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Apple AirPods Pro, The Ultimate Guide to Noise Cancellation and High-Fidelity Sound

by Samuel Kalenga on Oct 02, 2024

Apple AirPods Pro, The Ultimate Guide to Noise Cancellation and High-Fidelity Sound
Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds stand the test of quality and innovation that bring music audio to another level. With their unbearable lightness, they aren’t just about listening to songs, playing games, editing movies or writing ballet letters – they are all about the world of sound that surrounds and silences you to the outer world. We’ve created this guide to review Apple AirPods Pro highlighting their features and benefits and comparing them against their rivals to help you decide if they are for you.

Beyond the Basics: Exploring the Apple AirPods Pro

The premium Apple AirPods Pro have more to offer than the regular wired ones: they’re aimed at a more discerning audience, those who care about how things actually sound and who want active noise cancellation. Here’s what makes the AirPods Pro special:

1. Active Noise Cancellation: A Symphony of Silence

AirPods Pro uses advanced Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) to continually adapt to the ambient sound around you, dynamically tuning noise-cancelling to the needs of every listening scenario. And Transparency mode lets you instantly hear what’s happening all around you.

2. Transparency Mode: Hear the World, Without Taking Them Off

What if it were possible to keep a check on what’s going on around you, without having to lower your music? Transparency Mode allows you to do just that. Essentially it allows external or ambient noise through to your ears, while the music still plays in the background. You can use Transparency Mode in case you want to take a call on your phone without having to switch off your music, or if you simply want to keep track of what’s going on when you cross a busy street, or want to have a quick chat with someone without having to take off your headphones.

3. High-Fidelity Audio: Experience Sound in a New Dimension

AirPods Pro are a complete materialisation of Apple’s customer-centric approach: smart detection built into the in-ear buds registers when you place them in your ears, while a beamforming microphone array automatically adjusts to your voice and ambient sound levels, creating an auditory world with rich, deep bass, crisp highs and balanced mids. But it takes more than just great sounds to win over Apple’s in-house audiophiles. It has to deliver an experience that feels obsessively fine-tuned to your natural movements and the shapes of your body. It has to possess the kind of detail, immersion and sheer impact that lets you hear the forest of subtle textures you might otherwise have missed in your favourite tunes and stories. AirPods Pro does all that.

4. Adaptive EQ: Tailored Sound, Just for You

The AirPods Pro use Adaptive EQ, which adjusts the sound across the audible frequency range by monitoring the fit of the ear tips on whoever’s wearing them. Music will always sound great when you listen to it, no matter what your particular anatomy happens to be.

5. Spatial Audio with Dynamic Head Tracking: A Multi-Dimensional Soundscape

When you put an AirPod in your ear, you’re used to getting sound as a stream of air waves rushing into your ear channel. But AirPods Pro’s Spatial Audio delivers a new dimension: rather than sound coming from a fixed point, it comes from all around you. Using directional audio cues, Spatial Audio creates a three-dimensional soundstage which makes it sound like you’re in the middle of the action – whether it’s live music, a movie or a video game. Spatial Audio is especially impressive when paired with Dynamic Head Tracking, which uses Bluetooth and sensors on the skull of your head to track your head motions and instantly adjust the sound to reflect what you’re currently looking at. So if you move your head, the sound coordinates with your body movements and stays perfectly fixed to your perspective from wherever you turn.

6. Customizable Fit: Find Your Perfect Fit

Lastly, one of the main reasons Apple has six different sets of silicone earbuds is because the different sizes don’t just fit better in your ears, they also fit your ears differently. Apple knows that what feels good in one ear might feel unpleasant in the other, and that even inside the same ear, size and shape matter. Thus, trying different buds is crucial to getting a comfortable fit that puts the mesh in between your ear and your canal, maximising noise cancellation and audio quality. Getting the perfect fit might also eliminate ear fatigue, so you can listen to your music for longer.

7. Force Sensor Controls: Intuitive Control at Your Fingertips

The AirPods Pro have force sensors built into the stems to manage music, answer calls, and access Siri hands-free: a gentle squeeze of the stem lets you play or pause your music, skip tracks, adjust the volume and more.

8. Seamless Integration with Apple Devices: Effortless Connectivity

AirPods Pro turn on and connect automatically with your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Apple Watch, Mac and other Apple devices Up to ⁨15⁩ minutes of screen time per charge (5.5 hours at full charge) across active pods Adjustable noise cancellation with transparency mode Siri voice control Easy setup for all Apple devices That’s what great seamless integration looks like. Apple wants to make these earbuds part of you.

9. Long Battery Life: Power Through Your Day

The AirPods Pro deliver 5 hours of listening time (with ANC on) and up to 24 hours with the charging case on standby, which is helpful when you want to listen to all your favourite songs. You can get 1 hour of listening time with 5 minutes of charging by using the quick charging feature.

Beyond the Basics: Considerations Before Buying

Be sure to keep the following checklist in mind, before splurging on a pair of Apple AirPods Pro:

1. Budget: Matching the Price Tag to Your Needs

Going back to your question, ultimately the AirPods Pro are a premium device, so naturally they’re a little more expensive. However, you have things that you’re getting for that extra expense that you might not be getting for cheaper models. So, look at your budget, what do you have, and is it worth the features and benefits that you’re getting for it? If you’re on a very tight budget, you might want look at the AirPods (third generation) or the Beats Fit Pro.

2. Listening Habits: Finding the Right Fit for Your Audio Consumption

If you’re a heavy music listener who wants everything – or at least very good noise cancellation and top notch sound quality – then look no further than the AirPods Pro. The same can’t be said if you are merely a casual listener, in which case there are arguably better alternatives.

3. Compatibility: Ensure Seamless Integration

The AirPods Pro might just be so naturally integrated with Apple devices that they can’t be used with Androids. If you use Android devices, maybe think twice.

4. Fit: Find Your Comfort Zone

The AirPods Pro also come with three sizes of ear tips, but these may not always fit everyone’s ears well either. Make sure to try them on before you buy to ensure a comfortable and secure fit. A good fit is also necessary for the best possible sound quality and noise cancellation.

Apple AirPods Pro: A Worthy Investment?

The Apple AirPods Pro are a luxury product for discerning users of Apple products who want the best sound quality, the best noise cancellation and the best interoperability with Apple products. Their lofty price is worth it for audiophiles, frequent travellers and general attention-seekers or need-to-think people. But they’re also priced out of some people’s budgets. If you’re concerned about noise cancellation, high-fidelity audio and are comfortable, the AirPods Pro are worth the money.

If you are tight on cash or don’t need the features, the alternatives might be more up your alley. Finally, there’s no substitute for putting on a pair of AirPods Pro and testing them out for yourself. Find out whether you like the button function, see how well it fits for your ear size, test out its performances, and make your decision accordingly – do the attributes suit you and your requirements or preferences? Shop around in online stores and compare prices; read reviews and testimonials from other users, to get a good idea of how it works and performs. Armed with all this information, you’re sure to make a good choice, and enjoy the world of good audio with your new Bluetooth earbuds.

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