Product test
Apple AirPods Pro 3: new features, new look, new bass
by Florian Bodoky
Are they really twice as good? Audio geeks measure the ANC of AirPods Pro
26/9/2022
Translation: Jessica Johnson-Ferguson
Pictures: Christian Walker
Apple presents its new AirPods Pro and claims their active noise cancellation is «up to twice as good». Audio experts working for Zurich-based company Rocket Science got out their measuring devices to verify this statement.
«Twice as good doesn’t say much in acoustics without a clear context,» Luca Zimmermann of Rocket Science deadpans. «But let’s see what they deliver.»
Digitec sent the company one pair of the new and one of the old AirPods Pro. Both models were measured using the same measurement methodology.
Improved performance in the low frequencies
The red line in the chart shows the curve of the new AirPods Pro, i.e. the second-generation AirPods Pro. The blue curve shows those of the first generation AirPods Pro.
The new AirPods take the lead again in the high frequencies starting at around 2000 Hz to 8000 Hz. This range includes frequencies that play an important role in making speech easy to understand. In other words, voices and conversations are reduced more efficiently. This can come in really handy when we're working in the office or on our commute, where we're often distracted by the chatter of co-workers or fellow passengers.
Luca concludes that the noise reduction of the new generation is certainly better than that of the old one – at least when you look at the measurement results. As with almost everything, it depends on the circumstances or the ambient noise when you’re using them.
The measuring method
Verdict: new AirPods Pro more efficient, but not in all areas
It can be concluded that the new AirPods Pro do have improved ANC compared to the previous generation. Apple’s claim that the noise suppression is significantly more efficient is also true – but only within a certain frequency spectrum. What’s more, «twice as good» can mean something different depending on the decibel scale. And the scales are logarithmic, meaning they become steeper and steeper.
In other words, sweeping statements made by manufacturers on the efficiency of ANC should always be taken with a pinch of salt.
Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.
