AirPods Pro First Impressions: Surprisingly Good

Since the debut of the original AirPods a few years ago, fans have been wondering what the pioneers of truly wireless earbuds would bring to the table with the Airpod’s next iteration. After briefly testing out the AirPods Pro however, all I have to say is: a lot.

Picture From Mobile Syrup

For your discretion, I must make it clear that the following impressions were based on a short in-store demo given at the Apple Store in my local area. I haven’t bought, or received the device, making my first impressions genuine and unbiased. With that said: For as much as I hate to admit it, Apple has just created what are in my opinion the best premium truly wireless earbuds.

Feature wise, the AirPods Pro finally add one much needed feature: noise cancellation. Being an owner of the previous generation AirPods for a while, my biggest complaint was simply just how much outside noise was able to penetrate my music listening experience. With the new technology it packs, the AirPods Pro allow for what is a much quieter and personal listening experience.

Unfortunately this comes with one big caveat. Whilst I was sure that the predecessors would stick in most people’s ears, as it used Apple’s tried and true headphone design, the new silicone tip feels oddly un-Apple like, and leaves me worried that the same universal magic is lost in transition.

As for sound itself, the AirPods Pro sound clearly better than its predecessors. For comparison sake, I would rank it as well as the Samsung Galaxy Buds, except that I felt that the AirPods Pro had a bit clearer base that is so typical with modern Apple and Beats audio products.

Picture From CNET

One concern of mine that was gladly solved upon first impressions was the charging case itself. In videos and marketing materials, the case can often look oversized, which made me rather worried that the AirPods Pro would not fit a regular person’s pocked. Upon inspection however, I came to a quick relief upon realising that the case is roughly the same size as that of its predecessor, simply trading length for height. 

A concern that sadly wasn’t answered during my testings though, were with the earbuds themselves: they’re just so tiny. Don’t get me wrong, I love this new, minimalistic design, as it not only looks better in the ear, but can more easily blend in to most outfits. This however, does not make me less worried that the individual buds will be incredibly easy to lose, and - knowing Apple - very expensive to replace.

Before concluding my first impressions, I’d like to bring some emphasis to one specific word in my original statement: premium. For those of us who can afford to spend between $150 and $300 for audio, I’d truly recommend the AirPods Pro for their great audio quality, and slew of sleek features it provides. For those of us who need every penny justified however, it becomes simply impossible to ignore offerings such as the Awei T10Cs. 

These Truly Wireless Earbuds Prove That You Can Get A Good Experience Under $20

With every new flagship smartphone there seems to come a well designed, yet terribly expensive pair of truly wireless earbuds. As the market evolves however, more and more companies have been able to simplify the product’s formula, bringing lower prices that come with unnoticeable compromises. With this in mind, here are three of the best truly wireless earbuds that you can get for just $20. 

Haylou GT1

Small is the name of the game when it comes to truly wireless earbuds, but be assured that you’re far from the only one that instantly assumed that small equals flawed – but with the Haylou GT1s this couldn’t be further from the truth. 

Offering a solid range of touch controls, these earbuds offer all the conveniences of truly wireless earbuds whilst remaining discrete and fashionable in your day to day routine.

QCY T1C

Great tactile controls define this pair of earbuds. If you aren’t one to rapidly catchup with the gesture trend technology has been following, then solid and responsive buttons are a must – and the QCY T1C provides that in spades.

Following the solid build standard, the QCY T1C’s case is one of the sturdiest ones you’ll find around, alleviating the stress that may come with the fear of possibly scratching your brand new pair of truly wireless earbuds.

For the price, the Q32 pack some cool features that other headphones don’t

Alfawise Q32

With what seems like a gigantic carrying case, these earbuds come with an all-day battery life to match. Though that does come at the compromise of being harder to pocket than some other alternatives, the ability to use them for longer tasks such as a road trip or a long workout session make these earbuds more than worth the price of admission. 

If that wasn’t enough to sway you into loving the Alfawise Q32, their wide range of touch controls make leaving your phone out of range while listening to music a true possibility – bringing the truly wireless future to your own hands for the cheap.

As it may have become clear, these devices are by no means perfect all-rounders, and with each pair nailing a certain specific feature, you as the consumer will always have to have a personal set of preferences. Nevertheless, for the low price of $20, each of these earbuds provide something worth discussing, and provide an audio experience that will be exceptional for your everyday pop and hip-hop listening sessions. 

The more impressive takeaway from our research is that for a market that just two years ago was overpopulated with premium offerings, being able to find ways to enjoy a similar level of comfort for just $20 shows that great technology can indeed be accessible. 

Purchase Links:

Alfawise Q32

Buy The Alfawise Q32 On GearBest:

Buy The Alfawise Q32 On Ali Express

Buy The Alfawise Q32 On Amazon

Haylou GT1

Buy The Haylou GT1 On Gearbest

Buy The Haylou GT1 On Ali Express

Buy The Haylou GT1 On Geekbuying

QCY T1C

Buy The QCY T1C On Ali Express

Buy The QCY T1C On Gearbest

What I Look For On Truly-Wireless Earbuds

With our recent review of the Haylou GT1s, many of our viewers seemed puzzled that the product didn’t surprise us more with the features that it came bundled with. Because of this, we figured it would be the perfect time to update our viewer base on the standards used by the Mitchell Millennial YouTube channel when it comes to reviewing truly-wireless earbuds. 

Durability 

Whether you’re purchasing a $30 or $300 pair of truly-wireless earbuds, making sure that components from the case to the earbuds themselves are built to last is one of the first key points that you should consider when buying yourself a new flashy gadget. Whereas you’d only have to account for wires with traditional earbuds, with ease of use comes more fragile components, and as result ignoring this first step can lead to purchases that break in less than a few weeks.

This is an especially important concern when considering earbuds at the lower price points, as production value is the first area where manufacturers make cuts to achieve the lower prices that some may find so attractive. In our testing procedure, we put earbuds through daily stress, ensuring that storing and accessing the earbuds doesn’t put any stress in the device’s construction.

Convenience

Convenience is perhaps the most important factor when selecting your next truly-wireless pair of earbuds. From clunky cases, lack of touch controls and uncomfortable designs, there are many corners that can be cut at all price ranges when it comes to this semi-recent technology, so setting personal standards is crucial. In our case, volume controls are just as needed as a comfortable design, but we also appreciate cases that are on the slimmer side, as they allow for the earbuds to be accessed from pockets with ease at any given time.

Battery life

Cutting the wire, as innovative as may be, brings forth the idea of having to charge your earbuds - and let’s admit it, that’s not something anyone wants to do! For this reason alone, picking a pair that can last through the day is extremely important. 

As someone who lives in Vietnam and has a fairly outdoors heavy lifestyle, Mitchell considers 20 hours (earbuds and case included) to be a good metric for earbuds that can sustain the heaviest of his daily schedules. 

Audio Quality

When selecting a truly-wireless earbud, it may come as a given that audio quality is swiftly lost when the cables are detached. This however, doesn’t make audio quality any less important, and in a market where not all earbuds are built the same, determining what type of audio profile best fits you can be a challenge in it of itself.  

Though audio - as any other presence - is entirely objective, we prefer earbuds that provide a more neutral experience, as it allows us to judge the product’s overall quality across any musical genre. With this list in mind, we hope that next time you see an audio review either here on the website or on the YouTube channel, our judgment of the product will make more sense.