Apple AirPods Pro 2

Are these the best-sounding AirPods?

Place the two generations of AirPods Pro side by side and, apart from the slightly repositioned vents and microphones, the bud-and-stem design remains exactly the same.

You now get four ear tips in the box: a smaller XS size is included, giving you more options to get the perfect fit and seal. If you have struggled with the AirPods’ fit before (as some on our review team have), the extra tip could help. The buds are comfortable to wear as well, thanks to a lightweight design that you don’t have to cram into your ear holes.

One thing the original Pro were criticised for was a lack of on-device volume controls, a staple of any wireless earbuds. Apple has rectified this with a touch-capacitive layer on the stems where you can swipe up or down (on both buds) to change volume. There’s reassuring haptic feedback when you swipe and, while it takes a bit of getting used to, it’s responsive every time we use it.

You still have to pinch the stems to pause and skip playback and take calls, while a long press switches between the different noise-cancelling modes. It all works, but we still don’t find it quite as intuitive as tapping on the earbuds’ body as with the Sony or Bose rivals.

The bigger design change is to the charging case: it now has a built-in speaker and a lanyard loop. The speaker emits tones to indicate charging, low battery and to help you find it if you have misplaced it. The case itself remains the same small, pocketable size. There are now more ways to charge the case: wirelessly with an Apple Watch charger, a Magsafe charger or any Qi-compatible charging mat, as well as a Lightning to USB-C cable provided in the box.

Greater efficiency