I’m always amazed when a company can create demand where there was none before. It’s the opposite of managing your company via conducting focus groups and user surveys. Because if Apple had conducted user surveys, they wouldn’t have come away with the idea that there is a mass demand for noise cancellation in wireless earbuds.
And I would have been one of the noise cancellation scoffers. Having never used it before, I wasn’t really even sure what it was for. I knew that people used it all the time on airplanes and such. But I figured it was the equivalent of a pumpkin spice latte. Nice but unnecessary. Noise cancellation is one area where Steve Jobs would’ve been right. The public isn’t going to ask for it because they don’t know any better.
When I heard that Apple had announced the new AirPods Pro with noise cancellation, my first thought was that I’d pass on an unnecessary upgrade. The only reason I ended up buying some new AirPods Pro was solely due to the shorter stems which looked a little less awkward to me than the previous generation’s longer stems.
But after my first week using Noise Cancellation. I’m sold. I’m now enthusiastically recommending these to my friends and family. Why? Mainly because of the noise cancellation. Yeah, I’ve done a complete 180 on this feature.
Here’s what happened. One of my favorite times to use AirPods is when I’m working in the yard or around the house because it’s a great time to listen to Podcasts. Shortly after purchasing my AirPods Pro I decided to hand wash my car so I cued up an episode of Quoth the Raven and filled my soap bucket.
When I was done, I grabbed my leaf blower to blow off the excess water before I wiped down the car. Amazingly, I was able to continue listening to my podcast with my blower at maximum power without having to turn the volume all the way up. One of the main reasons I purchased the 2nd generation AirPods was so that I could say “Hey Siri, turn volume to maximum” when my hands were full. But with the AirPods pro, I don’t have to do that. I could still hear my leaf blower, but it was much quieter. Even though it was in my hands it sounded more like someone down the street was using it.
The next day, I decided to vacuum my car out. I grab the ShopVac and while I’m in the middle of scooping up the dirt I realize that I was still listening to my podcast without adjusting the volume at all. This was not even possible before at full volume. My ShopVac is that loud. I had a similar experience with mowing my lawn. I was able to listen to whatever I wanted to without having to crank up the volume.
Noise cancellation is amazing and I had no idea how useful it would be to me. In less than a week I found myself marveling at how awesome it is no less than three times. I didn’t even want it before but now I don’t want to live without it. It makes my boring chores much more enjoyable. And these are chores that need to be done on a regular basis.
For me, the new AirPods Pro is all about the noise cancellation and improved exterior hardware design. They do sound better than the original AirPods but it’s hard to tell unless you do some back-to-back comparisons. Prior to a sound test, I would have swore that there was no difference in sound. But after listening to them back-to-back with the same song, I could tell that the new AirPods Pro has a wider frequency range that is more appealing. But it’s not so much better that I’d be able to immediately tell. I always thought that the original AirPods sounded great so I’m not a picky audiophile.
I’m torn on the new controls. I appreciate the clever design of squeezing the stems but the old design of a double-tap on the AirPod was faster. Apple had improved the double-tap to the point where it was rock solid reliable and worked with very light taps. I kind of miss the double-tap and wish I still had the option of doing that instead of the squeeze. But I can see why Apple may not have wanted to include it. Muscle memory is strong. Without being forced, many people would continue to do it the old way simply out of habit.
I also miss the old AirPods design that just hung in your ear without going into your ear canals. Taking your Airpod out of your ear to stop the music and reply to someone was faster with the original design. You can take the new AirPods Pro out of your ears just as quick, but putting them back in your ear with a proper seal takes a little more thought than just hanging a 1st generation Airpod. Also, the shorter stems of the new AirPods Pro look a little more stylish, but I do have to admit, the longer stems of the previous version were easier to quickly grab onto when you wanted to remove them.
I don’t mind spending my money if I feel like it’s helping me to be productive. At the risk of sounding like a giant man-child, I admit that I sometimes put off doing chores like yard work, vacuuming out our vehicles, or leaf maintenance simply because it’s not fun. But now that I know I can easily listen to an enjoyable podcast or some of my favorite music, I’m more likely to get off the couch and get some work done. Spending money on these AirPods Pro isn’t just about frivolous entertainment for me.
So already, I can see that buying these new AirPods Pro was a good choice. And I haven’t even taken them on a flight yet. Another area where I think I’ll appreciate them.
When I heard that Apple had announced the new AirPods Pro with noise cancellation, my first thought was that I’d pass on an unnecessary upgrade. The only reason I ended up buying some new AirPods Pro was solely due to the shorter stems which looked a little less awkward to me than the previous generation’s longer stems.
But after my first week using Noise Cancellation. I’m sold. I’m now enthusiastically recommending these to my friends and family. Why? Mainly because of the noise cancellation. Yeah, I’ve done a complete 180 on this feature.
Here’s what happened. One of my favorite times to use AirPods is when I’m working in the yard or around the house because it’s a great time to listen to Podcasts. Shortly after purchasing my AirPods Pro I decided to hand wash my car so I cued up an episode of Quoth the Raven and filled my soap bucket.
When I was done, I grabbed my leaf blower to blow off the excess water before I wiped down the car. Amazingly, I was able to continue listening to my podcast with my blower at maximum power without having to turn the volume all the way up. One of the main reasons I purchased the 2nd generation AirPods was so that I could say “Hey Siri, turn volume to maximum” when my hands were full. But with the AirPods pro, I don’t have to do that. I could still hear my leaf blower, but it was much quieter. Even though it was in my hands it sounded more like someone down the street was using it.
The next day, I decided to vacuum my car out. I grab the ShopVac and while I’m in the middle of scooping up the dirt I realize that I was still listening to my podcast without adjusting the volume at all. This was not even possible before at full volume. My ShopVac is that loud. I had a similar experience with mowing my lawn. I was able to listen to whatever I wanted to without having to crank up the volume.
Noise cancellation is amazing and I had no idea how useful it would be to me. In less than a week I found myself marveling at how awesome it is no less than three times. I didn’t even want it before but now I don’t want to live without it. It makes my boring chores much more enjoyable. And these are chores that need to be done on a regular basis.
For me, the new AirPods Pro is all about the noise cancellation and improved exterior hardware design. They do sound better than the original AirPods but it’s hard to tell unless you do some back-to-back comparisons. Prior to a sound test, I would have swore that there was no difference in sound. But after listening to them back-to-back with the same song, I could tell that the new AirPods Pro has a wider frequency range that is more appealing. But it’s not so much better that I’d be able to immediately tell. I always thought that the original AirPods sounded great so I’m not a picky audiophile.
I’m torn on the new controls. I appreciate the clever design of squeezing the stems but the old design of a double-tap on the AirPod was faster. Apple had improved the double-tap to the point where it was rock solid reliable and worked with very light taps. I kind of miss the double-tap and wish I still had the option of doing that instead of the squeeze. But I can see why Apple may not have wanted to include it. Muscle memory is strong. Without being forced, many people would continue to do it the old way simply out of habit.
I also miss the old AirPods design that just hung in your ear without going into your ear canals. Taking your Airpod out of your ear to stop the music and reply to someone was faster with the original design. You can take the new AirPods Pro out of your ears just as quick, but putting them back in your ear with a proper seal takes a little more thought than just hanging a 1st generation Airpod. Also, the shorter stems of the new AirPods Pro look a little more stylish, but I do have to admit, the longer stems of the previous version were easier to quickly grab onto when you wanted to remove them.
I don’t mind spending my money if I feel like it’s helping me to be productive. At the risk of sounding like a giant man-child, I admit that I sometimes put off doing chores like yard work, vacuuming out our vehicles, or leaf maintenance simply because it’s not fun. But now that I know I can easily listen to an enjoyable podcast or some of my favorite music, I’m more likely to get off the couch and get some work done. Spending money on these AirPods Pro isn’t just about frivolous entertainment for me.
So already, I can see that buying these new AirPods Pro was a good choice. And I haven’t even taken them on a flight yet. Another area where I think I’ll appreciate them.
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