This past week Christmas came early. My Air Pods Pro that I’d ordered a few weeks ago came to my local Apple Store Tuesday for me to pick up. This has been an extremely busy week for me at school so I did not get to test them out until Thursday afternoon. I’m sure all of the tech people out there that have their own pair of these have already read their share of reviews about them...as have I. This blog post is my attempt to review them...not so much for the reader...but for me...as I begin to figure out how this amazing piece of technology will fit into my life. I also want to talk briefly about what I intend to do with my “first gen” Air Pods.Here’s a pick of the new case...
It’s a slightly thicker, “landscape” version of the “first gen” portrait case. I have no preference between the two as both fit in my front pockets just fine.Like everyone else that gets these...I ran the “Ear Tip Fit Test” and initially thought that the medium tips would fit fine. The left ear showed a good seal while the right ear was prompting me to adjust or consider another tip. My completion-ist mindset was set into motion so I took the medium tips off (which is a bit tricky because you think you’re going to rip them and break the device) and put the large tips on...I do have a set of big ears so I thought this was not out of the ordinary. Again...the left ear fit fine and the right ear was being picky. Ok...I know my ears are not 100% symmetrical but what could I have been doing wrong with that right ear? This morning...after a walk on the treadmill where I must have run the fit test a 1/2 dozen times I decided to look a little more closely at one of the Air Pods Pro.
Note that the hole in the tip is vertical. It was as I noticed this that I had an “a-ha” moment...I should be inserting the Air Pods Pro into my ear so that the vertical hole is...well...vertical as it enters my ear! Voila! Success! I did it! I have run the fit test twice since coming to this conclusion and have received a “Good Seal” on both ears! Author’s note: My PhD is not in audio technology or common sense!Over the last few days I have used the Air Pods Pro mainly to listen to podcasts...which sound great...my meditation app...again...sounds great! I have played around with the Noise Cancellation and Transparency modes and believe me when I tell you...there is a HUGE difference in both. I’m listening with Noise Cancellation on to Pink Noise on the Dark Noise app right now about 20 feet away from our Wash room. The dryer is running and the only thing I can hear...faintly mind you...is the metal button to my jeans occasionally hitting the sides of the machine...and I have the volume well below 1/2. Also...I am typing this blog post on the iPad Pro’s keyboard and can barely hear the keystrokes. I’ve tested Transparency mode while on a walk...doing chores around the house...and on the treadmill and the background noise it brings in is interestingly amplified.One of the big concerns with upgrading to a piece of technology like this is...in this case...what to do with the “first gen” Air Pods? I think I have figured out a use case for them...until they finally die. I Skype with my parents on the weekends so...the “first gen” Air Pods are going to be my Skype-Pods! I will charge them up once a week so that they are ready when I need them. Currently an hour long Skype video call drains both “first gen” Air Pods almost to 0% when starting with a full charge. That seems crazy to me but hey...that’s one hour a week less that I am using the Air Pods Pro which should prolong their life!