Apple AirPods Pro 2 (left) and the nearly identical looking Pro 3 (right)
Amazon Prime Days are here, and one of the more intriguing deals on offer is a set of Apple AirPods Pro 2 for just $169.99. That's down from a normal price of $249.00. Or at least that used to be the price before Apple launched the AirPods Pro 3 last month and stopped selling the AirPods Pro 2 directly.
All the same, if you're a fan of AirPods, you're now left with a choice – buy the AirPods Pro 2 at a steep discount, or pay full price for the AirPods Pro 3. So you might be wondering if Apple's new AirPods are worth the upgrade. I've had the AirPods Pro 2 for about 18 months, and I've been testing the AirPods Pro 3 intensively for two weeks, including on my bike, on an airplane (four times), and at home.
Let me be clear: The AirPods Pro 3 are excellent in every way. Sound quality is even and fairly well balanced, though it skews more to the bass than I would prefer. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is outstanding, drowning out basically everything. Even if someone is standing next to you talking, you won't hear them. We pitted them against the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 earbuds – the kings of ANC – and they compared favorably. Even transparency mode is top-notch, though I detect a slight hiss that wasn't present in the previous generation.
But here's the thing: The AirPods Pro 2 are also very good in every way. You get basically the same sound profile as you do in the AirPods Pro 3, with the same annoying limitation from iOS – no equalizer in the settings. Beyond that, ANC is excellent, and transparency mode is a little better. Another minor difference is the lack of a Bluetooth pairing button on the back of the AirPods Pro 3 case. Instead, you need to double-tap on the front of the case. Like I said – minor.
Both sets of earbuds get Apple's new hearing health features, like running hearing tests and using them as hearing aids. Apple found my hearing loss was extremely minor – around 8db in one ear and 12db in another, so they're not really for me. My colleague Stewart Wolpin found the AirPods Pro 2 to be passable but still a work in progress as hearing aids. Both also support Apple's new live translation (if you have an iPhone 15 Pro or newer model).
All told, the two sets of earbuds are close enough in all aspects that it's a bit of a no-brainer to go with the AirPods Pro 2 and save $80. You're getting 90% of what the AirPods Pro 3 offer at 66% of the price.
[Image credit: Photos by Adam Doud/Techlicious]
