When new products appear on the market, they are of course tested by various bodies and compared with competitors – including the AirPods Pro.
Consumer Reports is the first and largest consumer organization in the world. The US-based association examines and compares goods and services from different providers. A CR verdict always receives a lot of attention. Now the new AirPods Pro have also been subjected to an extensive test and compared with the Samsung Galaxy Buds. Compared to the first two generations, the AirPods have received more praise worldwide - the reason for this is the ANC feature. The AirPods Pro allow the user to have transparent or optionally active noise cancellation. The former ensures good sound quality, but allows the user to perceive their surroundings. Apple describes the new Pro plugs as follows:
“AirPods Pro deliver superior sound quality with Adaptive EQ that automatically tunes the low and mid frequencies of music to the shape of each ear—resulting in an intense, immersive listening experience. A custom high dynamic range amplifier produces pure, incredibly clear sound while extending battery life, and powers a custom, high-excursion, low-distortion speaker driver that optimizes audio quality and removes background noise.”
But what does Consumer Reports sayConsumer Reports? The Samsung Galaxy Buds are known to have won the test against the AirPods 2 by a landslide. That is now changing - just behind. According to the consumer organization, the AirPods Pro have made a significant leap forward - so Apple has managed to improve it. However, this is not enough to knock the Galaxy Buds off the throne. CR writes:
"The AirPods Pro sound really good. Like most Bluetooth headphones, the Pros may still not be suitable for the most critical audiophiles. But the significant improvement in sound coupled with the features consumers love from the older AirPods should make this model a serious contender if you're in the market for a pair of true wireless headphones."
At the same time, Consumer Reports particularly highlights the new transparency mode. The report states:
"The attachments can make your ears feel slightly clogged even when noise cancellation is disabled. But the AirPods Pro also have a "transparency mode" that deliberately captures outside noise via built-in microphones. Apple didn't invent this feature, but it works particularly well on the Pros."
The new AirPods Pro received a total of 75 points in the Consumer Reports test – not enough to knock the Samsung Galaxy Buds off the throne. The latter scored 86 points in the CR test. According to the result, the Samsung Galaxy Buds
continue to have "significantly" better sound quality, even if they do not offer noise cancellation. For comparison: The new Amazon Echo Buds only managed to achieve 65 points. But Apple fans will not be influenced by this. Many continue to use the AirPods because they are wonderfully integrated into Apple's ecosystem. Anyone who does not want to do without the additional functions will always choose the AirPods. (Photo by hadrian / Bigstockphot)