AirPods Pro 2: An Audiophile's Review! 

Your reviews are so snazzy! But seriously, the organizational format in your scripts is second to none. You build a great story and always find practical details that are almost always overlooked by other reviewers or individuals researching products on their own. Anyway, thanks man! Wish we could hang out and nerd out! See you next time.

I've flown on 5 flights since getting the pros 2 and the difference in ANC is insane. Also used on the London underground is significantly better at drowning out the train screeches. In fact, with music playing and your eyes closed, it's like you're not even on the tube at all!... except at peak time if someone's breathing down your neck...gotta wait for the pros 3 to cancel that out maybe

As a guy who does actual sound engineering, the 2nd gen is an order of magnitude better than the first gen, in sound quality, and I think it all mostly has to do with how they are vented. The first gen I never could get to pass the seal test. And the more I tried, the more pressure seemed to build up, pushing them right back out. This in turn made frequency response terrible for me, and anyone else that could not get a proper fit, I tried different tips, memory foams, different sizes…..nothing worked. Oddly the 2nd gen, passed the seal test right off, first try, with the factory installed medium tips. The frequency response is, as I said, an order of magnitude better. Could not disagree more, well worth the upgrade price even if you own first gen. if you have issues with the seal test, on first gen, these will not. The low frequency extension alone is worth the upgrade price. Agree that the air is not present in either. Mids are a bit less harsh on the 2nd gen for me. As far as soundstage, no earbud ever has blown me away, meh ok. And I have owned some very expensive ones. and why I have main and near field monitors, that cost me as much as the car I drive….lol for real. They are the brutal truth, most could not stand to hear. But they are accurate. And it’s pretty clear to me, they are flat out vented completely different, without a pressure buildup. Like gen 1 , They fit better, they seal better, and this makes them sound way better. I am sure some dsp went on here and further tuning with sound quality , and it shows. Different venting Something no one is talking about. Yet I have read they are indeed vented differently. Anyway it is Something to consider. Especially if the first gen would not pass the seal tests for you.

THANK YOU for addressing the "noise cancelling" vs "sound reduction" discrepancy that so many media outlets have totally missed. It is legitimately dangerous to recommend using non-NRR/SNR rated devices as hearing protection. As someone who went to a loud concert without proper protection and now suffers from mild tinnitus, I do not wish it on anyone, so seriously thank you again and if there is a way to support you financially (i.e. Patreon, Floatplane, etc.) I'm here for it :D

Two of the biggest small life improvements are: extra small tips, and being able to lower the volume of the tones used when connecting, changing noise cancelling modes, or low battery alerts which along with the longer battery life lets me sleep with them without waking up from a glaring low battery tone (the option is under under audio accessibility settings).

This is the best review on RU-vid. It has so much information that Apple nor other reviewers failed to detail. Less thumping and better battery updating? Huge QOL improvement that I didn’t know before.

I love how your videos are made. It's just... you, explaining your thoughts in a nice manner. No bias, unrelated topics, just everything you think about the product. The mention of tunnelling is crazy. I was not expecting that and it really makes me wonder what Samsung did with the Galaxy Buds2 Pro (if they did anything).

I finally took the plunge 2 months ago and purchased a set of Air Pods Pro's, once i got used to all of the settings features and controls, it went from "Phone Wallet Keys" to "Phone Wallet Keys AirPods", could not leave home without them, I'm 56, I grew up on 70s and 80s music, going back and revisiting old songs I liked in my youth, I heard sound and instruments I'd never heard before, amazing, then low and behold, Air Pods Pro 2 came out a month after i got my APP1s and after reading reviews on the APP2s, I had to devise a plan to justify spending another $250 on the APP2s, so I gave them to my boy and got myself the APP2s, very impressed with the sound quality improvements, I suggest to those old as I am, get you some APP2s and go back and listen to songs you used to listen to on you car stereo, cassette player, shoulder mounted boom box, LOL, just set back, pour a drink and listen and and smile at the new discoveries.

I like that you actually mention songs and reference the experience with the headphones. Awesome.

you're like the Patrick Bateman of headphones. the way you describe certain moments in songs is awesome 😂

Great review. After watching your review I went for a demo session and it was night and day difference from the AirPods Pro gen 1 that I’ve been using for the last year. Bass is deeper and richer right off the bat. ANC is noticeably clearer and more transparent. Really liked the added volume control function. For me, the improvement on sound quality was enough for me to buy these on the spot.

You've really hit your stride lately. I find myself actively checking for your reviews now, when before I would just watch them if the algorithm happened to show them to me. That MacBook Air M2 review in particular was just fantastic.

Much appreciation for the pressurization info around the 18:00 mark. I sometimes feel that way with the original Pros, but hearing that the new ones may improve that is fantastic news. No video I've watched since their release has mentioned anything about it. Thank you!

Thank you for mentioning how using these for concerts is basically just as dangerous. Too many youtubers don't understand how physics work and that the noise cancelling doesn't actually reduce enough to make your ears safe. COUGH COUGH MKBHD

Got my original Pros when they came out and absolutely loved them. Best all-round headphones I ever owned. The new ones shocked me at how good they sound, they are just better in every direction!

Got these last week and upgrading from AirPods gen 2s, these are honestly incredible. I went back to the old ones and they sounded like bootlegs haha. Little things like volume control is incredibly useful for me as I often use them at work so when I leave my phone in my bag, I have all the controls I need. Also for me, xs ear tips make a big difference to comfort while wearing them.

someone stole my airpods pro. now here I am watching your review to buy airpods pro 2 with usb-c. Thank god I didn't upgrade last year. Now one cable to charge them all.

The review with your unique presentation style was superb !! Looking forward to the 2nd gen Airpods Max, when it gets this H2 chip and all these improvements taken up another level !

I always wait for your reviews for audio things ! Thank you for this complete review !

Very comprehensive review! You spotlighted some of the points I think most of us are wondering about, with a good mix of interesting information (from my nerdy point of view). This review helps me with factoring my decision. Thanks!

Got the AirPods Pro 2 3 days ago. My first ever pair of AirPods along with an iPhone 13 Pro (first iPhone too; long time android user). Coming from Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, this is BIG improvement! Experiencing noise cancellation on in-ear earphones for the first time is a game changer to say the least. The way these work seamlessly with my other Apple devices is amazing. I'm just overwhelmed by the advancements I've been missing out on past few years and will slowly allow myself to delve in these Pro 2s sound and features.

Great video, I was on the fence about getting them. Your previous video sold me and you where absolutely right. I think your review of the first gen was the best at explaining what makes them great, especially to someone who is a little bit an audiophile himself.

I was honestly waiting for this review. I'm not an audiophile by any means, but it's nice to know the details about audio instruments from someone who knows a lot about audio gear. Tbh, I don't always agree with the reviews that you most because sometimes they feel a tad bit over-critical. Nonetheless, I really enjoy watching your reviews because they are always so comprehensive and well-written. There is always a tight script and cohesiveness in the way you cover products and share your insights. I love how you don't quote a lot of specs, but actually, share your experience and thoughts about a product. Please keep it up! With that said, I bought the original AirPods Pro about a year and a half back and I think there is still some life left in them, so I don't think I would be upgrading to these right away. However, it's good to know that when the time comes, I will upgrade to a superior product and I'm looking forward to it. Great job Quin! Best wishes from India!

First of all, I love watching your reviews. The amount of technical information you share is deeply satisfying and quite insightful. And second, your song suggestions to test the range and capabilities of the headphones was particularly helpful. Which lead me to think: Since you’re a self-described audiophile, it would be amazing to all the aspiring-audiophiles out there, myself included, to make a video where you share all your favorite songs to test audiophile equipment. I have a playlist I’ve created over the years on both, Tidal and AppleMusic, called HiFi Mastery. But I would love to get more songs on there and would love your insight into that particular subject.

As a fellow Hi Fi enthusiast I appreciate your attention to the quality of the sound, thank you. I bought these on release date and agree with your thoughts. One surprise for me was the improvement the personal spatial audio delivers. I use Dirac with a 2.1 Genelec system and the Spatial audio delivers an EQ that significantly improves the focus and breadth of the soundstage in a very similar way.

I’m glad that I read about bone conduction (differences in your own vocals versus what people actually hear) before getting these, as it helped assure me that the slight thumping whilst travelling to work and back is a phenomena that is natural and no headphone can remove entirely.

Brilliant review! Love that you actually gave audio examples which was somewhat obviously lacking in some of the other tech reviews.

This is the only review video I listened to all the way through and was interested the whole time. Usually I just skip through to the points and move along. Well done

Best review of APP 2 that I’ve watched yet. BTW, when calling VOIP (FT, WhatsApp, etc) the isolation mode works VERY well to reduce background noises that BT headphones tend to amplify. Works super well of APP 1 so looking forward to testing on APP2 as well. It is too bad that this feature doesn’t seem to work on regular phone calls.

Upgraded to the 2nd generation from the og’s and don’t regret it at all, there great! Not that I can tell the difference in audio quality like you can - I’m no audiophile. Your review is amazing as always so thanks a lot! I love watching them even though I already bought the headphones :) review comes later but is always different and unique - so in this sense you are like apple 😁

Characteristically insightful review, for which sincere thanks. I was waiting for v2 of the APsP and your review has decided me to order them, particularly with regard to sound quality. Two small points I would have liked to have seen included: - Whether spatial audio reproduction is improved at all. I realise the majority of reviewers are pretty negative about Spatial Audio, but I love the Spatial/Atmos mixes when available in comparison to the standard versions (Kraftwerk The Catalogue 3-D being a great example) - I'm sure I'll be using the new volume controls happily, but none of the reviews I've seen mention that the Apple Watch automatically shows music controls when listening with the APsP. I really like being able to check on my wrist the currently playing artist/track titles, progress and specifically being able to adust the volume with the crown, something that I expect will be much finer grained than on the earbuds themselves. Anyway, thanks again!

Great review and great song recommendations. Loved the real life use examples and the overall features round up. Keep up the good work 👍

Love your audiophile reviews. I have been waiting for this one. Working for one of predominate hi-fi group manufacturers, I really appreciate your insights on mass market audio products such as this. It would be rad if you could link your test tracks as well. Thanks mate!

I immediately noticed the bass improvement when I first put them on. The overall sound profile has greatly improved. A truly worthy upgrade.

This is the best review for the AirPods that I’ve seen. You answered every single one of my questions. Thank you!

Enjoyed how fun this review was, as are many of your reviews. I am not an audiophile in my estimation, but I love music, all music, all genres. You seem to share that love and maybe take it that extra step further. My point is this. I stop many of your reviews at many points to look up the songs you mention. I would love if you could just list the songs in the description at the bottom, like songs mentioned. Like I bought the whole Immigrance album before finishing your review. But before I left the review the first time I looked and was disappointed to not see a song list mentioned.

Something I noticed you kinda missed about the APP2 is that they have a specific setting (that requires some decent digging through the settings and accommodations to be fair.) But anyways, you can take an Audiograph test (I think that’s what it’s called.) It’s basically a hearing test to see how well/poor your hearing is at certain frequencies. AND you can actually use that data to change how your AirPods will sound, designed specifically to that test you just took. I noticed a much needed improvement in the sound as I had it on “balanced” before and it would get uncomfortable to use them for anything more than 30 minutes (even when they’re on less than half volume) Some sounds would sound just a little too piercing, and well. After changing to my custom test data, these are by far the best ear buds I have ever experienced. Much better and extremely comfortable. Would *HIGHLY* recommend everyone who owns these to take the few minutes of your time to go through and do it, it is definitely a game changer. I can easily wear these 24/7 now with no eventual ear pain. Very very happy with these! Edit: if you are interested in finding out how to do this, and are unable to find out how to get to the setting, lmk and I will explain how to get to it. It really is worth the time.

I used the adaptive transparency feature recently in a concert and they actually work surprisingly well.

The one review I was waiting for 😊 Thanks for some brilliant thoughts once again 👍

Boy, I love your breezy, friendly, relaxed style. I also like the pacing of the content at just the right tech level for me. I’m really glad for this channel! Thank you!

I just listened to 4:00 A.M. by Taeko Onuki this morning walking to work! But I was listening to it through my phone's loud speaker in my hoodie pocket. Like a poor. Her backups are phenomenal and I love them. Also to the compliment: Yes, I know

Can we appreciate how good this guy does his review,especially when it comes to audio!! Huge thumbs up man!!! What a fantastic review, i was sold by his review on the airpods max and now I’m tempted again to get the airpods pro 😭

Late to the party having just upgraded from basic AirPods. The transparency made is amazing, literally a game changer for me and I love it. The ANC is very impressive but a little weird at times - its winter here in the UK so the roads are wet and walking along you can distinctly hear the 'hiss' of car tyres as they go by. Very little else gets through, I live on the coast where unpredictable waves are perfectly suppressed, general noises drop away to insignificant levels and I can enjoy my music but those car tyre sounds are very noticeable.

Thank you for telling me what tunneling is called. I have experienced this with pretty much every single closed headphone and I barely noticed it’s absence with the AirPods Pro 2 until you mentioned it. Crazy awesome.

Bought these and have the pro1. I was hoping they would quiet my coworkers noisey keyboards more than the 1s did but they didn't really. I do notice the ANC being better overall but for this particular use they weren't. The new case is great, I like the little noises it makes, and the battery reporting on my phone is awesome!

Just upgraded, totally worth it. All the improvements have made this such an awesome part of my everyday routine. The transparency mode alone is worth the upgrade. My son is very happy to take on my Gen 1’s

Thanks for the review (that prompted me to finally take the step and order the Airpod Pro 2:s), but even more for the tip about Snarky Puppy. Really good stuff. Do you have any specific video series about good bands / tracks or are these tips just embeded in all your tech and review videos?

I watched a few reviews on the Pro 2's and yours is by far the best. There's so much info about the buds packed into this video that it's insane lol. Great job, and thank you !!!

They’re pretty great so far. I wish they fit a little better but the sound quality and noise cancellation are both much improved. I also like the Find My stuff being built in so I don’t have to use a big bulky case that holds an AirTag.

Great review... probably the best one I've seen thus far. Convinced me to finally upgrade my original Pros. The only comment I have is that while USB-C would be nice, I really don't care. I've never once plugged anything in my Pros' case to charge them since day 1. I've always used wireless charging. So if Apple wants to, they can just remove the charging port entirely and I'd be just as content.

Thank you for this very in depth review, especially the thumping part!

Easily most in depth review of these I've seen and much more new things explained that I never heard anywhere else. Much better than other bigger name RU-vidrs.

I’ve had my AirPods Pro first gen for about two and a half to three years, the batteries are still going strong, they’ve only recently started to die at 10-15% but the transparency mode and microphones have almost completely lost their use. I can confirm I’ve never gotten them anywhere near water or sand etc, always cleaned them and the case after using them and just taken generally good care of them. It seems like for some reason the software has just bugged or the microphones are just weird. While in noise cancelation or transparency if someone speaks, I get massive fluctuations in the sound coming out. It will go from completely deafened to way too loud up to five times a second. So disconcerting that I just have to take them out. Noise cancelation isn’t too bad and keeps most noises down but still peaks and troughs anytime a car or airplane pass by. I’m thinking of just going to the Apple Store this week to get the new ones now and hopefully the new pair don’t fail as bad as this pair.

No matter how many reviews I’ve seen on a product, I will always watch yours. The presentation of new details and a script that is truly entertaining always keeps me in anticipation for your take on a new product. Thanks for cutting through the nonsense of conventional reviews where predictably the spec sheet and product page are always read from

Pretty good review!!! I like, how you do it! Can also do new networking videos about your home and office? Would like to see, what your final version of either of these two networks looks like and which devices/configurations you like and which you don’t and why🤓 Cheers

I think I've watched about 15 other reviews and they all gave pretty much the same info. I learned so much more from your review. Thank you so much!

as an audiophile, what are your thoughts on spatial audio on apple music? to me it works well on some songs. But I end up turning it off. I saw no comment on that on this review. Also, thank you for advising people to protect their ears in loud concerts, the advice some other youtube gave got me worried. Protect your hearing, people!

I am planning to buy an AirPod but can’t make up my mind which one to get. I’m currently using Jabra n the ear tips are like AirPod pros. What I don’t like about my current Jabra is that I hear myself eating, talking, etc. it’s quite annoying. Does the AirPod pro 2 has that problem too? Updates 23/12/22: I finally bought my 1st AirPod Pro 2. All I can say is…… WOW!!!!!! 2 words to describe it, No Regrets. 👍🏻👍🏻

I was eagerly waiting for your takes on these!!

Thank you very much for this honest review! You were the only one I found who also took the sound quality into consideration.

OMG thank you for pinpointing the tunnelling issue! I thought I was crazy!!! Is this an issue for anyone else here? It drives me insane, I’m seriously considering upgrading purely for this reason alone. Thank you 🙏🙏🙏

My main gripe with the alternatives to airpods is the syncing/connecting convenience. I would love to try out other wireless buds but connecting with the airpod is so simple that I know it will just work. How are the competitions in term of ease of connection aspect?

Just found your channel. Fantastic review, my guy! 😊

Great review 👍 Updated from pro 1. Gen. and I was blown away by the sound quality and noise cancellation All the best Finn Copenhagen, Denmark

Never thought I'd ever watch such an overwhelmingly positive review from you Quinn, lol.

Sólo estaba esperando tu reseña para saber si valía la pena comprarlos. Como siempre, una de las mejores y más objetivas en todo RU-vid. No me considero un audiófilo pero me gusta el buen audio, y por el estilo de vida que llevo la conveniencia de unos audífonos así de compactos es muy superior a la de unos over-ear con mejor sonido. Saludos desde México ✌🏽

I did a day one upgrade from the Pro to Pro 2, as mine were showing their age. Very happy with all of the incremental upgrades.

This is such a good review. I’ve been watching a few reviews to see if I should upgrade and no big RU-vidr came remotely close to this level of analysis.

Here 6 seconds after upload and am so stoked to hear Quinn’s take!

Thank you for extensive review! These are just perfect, aren’t they? Working ear detection - check. Find My on the case - check. Volume control - check. Better sound - check. Better ANC - check. Better transparency mode - check. Better battery life - check. USB-C - … Ok, I guess not quite perfect yet. But I’m definitely going to upgrade my first gen pros. Improvements are huge.

Thank You for great tracks selection for the review and especially for Taeko Ohnuki!

yeah i am getting them ur review helped a lot thanx

Hey Quinn, love your videos! I wanted to share my experience with the Airpods Pro 2's Adaptive Transparency mode. I went to a concert for the first time in my life (Harry Styles in Austin TX) and it was a LOUD stadium show. I decided to test the dynamic noise reduction effects during the performance, and it was UNBELIEVABLE. It took what was otherwise a painfully loud stadium and made it downright pleasant to listen to, setting everything snugly below 85db. I was blown away by the preservation of detail while still managing to bring everything down to a listenable level. I can't imagine going to another concert without these in my pocket. I just wanted to share my experience since you seemed somewhat underwhelmed by the Adaptive Transparency mode's overall effectiveness. Thanks for a wonderful video!

Would love to see these reviewed against the QC II. Lot of people talk about ANC but I wonder how the sound compares as well.

Finally someone who brought up the thumping issue! Awesome review too!

Well, that's all really great to hear! Mine are arriving next week, but I was rather second guessing my purchase decision. I have the original pros and haven't ever fully loved them (much as I use them every single day, hah). My main issue has involved running / doing workouts with them, as always experienced that horrible thumping. Looking forward to their arrival now! Great, fully in-depth review - as always

Tunneling and ANC seemed much better in the first firmware version of original pros. You can find a bunch of threads about it. Pressure was intense though.

As someone who uses AirPods Pro’s as hearing aids, the improvement from the first gen to the new ones was worth the asking price on its own.

I listened to this whole dang video. Thanks for making it enjoyable!

Thanks man. I can tell a lot of work went into this video. I have the original AirPods Pro and seriously considering the 2's

I can’t believe many reviewers missed the thumping part on the OG AirPods Pro, that has drove me crazy. And the battery on the OG AirPods Pro… yeah it’s bad i had to it. Cheers!

16:36 is that a shot at Marques? 😄

you are very experienced and i love this review!

The best Airpods pro 2 review I've seen yet. All the info I needed 👍🏻 Thanks.

Sorry dude, that was an electric crane, not a diesel crane. Possibly it was being powered by a huge diesel generator ? Normally they are hooked to the power grid though. Nice comparison though, I have Gen 1’s, I don’t use them as much as some people really, so the battery issue isn’t so much of a thing for me and the difference in price was enough right now for me to get them, honestly I love them and don’t think I’ll upgrade anytime soon. Walmart will sell you a three year protection plan that trumps that whole 2 year battery thing you mentioned, for 23 dollars, I was all over that for that price. Edit; you make good videos, I easily watched it from start to end, that’s worth a sub for me, good comparison info. I’ll remember it.

“Enough foreplay, let’s jam these things in” 💀

Best Airpods Pro 2 review by far. And I've seen a few. Thank you so much for going into all the details that other reviewers jump over.

I have seen sooo many reviews, but you are the first to mention the thumping-thing. Good job. Earned a sub.

Thank you for validating my $250 purchase

I bought AirPods Pro 2 and then watched the reviews to make sure what I was discovering and experiencing wasn’t my imagination. They are more than noticeably better than the first Pro models. I’d add the connectivity is way snappier, and the “button” feel on the stem has a more defined feel when clicking. I’ve also noticed they remain in my ears where the previous generation would fall out at certain head angles. I don’t know what contributes to this-mild shaping difference or ear trip texture? All in all I’m quite happy with these and the surprising, unexpected sound quality.

I was waiting for your review. I'm definitely considering upgrading from my magsafe airpods just for the new features, but we'll see!

I am so excited about these new AirPods, I’ve had my pro’s for a while and they’ve been amazing! The upgrades to this new generation touches on literally EVERY little gripe I’ve had with the original pro’s. For instance, my ears are pretty small and are prone to infection/irritation, so having an extra small ear tip is something I’ve wanted for a while. A huge W, especially considering AirPods have been the only rubber tipped in-ear earbuds to fit comfortably in my ears for prolonged periods of time! This was a great review, thanks!

Finally an actual professional at work!

"You look nice today" ☺thanks

I’m getting mine this week, upgrading from 1st gen Pros. This has got me so excited, I already loved these and I can’t wait. Great review as always, very detailed and interesting.

I’m glad you brought up wind. Whenever I go cycling it makes it so hard to hear anything at all!

Great review. I agree in every point, except one. I tested the AirPods Pro 2 against the first version and the Sennheiser MTW 3 for around one week. I am very sensitive to pressure in my ears due to Active Noice Cancelling. The pressure with activated ANC is still present with the AirPods Pro 2. I can’t even say that it is less than with the AirPods Pro 1.

Thank you Quinn! I was waiting for your review to come out before buying them, because I have the first gen AirPods Pro and I didn’t know if it was worth upgrading or not. But now I will, thanks for your great work!

Thanks for mentioning tunneling, it was a big problem for me to even find information about it. Btw cleaning those little side “vents” on the tipps helped often

Great vid, one thing I had wished you covered was how the sound compared to the airpods max (and maybe even the normal airpods 3 as well)