Are the first-generation AirPods Pro earbuds still worth buying?

Design

We like the AirPods Pro. They retain the general aesthetic of the original AirPods, while adding a heightened level of finesse. The classic Apple glossy white finish is still present, but a black accent – courtesy of a microphone grille on each earphone – adds some contrast. Plus, the “storks” are at least a third shorter, giving them a more inconspicuous spot in your ear.

The body is thicker, but doesn’t jut out of the ear, and the tips are impressively non-intrusive, yet managed to fit snugly in any ear we threw at them. Once we’d picked the right tip size (the box comes with three size options), the AirPods Pro were one of the most comfortable pairs of earphones we’ve ever worn – you can hardly feel them. This is especially impressive alongside how much noise they block out before you even switch ANC on, as the tips fit snugly and offer great passive noise cancellation.

Sometimes, this can result in a vacuum feeling in your ear. Another clever design element in the Pro is the ventilation system – yes, you read that correctly. The earphone’s design employs a series of vents to equalise the pressure in your ear, dodging the feeling of sucking your eardrum away whenever you take the earphone out.

The AirPods Pro also happen to stay in your ears, which is bafflingly not a prerequisite for every pair of earphones. They stick in place while working out, even holding their own during the head shake test. Sweat and water resistance sweetens the deal when it comes to the gym or rainy training day.

Set up is characteristically easy: open the wireless charging case near an iOS device and tap, and the Pro are paired to all the devices signed in to your iCloud account. It’s clever, clean and very Apple.

Sound

The extra chunk to the Pro body has given designers enough room to include the extra audio technology that makes these earphones a world above the original AirPods. They have a lovely, warm sound to them, beautifully balanced across the register. Apple’s adaptive EQ automatically tunes low and mid frequencies to the shape of your ear, which kicks in the longer you listen. Bass could be pumped up a little in general, but this is only noticeable in particularly bass-heavy tracks. It’s a sound topped by few rivals.

The ANC is impressive, shutting out the majority of ambient noise and dampening any sound that gets through. Apple claims that this is due to the Pro analysing your surroundings and tweaking noise cancellation 200 times every second, something you’d more readily expect in over-ear headphones.

Each earphone has an outward-facing microphone, sensing ambient noise, while an inward-facing microphone listens out for any sound that snuck through the passive noise barrier. It’s an intricate system that wouldn’t sound out of place in any pair of headphones and serves to provide a strong noise-cancelling performance.

The Pro also offer a transparency mode: just press and hold the sensor on the right earbud’s stem to flick between ANC and transparency, letting more of your surroundings in without needing to pull the earphones out.