AirPods Pro 2 Reviews: Sound Quality, Noise Cancellation, and Battery Life Tested

Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro will begin arriving to customers and launch in stores on Friday, September 23. In advance, the first reviews of the wireless headphones have now been shared by select media publications and YouTube channels.

Priced at $249, the second-generation AirPods Pro feature improved audio quality, longer battery life, and up to 2x as much noise cancellation compared to the original AirPods Pro. They also feature swipe-based volume control, an improved built-in skin-detect sensor that more accurately turns on or off audio playback, and a new XS ear tip option.

The new AirPods Pro come with an updated charging case with a built-in speaker and U1 chip for Find My support with Precision Finding, an opening to attach a lanyard for carrying convenience, and IPX4-rated water and sweat resistance. In addition to Lightning and MagSafe, the case can now be charged with an Apple Watch charger.

We have rounded up both written and video reviews of the new AirPods Pro below.

Written Reviews

The Verge's Chris Welch said there are "substantial" improvements to active noise cancellation:

But Apple has made substantial gains with its active noise cancellation. The company says, on average, the new implementation is “up to” two times as effective as the original AirPods Pro. And while I lack any scientific measurement tools, that claim doesn’t seem unrealistic. At our office, I recently moved desks and now sit near an air vent that emits a persistent whir. The original AirPods Pro leave a trace of that in noise-canceling mode, but it’s completely hushed and imperceptible with the second-gen pair. I can still hear chatting co-workers if they walk directly next to my desk, but at most times, the AirPods Pro grant me plenty of serenity. I’ve also observed legitimate improvements when commuting on the subway, and less overall street noise makes its way through when traversing Brooklyn day to day.

Welch also noticed improved sound quality overall:

Let’s dig right into sound quality. Apple completely redesigned the amplifier and driver in the AirPods Pro, and while those drivers are the same 11-millimeter size as what’s in the third-gen AirPods, they sound superior and deliver the cleanest, most dynamic output of any AirPods to date.

Engadget's Billy Steele achieved around six hours of battery life as advertised:

During my tests, I managed six hours and fifteen minutes of use with a mix of noise cancellation, transparency mode and calls. That’s more than the previous generation (4.5 hours) and it’s on par with most of the competition these days. Sure, some companies offer 10-plus hours on a charge, but the average is around five to seven for the noise-canceling products I’ve tested. More battery life would always be nice, but the six or seven hours Apple musters is enough to get you through the workday if you take a short break.

Gizmodo's Andrew Liszewski on the new swipe-based volume control feature:

It’s a welcome upgrade, but unfortunately one that I found a little finicky to make work. It occasionally required a couple of swipes before anything happened.

As someone who generally hates having to touch my earbuds while I’m wearing them (it inevitably dislodges them a little) I will probably continue to stick to using Siri voice commands for volume adjustments or track skipping (the one thing Siri does very well).