Apple's AirPods Pro 2 review: the BEST $249 you will spend on audio in 2022

👉🏻 This episode is brought to you by AudioQuest:
www.audioquest.com/page/aq-dr...
🎥 Camera: Olaf von Voss
🎬 Editor: John Darko
🕺🏻 Motion GFX: John Darko
💰 Ad segment: Jana Dagdagan
🛋 My listening room in 2022:
darko.audio/darkos-listening-...
🎵 Song IDs? Playlists of all music heard in this video - and other videos - can be found on PATREON: / johndarko
0:00 Intro
0:36 Backstory
3:40 What's new?
6:26 The power of H2
10:11 Side-by-side comparisons
13:04 Contextualisation
15:27 The best?
16:53 Prologue: Spatial Audio
19:57 What about that other TW IEM?
20:00 Outtakes
Apple AirPods Pro vs. Sony WF-1000XM4 (2021 video)
📺 darko.audio/2021/09/a-short-f...
Apple AirPods Pro 2
🛒 (US) amzn.to/3s4r2d7
🛒 (UK) amzn.to/3eF4lsP
Sony WF-1000XM4
🛒 (US) amzn.to/3yLD9iW
🛒 (UK) amzn.to/3S8FOKu
Dekoni Bulletz
🛒 (US) amzn.to/3gfST7y
🛒 (UK) amzn.to/3g7GAKh
What about EMF?
📖 www.reuters.com/article/factc...
#apple #airpodspro2 #airpodspro
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[@_Just_Some1]

Not an audiophile here but I bought a few years ago some B&W headphones, I saved the money and I loved them. Saved hard earned money again took the gamble of buying the AirPods Pro 2 as every review said they were outstanding and a true upgrade from the version 1. Man, glad I did, my B&W’s are now on the bay hoping to go to a new home.

[@randallsquires]

As I sit in a hotel room in NYC with Covid rather than mixing shows with the New York Philharmonic, I am going back and forth between the original and the version 2's. No contest, version 2 is far superior. Much more transparent. They really come in handy killing the sound of the fan on in the room too! I can hear it with the originals, but not the version 2's. Glad I grabbed them on my walk back from Lincoln center to my hotel.....

[@nicocastillo2099]

I’m listening to this through my newly bought airpods pro 2 while doing my morning run. Came from Sony’s over the ear headset, and on a utility-perspective, this easily checks the boxes of what I needed.

[@Returntotheworld]

Yeah just going to add my vote here. I had the original Pros and watched this review and I’m so used to the hype letting me down but OMG the bass in these is uncanny. Night and day. I’m very impressed!

[@dylnz]

incredible feeling watching Darko reviewing Airpods Pro 2 with my Airpods Pro 2 in a crowded bar, silently 🫠

[@sam_9228]

Lmao same

[@bdmenne]

@@sam_9228samesies

[@nicolazanasi2982]

This is by far the best AirPods Pro #2 review I’ve seen so far. Thanks a lot for sharing

[@WhiteBoardFinance]

I was at a PACKED restaurant last night and the anc was incredible. I turned on transparency mode and couldn’t believe how loud it was.

[@clercfred]

Thanks for doing this!! Audiophile are also audio consumers at the end of the day and we are not always in our listening room, so testing these types of audio products is really valuable!

[@shawntoronto7967]

Great review as always. Since setting up a 7.4.2 atmos system over COVID I have found myself listening to music more then ever. The best part has been discovering new music - and rediscovering older favourites as albums get remastered into the format. It’s made music and active listening an even bigger part of my life.

[@neil3048]

Just purchased some today John. I was a little concerned because many of the reviews don’t make much of the sound improvement. Some even saying that they couldn’t really tell of any improvement at all. I got them a couple of hours before I saw you’re review and glad to say you’re on the same page as me. The sound improvement is massive, they sound wonderful. Lots more bass but not at all boomy. Great instrument separation and unlike you I think the vocal is quite forward. Absolutely love them. Keep up the good work John.

[@stevevlahos5469]

Thanks John. One of my favorite channels for all things audio.

[@dudemastermaster8944]

The biggest difference I noticed between AirPod pro 2 vs normal Aidpods are it feels as if the AirPods Pro 2 sounds as if it has inbuild subwoofer; holy smokes it’s so much and deep bass!

[@Killyang]

I can really appreciate the outtakes at the end being a content creator myself, it is truly an art to be able to record yourself speaking without losing your train of thought or stutter. Excellent review by the way!

[@Robert.Dickson]

Saw this review a few months ago and decided to wait until the latest ones were released last week. Only the usb-c charging was added. I’ve had the original AirPods Pro for about 18 months and the difference the new ones made was instantly better. The bass being the big winner, but also as mentioned, the snappier connectivity between different devices. Definitely worth buying. Thanks for the review and free content.

[@chewingcheung]

Thank you for the Ad break piece inside the video. It makes the ad breaks slightly better.

[@mbuter2553]

Nice review! Thanks for the tip about the Dolby atmos talking heads album. Really sounds amazing 👍🏻

[@thismarkp]

Lovin the outtakes 😂

[@One_Guy]

the Airpods Pro 2 have a place in my collection for sure! the ANC on them is mind blowing and the transparency mode is so convenient

[@Elsteck]

Got them last week, it is great to know they have your blessing

[@toneslotohnz4540]

Nicely detailed review, as always. And thanks for the "Heads up" on the Head's spatial audio release!

[@thecapone45]

16:45 Yeah so glad you reviewed these. First video of yours I’ve ever seen. Very well rounded and honest review. Awesome work.

[@michelecosimosantoro9456]

Congratulations! Amazing and very detailed video

[@michaelruss9604]

Thanks for the review John! Just picked up a pair and they are fantastic

[@thomosburn8740]

I've had 5.1 audio at home for nearly 20 years. It's not that hard to set up! 5 matching full-range speakers and a sub with an adjustable low-pass filter. Plus, of course, a high-current receiver. I did have the foresight to buy anything I was even the slightest bit likely to ever listen to when it was reissued on DAD, dts-cd, DVD-A, SACD or blu-ray in surround. Some discs I owned for a few years before I was ready to listen to them. That Talking Heads brick, the Steven Wilson remixed prog-rock and XTC discs, more recently the Beatles boxed sets have all heightened my interest in the technology.

[@sunny27jan]

So much excited to get one for me. Arriving tomorrow ❤

[@johnnyhickman6798]

Fabulous to see this type of review.

[@MoominBoomin]

Bought then 2 months ago (Pros 2 USB C) for 180$ and here are my thoughts what I drive: Airpods gen 1 + HD 6xx's I never really thought ANC would be good, and if im being honest I never really understood them. when I saw these go on sale, having an iPhone I said what the hell and pulled the trigger on these earbuds. Blown away at the sound quality difference and the significant bump up in bass. It is ridiculous. The comfort level with seal is excellent, and even though I wasn't big in the in ear fit, it doesn't budge when I go running. Cleaning my ears religiously to prevent the yellowing of the buds, and honestly whats worked for me so far is wipping the tips with my shirt to keep it from creating a build up. would highly recommend these buds if you have the regular airpods, it really is that much better

[@paultownsend3696]

I am really liking the b-roll music on this video. As always, great output.

[@alifpr]

I stumbled this video and I gotta say I like the way you review them, new subscriber!

[@alessiomencaroni9879]

Super good video, as always. I have AirPods Pro 2 too, and I am quite happy with it. I only have a complaint, I wonder if you have it too. The case battery drains fast, much faster than expected. I would never be able to obtain 30 hours listening through a single charge… in particular, case battery drains when not used. When it charges drained headphones they drain at a normal rate. Thanks

[@philf_]

I wasn’t planning on upgrading from AirPods Pro gen 1 until I heard about the audio improvements. When the gen 2 went on sale during Prime Day, I used my credit card points to purchase them. You’re review of its audio improvements are spot on. I noticed the bass improvements immediately. I experienced a “wow” moment! I also agree with your comments on Spatial audio. It is still too inconsistent for me to enable it. And I was hoping to love it.

Many will not understand how great spatial audio really is. If you have Apple TV you will understand it though. Some people invest a lot of money in their own home movie theater setup. No point in doing that if you got spatial audio as Airpods have. It's a next-level thing.

[@wkapteijn]

John your videos are getting miles better, and your acting too, with ever new posting. ❤ Really hope you may be able to review the Kef Mu7

[@fhaquuu]

I personally love the AirPods due to transparency mode. At the gym, riding a bike, running, you can hear what’s going on with a podcast or music perfectly mixed into the ambient noise. It’s amazingly useful for day to day

[@gamesessions]

Very interesting to hear your take on spatial audio at the end. I’ve always been interested in the surround sound mixes for albums, but not so much to steer the sound around my head, but to hear the extra layers of separation that the remixing process ultimately provides. Quite often, in fact, I’d take a surround mix then down-mix it back to stereo, so that I could listen on my headphones and it sounds phenomenal. Really hope this takes off in some way that headphone enthusiasts like myself can easily access it, as I’d love everyone to be able to hear what I hear, without having to do all the down-mixing process. Great video as always, thank you 😊

[@mateuszkolodziejski5525]

Love this channel and your videos. Top notch content!

[@jimbaker4942]

Hi John, first time finding your video. What a nice thing to watch and listen to. Not to be creepy, but the sound, look and content is just spot on. Like a great cup of tea; comforting and uplifting. Will be subscribing.

[@eleventhvolume9362]

I waited for the v2 and am very glad I did. My son lent me the v1 and also the XM4s. I really didn't like the usability of the Sonys (hated the touch controls and their size) and wasn't that keen on the sound either. Glad to see you talk about the spatial audio experience. I also love the Talking Heads 3d mixes, but I think the Kraftwerk Catalogue 3-D is exemplary. Agree about the separation being the primary advantage of spatial, but there's something else as well, something, er, airier about the sound. V. minor point, as an Apple Watch user, you could have mentioned the admirable integration there, with volume controlled with the crown and being able to see the track title, progress, etc. without digging out the phone.

[@simontate7346]

Hi - which do use more, wireless IEM’s or wireless over ears like the recent B&W?

[@anaymakan6989]

Used to own the AirPods Pro 1st gen but sold them because I wanted to try bang and Olufsen hx headphones. I love them but find them hard to use as they are big to carry and can’t always bring them everywhere I go so I’m back to needing a pair of earphones that can slide in my pocket. Split between these and the QC earbuds 2 from Bose. Leaning towards the AirPods as most of my devices are apple and the U1 chip makes it super convenient to find. I have Apple Watch and magsafe chargers. So super tempted

[@williambracken9339]

Yep, glad you did this. As a member of your audience, I actually prefer content driven by your own curiosity.

[@RobertoSoma]

Thanks for the review Darko! I have AirPods Pro originals, and thinking about upgrade to 2´s . Waiting the APP2 last months for a potential upgrade to lossless audio through a new protocol... and now thinking if it's enough sound quality upgrade between 1 and 2´s. One last thing it's the inclusion of Bluetooth 5.3 in the AirPods Pro 2, iPhone 14 and Apple Watch 8. Did you see any difference or test it? Could It be part of future plan to unlock some quality upgrade through software?

[@FirstNameLastName-tb3rm]

I’ve been waiting for this video. You’re the first review I’ve seen that talked about potential sound quality improvements. I have the 1st gen. I am very much all in the Apple ecosystem. I’ve been trying to decide if I should get the gen 2 or wait for gen 3. I already love my gen 1’s. I have a job where I sit at a computer and listen to music all day. Side note, thank you for talking about music too in your videos. Just wanted to say thank you for doing this video. Makes my decision easy. Buy the gen 2 and give gen 1 to my daughter. 😂 cheers!

[@LesserpandaDE]

How do you keep your music library synced with all those streaming services or do you even care to do so?

[@IgorPadalko]

There is a much better way to extract the AirPods from the case. Instead of pulling them up just twist them in place towards you. They will pop up into your hands. The sitting positions are specifically designed this way. :)

[@brutallyremastered4255]

I throw mine violently at any wall.

[@BoywithLoveeee]

I literally just received it, tried it on and my mind was just blowed away with how good it is (coming from a gen 1). The anc is phenomenal yet scary at the same time. I’m so happy to upgrade from AirPods gen1 to AirPods Pro 2.

[@leslie6650]

To make the voice louder or to your liking & make these headphones perfect you can go to ‘Settings > Accessibility > Audio/Visual > Headphone Accommodations, then turn on Headphone Accommodations’

[@nasaspacemanwho6711]

Love the hoodie colour. Yep iv got some good iems and had the sonys as well. But the convenience of using the ipod pros even over my bose q35s just nudges the ipods ahead for me. Flight I did a few weeks back I just took my pros with me. Normally its always been the bose. I'm at that point in life when I just want things to work and be less hassle.

[@ameliachan5117]

Thanks for your informative videos! I can’t find the video where you talk about the best IEM’s that’s better than the iPods?

[@rotaks1]

Great episode! I ordered a pair after your review. Looking forward to Talking Heads Spatial Audio!

[@szabiakanich]

Love the outtakes. You should include some more often :)

[@themoonman-4]

Thanks for the great review, well done! Love the music, have beats fit pro and love them other than the tips which I am gonna take your tip on, thanks again! Now off to listen to the talking heads!

[@KamilleN16]

excited for this one and the next video! cant wait

[@ebaysnipa]

Great music selection 👍🏽

[@mariolapazan]

Cool Video , love the end when you show how hard is for us and how many mistakes we do 😅, love it the review

[@kennomos4220]

Thanks John... I really appreciate that you're bringing audiophile sensibilities into the real world. Your insights into bluetooth earphones are extremely helpful. Your down to earth approach to all these things has helped me come out of the closet as an audiophile! Respect.

[@GBSamson]

You mention the newest release of the entire catalog of the Talking Heads all in spatial audio. I’m interested but can’t seem to find it. What’s it called and where do I find it?

[@beefsflat7426]

Just bought some yesterday. Sound awesome generally. In testing plexamp apple music and roon/roon arc on iphone 11 pro i found the sound quality was stunning and best to me with arc qobuz and allowed me to hear the subtle differences between lossy, lossless 16 then 24 bit versions. The seal testing feature showed i needed the large ear tips and the sound comfort usability and apple ecosystem integration and noise cancellation and transparency mode all mean i listen to more better sounding music than on my sony 1000 over ear mk3, and audeze isine 10. I sold my audeze lcdx which were great but i used the sony more. airpod pro 2 is better than all those for my needs.

[@Fartblaster]

Dear John, i have the original set of airpod pros and something i noticed when the spacial audio stuff rolled out, the layer separation inside the tracks i was playing was incredible. Setting it to the flat setting (not phone position determined) makes these absolutely come alive. Absolutely ridiculous dsp filtering which turn any good source (qobuz) of music into something breathtaking.

[@calvinkhor7949]

Love the outtakes 😅

[@29kalel]

This video is correct. The 1st gens were good but the second gen’s are insane.

[@liamporter1137]

Great review. Thanks for sharing. Can't wait for your next review about a better Bluetooth earphones.

[@Strigity]

Fantastic review! Also, you have good taste in music 👍 keep them coming

[@svmrapper9959]

ONCE AND FOR ALL CAN YOU TELL WHICH ARE THE BEST SOUNDING TRUE WIRELESS EARBUDS , SOLELY BASED ON SOUND QUALITY

[@BrentWatkinsMusic]

I love your real-world reviews of popular products. You produce some of the most useful videos for audio enthusiasts. The only problem is now I need to figure out how to afford upgrading to 2nd gen. I especially like your take on spatial audio, something I've fallen headlong into, though I prefer the full home theater experience to the binaural "lite" version.

[@DominikZalewski85]

Totally agreed. I upgrade to v2 and I love all the settle changes especially the bass. I was really hoping H2 chip will introduce true lossless over BT but I think it will take them another year or two to get it to the market.

[@razor.premium]

Darko! Awesome job bro! Keep rocking 😎🤙🏼 I just wonder, any thoughts on the 2023 usb-c version of the apple EarPods?

[@shuckylad]

They are very good, I’m currently on holiday and enjoying them immensely.

[@ecko80911]

great review, thank you Sir.

[@twofiveone9433]

Hi there! Is there any chance to get a review like that about the Sony Linkbuds S? I really enjoy your videos and wuld like to hear your opinion about those.

[@sleepyrhythms6668]

Azla Crystal tips are probably the best third party tips for AirPods. I love mine I got for the WF-1000xm4.

[@christopherjohnson9001]

Thanks John for the review and comparison. I really appreciate your use cases and how those drive your opinion rather than a exclusively focusing on the technical albeit subjective comparison alone. This context is critical for me. Great job!

[@RbNetEngr]

Thanks for another honest review. There have been many positive reviews posted for the AirPods Pro 2, but yours is more appreciated because you approach your reviews from both a functionality as well as an audiophile point of view. One minor correction - when you say that Apple Music Spatial Audio is a great combination for Apple Music users with Apple AirPods devices, this is only partially correct. The advantage that Apple AirPods devices have with Spatial Audio is that you can set your iOS device on Automatic Mode for Dolby Atmos and the AirPods chip will detect when a track is using Dolby Atmos (Spatial Audio) and turn the feature on. However, if you just turn on Dolby Atmos all the time, you can use the feature with ANY headphone, and it will still use Dolby Atmos when the music track is encoded with it. I do this all the time with my 7Hz Timeless IEMs (combined with an Audioquest Cobalt DAC) and the sound quality, as you said, is just outstanding. Thanks for the tip on Talking Heads...I'm going to check out those new Spatial Audio recordings now. BTW, most, if not all, of the Beatles catalog is also available with Spatial Audio in Apple Music, and it also sounds outstanding.

[@RVDL]

Thanks Mr. Darko for this review, I always look forward to your video's.

[@RVDL]

And also for pointing out Talking Heads. I wasn't familiar with their music.

[@nathansantos.n8]

my short stint with spatial audio, it just sounded like they slapped a very mild reverb to the master track. felt artificially wider and i didn’t really like how it sounded with the faux separation

[@stephencosta6814]

❤❤Great review John you’re pretty good at this stuff it seems so natural the way you talk about everything and I love your scenes and your b rolls and not let’s forget about your close-up shots Which are fantastic❤

[@jonathanholmes3429]

Great review John...🙂

[@ScowlerJase]

The biggest takeaway from this video was learning that Talking Heads spatial mixes are available now !!! My all time greatest band too! They should notify us of such things !!!! ❤

[@rikardekvall3433]

Great John. Do like your attitude to what you do on YT. Do you have any sound issues when making a call and the beard snuggles with the Pro’s tip?

[@lunarlight1]

im just looking forward to the upcoming mission review. theyre good looking speakers.

[@Andyhandle]

Excellent review. And great to hear someone who knows pointing out that codecs aren't the key factor in audio quality (as I found, very much to my surprise). And as well as the audio quality, there are a lot of other features including comfort, pocketability, call quality, transparency and ANC that I look for in wireless earbuds/headphones. Love the cliff hanger!

[@thieveslikeus1985]

I can’t believe how far these type of earbuds have come so now I get decent audio quality even when I’m at the gym. The Bose ear tips fit my ears best so I’m keen to see how their #2 compare to their Sony and Apple rivals.

[@mchlnhs]

The best thing the Atmos mixes give you is dynamic range imo. Drums often sound so much better..

[@bryanb.8217]

Did you try the settings>accessibility >audio/visual >headphone accommodation settings it’s different than eq

[@TorToroPorco]

John deserves a special mention for using the phrase "pantybunch" in a review. I'm pretty sure that much of John's appeal for me are his unique euphemisms and vocabulary.

[@Blacksmith574]

Listening to this on my Air Pods Pro 2

[@JeanYvesBouguet]

Same here 😂

[@universemediallc]

This video looks amazing! I'd love to see your lighting setup....

[@carlosgillespie]

Comply tips improved the bass quality for me in APP2s. Slightly more sub-bass and more vibrant low and mids.

[@harrymoss5434]

Did they improve the noise cancelling or passive noise cancellation with a better fit?

[@cecilereyna]

Your opinion is the only one I take in consideration. We have many reviewers out there that focus on the average user experience, which is fine, but earbuds and headphones are audio products after all. I appreciate you take the time to review popular products that are not targeted for audiophiles since nowadays, even audiophiles need them due to convenience. Thank you Darko, if I have to buy wireless earbuds I would buy the ones that affect the audio the least.

[@lkibbler]

Thank you so much for reminding me of how incredibly great The Talking Heads were. I was totally into punk like the Dead Kennedys and X and the Circle Jerks and for some reason DJ’s put the Heads into the same category. All I can say is David and company pulled me up up up up up up out of punk and I think they were the first to make being a nerd or geek cool. I am currently enjoying them on Apple Music AirPlayed to my wiim mini then optically fed to my topping dx3 pro+ and finally out through my trusty HD6 xx’s. Wow to be a headphone hobbyist you really have to be a nerd!

[@thanu2368]

3:36 How did you Manage the low mic quality? My Friends hate it when i use my Gen 1. AirPods Pro. To Call them

[@soulfulserenitybeats]

I have the 1st gen PRO Version from day one. I really like them but what I dont like is the battery. All the tech works but the battery keeps getting lower and lower. It’s so sad that there is not really an easy way to replace the battery. For me I think it’s the last wireless earphones. I will keep them until they die, but i bought now some IEMs so I hope that they will not fail or anything and last 10 years or more.

[@maximes4428]

I have both xm4 and airpods pro 2 as an android user, and everything you said about them, I agree. You were spot on.

[@ibrahimsincap3705]

Is it good for Android users or should i go for a Momentum True Wireless 3?

[@maximes4428]

@@ibrahimsincap3705 Yes it's very usable. The ONLY thing you should do is pair them with an iphone and add "Off" in sound modes so you get ANC, ambient, and off. You can cycle through the modes, play pause, volume up/down... there are apps to see the battery and get the popup...

[@bpatterson1972]

Hello John , always enjoy your videos, just for information, I have the new Pixel 7 phone and the Pixel Buds Pro IEM , when I was setting them up. Google has an ear sealing test. So I find Buds to very clean and good low end. The sound cancelling works well and the transparent mode is on par with Apple.

[@69Muscle]

I just received my new AirPods Pro 2’s. I was skeptical that they would live up to the hype and reviews. Wow. These are awesome. They are truly awesome. The noise cancellation is superb and the sound is excellent. I was really surprised how good the Bass is. Truly spectacular product.

[@julienbouillot6960]

Any thought on the ambient noise on the microphone when outside on a noisy urban environment?

[@clintonlyon4830]

Now that HDR10 + was just announced today for the upcoming Apple TV 4K will you be checking this out for your Samsung TV ?

[@pauljordan3828]

Great review and so glad to hear the talking heads albums in spacial audio !!! Bonobo,s fragments album sound great on the new gen 2 also

[@bfourney]

Listening to this on my airpod pro 2s

[@paulomunozartavia2282]

Me too! I am honestly surprised that they deliver so much for a non-audiophile product

[@oldandslow8994]

Are they using something different type of Bluetooth? Can connect them to Pc anymore. They connect but no sound.

[@marcbungener1877]

you forgot to mention that people on the other hear you much better than before, my 93 old mother could never hear me well with gen 1 and now she says it’s fine… Agree that both noise cancelling and music playback have been greatly improved. In fact I would never use gen 1 for music because they were not good enough for me while now I think it is fine. Thank you for the review