AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4

The AirPods Pro headphones have the most balanced sound profile below the 300 euro barrier in the Apple catalogue, slightly above the third generation AirPods and well above the wired EarPods, which cost 18 euros. AirPod Max is better than AirPods Pro, but costs more and comes in a different format.

AirPods Max and second-generation Apple AirPods Pro are two good options, but they cannot be compared as they are different products. On-ear headphones are different from in-ear headphones. Maxes have better overall battery performance and better vocals in music, but they also have a design that increases that power. They also have better overall noise isolation performance, but we come back to their form factor. However, the second generation Pro is more convenient, lighter and more stable if you want to play sports with them. We tried it even though it’s obvious.

The second generation AirPods Pro are very accurate in bass. Any sound engineer will tell you that it has “extended bass.” The second generation AirPods Pro also have excellent high frequency accuracy. In our tests, average precision (transition from bass to midrange) is very good. Of course, if you’re an audiophile, bass strength sometimes affects voice quality. If not, you won’t know.

What is the difference between the first and second generation Apple AirPods Pro? The second generation has better bass. It also improves noise reduction. The new model blocks a wider range of noise. First of all, it is useful for public transport and travel.

As with the third-generation AirPods, the AirPods 4, while improved in sound, still don’t have the same bass punch as the second-generation AirPods Pro, but do have virtual surround sound and head tracking features. The fourth-generation AirPods, like the third generation, also have an adaptive equalizer feature that lets you adjust the earbuds’ sound based on how they fit your ears, and have now also introduced noise-canceling capabilities.

The weaker bass of the last two iterations of the basic AirPods is due to the design of the earbuds: the open design doesn’t exactly help with bass sounds. However, in the rest of the audio range the sound is good. I think that if you are not a fan of hip-hop, movies and action movies, you will be satisfied with the sound quality. They’re great for classical music if that’s your thing, pop music in general, rock, podcasts, and audiobooks. In fact, I would tell you that voices sound better than on the AirPods Pro. The lower mids and mids on the third generation AirPods are more neutral than those on the Pro. High frequencies are very good.

The model with active noise cancellation provides up to 5 hours of playback without ANC and up to 4 hours with activated. Compared to the model without ANC, their battery life is only one hour less.

I want to justify the Earpods, especially since they have a USB-C connection. I find these to be very comfortable headphones with decent sound quality and design, except for the bass. They have good mids and decent highs. These headphones strive to highlight voices and instruments, which I think is the minimum required for listening to music unless you’re particularly demanding.

The cable, which many consider a nuisance, is an advantage when you consider that it doesn’t need to be charged. You don’t have freedom of movement to play sports, but if you don’t need them in your sport, don’t give them up. The price speaks in its favor: they are 221 euros cheaper than the second generation AirPods Pro.

Be careful: although they are compatible with many Android phones, they are not compatible with all models.

I’m no stranger to rumors that Apple doesn’t want to continue making AirPods Max, although I still think that’s speculation pure and simple. And I would also tell you that if you want to buy them, wait and see what moves Apple makes in the second half of this year in this category. Perhaps a surprise awaits us. I also inform you that Beats, Apple’s second brand, released Beats Studio Pro in 2023, which replaced Beats Studio 3, and that for half the price of AirPods Max, they have achieved great success. Now that Apple has “updated” the AirPods Max with USB-C port and charging, they are competing in the market again.

In addition to the benefits of an over-ear design, AirPods Max has nine microphones: eight dedicated to active noise cancellation and three microphones for voice capture. They also have two optical sensors that detect whether your AirPods are turned on. AirPods Pro have a different skin sensor. Although the most distinctive feature is the Apple Watch-style digital crown for controlling actions. It has a dedicated button to switch between noise canceling mode and ambient sound mode.

AirPods Max sound better than the second-generation AirPods Pro because the mids are more uniform, resulting in better voice quality. In our tests, the litmus test was more movies through Apple TV 4K than music.