The Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation) has a new design, new features, and a new price tag, but it’s still unmistakably AirPods. While the original model caught a lot of (deserved) flak for not sealing the ear canal, these Apple earbuds not only seal the ear but also provide active noise canceling (ANC). On paper, the AirPods Pro is light-years ahead of the old ones simply by this fact alone. But is it worth the cash? We spent two weeks with the first-gen AirPods Pro to find out.

Editor’s note: this Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation) review was updated on June 12, 2023, to ensure the timeliness of the information within.

When you first start using the AirPods Pro, you’ll want to find the right size ear tip to use because the rest of your experience hinges on it. If the ear tips are too big, they’ll be painful, and if they’re too small, then they’ll likely fall out. Once you’ve installed the correct ear tip size, they’ll fit securely in your ear canal. After you pair the AirPods Pro with your phone, you should be able to jump right into music listening without futzing with too many settings. Like any other Apple product, the product’s ethos is to be something that “just works.”

While we’re on the topic of ear tips, these have been redesigned as well. Unlike basically every other pair of earbuds that pretty much universally use the same ear tips, these are designed specifically for the AirPods Pro. Around the speaker driver of each earbud is a small section where the ear tip clicks nicely and securely stays put. No more pinching the silicon ear tip in order to squeeze them around the nozzle; though to be fair, these buds don’t have nozzles. Changing the AirPods Pro tips can be confusing at first, but it’s hard to return to standard ear tips.

On October 18, 2021, Apple announced the new AirPods (3rd generation) and with that, it quietly updated the charging case for the AirPods Pro. Now, the AirPods Pro case is MagSafe compliant, so you can use it with the same MagSafe wireless charger as your iPhone 12 or later.

How do you control the AirPods Pro (1st generation)?

Rather than standard touch controls, each earbud has a pressure-sensitive stem. You squeeze the stem a certain way to enact a command. A single squeeze on the stem will pause or play music, a double squeeze will skip to the next song, and a triple squeeze will skip to the next song. You can easily enter transparency mode by long-pressing the stem. See the table below for a full list of AirPods Pro controls.

There are a few features that the AirPods Pro adopts to make it more useful than your garden-variety wireless earbuds. There’s even an ear tip fit test that you can do to ensure that they’re in your ear correctly. This will test whether you should use a different set of ear tips or whether the active noise canceling is working properly. To do this, you have to go into Bluetooth settings and then tap on the small “i” icon next to the AirPods.

You get a few more options if you’re on iOS, such as the ability to rename them, control whether you want active noise canceling on or off, and the ability to customize the function of tap-and-hold on each earbud.

If you are the kind of earphone owner that’s prone to losing your buds in your couch, no worries: the Apple AirPods Pro supports the Find My AirPods feature. Owners of iPhones will be able to use their phones to locate missing earbuds — assuming they have battery left. Given how easy it is to lose a single earbud, this feature is far more important than many would like to admit.

These features, including Spatial Audio (more on that later), are limited to Apple devices. You won’t get any of this from the Settings menu on your Android device.

Equipped with Bluetooth 5.0, the AirPods Pro earbuds support the SBC and AAC codecs, providing reliable, high-quality audio to iPhones. AAC works on Android, but its performance can be volatile depending on your hardware. Reminder: these aren’t the earbuds for Android phone owners, but you have plenty of great earbuds for Android to choose from.

How long does the battery last on the AirPods Pro (1st generation)?

In our standard battery test, we got 4 hours, and 20 minutes of constant music playback with ANC turned on, which is just above average for most true wireless models. Our data confirms Apple’s claims of 4 hours and 30 minutes of playback with active noise canceling turned on and volume at about 50%. Without ANC, we found the battery life increases to 5 hours, 6 minutes. The charging case will give you enough charges to last you 24 hours of total listening time, and what’s better is that the case is fully compatible with any Qi wireless charger or MagSafe charger.

One issue we have is that the charging case still requires a Lightning cable because, well, reasons. The cable included in the box is now USB-C on one side and lightning on the other, which is mind-numbingly annoying as now you’ll need to bring this specific cable with you wherever you go. Of course, it isn’t a big deal if you already own the newer iPhone as it also comes with this same cable, but if you haven’t upgraded yet (or don’t plan to), this is an annoying inconvenience that you’re just going to have to deal with.

The most important feature of the new version is without a doubt the active noise canceling, and this headset makes our list as the best ANC earbuds for iPhone owners. While it won’t completely mute the low rumble of planes and trains, it renders low and midrange sounds about a quarter as loud as they’d sound without any ANC.

The AirPods Pro (cyan) sounds very good, and its frequency response closely follows our target response curve. This means most music should sound good to listeners with little need for equalizing the sound with a third-party app or your streaming service’s EQ. Additionally, Apple’s Adaptive EQ equalizes your music to correct for the shape of your ears (read more: What is a DSP?). Because of this, the AirPods Pro will sound more consistent from person to person than other headphones. Additionally, with active noise cancellation, it sounds much better than its predecessors by virtue of the fact that your music isn’t competing with bus engines, airplane cabin sounds, or a noisy street.

Lows, mids, and highs

The low end in “Callaita” by Bad Bunny is loud and clear, including the sub-bass synths. Drum kicks and deep voices come through very well, though are not as pronounced as on many budget consumer earbuds. The mids sound great here, as do treble notes. You should be able to hear high-pitched detail from the song “Songbird” by Cory Chisel. Here, the strumming and guitar squeaks sound good and not grating.

During WWDC 2020, Apple announced compatibility for “spatial audio” with the AirPods Pro. Spatial Audio is Apple’s version of simulated surround sound; It uses a combination of software algorithms and the accelerometers in your AirPods Pro to place sound cues around you in 3D space. This simulates the immersive experience of sitting in the middle of a full surround sound setup. The accelerometers of the AirPods Pro sync up with the accelerometer inside the source device that you are watching videos on. That way if you’re in a car or on a plane the audio that you’re listening to will change only when you move your head instead of when the vehicle makes a turn.

Is the AirPods Pro (1st generation) good for phone calls?

One feature you can’t ignore when it comes to AirPods is the microphone. I see more people talking on the phone via their AirPods than their phones nowadays. Luckily, the Pro still has a really good microphone for picking up your voice. Take a listen to our demos below.

AirPods Pro (1st generation) microphone demo (Ideal conditions):

If you want AirPods — or have an iPhone — any model of AirPods Pro are what we recommend picking up for several reasons. Not only do these models sound significantly better than the open-fit AirPods, but they offer more in the way of features and useful accessories too. Sure, the AirPods Pro is pricier than the latest AirPods, but you get a lot for that extra cash. If you’re an Android user, you should skip the AirPods Pro (1st generation). Sure it’s good if someone happens to gift you a pair for some reason, but you’ll miss out on a lot of the features that make the buds worthy of consideration, due to the lack of cross-platform support.

Deciding where to buy your AirPods Pro (1st generation) can be difficult now that this model has been replaced by a new generation. There are a few key things to remember before you purchase any electronic device: does the vendor offer a good warranty; how is its customer service; is there a live chat function? We’ve put together a detailed guide on where to buy headphones to ease your concerns, but remember that you’ll pay a premium for better warranty coverage and customer service.

iPhone owners who need a new pair of earbuds should buy the AirPods Pro (2nd generation) instead of the first-gen AirPods Pro. The new AirPods Pro debuts at the same $249 USD price as the first-gen model and comes with modest but welcome improvements.

The Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation) introduces Apple’s H2 chip, bringing more efficient power consumption and improved noise canceling. The new buds will fit more listeners’ ears since they ship with four sizes of silicone ear tips that range from extra-small to large. The earbud stems support sliding touch controls, so you can adjust the volume without digging for your iPhone.

Apple also revamps the Lightning charging case. This time, the case contains a U1 chip to help locate it precisely when lost. There’s also a speaker which will relay a loud beep (this works within the Apple FindMy app). You can charge the case with an Apple Watch charger, MagSafe wireless mat, Qi charging pad, or Lightning cable. The case provides 24 hours of playtime, and the earbuds last just shy of 6 hours with ANC on. Check out a detailed breakdown in our AirPods Pro 1 vs AirPods Pro 2 article.

If you’re wondering why Apple fans are clamoring to pick up the AirPods Pro (1st generation), it’s because they fix the most egregious issue with cheaper model: an unsealed ear canal. That may not seem like a big deal, but it’s an improvement that you’ll notice immediately — something we’ve harped on endlessly at SoundGuys.

So why is getting rid of noise important? The answer is twofold.

The AirPods Pro (1st generation) seals to your ear canal and prevents external noise from drowning out your music. This preserves the sound quality without the interference of auditory masking. Passive isolation in tandem with effective noise canceling means that you’re less likely to increase the volume to block out those external sounds, which potentially protects your ears from noise-induced hearing loss.

To get a quick overview of the specification differences between AirPods earbud models, view our table below.

If you want to remain aware of your surroundings at all times, the AirPods (3rd generation) is a solid pick for iPhone users, but if you plan to take plenty of flights or spend a lot of time on the subway, the AirPods Pro makes more sense for you.

While the AirPod Pro true wireless earbuds mark a serious upgrade over the original AirPods, there are plenty of other models to choose from. Apple-owned company Beats has a few options to choose from, like the Beats Powerbeats Pro and Beats Fit Pro. The Powerbeats Pro has an ear hook design that stays in place no matter what, and you get over 10 hours of battery life from a single charge. You can find it for $159 at Amazon. The Beats Fit Pro, on the other hand, is much more compact and has premium features like ANC and spatial audio with head tracking. You can get the Beats Fit Pro for $159 at Amazon.

If you want the best ANC that true wireless tech has to offer, pick up either the Sony WF-1000XM4 ($278 at Amazon) or Bose QuietComfort Earbuds ($169 at Amazon). Both of these earbuds essentially nullify low-frequency sound and have a custom EQ module in their respective apps (iOS/Android). You also get an IPX4 rating for either set of earbuds so you can work out in them without issue. There is also a newer version of the QC Earbuds, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, which does have better noise canceling in the sub-bass range, but a strange, very bassy frequency response. If you’re interested in that, you can find it for $249 at Amazon.

Google Pixel phone owners can pick up the Google Pixel Buds Pro, Google’s debut noise canceling earphones. These earbuds compare well against the first-gen AirPods Pro, but the sound quality isn’t as pleasing. Like Apple’s earbuds, you can’t EQ the Pixel Buds Pro from the Pixel Buds app (non-Google Android phone) or your Google Settings app (Google phone). Instead, you need to download a third-party EQ app to alter the sound. Still, we like the Pixel Buds Pro because it includes an IPX2-rated charging case and IPX4-rated earphones. You also get multipoint connectivity and Live Google Translate support (certain hardware/software required). You can get them for $199 at Amazon.

Additionally, they suffer all the drawbacks of wireless earbuds — like batteries that won’t last beyond a couple of years, tops. If you’re looking to make a wise investment in your audio, I’d caution you to look at something like the Bose QuietComfort 45 or Sony WH-1000XM5 before picking this up. Not only will the batteries in on- or over-ears last much longer than the tiny cells in true wireless earbuds, but they’ll also be much more durable and long-lasting. You can pick up the Bose QuietComfort 45 for $279 at Amazon or the Sony WH-1000XM5 for $387 at Amazon.

Samsung smartphone owners should cash in on the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2. With these earbuds, you can take advantage of Samsung Scalable Codec, Wireless PowerShare, and more. You can find it for $99 at Amazon. The new Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is also a great alternative for Samsung users, with Samsung Seamless Codec support, PowerShare and Qi charging, and Samsung 360 Audio, to name a few great features. For a more in-depth look, check out our comparison of the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and the Apple AirPods Pro here. You can pick up the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro for $179 at Amazon.