Apple Releases AirPods Pro with Active Noise Cancellation and Adaptive EQ for $249

AirPods Pro Credit: Apple
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Apple has officially released its highly-anticipated AirPods Pro featuring active noise cancellation and improved water resistance.

As expected, the new AirPods Pro feature an entirely new in-ear design that provides better passive noise isolation, which allows for Apple’s new Active Noise Cancellation implementation. This delivers what Apple promises is “superior, immersive sound” while still retaining the same comfortable lightweight fit as the standard AirPods.

AirPods Pro are designed to fit more comfortably in the ears than the prior model — welcome news for those with larger or more unusually shaped ears who find Apple’s current AirPods to be awkward — and will include three different sizes of soft flexible silicone ear tips so that each user should be able to get an optimal fit, as well as ensuring a good seal for proper bass and noise isolation.

Apple also notes that it has included an “innovative vent system” that will help to equalize pressure and make wearing the AirPods Pro more comfortable than most other in-ear headphones.

There’s also an “Ear Tip Fit Test” mode that will help ensure users get the best audio experience by testing the quality of the seal and identifying the appropriate ear tip size that they should use.

[Get AirPods Pro on Amazon Here.]

Active Noise Cancellation

As expected, the marquee feature of the new AirPods Pro is Active Noise Cancellation, which uses two microphones and advanced software design to not only filter and cancel out external noise, but also adapt the noise cancellation to each individual ear and headphone fit.

As Apple explains, an outward-facing microphone detects external sound to analyze environmental noise, while an inward-facing microphone listens in toward the ear. This is all analyzed by the AirPods Pro firmware to continuously adapt the sound signal 200 times each second.

Apple has also added a new feature to the AirPods Pro that promises to automatically tune lower and mid-range frequencies of the music to the shape of each person’s individual ear, creating an ideal listening experience that will be customized for each user.

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As with many headphones that include ANC, AirPods Pro will also offer a “transparency mode” that will allow users to listen to music while still hearing what’s going on around them. More than simply switching off ANC entirely, the transparency mode takes advantage of the pressure-equalizing vent system and ANC microphones to adjust the noise cancellation appropriately so that music can still be heard without blocking out the outside environment entirely.

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A force sensor on the AirPods Pro allows users to switch between full ANC and Transparency modes, as well as controlling playback and answering calls. The volume slider in iOS 13 has also been enhanced to offer controls and sliders for ANC and transparency right from the Control Center.

  1. Apple is promising that the AirPods Pro will be able to deliver the same battery life as the current second-gen AirPods — up to five hours of listening time — although with ANC on, that wil drop to 4.5 hours.
  2. Additional charges from the Wireless Charging Case will offer over 24 hours of listening time or over 18 hours of talk time.

As implied by the name, Apple’s new AirPods Pro are a premium version of the true wireless earbuds that will be sold alongside the second-generation AirPods released earlier this year. The AirPods Pro incorporates the same H1 wireless chip that provides support for “Hey Siri” as well as intuitive set up and pairing experience with an iPhone or other Apple device such as an iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, or iPod touch.

AirPods Pro are available to order starting today and will be arriving in stores this Wednesday, October 30th. Despite many rumours that the AirPods would be coming in multiple colours, it seems that Apple is sticking with the classic white — at least for now.

You can order Apple’s AirPods Pro on Amazon here. We may earn a commission from products you purchase using our links.

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