Apple AirPods Pro

Apple AirPods Pro

If you would have asked me a year ago if I ever would have spent $250 on a set of headphones, I would have looked at you like you were crazy. My wife received a set of these from her parents for a birthday gift and told me that I had to try them out. Let’s just say that the only reason she got them back is because I ordered a set for myself! Read on to see why I could never go back to wired headphones.

Between my mowing business, my market garden, and all the work that I do around our country acreage, I spend a lot of time outside. I’m usually listening to podcasts, audio books on my Libby app, and occasionally even music. Accidentally yanking out my wired earbuds while using a tool or getting the cords caught on some brush ranks up there with snagging the pocket of your shorts on the pull handle of a kitchen cabinet for me. Each time this would happen, I would have to remove my gloves and ear muffs (which I always wear when using outdoor power equipment), reconnect the cable to the jack on my phone, and then restart my audio.

My litmus test for headphones is simple – they have to stay in without me having to constantly adjust them while I exercise. The AirPods Pro pass this test with flying colors. These stay in place without moving around whatsoever while I run, which is a huge improvement over the wired earbuds I had been using. I can lift weights (including decline presses) and count on them staying put.

The noise cancellation – the key feature between Apple’s standard AirPods and the AirPods Pro – is incredible for how small these are. It was a little hard to get used to not hearing some of the ambient noises when I first started using these. I caught myself pulling the recoil starter back another time after my handheld leaf blower had already started because I didn’t hear it start. I fortunately do not have to use public transportation for my commute (I treasure this “quiet time”), but these would be a godsend for drowning out noise on a crowded bus or train.

It’s easy to turn off the noise cancellation feature if you want to still be able to hear background noises while you listen to your audio. You can even switch modes without having to remove your AirPods, which is incredibly convenient and could be a safer option in certain situations when you still need to be able to passively hear what’s going on around you. Just press and hold the “stalk” off the AirPod to switch modes. You can also change the modes – noise cancelling, transparency, and off – in the settings menu on your phone.

AirPods charge rapidly with Apple’s tried-and-true Lightning USB charger. You actually charge the case that the AirPods are stored in, which in turn charges the pods themselves. A full charge in the case charges them several times. This makes it very convenient to just take the case with you when you leave the house, as you’re essentially taking along several charging cycles with this power pack. I have been getting approximately four hours of listening time each time I plug my AirPods back into their case, and that’s with the noise cancellation feature turned on (which consumes more battery power.)

Another feature I really like is how easy it is to pause your audio when you need to talk to someone while you’re using them. Simply remove one of the AirPods or quickly squeeze and release the stalk. Whatever you were listening to will resume in exactly the same spot you left it when you either put the AirPod back in or press the button on the stalk. This is far more convenient than resuming the audio on the phone itself, especially when you’re wearing gloves.

You can also make and receive phone calls and use Siri with AirPods. I usually just use mine to listen to podcasts, books, and music, but I could see where these features would be helpful. I love how Siri will read my texts to me or respond to my command to turn up/down the volume or skip songs on Pandora without me having to touch my phone.

So, what’s not to like about these second-generation AirPods Pro? Understand that these use very small lithium ion batteries that cannot be replaced. Most users are reporting that they get about two years of regular use out of them before the battery life starts to significantly decline. Of course, much depends on how often you use them and how you take care of them, but this isn’t pocket change for a product that you’re only going to get several years of service out of. Regardless, I will buy another pair of these when these give up the ghost some day because of the sound quality and the frustration they have eliminated while I get work done or exercise.