AirPods Pro 2 - long-term review

In this video, I take a long-term look at the AirPods Pro 2 and evaluate their performance over time. I discuss their features, sound quality, and overall user experience. Don't forget to subscribe for more headphone reviews!

GET A PEEK BEHIND THE SCENES: 

JOIN MY SUBSTACK

JOIN MY FREE MEDIUM WEBINARS

JOIN THE MEDIUM ACADEMY

BECOME A PATRON (IF YOU’RE NOT ALREADY)!

FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA

SOME OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some of the links below will direct you to the Amazon website.

MY FREE ONLINE COURSES

LISTEN TO THE EIGHT OR SIXTEEN PODCAST

READ ME

HIRE ME!

WHAT IS THIS CHANNEL ALL ABOUT?
I have zero interest in deep spec dives or long-winded comparisons. I review laptops, smartphones, tablets, headphones and the latest tech based on real experience. I'll tell you how it'll make you feel, whether or not it's worth your time (and money) and help you find the tech you need to get stuff done.

WHO AM I?
I'm a UK-based freelance marketer and broke free of a regular job many years ago. Watch my videos to find the tech you need, without the jargon.

GET IN TOUCH

Oh, and some of the links in this description are affiliate links from which I earn a small commission!

CHAPTERS
00:00 - Intro
00:50 - Casekoo
02:12 - Sound
03:44 - Noise cancelling and transparency
05:08 - Convenience
07:02 - The competition
08:10 - Inevitable conclusion

[MarkEllisReviews]

Hands up if you're rocking a pair of AirPods Pro 2. Are you happy with them?

[ben.harnwell]

I got the pro 2 for Christmas last year. I do not regret. So good and the noise canceling helps so much for office work, the sound is brilliant and taking calls is second to none. Very impressed!

[russ_edmonds]

Finally upgraded a couple of weeks ago from a pair of 1st gen (which my son was VERY happy to inherit) and I am incredibly impressed so far. Sound quality is markedly improved and I can’t get my head round the fact that in transparency mode I am actually still wearing them!

I agree with the lighting vs usb c comments, but tend to charge mine via MagSafe, so no big deal with this, although lightning charging is one of the 3 reasons I haven’t invested in a pair of AirPods Max yet (the weird bra thing and the lack of on/off being the other 2).

I cannot recommend a pair of AirPods Pro 2 enough, love ‘em!!

[robsawalker]

Totally agree, Mark. I put my Pro 2's in the washing machine yesterday by accident, and only realised after about half an hour. I fished them out and let them dry and... they're fine! At least, so far they are. They are charging fine both wirelessly and by cable, and the buds are charging and everything works, thank God! They are the best all-round headphones I have ever owned.

[jonnymarkbeadle]

I got everything I was hoping for with the AirPods Pro 2. They are such a good product that I struggle to think of what could be improved in version 3. The only thing that I hope can be improved is their performance in windy conditions, where they accentuate the whoosh of the wind noise if they are in transparency or noise cancelling mode. 

This is something that the 1st gen didn't suffer from because the microphone for analysing sound was in the inside edge of the AirPod next to the inside of your ear. It was much less prone to wind getting near it, but this meant the vent could get clogged with oily ear gunk which could compromise the sound quality over time.

So, they moved the microphone to the outside, but this means the wind can get to it easily. It's not an easy problem to fix, but perhaps they can do something in software (as B&O recently did with an update for the EX) to mitigate the problem.

[jatarvisharris]

I’ve had my AirPods Gen 2 for 2 years now and I absolutely love them. 9/10 would recommend

[ConradMurkitt]

I wasn’t going to get a pair and then I got £250 from work for some overtime I had done. So I’d decided to buy them as they were essentially free. So very impressed by them. I was in London recently and using them was like in the latest ad from Apple. It really did feel like walking in silence around the busy London streets and around Covent Garden.

[anarchodandyist]

Had a pair of APP1 for a year and decided to upgrade as I thought there was enough to warrant it and I wanted new shiny. They did not disappoint. Doing a bit of A/B and you can tell the difference for sure.

Video was on point. Good stuff Mark. 👍

[Lee_K_]

I bought a pair of AirPods Pro 2 to replace the 1s that I had owned for a year (both Mark Ellis influenced purchases) and I remember being stunned when I first listened to the 2s with my reference songs. The improvement was shocking. My son and wife looked at the expressions on my face and asked what was wrong. It really is remarkable.

Nits: My ears still fail the fit test more often than not, and I've tried every tip size as well as aftermarket memory foam tips. I've just resigned myself to an imperfect fit, at least according to the test. I think the Lightning charging port is related to the fact that all modern iPhones are still using that system. When Apple finally makes the move to USB-C, I think everything else will flow.

[tgamstudio]

I got my 2s a few days ago and am very excited. Unlike my first pair, bought three years ago, these fit perfectly. The sound is incredible, better than the AirPods Max, I think. All in all, great. The only thing I can't really get to grips with is the swipe gesture volume control.

[NaqqashLatif]

The connectivity on this thing is super quick, and also being able to see battery % of the case without opening them is nice touch!

[dwn]

Just bought a pair of these today after living with Sony XF1000 XM3's for a few years and seemingly in an eternal loop of difficult/dropping BT connectivity. The Sony's sound great, are instinctive to operate and last for an age, but after 2 hours with the AirPod Pro 2's I'm already a convert in terms of sound, transparency, noise cancellation and most of all, slick convenience of the eco system.

[legendpete]

Totally agree with your review. Had mine for a couple of months, sound quality is brilliant and the noise cancelling is amazing when cooking and you have pans and extractor fans going. Couple of issues I had, when I first got them the and I would do the open lid thing close to phone to check battery I kept getting the ‘not your AirPods’ msg. But I would take the airpods out of the case and they would connect as my airpods. The issue seems to have resolved itself now. Also when you drop the case, the case opens and sends the airpods flying every time. And I saw someone else’s do the same, so perhaps the hinge could be a bit more sturdy! Just small gripes though, overall brilliant.

[CoolTies]

Have had mine over a year when they started to act up. Not connecting right away or dropping connection throughout switching from YouTube videos. Turned out it was the Comply foam ear tips I was using. Switched back to the original ear tips and they worked perfectly again.

[vegitoblue]

I have a Mac but not an iPhone can I access the settings of the pods with it?

[suprxmefire]

I have a feeling these AirPods are gonna sound very similar or better then the soundcore liberty 3 pro. Those were my dream earbuds when they dropped. I currently have a soundcore pair of earbuds but the audio cutting out and battery life are the reason I’m saving up for these AirPods Pro 2.

[fiddlix]

I’ve had my AirPods Pro 2 for as long as you have had yours. It turned out to be my best purchase. These things are insanely good. Great review sir. Thank you.

[anthonys]

Perfect review. I agree RE USBC. This version (I also had version 1) haven't fixed my Mac not being able to auto pair to the AP2s even though I think I have all the setting sets correctly. For me AirPods are one of the best products they have made in years.

[kyttraus]

Just ordered one, gave away my pro 1, using airpods 3 for 2 months but now I've got a deal with 18 months installments so...😁

[christopherhibbs]

I actually left them i my jeans and washed them 🙄 but a couple of days of drying out they still work perfectly 😎