Apple’s second-generation AirPod Pros aren’t the stemless, earth-shattering buds I was hoping they would be. Instead, Apple took an already great product and added some simple upgrades to battery life, some minor case improvements, and added a new H2 chip for better audio quality and active noise cancellation. But the $249 earbuds are contending with fiercer competition than ever before. Over the last few months alone, we’ve seen excellent earbuds released by Samsung, Google, and Sony that all give the second-generation AirPods a run for their money. If you aren’t tied to the Apple ecosystem it is now safe to say there are better options available.
