What's the big deal with Airpod Pro earbuds?

October 13, 2022 12:31 PM

I bought some Airpod Pro earbuds at a lost and found sale for $20. I tried them out, and the noise cancellation was nice and the transparency mode was underwhelming. Everyone says they are amazing. What am I not getting here?

I would love to have a life changing technology. I have ADHD and I'm sensitive to sound, especially when stressed. But these don't seem to do much so I'm probably going to sell them on Ebay, but want to minimize my regrets just in case.

posted by mecran01 to Technology (13 answers total)

🤷‍♀️ They connect flawlessly every time, they don’t fall out of my ears when I run, I just don’t have to think about them ever. Most earbuds don’t fit my ears and these do. That’s it, though. If they’re not your jam, sell them!
posted by charmedimsure at 12:34 PM on October 13, 2022 [4 favorites]

I really like the noise cancellation, it works well and also doesn’t give me a headache the way other noise-cancelling headphones do.

The nice bit about transparency mode, for me, is that it *doesn’t* feel like it’s doing anything — it just feels like you can hear your surroundings really well — but if you turn it on and off you can really hear the difference.

One thing to check — are you sure you’ve tried out all 3 modes? There’s “regular”, noise-canceling, and transparency, but by default the squeeze control on the buds only switches between 2 of them. If you go into the settings on Mac or iPhone you can configure which two modes it switches between.

Also, one really nice thing about the AirPods (IF you have multiple Apple devices and want to connect your AirPods to both) is the easy handoff — all you need to do is connect to the AirPods from your other device, and it will automatically disconnect from the first one. Other Bluetooth headphones don’t do this — you need to manually disconnect from the first device and THEN connect to the second one. For me, that feature is a huge relief because it feels like the way Bluetooth headphones “should” work. The AirPods also automatically connect to whichever device you’re actively using when you put them on, which is another nice feature.
posted by mekily at 12:47 PM on October 13, 2022 [7 favorites]

I like mine quite a bit. I wouldn't claim life-changing, especially to someone using them to treat a medical condition. I remember reading they're something like a -20dB reduction.

Try the ear fit test to make sure they're working well. Settings > Bluetooth > (i) for the AirPods, Ear Fit Test somewhere in there. You might need larger or smaller tips. I'm guessing your pair didn't come with the full set of tips. Apple sells replacements and there are also a bunch of third party options. Some people like to replace the silicone tips with foam to block out more sound.
posted by michaelh at 12:49 PM on October 13, 2022 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Thank you. I think I'm going to cancel that auction and look for foam tips.
posted by mecran01 at 1:00 PM on October 13, 2022

Save them for your next airplane ride. The noise cancelling is really nice in that situation.
posted by JoeZydeco at 1:05 PM on October 13, 2022 [9 favorites]

If you're looking for foam tips, Comply foam tips are widely considered the best available.
posted by box at 1:11 PM on October 13, 2022 [3 favorites]

Airpod Pros were one of the first silicone tipped earbuds with an exterior vent. That allows for more comfort helping to equalize pressure inside and outside of the ear. There are a few other earbuds that have these vents now.\

The sound profile might seem underwhelming but I'm sure you can put in a cheap pair and compare the difference.

The new Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have significantly better noise cancelling performance according to reviews, but I haven't tried them.
posted by dobi at 1:43 PM on October 13, 2022

Silly question but are you pairing them with an Apple device?. They do work with Android and other devices but you do lose some functionality I understand (obvious things like Siri, but also other features).
posted by inflatablekiwi at 3:33 PM on October 13, 2022 [1 favorite]

Yeah a few things. If you're not using them with iPhone, they're not special. And compared to the latest Sony WF-1000XM4, well, also not special. And I much prefer how the Sony earbuds (with the smallest tips there are) completely seal off my ear canal.

Noise canceling earbuds can be magical. My shop has a lot of noise and the Sony earbuds cancel it almost entirely. It can lead to some pretty intense focus states. Also taking walks with the noise canceling on can feel very focused and movie-like. I now consider high quality noise canceling to be a requirement for my working day.
posted by fake at 4:15 PM on October 13, 2022 [1 favorite]

My wife, who hates almost every headphone and earbud imaginable, loves her Airpod Pros with Comply tips. Comfortable, they stay in her ears, they Just Work.
posted by lhauser at 4:47 PM on October 13, 2022 [2 favorites]

I've just never owned another pair of earbuds that stayed in my ears. And I've tried MANY. I truly thought it was impossible. I've heard other people say the same. If other earbuds fit your ears these are probably much less exciting.
posted by potrzebie at 9:46 PM on October 14, 2022 [1 favorite]

i use mine to watch a movies on my ipad. somehow, when i turn my head, the audio is tweaked so it sound like it’s coming from the ipad itself. a fairly mind blowing technical feat, but i’ve had folks react with a shrug when i mention it.
posted by bruceo at 3:50 PM on October 15, 2022 [1 favorite]

oh and they work great with the “find my…” app. i lost one in a grassy field - the app let me tell it to chirp and i was able to find it. super slick.
posted by bruceo at 3:57 PM on October 15, 2022 [1 favorite]