The Apple Product That Helps Me Tune Out the Noise and Tune Into What’s Important

I go through life with headphones in my ears most hours of the day as I live in New York City, a place that never stops bombarding you with sound. So I fell in love with AirPods back in 2016. Yet as a reviewer who has written about tech products for years, I had a list of things I wanted Apple to improve. 

Apple

AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C)

$190 at Amazon

$249 Save $59

Fast forward to 2023 and pretty much every gripe on my list has been solved. The second-generation AirPods Pro—which I’ve been wearing for the past several weeks—are an impressive set of wireless earbuds for any Apple user—especially those who value turning down the volume on the outside world from time to time.

They’re well worth the price whether you’re updating from an older pair or just getting your first, especially during Amazon Prime Big Deal Days since they’re marked down by nearly 25% from Oct. 10 to 11.

My single favorite feature of the new AirPods Pro is the volume control. No longer do you have to pull out your phone on a crowded train or with your hands full, or by awkwardly saying, “Hey, Siri, volume up 10%.” These second-generation AirPods Pro have a swipe gesture to turn the volume up or down—but incrementally, so no blowing out your eardrums when you go to brush your hair behind your ear.

The charging case is small enough to slip into the change pocket of your jeans. (If you’re a lanyard person—hey, no judgment— you can connect a lanyard like Spigen’s Universal Wrist Strap). Pinprick openings along the bottom for the new built-in speaker work with the case’s U1 chip and the Find My system, which works much like Apple’s AirTag, our favorite Bluetooth tracker. You can trigger it to play a sound if lost even if the AirPods aren’t in the case. 

I’ve misplaced my first-gen AirPods Pro around my apartment to an almost embarrassing extent (cue exasperated wife), and the finding system simply didn’t work well. This new improvement is going to save me from showing up 15 minutes late everywhere.

Here’s the real magic of the AirPod Pro: Wildly improved noise cancellation that blocks out much more noise than the previous version and makes my morning subway commute so much more peaceful. Plus, I’m listening to music and podcasts at lower levels, which is better for my long-term hearing health. 

Apple quietly updated the second-gen AirPods Pro in Oct. 2023. They’re now dust-resistant, in addition being water-resistant, and the case charges using USB-C instead of Lightning.

Can you run a marathon in these? Maybe. Even though Apple added extra-small eartips, they still come loose in my ears during strenuous activity. (Marathoners, you may enjoy Apple’s Beats Fit Pro, which have earhooks to keep them in place, or the AirPods Max, with their over-the-ear design.)

Can AirPods improve your mental health? Don’t quote me on that, I’m not a doctor and I don’t play one on TV. But I can say that this product has made life in a loud city a little calmer and a little sweeter.