AirPods Pro releasing Wednesday 10/30 for $250

60fps · Oct 31, 2019

It's neat technology, no doubt, but man, you can get a pair of Beyerdynamic Studio headphones made in Germany like the DT 770 Pro for less. These will probably last you decades.

DT 770 PRO

Reference headphones for control and monitoring purpose – 32, 80 & 250 ohms (closed)

north-america.beyerdynamic.com

1.21Gigawatts said:
I don't think sound quality is a valid point here because if people cared about that they wouldn't get in-ears.
This is just a fantasy price, neither justified by hardware, nor features, nor quality. Obviously Apple can ask whatever they want, as long as people are willing to pay it, but I still think it's necessary to point out that the price is ridiculous.
A few years ago in-ears were either free because they came with every other device, or they were like 10-20€ if you were into better sound quality.
Ever since they made the jump to bluetooth in-ears they figured they can start raising the prices because people have long lost any relation to the actual worth of a product, so when there is no point of reference, like with a somewhat new thing(bluetooth in-ears) just have at it and try to squeeze consumers for as much as you can.

That's an excellent point.

MrKlaw · Oct 31, 2019

60fps said:
It's neat technology, no doubt, but man, you can get a pair of Beyerdynamic Studio headphones made in Germany like the DT 770 Pro for less. These will probably last you decades.

DT 770 PRO

Reference headphones for control and monitoring purpose – 32, 80 & 250 ohms (closed)

north-america.beyerdynamic.com

these are definitely better active noise cancelling, wireless, IEMs than the AirPods pro

snark aside - Nothing stopping people having a pair of those for critical listening at home but also wanting the convenience of a more portable noise cancelling option for conjuring/work/gym etc

AirPods regular are not great earphones. But they're super, super convenient which has its own value.

PeakPointMatrix · Oct 31, 2019

60fps said:
It's neat technology, no doubt, but man, you can get a pair of Beyerdynamic Studio headphones made in Germany like the DT 770 Pro for less. These will probably last you decades.

DT 770 PRO

Reference headphones for control and monitoring purpose – 32, 80 & 250 ohms (closed)

north-america.beyerdynamic.com

I'm really, really not understanding how people keep comparing buds/in-ears to full cans. They have wholly different functions, for people with different needs. I've got my DTs for studio work at my job, and audio technicas for my work station at home. But I'm not going to wear them when I'm out and about at the gym/btwn meetings/doing chores/errands/taking calls.

They're that price for the featureset at that size and cohesion with the Apple ecosystem (which if people are like me, are jumping between their work mac/home mac/Work ipadpro/home ipadpro/iphone/etc) constantly. Full over-ear headphones are too cumbersome that kind of back and forth. No one should be considering Airpods/Pros for the best sound fidelity possible for the price, they're not for that.

Deleted member 25094 · Oct 31, 2019

Just went to use my Pro's after them being in the case overnight and the left AirPod is on 0% charge. That's not a good sign. It's somehow been draining battery as well as not charging in the case.

Deleted member 25094 · Oct 31, 2019

60fps said:
It's neat technology, no doubt, but man, you can get a pair of Beyerdynamic Studio headphones made in Germany like the DT 770 Pro for less. These will probably last you decades.

DT 770 PRO

Reference headphones for control and monitoring purpose – 32, 80 & 250 ohms (closed)

north-america.beyerdynamic.com

That's an excellent point.

😂

What a ridiculous comparison to make, come on now.

PeakPointMatrix · Oct 31, 2019

DagsJT said:
Just went to use my Pro's after them being in the case overnight and the left AirPod is on 0% charge. That's not a good sign. It's somehow been draining battery as well as not charging in the case.

Check if there's anything in the socket for the left pod, to see if anything is blocking the contacts from charging? Otherwise sounds like a defect.

Dreams-Visions · Oct 31, 2019

60fps said:
It's neat technology, no doubt, but man, you can get a pair of Beyerdynamic Studio headphones made in Germany like the DT 770 Pro for less. These will probably last you decades.

DT 770 PRO

Reference headphones for control and monitoring purpose – 32, 80 & 250 ohms (closed)

north-america.beyerdynamic.com

That's an excellent point.

LMAO this post is what I need to wake me up in the mornings.

How do you manage to compare wireless, in-ear monitors to headphones that are bigger than earmuffs? Have you ever even worn a pair of DT 770's? What were you thinking right then? I'm curious to know where you see the overlap between someone looking for a portable and preferably wireless IEM solution and a pair of massive over-ear headphones. Who do you see walking down the street with some DT 770's? On the train? Plane? At the gym? Jogging down the street? I mean I must know.

I'll wait.

Deleted member 2180 · Oct 31, 2019

Love my AirPods to death and are waiting for these to arrive, is it possible to activate noise cancelling on non Apple related devices like Windows 10 ?

SnesCartman · Oct 31, 2019

is there any impressions from android users, i'm really interested in this.

Hoo-doo · Oct 31, 2019

60fps said:
It's neat technology, no doubt, but man, you can get a pair of Beyerdynamic Studio headphones made in Germany like the DT 770 Pro for less. These will probably last you decades.

How can you be both condescending and clueless. The people in the market for Airpods don't want or need these huge Beyerdynamic cans. You can own multiple pairs of audio equipment for different usecases.

Deleted member 25094 · Oct 31, 2019

PeakPointMatrix said:
Check if there's anything in the socket for the left pod, to see if anything is blocking the contacts from charging? Otherwise sounds like a defect.

No blocks or anything. I've just repeated them and the left bud charged fine but it doesn't fill me with confidence that they're sitting correctly every time.

Presskohle · Oct 31, 2019

DagsJT said:
No blocks or anything. I've just repeated them and the left bud charged fine but it doesn't fill me with confidence that they're sitting correctly every time.

Yeah, there is no satisfying click-snap like with the XM3 where I'm assured that they are properly connected. I push them a little from the top before closing the lid. The charging case hinge feels a little floppy too, a down-step from the older one in my opinion.

gabdeg · Oct 31, 2019

Wonderlamb said:
Love my AirPods to death and are waiting for these to arrive, is it possible to activate noise cancelling on non Apple related devices like Windows 10 ?

Noise cancelling is on by default. I guess the only option you couldn't switch to out of the box is NC off.

Presskohle · Oct 31, 2019

TurtleSnatcher said:
Great review - I am more curious about your cool little setup there? :)

Got any more pics and what all your components are. Awesome mini workstation with an ipad.

Sorry for the late reply.
Nothing fancy, thats my "study" room (not much studying going on in there) desktop. A cheap logitech mouse and a aluminum keyboard from Supremery, both can switch to multiple (2 with the mouse, 3 the keyboard) devices on-the-fly, so I can switch fast between iPad (Pro 2018, 12.9") and my (non-gaming) Windows desktop. The iPad Mini 5 is just there for quick consumption, mostly media. The 40" in the back looks a little out of place, but I have a Nintendo Switch and a spare PS4 Pro hooked up there too — a typical 24-27" monitor would be too small for that.

It's just a little setup for when the living room is occupied yet again, or I just want to retreat.

60fps · Oct 31, 2019

Dreams-Visions said:
LMAO this post is what I need to wake me up in the mornings.

How do you manage to compare wireless, in-ear monitors to headphones that are bigger than earmuffs? Have you ever even worn a pair of DT 770's? What were you thinking right then? I'm curious to know where you see the overlap between someone looking for a portable and preferably wireless IEM solution and a pair of massive over-ear headphones. Who do you see walking down the street with some DT 770's? On the train? Plane? At the gym? Jogging down the street? I mean I must know.

I'll wait.

Hoo-doo said:
How can you be both condescending and clueless. The people in the market for Airpods don't want or need these huge Beyerdynamic cans. You can own multiple pairs of audio equipment for different usecases.

Just trying to make people think what else they could spend 280€ on and if for that amount of money perhaps big headphones could serve them better in the long term?

I look at these things subjectively. Airpods are in my "nice to have" category. So personally, can I justify paying 280€ on these things that might last me 2 years before the battery gets wrecked? Or, if I really have the urge to spend this amount of money right now, should I take a look at more established and reliable tech? Maybe get a pair of cheap but reliable Panasonic in-ear headphones plus a pair of big professional headphones for home-use for the same money?

I also like to compare things in terms of durability and long-term usage. For 280€ these things better last 10 years.

Yes this is neat technology. But it's also on the disposable side. And 280€ is an insane amount of money for what you get, so why not compare that to other things you could get for that money before you buy.

NameUser · Oct 31, 2019

It's like a Mac vs. PC thing. While you can find a PC with better specs for a cheaper price, it's still Windows and can't run some of the apps that a macOS can. Plus it's a different experience.

The same is true for AirPods. You can't get the same seamlessness with a random pair of wireless earbuds. That's what everyone who's saying "buy x instead" needs to realize.

Aiii · Oct 31, 2019

Holy shit these things are insanely comfortable. Like I tolerate IEM's for an hour, maybe two if I'm really digging the music or am otherwise distracted, but these I can wear forever.

Biggersmaller · Oct 31, 2019

NameUser said:
It's like a Mac vs. PC thing. While you can find a PC with better specs for a cheaper price, it's still Windows and can't run some of the apps that a macOS can. Plus it's a different experience.

The same is true for AirPods. You can't get the same seamlessness with a random pair of wireless earbuds. That's what everyone who's saying "buy x instead" needs to realize.

My thoughts exactly. I'm excited for these once I can afford a pair.

HommePomme · Oct 31, 2019

Aiii said:
Holy shit these things are insanely comfortable. Like I tolerate IEM's for an hour, maybe two if I'm really digging the music or am otherwise distracted, but these I can wear forever.

I'm having trouble with these actually. Normal AirPods are comfortable for a million years but these hurt my right ear after an hour. Using smallest tips, might just not be putting them in perfectly yet but I'm worried

Mouseninja · Oct 31, 2019

Hi Era, I currently own a pair of Beats X and I am looking for a pair of truly wireless buds, my main uses are listening to Hip Hop, RNB music, never really podcasts or anything, would I be better going for the AirPods Pro, Powerbeats Pro or the Sony Wf1000 xm3's? Thanks again in advance

Infinity Times Two · Oct 31, 2019

60fps said:
Just trying to make people think what else they could spend 280€ on and if for that amount of money perhaps big headphones could serve them better in the long term?

I look at these things subjectively. Airpods are in my "nice to have" category. So personally, can I justify paying 280€ on these things that might last me 2 years before the battery gets wrecked? Or, if I really have the urge to spend this amount of money right now, should I take a look at more established and reliable tech? Maybe get a pair of cheap but reliable Panasonic in-ear headphones plus a pair of big professional headphones for home-use for the same money?

I also like to compare things in terms of durability and long-term usage. For 280€ these things better last 10 years.

Yes this is neat technology. But it's also on the disposable side. And 280€ is an insane amount of money for what you get, so why not compare that to other things you could get for that money before you buy.

People buy things for the life that they live, and that can be hard to quantify sometimes.

For some, AirPods are the ultimate audio product because they are constantly on the move and need something small and easy to go, they use multiple other Apple products so they want seamless connectivity between them, and already use wireless charging for their iPhones, so this can slot into those chargers as well.

Others use zero other Apple products, are more stationary and value bang for your buck more than anything. This is not for them.

This ain't rocket science.

60fps · Oct 31, 2019

Infinity Times Two said:
People buy things for the life that they live, and that can be hard to quantify sometimes.

For some, AirPods are the ultimate audio product because they are constantly on the move and need something small and easy to go, they use multiple other Apple products so they want seamless connectivity between them, and already use wireless charging for their iPhones, so this can slot into those chargers as well.

Others use zero other Apple products, are more stationary and value bang for your buck more than anything. This is not for them.

This ain't rocket science.

I agree. Just saying people should think twice before spending that money.

Aiii · Oct 31, 2019

HommePomme said:
I'm having trouble with these actually. Normal AirPods are comfortable for a million years but these hurt my right ear after an hour. Using smallest tips, might just not be putting them in perfectly yet but I'm worried

Ever used IEM's before? Perhaps then I can imagine you'd need some time, but if they just don't fit well, then there's a good chance they never will, sorry.

HommePomme · Oct 31, 2019

Aiii said:
Ever used IEM's before? Perhaps then I can imagine you'd need some time, but if they just don't fit well, then there's a good chance they never will, sorry.

Yeah gonna keep trying a little, would be a shame because the noise cancelling is really great and my left one doesn't seem to hurt

Mafro · Oct 31, 2019

Vuze · Oct 31, 2019

Talk quality seems good in my case, specifically asked my partner if anything was wrong/off after the (FaceTime) call I just did. Just chiming in since some people said it was terrible for them.

Kanican · Oct 31, 2019

Kanican · Oct 31, 2019

sorry, mistake.

Orb · Oct 31, 2019

Not about AirPods but related... My Echo Buds arrived yesterday. Initial impressions are that they do exactly what they say they do. The form factor is a bit larger than it seemed in the pictures, but they are not unreasonably large. Sound quality is really nice. Noise reduction (no cancellation) is okay but really doesn't seem to have a huge impact versus just the passive isolation from the eartips. The passthrough mode is kind of odd, it seems to amplify ambient noises like the white noise in my office but doesn't do a great job of passing through people talking, which is exactly what I feel like you'd want to pass through. Touch controls have been hit-or-miss, and it's surprising that they don't include an option for a single tap as a gesture. It's only double-tap or hold. The case is bulkier than I'd really like but still snugly fits in my jeans coin pocket.

I don't plan on using the actual Alexa features of them so I can't say much about that. Overall I feel pretty happy for the price, but if the Jabra Elite 75t come out on schedule in a few weeks and get good reviews I will probably return these and get those instead.

Skyejack · Oct 31, 2019

I'm returning mine today. Reasons being call quality isn't very good compared to my originals, they're not as comfortable as my AirPods, and the volume on mine are really really low. The originals are so unobtrusive that I often forget they're in. That will never happen with these. I think what I'll do is just buy another pair of normal Airpods when they're on sale this holiday and when my current ones finally die, I'll use those.

And for those wondering, the new AirPods received a "Zero Repairability" rating. Not surprising.

Shizuka · Oct 31, 2019

DagsJT said:
Just went to use my Pro's after them being in the case overnight and the left AirPod is on 0% charge. That's not a good sign. It's somehow been draining battery as well as not charging in the case.

My OG Airpods (2nd gen) did just that with me this month, had to take it for a fix. Exactly the left one, draining the battery and still not charging.

mozbar · Oct 31, 2019

I've used them over the course of the day, and have been pretty happy with it. I'm not an audiophile or anything, but I've thrown a bunch of different things at it.

Metal, Hip-hop, Trip hop, jazz, some electronica and a podcast here and there. The sound is generally pleasing and better than my old Anker Soundbud Slim+. Last time I had some anything better than decent quality sound on the go was a Sennheiser set almost a decade ago.

I got used to squeezing it very quickly, but I'm annoyed at the lack of volume controls. Adjusting volume is a pain in the ass on packed trains. I saw that some posters set it to 40%/50%...but the train was loud as AF. Transparent mode I have no complaints about.

The ANC was really nice at home cause my place is below train tracks and that was getting annoying really quickly.

Though...I haven't tried calls yet.

The price is high, but hopefully this will galvanize other companies to bring their A-game in terms of features (ahem: connectivity) and price.

hydro94530 · Oct 31, 2019

I know the use case for this is super small probably, but it sucks ANC requires both ear buds to activate. I often sleep with one ear bud in my ear and the other ear pressed up against the pillow and my Sony ear buds allow ANC to work with just one. The ANC works really well with the other ear smothered in the pillow. These won't work that way so it kinda sucks, you have to have both in your ears or it won't activate. Hopefully they can update it.

Edit: For the other 5 people on the planet that care, you actually can activate it for one ear only in the Accessibility menu. This was really my only issue with these, very happy.

DaleCooper · Oct 31, 2019

mozbar said:
The ANC was really nice at home cause my place is below train tracks and that was getting annoying really quickly.

You... live directly under train tracks? :o

mozbar · Oct 31, 2019

DaleCooper said:
You... live directly under train tracks? :o

Yeah.

Wait...let me explain. The train tracks are elevated. The building my apartment is in is almost directly underneath them. Tokyo 🤷🏻‍♂️

J-Wood · Oct 31, 2019

I wish there was a trade in or something for existing air pods. Really want these. I have the first gen, and just bought the powerbeats pro 2 months ago, now out of the return period at best buy :(

Aiii · Oct 31, 2019

J-Wood said:
I wish there was a trade in or something for existing air pods. Really want these. I have the first gen, and just bought the powerbeats pro 2 months ago, now out of the return period at best buy :(

I mean, just sell them yourself. They probably sell really well second hand.

Nome · Oct 31, 2019

Took these through an intense Olympic weightlifting, box jump, and jump rope session. Didn't budge!

MrKlaw · Oct 31, 2019

Aiii said:
Holy shit these things are insanely comfortable. Like I tolerate IEM's for an hour, maybe two if I'm really digging the music or am otherwise distracted, but these I can wear forever.

ok this is good content. I'm the same - IEMs are fine for a while but eventually fatiguing. If these are more comfortable that's great to hear. AirPods are perfect for comfort as I often literally forget I'm wearing them

MrKlaw · Oct 31, 2019

60fps said:
I agree. Just saying people should think twice before spending that money.

If you don't think twice about spending $250 then you have enough money to not worry about it. Most people will at least think twice

Youngfossil · Oct 31, 2019

I just bought a pair yesterday. l like them. Going to sell my old V-moda crossfade 2 to make up some of the price. Dont they replace the batteries/units with apple care?

Also to compare IEM to over the ear cans is straight up stupid. Like comparing a Bikes to Longboards

Deleted member 14649 · Oct 31, 2019

60fps said:
I agree. Just saying people should think twice before spending that money.

I mean, do you go into other hardware threads and advise people how to spend their money, or is this unique to Apple products? Thanks for your concern though.

Karish · Oct 31, 2019

Skel1ingt0n said:
First impressions aren't... super positive for me.

I tinkered for like... 5 min... so subject to change; but right from the get here's what I noticed:

- wider case is harder to open with one hand
- slower to get them quickly put in your ears
- isolation is ... decent... way, way better than regular AirPods, but a far cry from nice over the ear headphones
- music quality feels on-par with regular AirPods (which is to say, not all that great) just with less background noise and a bit better bass
- way more "noticeable feeling" in the ears, but maybe that'll change with more time

They're not as great sounding as some other brands, and not as immediately convenient as regular AirPods. For $250.

gonna give em more time tonight. I was initially super down on the gen 1s too, and now they're one of my favorite pieces of tech ever - so I'm open to completely 180ing my opinions

Agree with everything you say here. I'd say decent chance I return but I've got time to see if it's just bc I'm used to them.

Phonzo · Oct 31, 2019

Can't wait for the Amazon knockoffs.

TK-421 · Oct 31, 2019

Phonzo said:
Can't wait for the Amazon knockoffs.

They may copy the form factor, but I wonder if they'll be able to match the noise cancellation.

Strakt · Oct 31, 2019

60fps said:
It's neat technology, no doubt, but man, you can get a pair of Beyerdynamic Studio headphones made in Germany like the DT 770 Pro for less. These will probably last you decades.

DT 770 PRO

Reference headphones for control and monitoring purpose – 32, 80 & 250 ohms (closed)

north-america.beyerdynamic.com

That's an excellent point.

I mean i have dt 1990 pros but i still bought airpod pros. I'm not going to wear those big ass headphones while i workout...airpods are great for the portability they offer

nhlducks35 · Oct 31, 2019

Alright I compared this to my WF 1000MX3's and will be selling the Sony's, here's why:

The Airpods sound quality is not as good (not as loud and not as punchy/full sounding), however, they are substantially lighter and fit better in my ear
The carrying case for the AirPods is a lot smaller, lighter, rounded, and has wireless charging
The AirPods are also a lot smaller in size, they are more discreet (even being white)
Bluetooth connectivity is so much faster on the AirPods its not even funny. The Sony ones can take around 3-5 seconds to connect (especially if you just use one earbud) while the AirPods can do it in around 1-2 seconds
The NC in the AirPods sounds better than Sony and I think that's because I get a better seal with the AirPods than with the Sony
Multi-device support in the AirPods between my Mac and iPhone are a lot easier and faster than Sony and manually connecting

TLDR: Sony are better in sound but Airpods are much more convenient, which is what I want with portable earbuds

Phonzo · Oct 31, 2019

TK-421 said:
They may copy the form factor, but I wonder if they'll be able to match the noise cancellation.

Probably not, but i cared more about the better fit, the better passive noise cancelling, and the better looks with the shorter stem.

Catvoca · Oct 31, 2019

Only played around with them for a few minutes but I'm impressed! The noise cancellation really works, couldn't hear a thing with music on, even on a low volume. I'll see how it holds up on the train to work tomorrow. The sound quality in general seems like a big step up over the original Airpods thankfully.

Only minor gripe, and it's something I expected, is that they're just not quite as comfortable as the original airpods. I'd regularly forget I was even wearing my old Airpods but you can definitely feel the pros resting In your ears. I'll see if I get used to them after a few weeks. They're still more comfortable than pretty much all other earbuds for me but not as perfect as the original ones.

jizzywinks · Oct 31, 2019

Has anyone worn these running?

AirPods Pro releasing Wednesday 10/30 for $250

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