Airpods Pro 2 vs Hardcore Audiophiles 

I loved this format.. let’s get more convos / content like this!

Love the round table format, please keep doing them!

This was awesome. I really like the roundtable format.

I definitely would like to see more of this setup about other products, this is really great.

Roundtable format is great! Keep doing this.

You guys should definitely do more round tables. Comparisons between different products or parings would be great topics. I’d love to hear your discussions and experiences.

Deff into the roundtable! Would like to see more like this for sure.

Loving this roundtable format. This was very informative.

Would like to see Precog reviewing some of the latest iems coming out. I love his reviews and how in depth he goes into all the nuances and details of the product's sound.

Also remember to turn on personalized audio, it really does boost the sound stage ever so slightly.

I like the round table! It's also something that your channel can uniquely take advantage of more often, due to the 4 of you being there. Most other channels would need to collaborate with other channels, while you can do it in house.

More round table please! This format is very good! Thanks

This session was so very helpful to me. Thank you.

“Cheap things are getting good, good things are getting cheap and wireless is now a viable option for people who care about sound quality” Summarized it perfectly, what a time to be an audio quality enthusiast!

Thank goodness for an intelligent conversation regarding headphones. You guys are the only channel worth listening to. I am fed up with just hearing about functions and nothing about sound quality. Subbed immediately

The Bathys and AirPods 2 have me feeling like a Bluetooth king these days. Crazy to get acceptable listening experiences out of Bluetooth devices.

Thanks guys, that was awesome!! I would appreciate more of these.

Love the round table! I agree with DMS. I own the Sony XM4 (my favorite sound-wise but lose sound quality above 60% volume), Air Pods Pro, and Bud Pro 2. All provide a satisfying experience but at the end of the day I'm using Buds Pro 2 most b/c they provide me the best volume and sound whether I'm at 30%, 70% or 100%. I'm not in the habit of blasting my music/movies but I run into so many tracks/movies that just need that extra boot of volume that no other model offers. I plan to get the Airpods Pro 2 for my husband for Christmas so I'll be looking forward to comparing the upgrade to the original.

Man do you guys have this in podcast form? You guys all bring a chill factor that I really dig (same approach as my channel). Just bought some AirPod Pro 2’s and I’ve been blown away - but always great to hear the super audiophiles perspectives.

Transparency mode is probably my favorite thing about the new airpods. I have had a few things where it isn’t fast enough so I hear the attenuation but where it really shines is using them in place of earplugs at a loud concert. I kept pulling them out to compare and the sound was basically the same with or without the airpods in, just the peaks were compressed. Definitely more usable than my custom earplugs with probably about the same level of protection.

Yes! More Roundtable! ❤️

love the content guys. keep it up...

This was a great video! I love watching all you guys individually but getting all of your thoughts together is a great thing! Please do a roundtable on dac’s, amp’s, and dac/amp’s. I am new to this hobby and started by getting a Topping dx3 pro+ and a pair of hd6xx’s. I have since bought Focal Elegia’s and (don’t tell my wife) a pair of Sundara’s just arrived today! I want to keep my Topping at my desk but want to get something for listening in the living room in my comfy chair. I don’t know if I should just get another dx3 pro+ because it was just $160 at Drop or try something different. I feed the Topping over toslink from a wiim mini.

I got the new air pods pro gen 2 yesterday! Love em! Its a worthy upgrade over the first gen and the convenience of apple’s bluetooth experience is perfect

Please do more videos of this style. I'd love to hear a similar discussion about Hifiman's HE400SE's place and impact on the market. But any standout product that should be a "standard" for performance and price would be an interesting video. I really liked listening to the discussion and different takes from this group.

I’ve had them for a few weeks. Prior I had Jabra 65t. They were decent but no ANC and call quality was not great. I don’t think I’m an audiophile per se but I like nice things (Buchardt A500, LCD-X, Hedd 05 Mk2). I guess I’m pretty much a neutral type listener, maybe a tiny bass boost now and then. I think these are the best Apple product in ages. They are extremely well designed. ANC is subtle and very effective. Atmos is startling. Sound quality is neutral and very true to life. While in the recording studio recently, listening to demo recordings of a rehearsal I constantly had to check if it’s the recording or someone in my vicinity. They are extremely realistic. At the airport the other day I clicked on a Zeos live stream and when he came on line and spoke I thought it was someone behind me speaking to me. I have those kind of experiences all the time. To me that is really saying something. I get that with the LCD-Xs occasionally, thinking someone in the room is speaking to me. What more could you want in a product that can be had for $199? No, it is not a luxurious sound. But it’s quite engaging and ultimately very satisfying in the moment. That’s what I feel over and over again in the last few weeks, satisfied. It’s been quite a while since an Apple product didn’t leave me wanting more for all the money I paid for it. I’m afraid the term audiophile is often causing people more trouble than it’s worth. Is it an audiophile product? I think no because audiophile products tend to be defined by one thing in particular, paying more for something in hopes of diminishing gains. But other factors such as convenience and usability are highly important. I’ve listened to so much more music since I bought these, gotten so much more utility out of them. That’s a good product and an excellent value.

Another thing people don't talk much about is head tracking in normal stereo (i.e. you don't need Apple Music for that), especially on the go. Even much better iems can lack on soundstage front when external noises are present and at lower volumes (i.e. outside), and I feel that AirPods do a great job at creating illusion of a much better stage due to random micro motions of the head when one moves. Of course it falls apart when one listens critically, but when I'm just walking minding my business it just works, and that's great!

love this format

Nice vídeo man! You guys should review the Sony's WF-1000xm4's.

I just got the second Gen and am impressed. I am an iOS user and have all other iterations of AirPods. I always liked the first Gen Pros for the overall, but they are hugely flawed in that I have had them replaced two times under warranty, and my most recent set are also failing now. I just hope this second Gen are reliable.

The best all rounders for me. Sound is just one factor (very important admittedly) but to strike a balance between good sound and all the other stuff convenience, comfort, noise cancelling etc

When the ANC is turned on, comparing it to when it is off, the sound changes. In my opinion it gets worse. The highs become phasey, the sound stage becomes narrower and there is a boost in the mid lows in a bad way. I am not an audiophile but I am a mixing engineer. And my left ear cartilage, the little bump we have on the inside top part of the ear, hurts after a while. I am going to try the Comply tips. Hopefully this will help on the comfort side.

Great discussion!

Hey this roundtable format is great! :) I had the APP2 for a while but ended up selling them. Totally agree with the end comments from DMS that there's so many good options on the market now. After trying the APP2, Sennheiser Momentum 3 True Wireless and Final ZE3000, I've ended up keeping the latter. No ANC, and there's less immediate 'wow' factor compared to the Apple's, but just overall a lovely sound that never gets shouty or harsh and has a natural, believable sense of space, whereas I was left feeling the APP2 sounded - though impressive - a bit artificial in it's enhancements.

I'd really love for you guys to try out and test the B&O Beoplay EX. Not that it's great bang for buck, but I'm just curious how much you can get out of a TWS if money's no object. Thanks!

Great discussion. I try to use a different standard for my commute to work in my small noisy car. Trying to do critical listening when I am driving is not enjoyable for me. On my commute, I want plenty of PRaT-which is a strong point of my $89.00 LZ5s. There is alot of heavy competition form several other $100 true wireless buds as well. None have the features of the Apple. The hearing aid functionality of the apple is impressive.

love it how u guys compare it to Hardcore Audiophiles

Great video!

I can certainly attest to the popping sound on takeoff. happens to my old Bose and newer Beats.

One thing that is never mentioned is apples accommodation settings which make it possible to tweak the sound profile. This feature is important for me because my hearing has degraded for me as I have gotten older. And, frankly, just using the transparency setting by itself gives me better results than my very expensive hearing aids

I really enjoyed this format. I would make a video about unpopular but good IEM's. My 2 cents

Speaking to the Atmos experience - Kraftwerk's The Catalogue 3-D sounds MUCH better with the AirPods Pro 2 than my Chord Mojo 2 + Dan Clark ÆON Noire 2. Weird. I'd also suggest you consider good Atmos mixes when reviewing headphones. Thanks!

Hi. Great video. I prefere the Devialet Gemini over the Apple Airpods Pro2. 😌

I love the format. I feel the sound quality of my XM4’s and Sennheiser TW3’s are superior, especially the TW3’s, however the AirPod’s provide the best all around package. I find myself using my Airpod Pro 2’s the majority of the time.

I've owned and used the AirPods Pro 2 for a couple months, upgrading from a first gen set of AirPods, and I totally agree with all of your assessments. The sound quality is exceptional. But there is one thing that I would add that most reviewers don't talk about enough if at all: watching movies with Spatial Audio, specifically with an Apple TV, is an amazing audio experience, and quite possibly a game changer. With Head Tracking on, which keeps the sound centered on your screen, the soundstage and imaging is so nuanced and realistic that I kept taking an Airpod out of my ear just to make sure I hadn't left my surround sound system on. I tested the effect watching a movie and replaying a part where a voice was apparently coming from over my right shoulder. As I turned my head to the left the voice moved directly behind me. The effect is stunning! Until competitors inevitably start copying what Apple is doing with Spatial Audio, the AirPods Pro 2 are the best thing going. It's like having a 5.1 audio system in your pocket! Thanks for the review!

How good are the amps in these things? Do they come close to the A90?

Great vid and discussion. However, the Sennheiser Momentum 3 TW to my ears (and to the ears of many others including audiophiles in your group) have a more expansive and warmer sound. Additionally, they bring more of the music in width, depth and imaging. Where the AirPods pro has them beat is in the ANC - by a hair, and in spatial audio - especially with Apple Music. If you want spatial audio, your choices are limited because Apple has locked that down. Also, it has more to do with the source and the ecosystem than the buds. For someone interested in stereo sound quality, the Sennheiser will be the best for many who are NOt apple users. Even for some Apple users. 'Better' is subjective, so a difficult question to answer, but I am unhappy that no other buds were mentioned besides the Samsung Buds Pro 2. The Bang and Olufsen EQ and several others do a significant job and could have deserved a mention. Those other manufacturers have earned it. Not mentioning them impacts the message you are delivering to your audience. (No messaging is perfect, but you ARE experts and do affect your audience's opinions - too spicy? Maybe so, haha). Not a real complaint, really, but something I noticed and was irked by.

After 11 years with android, the iPhone 14 Pro finally got me to try iOS. I stayed only for the AP Pro 2, Apple Watch 7 and AirTags. I would quickly go back to android if the phone was my only factor. But especially the AP Pro 2 have me hooked

I bought these for reference mixing since most people are streaming to their phones on a wireless earbud, but I'm finding myself enjoying them more and more just for pleasure. I think they sound so much better than my Shure SE425 IEMs. But I know those aren't all that great as a budget IEM.

Awesome session was looking for somehting like that for a long time, Hope they can do this for their favourite IEMs in a group discussion. It's going to hit 100K views I bet.

These with appletv are absolutely amazing

The Pro 2’s sound even more fantastic with a 3dB bass cut as well. Testing out the Azla Max tips with them right now too.

One thing to remember is that Airpods pro 2, like any other Apple product, is a complete experience, great sound quality, great anc, superior comfort, looks great in a professional environment, and on and on…you wont find that in other buds or headphones (I am a passionate headphone enthusiast and collector too!)

How would you compare these Airpods Pro 2 sound quality to the Sony XM4 earbuds.

On NC, AirPods 2's biggest weakness is treble sounds. Anything light and high-pitched - like a chips bag, percussions or cutlery.

Do these really sound better than something like a AKG n400 which maps way better or even a cheap 70 buck tune 230 at least according to Harman

I am basically in the Apple ecosystem but one area where I never succumbed to Apple was audio. I wanted the best sound quality so ended up with the Sony XM4s because all the reviews said they were the best. Plus my only experience of Apple headphones was of the wired ones that used to come with phones and they sounded terrible and always fell out. Well, recently, primarily for making calls in noisy environments, I bought the AirPods Pro 2 and I was completely shocked. To my ears, they sound quite a bit better than the XM4s! Plus I got the better call quality, plus the compatibility with all my other Apple stuff, plus spatial audio. What an unexpectedly excellent purchase!

Can you recheck sound quality with the current firmware update 5E133 from the last week? I think it's quite disttinct improvement.

How are they with wind noise? I had the Bose qc35 iis and they had a “low anc” setting that eliminated wind noise. They broke and bose replaced them on warranty with the qc45s which only have full anc on or “aware mode”, both of which have a lot of wind noise

Pls can you compare this airpods pro 2 vs shure se846 when it comes to sounds quality and sound signature Thank you in advance

can you differentiate audio quality detailing byw android and ios?? should you switch to android for the best sound experience??

What function do the Moondrops have when connected to an iphone? And also how is their microphone?

Can you easily use foam tips with the Airpods Pro 2 ? (I normally can't use in ear headphones without changing to foam tips - ear canal size; they just fall out). I would like to have some decent in ear for using outside the house and while lifting weights/exercising. The staying in the ear (foam tip) while using is a deal breaker.

How would these compare to my ultimate ears triple fi10. I realize it’s wired vs. Bluetooth but I’m more interested in audio quality

Can you suggest how to get better quality from airport pro mic when using with windows laptop? I am using it for my ms teams meeting and the mic performance seems really poor for the Person on the other end.

i may be out of topic, but im hoping you could try oppo enco x2. i wanna hear your thoughts as a hardcore audiophile

Bose QC Earbuds 2 are apparently tuned very well too. I'd love to hear your thoughts on them.

I am still trying to get used to the sound of the Airpods Pro 2 because it sounds kinda weird and there is no equalization (I also own a few Sony earbuds which has an adjustable equalizer in its software). I don't like the sound of these Airpods but because I have an iPhone, I think I will keep them.

for convenience I'm fine with regular IEMs on a bluetooth dac amp clipped to my shirt. If I need to quickly switch to another device like a call for work I can just plug the iem straight in. I have easy to use playback and volume buttons on the dac amp. If I need to be able to hear something I can take one out really easily instead of trying to get my squeezes to register on airpods. ANC I find unsettling but I'm definitely in the minority there lol

Also a lot of ppl know what they sound like so it is a reference sound for a lot of newbies so that they can understand how other headphones compare to them.

If you haven't already...Maybe talk about the oldest/longest lasting headphones in your collections?

I gave the grade 6.5 maybe a 7. For me it is a high grade given. They are high quality and very comfortable! But for the audition I prefer dac and cable.

i chose the galaxy buds 2 cause i liked the color and im an android user so my laptop, phone, steam deck all use usb c

Is there an Android equivalent (ish) in terms of sound? Nice video!! 6:41

so if they sound like a wired IEM around 150, does that mean they sound as good as or close to Moondrop Kato?

Any good atmos tracks to check out?

that was a nice vid

I think IEM makers should be worried. At first I tried shure TW2 and kept using my $1000+ IEM. Then Sony’s xm4 IEM had me using it for the overall package alongside TW2. Now the AirPods Pro 2, I have ditched my shure tw2 and IEM completely. I just use AirPods Pro 2, and when it runs out of battery I will use the Sony.

Yea it’s really hard to compare the convenience to anything else. I have IEM’s ranging to $2k, 4 that clearly sound better than the Airpods Pros, but the IEM’s that get most air time is the Pro 2’s because they’re so convenient.

What a fun video. This makes me wanna go out and get the AirPod Pro 2 sooner than I was planning. but I have the original AirPod pros and they still sound really good to me. The noise canceling is not as good. I also have the Shure Se535, and those sound the best, but they are harder to put on and the comfort is not quite as good. I really love the roundtable discussion. But I still like having the one person review also. Both are good.

I don’t understand if I want to criticaly listen, I put some wired great IEM ( if talking IEMs) like from $300 up, and if Iam doing something at home or go out for any reason, I take airpods . Why to mix these two experiences❓ being music enthusiast🤘❤️

As with cameras, the best earbuds are the ones you always have with you. The AirPods Pro Gen2 are a near perfect balance of sound quality, portability, reliability and comfort. No other wireless earbuds come close. Also, if you’re using AirPods with an iPhone, then the pairing and connection is rock solid and never breaks, even if you’re in a really busy space with lots of people using wireless devices. This aspect (wireless connection strength/reliability) is not often discussed, but should be, as reliability is absolutely critical to the user experience. The AirPods lead the way in this regard, when twinned with a iPhone.

I own, Sony wh1000xm4, wf 1000x4, sennheiser pxc 550-II, airpods pro 1 and just bought the Huawei freebuds pro 2. To be honest the freebuds pro 2 sound Best as per frequency response and quality. Could you please review them. Thank You.

Guys, when these guys describe the sound quality of AirPod Pro2, is it based on the EQ left off or with a preset selects like Hip hop??? Cheers

Some reviewer mentioned that the APP2's in transparency mode have excellent directionality so that you can very clearly hear where the sound is coming from. I found that really cool. I then tried it with my $50 EarFuns and it was like he described. Excellent directionality. I just hadn't paid attention to it before someone mentioned it.

Hi guys. I just made the mistake of buying the Samsung Buds 2 pro because I was sold when I heard it fully supported 24bit audio for my flacs/lossless tracks. After thorough testing it does support 24bit but it's 24/48 at the max at a lower bandwidth (300 I believe) using samsu g's scalable codec. The Sony WF-10000XM4 offers true 990Kbps bandwidth that you can lock at that rate using Android developer options. Then you can manually set it to 32bit 96Khz over LDAC. This is superior in all ways and their earbud sounds much better than Samsung's. I also have the new airpods pro and they sound great on an iPhone even over aac

what about the top 5 best airpods pro gen 2 competitors?

my jaybird tarah pro's were amazing. I enjoyed the sound quality, I loved the metallic clip, and I had constant 8+ hours of usage on one charge. However, they finally died after being stuck between two doors on the subway. If Jaybird still made them, I would've bought another pair. The Airpod Pro 2's are much better in certain aspects but I would not buy them again. I enjoy using them and it fits in with the ecosystem, but they feel flimsy and less durable than my $100 tarah pros.

Quick question. I recently just brought a pair of the AirPods Pro Gen 2 and I was wondering if I put bass boost on in the EQ on Spotify would that ruin any sound quality associated with putting on the bass boost toggle?

The Sennheiser IE300 were on sale for $150 ($300 regular price often on sale for $200) for Black Friday. Would you recommend those over the Airpods Pro 2? Is it close (or not even close sound wise)? If you already had the Airpods Pro 2, would you gain a lot in terms of sound quality if you'd buy the IE300?

What was the reference to the beyerdynamic dt990 about?

lmao the DT990 insult was pure gold

I agree with everything here except that the APP2 block out keyboard sounds?! I hear the entire keyboard minus a bit of high frequency.

I think that these Pros have the potential for stopping people from entering the audiophile market. Case in point, after I got these I stopped looking into any new headphones. Before, it was daily.

I have AirPods Pro one and two. I think the second AirPod pros are better for the noise canceling, absolutely fabulous. But I think the sound quality of the original AirPod pros is more neutral and clear, the bass in AirPod Pro 2 is a little thick and warm.

DMS, just fyi, Samsung Phones, at least the flagship ones also come with Dolby Atmos integration and it works great with Apple music and such, do give it a shot with Samsung buds pro.

I love the B&O sound but ANC is important to me (battery life and comfort too, not sure which is better) Can someone help me with this debate?

How do you all feel about Airpod Pro 2's and an Apple TV 4K for $400 together versus spending $1000 on a home theater setup. And that's an AV receiver, some decent bookshelf speakers, decent speaker cable, a small sub, and a subwoofer cable. Is it worth bothering with an inexpensive home theater setup when the Airpod Pro 2's can probably provide what, 80-85% of that sound quality? Or maybe the sound quality is potentially better with the Airpod Pro 2's? I'm on that fence right now, if it's worth ordering the speakers and sub and spending about $700-$750 or just spending the $400 for the AP2's and Apple TV4K.

I play a League of Legends with airpods pro 2 on MacBook and boy there is no delay at all. I was actually surprised because before (1st gen) it was really weird experience.

Resolve, how's the technical performance, the imaging soundstage transient performance dynamics and in particular the trailing ends of tones?