I bought a pair of AirPod Pros the day that they came out but I’ve pretty much returned back to using my AirPod 2s most of the time.
For over two years I’ve been seeing articles on the web comparing Apple’s original AirPods design to various pairs of headphones that either sound better or have some significant feature advantage. And almost every time, the author concludes with “Yeah, they may not sound the best but I’m sticking with my AirPods because they’re so small and convenient”. Well, it’s happened again. Only now, the latest victim is Apple’s own product, the AirPods Pro.
In short, I’ve returned back to using my AirPod 2s because they are more comfortable. Also, I like that the case is smaller and lighter. I’m still keeping my AirPod Pros but now I only use them in certain situations.
The AirPods were the first headphones I’ve ever tried in my life that gave me the sensation that the music was not coming from headphones but was ambient sound in the room. I love that about them. The design is so comfortable that I could even sleep with them. That has never happened with any other pair of earphones.
What gives the AirPods their light and airy feeling like they’re not even there is the design where they only “hook” into your ear. They don’t go into your ear and they don’t cover your ear. Also, there are no wires to tug them while they’re in your ear and they’re really light. I’ve never had more comfortable and unobtrusive headphones.
It’s easy for me to forget that I’m wearing AirPods. In fact, the longer I wear them, the more likely I am to forget I have them on. Which sometimes annoys my wife because if she sees my AirPods on me then she assumes I can’t hear what she’s saying. But sometimes when my podcast is over I end up wearing my AirPods in silence simply because I forgot I have them on or they’re so comfortable that I don’t bother removing them.
I wouldn’t say that the AirPod Pros are uncomfortable. The soft silicone inserts aren’t painful. Although, they are a little annoying. With the original AirPods, you can quickly take an Airpod out and put it back in if someone starts talking to you. With the new AirPod Pro design, reinsertion requires you to give each side a little twist to get a good seal. And if you quickly take one out, you may turn the silicone inside out. So much for a quick return to your song.
And the AirPod Pros are the opposite of the original AirPod design in one big way. The longer you wear the AirPod Pros, the more aware of them you are. I can never forget that they’re in my ears because there is a constant pressure in my ear canals. If I wear them for over an hour per day, I start to get a little bit of soreness. That never happened with my old AirPods. I’ve written about my love for the AirPods Pro recently but that was before I developed the inner ear soreness from using them all the time. My love has cooled since.
Then there’s the drone. When you get a good seal with the AirPod Pros but aren’t listening to anything, you can get a low deep hum in your ears. The sound of your footsteps is a deep thud like you’re an 80 foot T-Rex shaking the jungle floor with each step. At night on my pillow, I can hear my heart beat thudding away.
Every initial review I saw on the web talked about the AirPods Pro case as if it wasn’t much larger than the original. Which is true. But yet, I still prefer the size and shape of the original charging case. It feels smaller in my pocket and it’s more pleasant in my hand. I like that I can hold the case in portrait mode and flip the top with my thumb. You can’t do that with the AirPod Pros because now the top flips from landscape mode.
I keep each set of AirPods next to each other on my dresser. But I started to reach for my old AirPod 2s because they’re just so much more comfortable. They are the one’s I reach for each morning to carry with me during my day. And Apple did much improve them from the original AirPods with the quicker connection times, lower latency, and longer battery life. I love them.
When I realized that I was much preferring to use my “old” AirPod 2s I thought briefly about returning my AirPod Pros. I put old in quotes because they were maybe 4 or 5 months old. But I still do much prefer my AirPod Pros in certain situations. Mainly when I’m traveling or using powered lawn equipment. In those situations the noice cancellation feature is indispensable.
And if you don’t think the AirPod Pros sound any better than the AirPods then try listening to the first part of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. The deeper bass and overall richer sound will wow you.
So just like countless AirPod comparo articles before this I’ve come to the same conclusion. Yeah, the AirPod Pros sound better and have some neat feature advantages. But I’m sticking with my AirPod 2s for my daily usage pair.
In short, I’ve returned back to using my AirPod 2s because they are more comfortable. Also, I like that the case is smaller and lighter. I’m still keeping my AirPod Pros but now I only use them in certain situations.
The AirPods were the first headphones I’ve ever tried in my life that gave me the sensation that the music was not coming from headphones but was ambient sound in the room. I love that about them. The design is so comfortable that I could even sleep with them. That has never happened with any other pair of earphones.
What gives the AirPods their light and airy feeling like they’re not even there is the design where they only “hook” into your ear. They don’t go into your ear and they don’t cover your ear. Also, there are no wires to tug them while they’re in your ear and they’re really light. I’ve never had more comfortable and unobtrusive headphones.
It’s easy for me to forget that I’m wearing AirPods. In fact, the longer I wear them, the more likely I am to forget I have them on. Which sometimes annoys my wife because if she sees my AirPods on me then she assumes I can’t hear what she’s saying. But sometimes when my podcast is over I end up wearing my AirPods in silence simply because I forgot I have them on or they’re so comfortable that I don’t bother removing them.
I wouldn’t say that the AirPod Pros are uncomfortable. The soft silicone inserts aren’t painful. Although, they are a little annoying. With the original AirPods, you can quickly take an Airpod out and put it back in if someone starts talking to you. With the new AirPod Pro design, reinsertion requires you to give each side a little twist to get a good seal. And if you quickly take one out, you may turn the silicone inside out. So much for a quick return to your song.
And the AirPod Pros are the opposite of the original AirPod design in one big way. The longer you wear the AirPod Pros, the more aware of them you are. I can never forget that they’re in my ears because there is a constant pressure in my ear canals. If I wear them for over an hour per day, I start to get a little bit of soreness. That never happened with my old AirPods. I’ve written about my love for the AirPods Pro recently but that was before I developed the inner ear soreness from using them all the time. My love has cooled since.
Then there’s the drone. When you get a good seal with the AirPod Pros but aren’t listening to anything, you can get a low deep hum in your ears. The sound of your footsteps is a deep thud like you’re an 80 foot T-Rex shaking the jungle floor with each step. At night on my pillow, I can hear my heart beat thudding away.
Every initial review I saw on the web talked about the AirPods Pro case as if it wasn’t much larger than the original. Which is true. But yet, I still prefer the size and shape of the original charging case. It feels smaller in my pocket and it’s more pleasant in my hand. I like that I can hold the case in portrait mode and flip the top with my thumb. You can’t do that with the AirPod Pros because now the top flips from landscape mode.
I keep each set of AirPods next to each other on my dresser. But I started to reach for my old AirPod 2s because they’re just so much more comfortable. They are the one’s I reach for each morning to carry with me during my day. And Apple did much improve them from the original AirPods with the quicker connection times, lower latency, and longer battery life. I love them.
When I realized that I was much preferring to use my “old” AirPod 2s I thought briefly about returning my AirPod Pros. I put old in quotes because they were maybe 4 or 5 months old. But I still do much prefer my AirPod Pros in certain situations. Mainly when I’m traveling or using powered lawn equipment. In those situations the noice cancellation feature is indispensable.
And if you don’t think the AirPod Pros sound any better than the AirPods then try listening to the first part of Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean. The deeper bass and overall richer sound will wow you.
So just like countless AirPod comparo articles before this I’ve come to the same conclusion. Yeah, the AirPod Pros sound better and have some neat feature advantages. But I’m sticking with my AirPod 2s for my daily usage pair.
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