The second-gen AirPods lack the active noise cancellation of higher-end models but still deliver solid sound quality and good battery life — up to five hours and a few charges with the included case. The biggest benefit is available to Apple users, as the H1 chipset allows you to connect in seconds and switch quickly between an iPhone, iPad and MacBook. The biggest difference with the latest third-gen AirPods is improved comfort for more users in the latter model.
The AirPods Pro, they’re Apple’s best-sounding earbuds, offering great clarity, refined bass tones and Apple’s spatial Dolby Atmos audio. The active noise cancellation (ANC) is highly effective, blocking enough noise that you don’t have to crank up the sound excessively. Battery life is also solid, with up to 4.5 hours on a charge with ANC turned on. Other features include a transparency mode so you can talk to others, touch controls, and the ability to switch quickly between Apple devices.
You can choose, Apple’s AirPods Max headphones in the Sky Blue color (shown above). If you’re good with that, they offer excellent balanced sound, very effective active noise cancellation and on-board controls. You’ll also get benefits in the Apple ecosystem like simple pairing and spatial audio. They also deliver solid battery life.