Airpods Pro 2

[Webninja]

iPhone 14pro iOS 16.1 beta

Just got mine, 3 songs in.
ANC is improved, will see how well they do with power tools running.

Seal is good, can’t get the volume stem thingy going.

Medium tips fit a bit snugger than in gen1.

They are not as clear as the Truthear Zero, but do isolate better.

 

[brandall10]

Have the 1st generation since 2017 and still use them every day. In that span of time they hold about 1/2 of the charge, or 1/2 of the duration of use compared to when they were new.

Voice call or only playing speech recordings at moderate volume, they have to go back into the case to recharge every 1 or 1.5 hour.
I'm keen for these new ones if I can listen to podcasts for 3 hours before returning to the case. SQ is not a concern for me on these, I seek duration.

Why are podcasts any different than music? You should get 5+ hours with ease. The v1 pros are rated for 4.5 hours and that's approx what I get listening to music w/ those, don't doubt the v2s will have trouble reaching 6 hours.

Calls on the other hand are shorter since they're 2 way comm but still should get 3+ hours, possibly 4 w/ the v2.

 

[G|force]

Why are podcasts any different than music? You should get 5+ hours with ease. The v1 pros are rated for 4.5 hours and that's approx what I get listening to music w/ those, don't doubt the v2s will have trouble reaching 6 hours.

Calls on the other hand are shorter since they're 2 way comm but still should get 3+ hours, possibly 4 w/ the v2.

Thanks, I never got that duration with mine but maybe mine were less than optimal from scratch. I assumed that playing back voice content with not much data <300Hz would be more efficient since LF requires more power.

Certainly one should expect less time if on a call or using voice since the mic pre, A/D, and transmitter is active.

Just on play monitoring.
Q: If two people with identical devices (AirPods) play a 80hz sine and another plays a 2k sine, will they or should they both last as long as the other?

 

[brandall10]

Thanks, I never got that duration with mine but maybe mine were less than optimal from scratch.

If you have the original from 2017 that's the Airpods, not the pros, right? Pros came out in 2019, that's what I was quoting the stats for.

 

[Music1969]

I wish crinacle measured that.

@crinacle can you measure these headphones accomodations in iOS settings?

 

[G|force]

If you have the original from 2017 that's the Airpods, not the pros, right? Pros came out in 2019, that's what I was quoting the stats for

Yes, I never said Pro, 2017 AirPods but the question still applies to any BT set.
80Hz sine in one vs. 2k sine in another, will each last as long before depleting the charge? That was my point of spoken voice lasting longer than music. I don't know the answer/ not a trick question.

 

[mrbungle]

Since it’s so hard to find first impressions of those on the internet, here mine. Got my first batch v1 very recently replaced under their service program, so I have new ones for A/B testing.

For v1, the tips never perfectly worked for me and all the commonly suggested third party ones were even worse. The v2 tips look identical, but they fit a bit better. Finally stay put and isolate well. The new volume and case finder features I always wished the v1 had. The new in-ear detection is also nice and useful if you like me frequently put them out and keep them in your hands.

Sound wise, they are easy to tell apart. Better bass (might be partly my v1 fit issues). Honestly, the one thing I was mostly surprised was how nice the v1 still sound - I mostly used them for podcasts and TV. The v2 are still a clear improvement and don’t think I need much more than that for my IEM needs. Not sure they are worth the MSRP, but they are nice.

 

[soundwave76]

I upgraded to iOS 16 yesterday and tested the spatial audio. It does sound better in my ears and I want to learn next what kind of audio magic Apple is doing with it.

 

[sushi2020]

Have you tried the Spatial Audio feature? Is your source an Apple device?

I really like the spatial audio, either its introducing a distortion I like or it's more accurate, I have no idea which. To my ear though it brings the sound closer to the wired IED I have.

My source is iPhone 12 mini.

I tried the spacial audio after scanning my ears. (no EQ setting)
Well, they sounded surprisingly good for me.
I thougt that that feature was just gimmick, so I am very confused now...
Apple have invented "magic"???

This impression is sooooo subjective.
I hope that someone figure out the magic.

 

[chesebert]

I got downvoted to oblivion elsewhere when I said iPhone 14pro with personal spatial audio enabled (fixed) and ANC turned off makes the gen2 sound quiet a bit better to me than with everything turned off - I used the word “magic” as well because that was a genuine upgrade in sound quality with just some head and ear scanning work. I also suggested that adaptive EQ would use the personalized spatial audio profile to EQ the music to fit your personalized HRFT.

For the price of a typical audiophile headphone cable, these new buds are fantastic.

Edit: I forgot to mention, if you are using Apple Music and Mac that supports spatial audio (i.e., Mac using the spatial audio profile you created using iPhone), you can EQ down upper mid a little (2-3db) and the AirPods Pro 2 sounds high end on not super demanding music (such as large Mahler work). I am sitting here flipping between AirPods Pro 2 and GSX-2/Focal Clear OG (on $15k+ front end) and just kept on shaking my head.

 

[Peluvius]

I got downvoted to oblivion elsewhere when I said iPhone 14pro with personal spatial audio enabled (fixed) and ANC turned off makes the gen2 sound quiet a bit better to me than with everything turned off - I used the word “magic” as well because that was a genuine upgrade in sound quality with just some head and ear scanning work. I also suggested that adaptive EQ would use the personalized spatial audio profile to EQ the music to fit your personalized HRFT.

For the price of a typical audiophile headphone cable, these new buds are fantastic.

Edit: I forgot to mention, if you are using Apple Music and Mac that supports spatial audio (i.e., Mac using the spatial audio profile you created using iPhone), you can EQ down upper mid a little (2-3db) and the AirPods Pro 2 sounds high end on not super demanding music (such as large Mahler work). I am sitting here flipping between AirPods Pro 2 and GSX-2/Focal Clear OG (on $15k+ front end) and just kept on shaking my head.

I agree that something different has happened with the Spatial audio. It has a very similar effect to turning Dirac on and off on my 2.1 system. It is a distinct improvement to me although I have noticed it does not work well for tracks encoded on Dolby Atmos. Is the Apple "true depth" camera a thing?

I tried the spatial audio on the Sony gear and it was terrible, just weird like a novelty sound but this is very different.

 

[chesebert]

I agree that something different has happened with the Spatial audio. It has a very similar effect to turning Dirac on and off on my 2.1 system. It is a distinct improvement to me although I have noticed it does not work well for tracks encoded on Dolby Atmos. Is the Apple "true depth" camera a thing?

I tried the spatial audio on the Sony gear and it was terrible, just weird like a novelty sound but this is very different.

I think “true depth” camera is a thing: https://www.trustedreviews.com/explainer/what-is-a-truedepth-camera-4263845#h-how-does-it-work

I agree Atoms track sounds weird. I am strictly Apple Music lossless with ANC turned off (ANC introduces some minor artifacts in the upper mid and treble that I can overlook in a noisy environment but prefer to keep ANC off).

 

[Soundstage]

Interesting how the Airpods pro 2 tracks the Galaxy Buds from Samsung which are Harman calibrated:

In-Ear Fidelity – IEM Graph Comparison Tool

Easily compare industry-standard frequency response measurements of hundreds and hundreds of IEMs.

crinacle.com

Edit: and when comparing the Airpods pro v1 to the "reference":

 

[RichB]

I got the Airpods Pro 2 Friday and my first impress using the iPhone Pro 4 is that they have much more bass but sound a bit muffled compared to the Beats Fit Pro and the Airpods 1. I'd say they have less distortion.

My other point of reference is the listening to tracks using Roon ARC (new) on the iPhone compared to the Salon2s. The high end seemed rolled off to me.
I also listened for impact. For example, Fink Perfect Darkness was lacking when the strings kick in during the intro.

I like them better using the Headphone Accommodation with Balanced set to slight. With the high-end sounds more like the Beats Fit Pros but more natural. Something a bit less than "Slight" would be perfect.

I can't really tell Personalized Spatial Audio is doing because you can't turn it off without losing the face and ear measurements.

The noise cancelling is a huge step up. I need a large for the left ear and a medium for my right and they must be seated properly. These do feel snug in my ears. There is a football game on in the room. When I engage NC, I can barely hear it.

All in all, they are good, I just wisht the upper end was a bit more linear. It is too bad there isn't a bit more granular EQ available that could be set per BT audio device.

I have seen reviewers that can't tell the difference compared to the gen 1s, that blows my mind. The difference is huge. I wonder if BT 5.3, from the iPhone 14 is part of the reason.

- Rich

 

[Peluvius]

I can't really tell Personalized Spatial Audio is doing because you can't turn it off without losing the face and ear measurements.

I have seen reviewers that can't tell the difference compared to the gen 1s, that blows my mind. The difference is huge. I wonder if BT 5.3, from the iPhone 14 is part of the reason.

- Rich

If you swipe down to bring up the quick access controls then hold your finger on the volume slider while your pods are in you should be presented with the ability to enable and disable spatial audio in real time. This does not remove the calibration.

If you are playing back from a Macbook, the dropdown menu listing speaker playback options also has the option to enable/disable noise cancelling and/or spatial audio.

I am surprised many of the reviews I have watched don't pick up the magnitude of the difference in playback quality as well, although most of them acknowledge an improvement.

The tuning is key, without that it would be the XM4s any day of the week for me.

 

[Peluvius]

Here is a link to the first reviewer I have heard make a commentary on the Spatial audio, attributing its difference to the new H2 chip.

Still in the dark really on what is going on with it but loving it none the less.

 

[Music1969]

Interesting how the Airpods pro 2 tracks the Galaxy Buds from Samsung which are Harman calibrated:

In-Ear Fidelity – IEM Graph Comparison Tool

Easily compare industry-standard frequency response measurements of hundreds and hundreds of IEMs.

crinacle.com

View attachment 233256

Edit: and when comparing the Airpods pro v1 to the "reference": View attachment 233257

New Buds Pro 2 tracks newer Harman IEM target even better

Its on Crinacle

 

[MayaTlab]

Interesting how the Airpods pro 2 tracks the Galaxy Buds from Samsung which are Harman calibrated:

According to Precog, whose measurements relative to the Buds aren't a perfect match with Crinacle's, they may feature a volume dependent EQ (same concept as Bose), so the volume at which they were measured matters.

Given the rather weird results I've seen from some AirPods measurements so far, some completely non-sensical, I'd take them all with a pinch of salt until reviewers properly figure out how their feedback mechanism and other idiosyncrasies behave.

 

[soundwave76]

I reactivated Apple Music and I am now comparing Tidal and Apple Music with same tracks, trying to find differences with spatial audio on/off. Apple Music might just sound a little better, but hard to tell...

Are there any great spatial audio demo tracks one could try? What about good spatial audio primers, maybe in this forum, that explain this magic I am hearing?

 

[Music1969]

I reactivated Apple Music and I am now comparing Tidal and Apple Music with same tracks, trying to find differences with spatial audio on/off. Apple Music might just sound a little better, but hard to tell...

Are there any great spatial audio demo tracks one could try? What about good spatial audio primers, maybe in this forum, that explain this magic I am hearing?

Have you done the personalised head transfer function thingy? With iPhone camera ?