AirPods Pro

Revolutionary? Possibly. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Absolutely. Some people love them, and others think that they’re an expensive waste … especially when there are cheaper ‘alternatives’ out there. For a creative professional, they have become an essential part of my daily gear. The AirPods Pro are such a flexible device, that they have set a new standard in convenience and efficiency in my everyday life.

The fit and finish are standard Apple. Great taste, excellent construction, and thoughtful design are on full display. As usual, if your favorite color is white, you’re in luck. Where they have improved most is the fit. The silicone ear tips, lighter weight, and shorter stems all work together to finally hold the AirPods in my ear. This is the FIRST set of buds that Apple has ever made that actually fit securely in my ears, stay sealed, and sound good. Pro audio friends, no they are not high fidelity, and will never even come close to replacing IEM Molds, but they are a vast improvement from their predecessors and pretty much every other completely wireless bud that I have tried.

If I had to pick one game-changing feature of the AirPods Pro, it would be their transparency mode. There are a few other headphones and earbuds out there that have a similar feature, but the ease of use, and dialed-in execution on Apple’s part executes a complicated maneuver seamlessly. It is extremely easy to switch between full noise cancelling, neutral, and full transparency mode. Siri can do it for you on request, it can be done with one press on the Pods, or through a long press on the volume slider in the iPhone control center. No apps to open, or complicated gestures, it just works.

I was preparing and practicing piano for an upcoming production show the other day, and had a revolutionary experience. If I could mail a set of these back to my college self, practicing would have been so much more productive. When playing an acoustic instrument (i.e. piano, guitar, etc.), with transparency mode turned on, the balance between the music you are trying to learn and the actual sound of your instrument is effortless to achieve. Apple gets full credit. You can easily hear a perfect balance, and this enables you to just leave the Pods in and just focus on listening … because you can actually hear everything. No mixer needed, constant swapping of headphones, or frustration hearing what you’re playing or trying to listen to. If you’re not a musician, this probably sounds cool but not amazing, but for my musician peers out there, it is AMAZING!

The final thing that Apple got right with these is finally allowing them to listen for ‘Hey Siri’. It is a small thing, yes, but not having to reach up and tap your ear to request something is pretty great. Again, with the AirPods Pro, you can finally just leave them in, do your work, switch devices, hear what is going on around you, or blissfully muffle the airplane or coffee shop into the distant background.

Silence is golden, but so is choosing what parts of your world you actually want to hear. With the AirPods Pro, you can do both, and still easily carry them in a pocket. They are one of the number one gifts this holiday season, and are flying off the shelves. They are not a gimmick and, in my perspective, are totally worth it. The AirPods Pro, though small in size, are probably one of the most revolutionary devices Apple has created in the last several years.

- Hans