In the tech market, the AirPods Pro are something of an anomaly. While many manufacturers are committed to regularly renewing their audio accessories, Apple is surprisingly reasonable. The Cupertino company, which launches new iPhones, Watches, iPads and Macs every year, sometimes almost without novelties , seems to really want to take the time with its AirPods line, first launched in 2016. Three years have passed between the first generation of AirPods Pro (October 2019) and the second generation announced at the same time as the iPhone 14 in September 2022.
Three years is an abnormal amount of time for a high-tech product, even more when you know the success of the range (the AirPods Pro are also Apple's bestseller). But Apple arguably felt its AirPods Pro were far enough ahead of their time in 2019 that they didn't have to rush the launch of their successors. Which was true at the time, when you didn't take a model designed by Bose or Sony. Nevertheless, the competition has adjusted by dint of multiplying the references and, today, even the Ear(1) of Nothing are satisfactory at less than 100 €. This is what justifies the need to launch new AirPods Proin 2022, which change everything – even the price (from 279 to 299 €). And what was true in 2019 will become true again in 2022, with Apple headphones that once again set the bar very high.
We like to say that everything changed with the AirPods Pro. It's actually a lie: everything has changed… except the design. You really have to pull out the magnifying glass to detect aesthetic differences from one generation to another. The multinational is convinced that its design is sufficiently universal and proven to convince for a few more years. We still find this emblematic upper that set the tone for a whole trend. It has nevertheless gained a welcome feature: the possibility of modifying the volume, in one direction or the other, simply by sliding the finger up or down (we vary it by about 6% each time ). This is a real plus, since it no longer involves calling on Siri to better hear your music without touching your phone. It's also a blow to take, you have to block the earpiece with your thumb and use your index finger to perform the famous gesture. It's not easy at first, but you get used to it. This is the number 1 complaint of first generation users finally answered.
The case, too, hasn't changed much. He has just gained a small appendage allowing him to attach a strap (not supplied…) and, above all, a loudspeaker which has two uses. The first doesn't look like much, but turns out to be essential: a small sound sounds to signify that it is going into charging mode, enough to ensure that it is properly placed on an induction station ( unless you plug in the Lightning port, which is still there). The second utility will delight those who have the annoying habit of misplacing their objects at home. A short tour through the Locate r application allows you to ring the box to find it in a flash (it also flashes). Last good news: its MagSafe magnets perfectly fit the Apple Watch charger, which offers better compatibility with products from the same catalog. This second generation is much more consistent, even if we still regret the fact of not being able to recharge the case on the back of your iPhone.Another small evolution concerning the design, the AirPods Pro now come with four sizes of tips, against three previously. Apple has thought of the smaller ear canals by adding an XS option. Said tips, designed to offer maximum comfort (we don't feel them, which reduces the intra design), are still available for purchase separately. The company specifies that they are only compatible with the old generation, while we had no trouble installing the new tips on old AirPods Pro (it is, it seems, a insulation issue).
Silence the competition
At the heart of the AirPods Pro launched in 2022, there is a new chip: the H2. Like the H1 (present in all the other AirPods, except the very first generation), it first ensures an ideal integration into the Apple ecosystem, from fitting in a few seconds to your iPhone (it's even more fast with Bluetooth 5.3) to the possibility of finding them on all their devices using their iCloud account (with automatic failover). On this point, the AirPods Pro benefit from a legacy born on the first AirPods. With iOS 16, you even gain a menu for settings, which allows you to further refine the experience. It is both simple and immediate. Better, with each new update, we gain additional features,Spatial Audio ).
The H2 chip is also at work on active noise reduction, which is logically sold as much more efficient than with the H1. We will not tax Apple with false advertising as the active noise reduction of these new AirPods Pro is striking. We haven't yet had the opportunity to test the new headphones from Bose – bluffing, it seems – but those from Apple already provide phenomenal insulation. Compared to the AirPods Pro, which were already excellent, it's almost day and night: the advances dig a sufficient gap to realize it as soon as you put them in your ear (without any music playing).As always with Apple, it's naturalness that prevails: no impression of breath, only one mode offered... And, in reality, we realize the benefits of functionality when we remove the AirPods Pro, with this impression of being assaulted by a more polluting environment than we imagined. This is a sign that the bubble of silence — which represents an ideal since certain sounds continue to slip through the cracks — is working. For headphones, it's really appreciable, with an attenuation work that is not just a show. This is also the first time that we think we can use AirPods during a long trip without hearing discomfort.
Transparency mode also takes advantage of this H2 chip to be better than ever. Here again, Apple is starting from a more than solid base to make a few small changes that make its use even more relevant. It's simple, you hear surrounding sounds inaudible with your own hearing (example: bird cries in the distance) – always with a naturalness that doesn't make anything fake, as some competitors who go a little too far can do. Another novelty, a little less convincing, is the possibility of suddenly reducing a noise that is much too loud in order to protect the eardrum. Unfortunately, when a bus suddenly revs its engine, it's often too far away for the AirPods Pro to react... At best, this novelty is dedicated to very specific situations, such as work in the street.
Thank God Apple didn't fall into the Lossless trap
Rumors about the AirPods Pro presaged the arrival of the Lossless format , which seems like a clear path since its appearance on the Apple Music service.. Apple hasn't finally (yet?) gone there with its headphones. And it is very easy to understand why. The Lossless is a format for purists who, in addition to having a fine enough ear to detect differences, did not wait for the AirPods Pro to take advantage of it. The Lossless is appreciated with a high-end configuration, not with headphones oriented for the general public – however advanced they may be. In short, offering Lossless on AirPods Pro represents a certain risk in terms of image (sound enthusiasts will laugh about it), for a more than uncertain, if not existing, benefit for the average user. For a more qualitative listening, the AirPods Pro rely on Dolby Atmos and Audio Spatial, whose contributions are much more obvious for the general public.
Moreover, the listening quality of the AirPods Pro is deeply remarkable, even more rewarding than that of the first generation. Apple does not bother with multiple modes to choose from, let alone an equalizer that would adjust the curve as desired. The Cupertino company prefers to impose its sound signature on you, which is sufficiently well worked and catchy to convince the greatest number. Looking for more audiophile quality? You will have to fall for the AirPods Max , which are more delicate and which will look for much more in-depth detail. With the AirPods Pro, the goal is to offer a ver
n any case, the AirPods Pro provide a very appreciable show, with a balance of excellent performance. They are sometimes a little dense in the mediums, but the bass is well rounded as it should be and the highs are placed with ease, without ever being off topic. We also gain in mastering distortion, which penalized the first AirPods as soon as we pushed the volume. Here, you can put a little power without fear of losing comfort. Finally, we like the way the AirPods Pro manage both stereo and, of course, Spatial Audio (provided you deactivate active head tracking, which looks very strange when you're not used to it) . Like active noise reduction, the gain is palpable, with ever more appreciable acoustic control. For 90% of people, AirPods Pro will be great,