The 2nd generation AirPods Pro retain the duck-head shape typical of the Pro, with a more curved and shorter neck than the traditional AirPods. As we said, they are in-ear, the kind of earbuds that have a silicone grommet at the end, designed to “plug” the ear canal. This isolates, mechanically, from external noises and is a necessary pre-condition for the proper functioning of ANC, the active noise cancellation, or that ‘magic’ that greatly reduces external sounds. One of the distinguishing features of AirPods Pro. Not everyone likes in-ear earbuds, because plugged ears generate a sort of ‘underwater effect’ that is annoying in the long run. Apple has retained its solution from the first AirPods, with a ventilation grille designed to alleviate the hollow effect. It works but only up to a point. If you know you don’t like in-ears, better to head for the traditional AirPods (find a guide to buying AirPods here) or other similar models (a type sometimes called open fit), even if you lose the ANC.
In the box there are now also XS grommets (in addition to the pre-mounted M and S and L ones: four sizes, then). Choosing the right ones is crucial for the Pro to work well and there is the usual test (now copied by many other manufacturers) that recommends the most suitable size.
On the stems remains the pressure control to switch ANC, play/pause, Siri on and off. With a very welcome novelty: by sliding your fingertip up and down on the control area, you now control the volume. A function that has never arrived on the AirPods, with the need until now to operate the iPhone or Apple Watch, or to ask Siri for help. The control works, on both earbuds, although it is not always comfortable to ‘grip’ the AirPods to handle the volume. There is also audible feedback, similar to that of the AirPods Max when you turn the digital crown, but it is not easy to hear with loud music or podcasts. If, on the other hand, you change the volume during playback, it is perfectly audible.