Page 18 - iPhone Life Magazine - Spring 2020

one could expect from such a small package. With the music
at a reasonable volume, most outside sounds were nonexis- PROS:
tent.
With noise cancellation enabled, customers at the next
table chatting to the waiter looked like something out of a • Excellent noise cancellation
Charlie Chaplin movie. You can mainly hear the ambient noise
• Transparency Mode allows for safe listening in situations
when your music is soft, like with a single acoustic guitar.
where access to ambient sound is important
Again, when you do hear the ambient noise, it is very sub-
dued and unobtrusive. All in all, I was more than happy with • No discernable loss of sound quality in any mode
the coffee shop experience. I tested them against my pair
of Bose QuietComfort 35 Over-Ear Headphones ($349.95) • Silicon tips provide a comfortable and secure fi t
both in the coffee bar and at home. In all, the Bose performed
• Set up process is quick and simple
a bit better at preventing sound from bleeding in, which is not
surprising considering the advantage of the over-ear design. • Great sound quality

• Silicon Tip Fit Test integrated in Bluetooth settings makes
SOUND QUALITY selecting your best fi t size easy

• Portable

For my fi rst at-home test, I compared the sound quality of
the AirPods Pro against my old pair. The sound of the AirPods CONS:
Pro is fuller, instrumental differentiation better, mids and highs
clearer, and the bass stronger than the original AirPods. How-
ever, the difference is not so great as to alone demand an
• No volume control on the earpiece (not a con if you own
upgrade.
an Apple Watch)
Next, I compared the sound to my Bose headphones. Bose
emphasizes the bass while the AirPods Pro are crisper in the • Sound quality might not suit all listeners
mid to high range and more than adequate with the bass. I
• They come in any color you want as long as it’s white
wound up preferring the Bose at home and the AirPods Pro
when out and about. The slight and, in my opinion, negligible
difference in noise cancellation is not worth losing out on the
convenience of the AirPods Pro. FINAL VERDICT
The Pods are no longer controlled by taps but by squeez-
es, which work remarkably well. One can access most of
the features this way including the new Transparency Mode,
So, should you buy a pair? Well I love them. I was already
which lets in and amplifi es the ambient noise to enable safe
an AirPods fan and the noise cancelling feature has greatly
use when walking or running outdoors. I tested Transparen-
enhanced my experience. I wouldn’t upgrade in the hopes of
cy Mode during my daily walk. I wanted to make sure that I
a major increase in sound quality, but if you love your
would not be caught by surprise by bicycles, electric scooters,
music and have a need or desire to have the noise cancel-
or runners.
lation option, then what are you waiting for? It is diffi cult to
Transparency Mode allows the user to hear outside noises
fi nd a perfect product. Anyone can fi nd negatives such a no
without any discernible reduction in sound quality. I was
volume control on the earpiece, but the AirPods Pro do a great
expecting the outside noises to be amplifi ed to an unpleasant
job of allowing you to enjoy your music in almost any environ-
degree, but the effect was no different than using my old
ment. As they meet all my personal requirements, I give them
AirPods in that same situation (just turning noise cancelling off
is not enough as the seal made by the Pro’s silicon tips fi lters the highest rating possible. Ѷ
out some of the outside noise).

BATTERY LIFE

The AirPods Pro promise the same 5-hour battery as their Richard is a 70-year-young tech freak who is retired and living the expat life with his
predecessor (4.5 hours if using noise cancellation). They lost wife in the beautiful city of Abu Dhabi in the UAE. His involvement with tech goes
back to the pre-Microsoft days. His fi rst smartphone was a Palm Treo.
just over 20 percent of their charge during the hour-long walk
I took with Transparent Mode active. A similar period of listen-
ing at the coffee shop in Noise Cancelling Mode produced a
similar result, so I have no doubt that they will come close to
the promised hours of play time.

16 iPhone Life Spring 2020