AirPods Pro is an absolutely unique headphone. When designing it, Apple took into account all the possible shortcomings of the previous models and, by fixing them, found a really great solution for those who love to listen to music. The device fits conveniently in the ear, has active noise suppression, and the “transparency” mode allows you to listen to music, and at the same time, safely hear the outside noises. However, there is another improvement over other headphones that, for some reason, nobody mentions.
What Stephen Coyle discovered.
Musician and music app developer Stephen Coyle claims AirPods Pro has lower latency for audio playback. It allows the signal to be transmitted over a Bluetooth connection from the head unit to the headphones faster and to achieve the correct alignment of sounds. To measure the delay, Coyle played a phonogram and typed some text on the standard iOS keyboard at the same time. He recorded the keyboard sounds with a professional microphone, counting down the time interval between the start of playback and the moment they were transmitted to the headphones.
Playback delay at different AirPods.
Different wireless headphones have different delay rates. The shorter the delay, the better.
As a result, the delay shown by AirPods Pro was the lowest – only 144 ms against 178 ms for AirPods 2 and 274 ms for first-generation AirPods.
Since both devices are based on the same chip, namely H1, it’s not clear why they show different results. AirPods Pro must have found a new approach, most likely, new software, to reduce the delay when transmitting sound from the head unit to the headphones.
Perhaps, the difference of 130 ms between the original and the latest models of AirPods may seem quite inconspicuous for an ordinary user. But Coyle claims that it is a rather high, noticeable delay, which can ruin the playback experience, not to mention professional musicians who have a much better hearing.
Will AirPods Pro work for professional musicians?
How unbiased is Coyle’s judgment? While the actual pairing speed of the AirPods Pro with the iPods is really superior to the original AirPods, the delay in sound transmission is difficult to feel, even when directly comparing these models. After all, once AirPods Pro came out, everyone would throw away their old headphones and rush to buy the novelty as soon as possible. But as wireless headphone users are accustomed to palpable delays, by Coyle’s standards, almost without noticing them, we probably won’t see a fundamental change in perception.
Musicians who can distinguish between delays are unlikely to use AirPods, even if it is a Pro model, as they prefer wired headphones to avoid distortion and interference.
All in all, if you weren’t going to replace your old AirPods with a Pro model, use them, and don’t worry. But keep in mind that taking care of your gadget is essential. Protective leather Airpods Pro case covers will allow you not only to make your device last long but will also give it a unique and beautiful look.