes you to the adjustment screen where you can toggle between modes: noise cancellation – off – transparency.

    - Noise cancellation seems okay, but I’ll need more real-world experimentation – same with the transparent feature.

    - Sound is pretty decent, not great, but decent – but hey, we hold a very high bar here at SBAF. They’re much better than the prior Airpods, and the sealed design definitely helps here. These sound like a good midfi type of IEM to me, with some over-present but decently tuned bass, fair mids, although somewhat veiled, and highs that are present but not harsh, although without much sparkle. Sound stage isn't the widest but its not bad either. IMHO if I had paid ~$200-300 for an IEM and it sounded like this I wouldn’t be overly surprised. However, the rest of the features make it much more useful.

    That’s it for now – happy with my investment at this point and see it as a definite upgrade from the prior v2 versions. Also my Solaris/1Z portable setup can rest easy - they're still daddy's favorite. ;)
     
  10. M3NTAL

    M3NTAL Friend

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    I'm not sure if you tried this trick, but it worked for me. In the Sony Headphones app, go to the settings and set the volume all the way to max. I had low volume when using my Shanling M0, but this solved it. I've gone back and forth between iPhone and M0 now and it doesn't seem to be stuck at the last iPhone volume anymore.
     
  11. netforce

    netforce MOT: Headphones.com

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    Snagged the Sony WF yesterday, had the Sennheiser MTW for quite a few months now. Still trying the WF out but I might head out to an Apple store to try them out side by side. And could also throw in the Senns for another side by side.

    Got an android phone so that will also be neat.
     
  12. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    These came in a day early so here are some first impressions:

    Good:
    - aesthetics is basically the same but with a shorter stem. looks a lot better than the stock photos.
    - active noise cancelling actually works. Super easy to connect, as expected of apple products. Even before I pair them with my phone, as soon as you put them in your ear, the ANC activates. It's super windy right now near my area and with these on, it sounds like a gentle breeze far away in the background... good job apple! I'll do more test later in different environments, but so far so good. You can switch between ANC, Transparency, and OFF mode pretty easily by holding the stems. Transparency mode doesn't sound fk'd. It sounds very different when you switch between modes.
    - switching between songs is easy by clicking 2 or 3 times on the stem. The stem clicks are force sensitive like the home button on the newer iphones. I like the change than the old touch control which didn't work as well for me.
    - isolation and comfort also improved drastically. the fit test was pretty accurate and smooth.
    - sound definitely more tolerable than the other two gen airpods. I'm not that good with picking out specific frequencies, but upper mids are definitely less pronounced than the older models. More in line with 6x0 series i think. it's still a bit bumped but I can tolerate this. Older gen airpods would make my ears ring after light usage. Bass is slightly rolled in the lowest octaves, but decent tightness and overall very balanced sound. Treble has decent amount of sparkle without noticeable peaks. (WTF!!) Not mind blowing sound quality and resolution but I don't think anyone expected that. I think even audiophiles can enjoy this sound.

    Nitpicks:
    - i think the software is a bit buggy at least right now. having some issues switching from ANC to transparency mode. It was working fine at first but now I can't get it to switch.
    - another issue i had was when I was switching back and forth between devices, after I connected back into my iphone, I could only hear sound on the right ear. I had to unpair and pair to fix this. Now it seems to be stable, but I hope these minor glitches get fixed soon by apple.

    Conclusion:
    - this is basically everything I wanted from the airpods. Better isolation and have the option to hear surroundings without weird hearing weird artifacts. Sounds decent with ANC that's not a gimmick. I'll be using these as my EDC for studying and working out. Other than some minor hiccups, I'm pretty happy with these. I think they're actually worth the slight price increase and sits comfortably along side its competitors. Throw your old airpods away and get these. Apple actually created a competitive product. I hope this trend continues for the rest of the Apple lineup because I'm quite impressed with this.
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2019
  13. Chittagong

    Chittagong New

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    Got my pair today. I have to admire Apple’s supply chain - these things were announced on Monday evening, and by Wednesday mid-day I have mine, with a personal laser engraving of my choice, delivered. That’s just nuts.

    I haven’t liked to listen to music via the OG AirPods or the standard Apple earbuds, but at first listen these seem like a whole another thing.

    General impressions:

    - Unlike previous Apple in-ear headphones, these doesn’t give that unease sense of pressure in your ear, so I actually don’t mind them at all
    - The fit is ok, bit tighter than AirPods but not a magical fit to my ear shape. I think they will stay in ok.
    - Noise cancellation is pretty magical. I’d say it’s around par with Bose QuietComforts

    Then music impressions. I have my trusted go-to-songs I listen with all my headphones:

    BASS - Royksopp - Skulls: This is my track to listen to thumping base, from 0:40 onwards. The AirPods Pro have a surprisingly potent slam. It’s about as subtle as a slap in the face, Beats style.

    SOUNDSTAGE - Coldplay - Magic (Live at the Enmore Theatre, Sydney) - surprisingly wide soundstage. Definitely above Oppo PM-3s, but below Fostex TH-600s. The thing that tells me most is the position of the “What’s happening!!” girl at 0:12. Also details from the live gig microphone imperfections are always an interesting thing to listen to, they are pretty harsh here.

    DETAIL - Paco de Lucia - Entre Dos Aguas. I listen to this track for the subtlety of the taps and guitar strings, which gives me a feel of the level of detail. Not subtle or detailed at all, which is just about what I’d expect from earpods.

    TREBLE - Jean Sibelius - Finlandia, Op.26. Some tough, congested, high pitch orchestral sections, as well as deep bass. Treble is pretty fatiguing, I wouldn’t endure it for fun on AirPods Pro.

    Overall

    - These are the first Apple headphones I can actually imagine listening music from
    - The sound has that initial Beats style easy wow, with super charged bass and mids, but can get fatiguing
    - Noise cancellation works surprisingly well
    - Soundstage is impressive for earpods, in my opinion

    I will have to do an airplane test to see how these do against my travel Oppo PM-3 / HA-2SE combo. They are more exciting, even if less detailed - but might get tiring quick.

    Overall, my impressions might sound a bit harsh and critical for consumer grade wireless earbuds - but the truth is that these are fun enough for me to want to try different songs to hear what they sound like, and I am actually judging them on criteria which I would use normally for a headphone / amp / dac combo, which is unusual.

    EDIT - ‘Bubbles’ by Yosi Harikawa sounds pretty impressive on AirPods Pro. Certainly a soundstage thing.
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2019
  14. AdvanTech

    AdvanTech Friend

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    Yeah, they don't seem that resolving and sound like they've been tuned a bit thick. I think I’m just thrown off by the lack of top end air I’m used to with my 2-channel setup.
     
    Last edited: Oct 30, 2019
  15. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    That's weird, the bass sounds quite balanced in my ears. I've heard the OG Beats by Dre and shitty wireless iems that have muddy x-treme midbass boost and the airpod pros are nothing like that. I can't believe I'm defending an apple product, but I think they're quite controlled (for the price) and right amount of quantity. Sure it lacks nuance and clarity, but I think to say they have "super charged bass and mids" are a bit of an exaggeration. I've had these on since this morning with no hint of fatigue. Have you tried doing the fit test for the different size tips? maybe the wrong sized tips are what's causing the "super charged-ness."
     
  16. Chittagong

    Chittagong New

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    Put that down to my lack of experience with IEMs or earbuds. Never enjoyed them, so I have only ever really used open and closed over the ears, which is where I guess my reference comes from.

    Truth to be told, me and my wife have the AirPods Pro on for the third straight hour now, so these things are pretty damn fun and can’t be too unbearable to listen for hours.
     
  17. tommytakis

    tommytakis MOT: E.T.A Headphones

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    No worries! If anything, it could be my ears that are severely fked. Just wanted to know why we were hearing such differences. Regardless, I'm glad you and your wife are enjoying them because I'm quite happy with them as well. Guess we'll just have to wait for the measurements and more people's ears on it.
     
  18. pure5152

    pure5152 Friend

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    I feel there's a lot of variables here, not least individual sound preferences etc.

    My pair came in early, and I do feel that there is a bit of a midbass boost, but it's tasteful to me and not pronounced/extreme at all - the overall sound is pretty balanced to my ears as well. I think chittagong may have been a little loose with that one phrasing; if you look at the rest of his review, he never mentions that the bass is overpowering, only with potent "slam" and "deep" bass (although the comparison to beats I don't necessarily agree with; these sound much cleaner/balanced in the bass/overall than beats in my opinion).

    FWIW I don't find these as fatiguing as other noise canceling options I've heard, but they still do sound fatiguing to me when using the noise cancelling for extended periods (think a few hours). But I feel I'm sensitive to noise cancellation.

    I think another consideration is whether these impressions were done with the noise cancelling on or off. From my experience, it seems that with noise cancelling off the bass does seem a bit powerful, and turning noise canceling on tames the bass a bit and fills in the mids more, creating a more balanced sound. I don't know why this is, but my theory is the whole "adaptive EQ" thing only activates when noise canceling is on. Has anyone else experienced this as well?
     
  19. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

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    Say what now?
     
  20. mscott58

    mscott58 Friend

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    I'm guessing they left out some key words, such as "Apple", so it might say "These are the first APPLE headphones I can actually imagine listening (to) much from". However, I'm happy to be told that wasn't the intent. Cheers
     

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