Design & Build Quality
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Shell
The AirPods Pro look and feel like an Apple product, which they are. Duh.
A sleek futuristic white unit, made popular by the first EarPods back in the days. A black microphone located at the outer part of the ear, and another one at the inner side, hidden from the foreign viewers.
The lower part exhibits a shiny metallic band, used for charging when the AirPods are stored in their box. Perfect integration made possible by a squad of highly qualified, top of the line engineers based in California. Yes I know, those are still produced in China by low-salary workers, but it’s still a beautiful piece of work.
That said, once you hold them, the plastic will feel cheaper than any of the other TWS we previewed or reviewed. The Jays M-Seven has the soft-touch, the BGVP Q2 the acrylic shell, and the AirPods Pro only give you plain, uncool plastic. For $30 EarPods, that was not an issue (more a statement) but for a $279 earphone, we could expect better options. Even more, if you own an iPhone.
The charging box feels the same. It’s a beautiful design, all-round and shiny, but it feels downright disappointing compared to the grey, fabric-covered one provided with the Sennheiser Momentum Wireless for example.
Build quality
As I said, the AirPods Pro feels cheap in the hand. Yet, they are way more sturdy than it looks.
I lost them quite a few times while removing them from my ears. Happily, they survived the concrete, the wood, the tiles and even the mud. Sure, they will break if you stomp them, but all acrylic/plastic IEMs will.
The charging box is the same. Aesthetically, it will not endure the test of time as the box is very prone to scratch. By chance or design, the white colors will stay hidden to the naked eye, until you confront them with grazing light.
It’s sturdy enough to protect the Airpods Pro from light falls and commuting. The magnet is amazingly well dosed, with just the right force when you open/close the box, and the metallic lid is also very well designed.
The charging port is neither USB Type-C or micro-USB, no-no-no. It’s an 8-Pin Lightning Port. So yeah, if you own an iPhone, you will be able to charge them easily, but if you have an Android one or even the latest iPad… that’s another story.
To be fair, there are nicer options out there for less money, but none that will feel as tightly integrated. I mean, take any other TWS out there, none will give you the same feeling of confidence when you open/close, take in/out your ears. Period.
And before harassing the comment section, go try them and compare them to any other TWS, even the Master&Dynamic MW07 or the BeoPlay E9. For the rest, it’s time to check the bundle.
Bundle and Accessories
Inside the box
The Apple Airpods Pro bundle is made of :
– the Apple AirPods Pro
– three sets of silicons (Small / Medium / Large)
– a USB-C to Lightning cable
So yeah, a (very) poor bundle. And, may I say that Apple is one of the main reasons why bundles are so dire those days? Sure the box is nice and all, but not even a charger ? Come on, you keep providing those cheap, dirty, *ss 5W charger with your iPhone, and not with your AirPods?
Sure the box is neat, but that’s not an excuse!
Additional accessories
The only accessories you can add with your AirPods Pro will be :
– an iPhone/iPad, to get the best experience
– an Apple Care to get a new pair (for 29€) in case you break them. Only twice though.
And, since the silicon tips are proprietary too, that’s all you have. For your information: in case you lose your tips, Apple will give you a new set free of charge, if you subscribed to Apple Care. For the rest of you, that will be 3 bucks which is… not that expensive.
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Jonathan
Nice Review!
I am currently using AIRPod 2 and is fully satisfied with its sound quality and the most important easy placement inside the ear. I was looking to upgrade to Airpod Pro but now thinking to wait for the next release as my Airpod 2 is still working fine.
Joshua Chew
Is there a review for the Momentum TW coming anytime soon?
ohm
Hey guys, I have a pair, too, and love it. I think the original AirPods sounds better, but the connection quality, and isolation/NC is so cool. Great job Nano.
MhtLion
Nice review. I love mine! I’m sure there are many others that sound better. I honestly think $30 wired Apple EarPods actually sound better. But, AirPods Pro is just so convenient. I do wish Apple will improve the sounds just a tad bit on the next version.
Darwin
Apple has been shipping an 18 watt adapter with iPhones for almost a year.
bb
I have to chime in – these suck (Airpods are great! but not these) – STOP THE HYPE – fit is terrible both in ear and trying to get them in and out of the case, tips included do not fit all, battery life is terrible, sound quality subpar, form factor far worse that the regular Airpods (which rock!)! The BEST TWS are Creative Outlier Gold. Bar none! The only thing that Apple has “right” is the open ventilation that would be good to have others solve as well but it probably has to go with NC…
Kndosindia
Apple product are amazing, i am using some apple product like iPhone and laptop. and love it
homescholar
love the sound of airpods…. good review
John
Very nice article. Specially the sound of airpods are super.