The Airpods are one of the best wireless earphones that you can buy. It is a jack of all trades with good sound quality, comfort, and connectivity, but how does it stack up to Apple’s own AirPods Pro? This is AirPods vs Airpods pro and let’s see whether the Airpods Pro is worth the higher asking price.
I am going to compare build quality, sound quality, price, and other features. Just to be clear, I am going to compare the latest version of Airpods, the Airpods Gen 2 as it seemed a bit fairer. Let’s jump right into it.
Airpods Vs Airpods Pro: The Similarities
The Airpods and the Airpods Pro share a few but very important similarities. They both come with an H1 chip. The H1 chip allows the earphones to connect and switch between devices faster.
It also improves the range and battery life of the earphones with Bluetooth 5.0 and the latency is 30% lesser compared to the older W1 chip. Apart from that, the Airpods and Airpods Pro both come in white, they are both well-built.
You can use the voice command “Hey Siri” to summon up Siri on both models. They also have good connectivity and they can easily switch devices.
The earphones also have the same battery life if the noise cancellation is disabled on the Pro. These are the only similarities between the Airpods and the Airpods Pro.
Airpods Vs Airpods Pro: Differences
These are the various differences between the Airpods and the Airpods Pro.
1. Build Quality
The Airpods Pro looks very different from the iconic Airpods design. Instead of a universal fit, the Airpods Pro comes with an in-ear design with replaceable silicone ear tips. This was a game-changer for me, as I prefer the seal offered by the Airpods Pro.
Some may prefer the universal fit of the Airpods, but I never seemed to get it fit right in my ears. Unlike the older Airpods, you won’t have to worry about the Pro flying out of your ears as well.
2. Sweat and Water Resistance
One of the main things missing from the Airpods was sweat and water resistance. The Airpods Pro fixed that and you can now go jogging without worrying about moisture.
However, these are only IP X4 water resistant, and you are not supposed to go swimming with them or dunk them in water. The older Airpods do not have any sort of water or sweat resistance.
3. Comfort
The Airpods Pro is also 1.4 grams heavier than the Airpods, but they both are comfortable to wear over long periods. For those who are worried about the pressure build-up while wearing the in-ear earphones, the Airpods pro has a pressure valve that reduces this effect. The normal Airpods does not have this valve, but it does not need it because of its more open design.
4. Sound Quality
In my opinion, this is the most important part of an earphone. How do these earphones sound? The Airpods sound good, but unsurprisingly, the Airpods Pro beats it hands down. The sound feels bass and better than the older model.
The soundstage feels wider and the clarity has also been improved. I don’t know whether this is because of the in-ear design (which enhances bass) or Apple’s better sound drivers.
5. Adaptive EQ
The Pro version also has Adaptive EQ. This changes the equalizer settings based on the song that your playing and it ensures that you get the best experience out of your music. The Airpods does not have this feature.
6. Active Noise Cancellation
The Airpods Pro has active noise cancellation(ANC). ANC is a game-changer, as it removes background noises and lets you listen to your songs without any disturbances. The Airpods pro has 2 mics that listen to and cancel out excessive noise and they work pretty well.
The Airpods Pro also has a Transparency mode. You can turn it on by pressing the Force sensor and this mode will let you listen to outside sounds without removing your earphones. The older models do not have any form of ANC.
7. Battery Life and Charging
The Airpods Pro has a battery life of 4.5 hours with active noise cancellation or Transeperancy mode enabled. The Airpods have a battery life of 5 hours. However, the battery life on the pro model can be improved by turning off ANC.
The Airpods Pro comes with a Wireless charger while you have to pay extra to get a wireless charger on the older Airpods.
8. Pricing
The Airpods Pro is more expensive than the Airpods, coming in at $249/£249. The Airpods is not exactly cheap, but they cost $149. If you want the normal Airpods with a wireless charging case, you are going to have to pay $50 more. But if you hunt around for deals, you will be able to find both of them at a much cheaper price.
Final Verdict
In the Airpods vs Airpods Pro comparison, I would have to give the win to the Airpod Pro. The better sound quality, in-ear design, and active noise cancellation is worth the extra money for me. If you look at the price of the Airpods with the wireless charging, the Airpods Pro does not seem extremely expensive. The older Airpods are also pretty good, but the Airpods Pro is simply better.