AirPods Pro 2: An Audiophile's Review!

Quinn of Snazzy Labs gives his review of AirPods Pro 2 from the perspective of an audiophile.

When we reviewed the original AirPods Pro back in 2019, we found the feature set good but the sound a bit lacking. After 3 years, Apple has finally released a successor. Is it better than the first generation AirPods Pro? Is it worth upgrading? How does it compare to the Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro and the Bose Quiet Comfort In-Ear II? All of this and more in the Snazzy Labs review of AirPods Pro 2.

[MikeHausheer]

Your reviews are so snazzy! But seriously, the organizational format in your scripts is second to none. You build a great story and always find practical details that are almost always overlooked by other reviewers or individuals researching products on their own. Anyway, thanks man! Wish we could hang out and nerd out! See you next time.

[evan]

I've flown on 5 flights since getting the pros 2 and the difference in ANC is insane. Also used on the London underground is significantly better at drowning out the train screeches. In fact, with music playing and your eyes closed, it's like you're not even on the tube at all!... except at peak time if someone's breathing down your neck...gotta wait for the pros 3 to cancel that out maybe

[johnjonas]

Two of the biggest small life improvements are: extra small tips, and being able to lower the volume of the tones used when connecting, changing noise cancelling modes, or low battery alerts which along with the longer battery life lets me sleep with them without waking up from a glaring low battery tone (the option is under under audio accessibility settings).

[chippsterstephens]

As a guy who does actual sound engineering, the 2nd gen is an order of magnitude better than the first gen, in sound quality, and I think it all mostly has to do with how they are vented.
The first gen I never could get to pass the seal test. And the more I tried, the more pressure seemed to build up, pushing them right back out.
This in turn made frequency response terrible for me, and anyone else that could not get a proper fit, I tried different tips, memory foams, different sizes…..nothing worked.
Oddly the 2nd gen, passed the seal test right off, first try, with the factory installed medium tips.
The frequency response is, as I said, an order of magnitude better.
Could not disagree more, well worth the upgrade price even if you own first gen. 
if you have issues with the seal test, on first gen, these will not. The low frequency extension alone is worth the upgrade price. Agree that the air is not present in either. Mids are a bit less harsh on the 2nd gen for me.
As far as soundstage, no earbud ever has blown me away, meh ok. And I have owned some very expensive ones.
and why I have main and near field monitors, that cost me as much as the car I drive….lol for real. They are the brutal truth, most could not stand to hear. But they are accurate.

And it’s pretty clear to me, they are flat out vented completely different, without a pressure buildup. Like gen 1, They fit better, they seal better, and this makes them sound way better. I am sure some dsp went on here and further tuning with sound quality, and it shows. 
Different venting Something no one is talking about. Yet I have read they are indeed vented differently.
Anyway it is Something to consider. Especially if the first gen would not pass the seal tests for you.

[aaronnnm]

This is the best review on YouTube. It has so much information that Apple nor other reviewers failed to detail.

Less thumping and better battery updating? Huge QOL improvement that I didn’t know before.

[thespeedlimit]

THANK YOU for addressing the "noise cancelling" vs "sound reduction" discrepancy that so many media outlets have totally missed. It is legitimately dangerous to recommend using non-NRR/SNR rated devices as hearing protection. As someone who went to a loud concert without proper protection and now suffers from mild tinnitus, I do not wish it on anyone, so seriously thank you again and if there is a way to support you financially (i.e. Patreon, Floatplane, etc.) I'm here for it :D

[baracktrump]

I finally took the plunge 2 months ago and purchased a set of Air Pods Pro's, once i got used to all of the settings features and controls, it went from "Phone Wallet Keys" to "Phone Wallet Keys AirPods", could not leave home without them, I'm 56, I grew up on 70s and 80s music, going back and revisiting old songs I liked in my youth, I heard sound and instruments I'd never heard before, amazing, then low and behold, Air Pods Pro 2 came out a month after i got my APP1s and after reading reviews on the APP2s, I had to devise a plan to justify spending another $250 on the APP2s, so I gave them to my boy and got myself the APP2s, very impressed with the sound quality improvements, I suggest to those old as I am, get you some APP2s and go back and listen to songs you used to listen to on you car stereo, cassette player, shoulder mounted boom box, LOL, just set back, pour a drink and listen and and smile at the new discoveries.

[chrisdib]

I love how your videos are made.

It's just... you, explaining your thoughts in a nice manner. No bias, unrelated topics, just everything you think about the product.

The mention of tunnelling is crazy. I was not expecting that and it really makes me wonder what Samsung did with the Galaxy Buds2 Pro (if they did anything).

[andrewedwards]

I like that you actually mention songs and reference the experience with the headphones. Awesome.

[christopherr]

Thank you for validating my $250 purchase

[mjp]

As a fellow Hi Fi enthusiast I appreciate your attention to the quality of the sound, thank you. I bought these on release date and agree with your thoughts. One surprise for me was the improvement the personal spatial audio delivers. I use Dirac with a 2.1 Genelec system and the Spatial audio delivers an EQ that significantly improves the focus and breadth of the soundstage in a very similar way.

[teh_hunterer]

You've really hit your stride lately. I find myself actively checking for your reviews now, when before I would just watch them if the algorithm happened to show them to me. That MacBook Air M2 review in particular was just fantastic.

[vmaros]

Got the AirPods Pro 2 3 days ago. My first ever pair of AirPods along with an iPhone 13 Pro (first iPhone too; long time android user). Coming from Samsung Galaxy Buds Plus, this is BIG improvement! Experiencing noise cancellation on in-ear earphones for the first time is a game changer to say the least. The way these work seamlessly with my other Apple devices is amazing. I'm just overwhelmed by the advancements I've been missing out on past few years and will slowly allow myself to delve in these Pro 2s sound and features.

[photonergy]

Great review. After watching your review I went for a demo session and it was night and day difference from the AirPods Pro gen 1 that I’ve been using for the last year. Bass is deeper and richer right off the bat. ANC is noticeably clearer and more transparent. Really liked the added volume control function. For me, the improvement on sound quality was enough for me to buy these on the spot.

[ErickKhan]

you're like the Patrick Bateman of headphones. the way you describe certain moments in songs is awesome 😂

[jackdominiak]

I've recently upgraded, they're brilliant the battery status is a huge winner for me and the adaptive noise cancellation is the only setting I use now, better sound than with ANC.
BTW your videos on audio equipment are always top notch and I always take note 👍🏻

[robsawalker]

Got my original Pros when they came out and absolutely loved them. Best all-round headphones I ever owned. The new ones shocked me at how good they sound, they are just better in every direction!

[saisrujan]

someone stole my airpods pro. now here I am watching your review to buy airpods pro 2 with usb-c. Thank god I didn't upgrade last year. Now one cable to charge them all.

[MysticRobC]

Much appreciation for the pressurization info around the 18:00 mark. I sometimes feel that way with the original Pros, but hearing that the new ones may improve that is fantastic news. No video I've watched since their release has mentioned anything about it. Thank you!

[LuisGuzman-tztv]

I immediately noticed the bass improvement when I first put them on. The overall sound profile has greatly improved. A truly worthy upgrade.