TechAudioHeadphonesEarbudsApple AirPods Pro 2 review: the king of ANCApple’s premium noise-cancelling earbuds come with fine-tuned ANC, better sound and longer battery lifeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)T3 VerdictApple learned from the mistakes of the past and improved their top-performing true wireless earbuds to not only match the competition but, on occasion, surpass it. The AirPods Pro 2 has excellent noise cancellation capabilities, sounds brilliant and fits well, all without a price increase. Colour me impressed!Reasons to buy+Supreme sound quality+Excellent adaptive noise cancelling+Ear Fit Test to ensure optimal fit+Longer battery life than predecessorReasons to avoid-Comparatively large headphone body might make it harder for some people to keep the buds in-Android users miss out on some featuresWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
TechAudioHeadphonesEarbudsApple AirPods Pro 2 review: the king of ANCApple’s premium noise-cancelling earbuds come with fine-tuned ANC, better sound and longer battery lifeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)T3 VerdictApple learned from the mistakes of the past and improved their top-performing true wireless earbuds to not only match the competition but, on occasion, surpass it. The AirPods Pro 2 has excellent noise cancellation capabilities, sounds brilliant and fits well, all without a price increase. Colour me impressed!Reasons to buy+Supreme sound quality+Excellent adaptive noise cancelling+Ear Fit Test to ensure optimal fit+Longer battery life than predecessorReasons to avoid-Comparatively large headphone body might make it harder for some people to keep the buds in-Android users miss out on some featuresWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Apple’s premium noise-cancelling earbuds come with fine-tuned ANC, better sound and longer battery life
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)T3 VerdictApple learned from the mistakes of the past and improved their top-performing true wireless earbuds to not only match the competition but, on occasion, surpass it. The AirPods Pro 2 has excellent noise cancellation capabilities, sounds brilliant and fits well, all without a price increase. Colour me impressed!Reasons to buy+Supreme sound quality+Excellent adaptive noise cancelling+Ear Fit Test to ensure optimal fit+Longer battery life than predecessorReasons to avoid-Comparatively large headphone body might make it harder for some people to keep the buds in-Android users miss out on some features
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
T3 VerdictApple learned from the mistakes of the past and improved their top-performing true wireless earbuds to not only match the competition but, on occasion, surpass it. The AirPods Pro 2 has excellent noise cancellation capabilities, sounds brilliant and fits well, all without a price increase. Colour me impressed!Reasons to buy+Supreme sound quality+Excellent adaptive noise cancelling+Ear Fit Test to ensure optimal fit+Longer battery life than predecessorReasons to avoid-Comparatively large headphone body might make it harder for some people to keep the buds in-Android users miss out on some features
T3 VerdictApple learned from the mistakes of the past and improved their top-performing true wireless earbuds to not only match the competition but, on occasion, surpass it. The AirPods Pro 2 has excellent noise cancellation capabilities, sounds brilliant and fits well, all without a price increase. Colour me impressed!
T3 Verdict
Apple learned from the mistakes of the past and improved their top-performing true wireless earbuds to not only match the competition but, on occasion, surpass it. The AirPods Pro 2 has excellent noise cancellation capabilities, sounds brilliant and fits well, all without a price increase. Colour me impressed!
Reasons to buy+Supreme sound quality+Excellent adaptive noise cancelling+Ear Fit Test to ensure optimal fit+Longer battery life than predecessorReasons to avoid-Comparatively large headphone body might make it harder for some people to keep the buds in-Android users miss out on some features
Reasons to buy+Supreme sound quality+Excellent adaptive noise cancelling+Ear Fit Test to ensure optimal fit+Longer battery life than predecessor
Supreme sound quality
Excellent adaptive noise cancelling
Ear Fit Test to ensure optimal fit
Longer battery life than predecessor
Reasons to avoid-Comparatively large headphone body might make it harder for some people to keep the buds in-Android users miss out on some features
Comparatively large headphone body might make it harder for some people to keep the buds in
Android users miss out on some features
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Jump to category:Price and availabilitySpecificationsDesign and build qualityANC and Transparency modesAudio performanceVerdictAlso consider
Jump to category:Price and availabilitySpecificationsDesign and build qualityANC and Transparency modesAudio performanceVerdictAlso consider
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation deals
13 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
13 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
$249$199View
$249$199View
$249$199View
$249$199View
$249$199
$199
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
AppleAirPodsPro 2 review: Apple’s premium in-ear wireless earbuds improved all across the board, thanks to the new Apple H2 chip, without any increase in price. That’s a big win in my books.
Thebest noise-cancelling headphonesmarket is pretty busy. You have brands such asSony,Bose, Beats and more producing brilliant and compact listening devices for not a lot of money, helping keep innovation alive and prices down, which, let’s admit, isn’t the worst place to be for us, customers. A saturated, innovative headphones scene means we always get the most bang for our buck.
Apple always managed to make a big noise with their latest AirPods releases, even in this busy environment. We awarded the originalApple AirPods Profive stars in our review, and it still sits near the top of T3’sbest noise-cancelling earbudsyears after its release. Now on their second iteration, Apple’s top dog buds offer even more value for your hard-earned money in the best possible sense.
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 learned from the mistakes of their predecessor, and thankfully, Apple also had a good hard look at the competition to bring these premium tiny headphones up to speed. All that tinkering did make a difference, and although I can’t give them more than five stars, let me just say that the AirPods Pro 2 are far more capable than their predecessor, both in terms is sound quality and active noise cancellation, among other things.
Recent updates26 August 2024– The AirPods Pro 2 received a free firmware update, adding features like Personalized Spatial Audio, improved Voice Isolation, and hands-free Siri with head gestures. The update is currently available for users running the iOS 18 beta. A full rollout is expected in September.Read more here.
Recent updates26 August 2024– The AirPods Pro 2 received a free firmware update, adding features like Personalized Spatial Audio, improved Voice Isolation, and hands-free Siri with head gestures. The update is currently available for users running the iOS 18 beta. A full rollout is expected in September.Read more here.
Recent updates
26 August 2024– The AirPods Pro 2 received a free firmware update, adding features like Personalized Spatial Audio, improved Voice Isolation, and hands-free Siri with head gestures. The update is currently available for users running the iOS 18 beta. A full rollout is expected in September.Read more here.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 review
Apple AirPods Pro 2 review: price and availability
Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro were announced in September 2022 and are available to buy now atApplefor a recommended retail price of $249/ £249/ AU$ 399. You might have noticed that the price stayed the same, despite the many improvements made to the buds. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 come in one colour only, but you can personalise the charging case for free when you buy them via Apple.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 review: specifications
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Apple AirPods Pro 2 review: design and build quality
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
Another massive upgrade is the introduction of the Apple H2 platform. The chip doubled the transistors over H1 to over 1 billion and has supreme computational prowess, evident when looking at audio quality and especially active noise cancellation. The Apple H2 chip also allows for better transparency, which is now adaptive and can feed in sounds more efficiently.
It’s worth mentioning the all-new MagSafe Charging Case, which has a built-in speaker to let you find them quicker and is now IPX4-rated, like the Apple AirPods Pro 2. It has Precision Finding with U1 technology, making locating the buds wherever they are easier. And although the buds and case only come in one colour, you can customise the case via Apple’s free engraving service, which might make it unappealing for thieves. After all, who wants to steal a case that says ‘MATT’S EFFING PODDIES’?
The headphones are somewhat environmentally friendly, featuring 100 per cent recycled rare earth elements, while the case uses 100 per cent recycled tin in the solder of the main logic board and recycled aluminium in the hinge. AirPods Pro 2 are also free of potentially harmful substances such as mercury, BFRs, PVC, and beryllium. Sadly, there is no mention of where the plastic comes from.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 review: Adaptive Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
The second generation AirPods Pro 2 made considerable gains in the ANC department, thanks to the Apple H2 chip. More computing power means ANC on the AirPods Pro 2 delivers up to double the noise cancelled over the previous generation. Apple claims ANC was also tuned explicitly for common daily scenarios like a busy office or cafe when you need to focus with a lot of people around or when travelling on the bus, train, or aeroplane where you want to reduce all that unwanted background noise.
Now, I was pretty pleased with the ANC prowess of theBeats Studio Buds Plus, but the AirPods Pro 2 blow those out of the water in terms of ambient sound isolation. I appreciate that Beats’ buds are much smaller, but that’s almost beside the point. The Apple AirPods Pro 2 seals you from your environment, no matter how noisy. I’m writing this on the way to London on the train in a coach full of people, and all I can hear is the faint hum of the train chugging along – that’s it. You have to experience it to believe it.
Transparency mode is also much better on the Apple AirPods Pro 2. Apple says on-device processing cycles 48,000 times per second to adjust down harsh environmental noises like sirens dynamically. Better still, when you use AirPods Pro 2 withApple Watch, you can view the level of noise reduction in real time! Go to the Noise app on yourApple Watch, and tap on the little white icon in the corner to see the environmental sound level difference.
You’ll notice the difference between the two is only 15-20 dB, which goes to show that the algorithm is filtering out the right noises instead of using brute force to block out ambient sounds, which is what most earbuds do. The results are phenomenal.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 review: audio performance
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
The Apple H2 chip made a huge difference not just in terms of ANC and Transparency mode performance but also in audio quality. Apple says the AirPods Pro 2 produce richer sound with more clarity and consistency across volumes and a wider range of frequencies, benefiting genres like pop, rock, hip-hop, and electronic dance music. Indeed, based on my experience, the buds are leaps and bounds better than the original AirPods Pros and have a crisp, lively sound across the whole sound stage. Listen to Yosi Horikawa’s Bubbles and experience it yourself.
There is also Personalised Spatial Audio, which for the first time, precisely tunes the surround sound experience to your ears, delivering the most immersive listening experience in the industry, according to Apple. WithiOS16 and the TrueDepth camera oniPhone, you can quickly create a personal profile that will work across your Apple ecosystem. Better still, this feature works with other headphones, including the AirPods (3rd generation), first-generation AirPods Pro andApple AirPods Max. It also works with the brand-spanking newBeats Studio Proheadphones.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 review: verdict
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
(Image credit: Matt Kollat/T3)
The Apple AirPods Pro 2 are truly scrumptious audio tech that should be right at the top of the shopping list of any music or movie fans who use iPhones (or Apple products, in general). These lightweight earbuds improved across the board, offering a more balanced sound, far better active noise cancellation and transparency modes, and longer battery life than their predecessor.
Apple’s H2 chip did wonders for audio performance. Not to mention, it is currently exclusive to the AirPods Pro 2, which I can only assume will change soon based on how well it performs. Imagine an AirPods Max 2 with the Apple H2 chip! They would (will?) be quite something.
Best of all, you can buy the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for much cheaper these days, which is fantastic and should make you consider investing in them. As mentioned above, the second-generation AirPods Pro 2 is exactly the same price as their predecessor, so even at full price, you get more bang for your buck, let alone when they’re on offer! Highly recommended.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 review: also consider
I mentioned a few alternatives above and would like to point out that Beats headphones offer native features on both Apple andAndroiddevices, making them an ideal choice for people who occasionally use both.
Or you can try the Nothing Ear (2) if you’re after something more affordable. They build on the brand’s position as a fashionable start-up to offer a genuine knockout product. ANC earbuds don’t come more complete than this, offering excellent sound quality, a top-notch app interface and great battery life for Android users. Read Sam’s fullNothing Ear (2) review.
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation: Price Comparison
13 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
13 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
$249$199View
$249$199View
$249$199View
$249$199View
$249$199
$199
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
TOPICSappleAirPodsBose
TOPICS
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
Build bigger arms in just 30 minutes with this 5-move dumbbell-only workoutIt’ll leave the biceps and triceps popping!
It’ll leave the biceps and triceps popping!
OMEGA puts the moon on your wrist with its new Speedmaster Moonphase MeteoriteOMEGA adds two new Moonphase Meteorite watches to its Speedmaster line-up
OMEGA adds two new Moonphase Meteorite watches to its Speedmaster line-up
There’s an amazing money-off deal on Samsung Galaxy S25 alreadyGet £50 / $50 off a new Samsung Galaxy S25 when you register your interest
Get £50 / $50 off a new Samsung Galaxy S25 when you register your interest
