What makes the AirPods Pro 2’s noise cancelling so good? A billion transistors
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When I placed Apple’s new AirPods Pro 2, which Apple unveiled at its Far Out event on September 7, in my ears in the hands-on room of the Steve Jobs Theater, I was eager to experience what Apple promised a 2x better active experience noise reduction. Even in that crowded space, I was surprised by their effectiveness, which is mainly due to Apple’s new H2 chip.
Apple’s silicon, which some claim started with the iPhone and its custom A-series chips, has spread across the device lineup and includes Macs and tablets with its M-series processors – but the predecessor to the H2, which appeared in the original AirPods Pros in the form of an H1 chip, actually predates the concept of Apple Silicon (as the original A series did).
But whatever SoC development teachings Apple is now taking in building its M1 line seems to inform the processors in all Apple devices.
If there’s one hallmark of all Apple Silicon, it’s efficiency, and for the new H2 processor, Apple reached new heights by cramming double the number of transistors—there are now over a billion of them—into the chip.
The most obvious result is the AirPods Pro 2’s touted six hours of battery life (a total of 30 hours with the redesigned charging case). However, that number is with the more powerful Active Noise Canceling (ANC) enabled; turn it off, and the number reportedly goes up to seven hours for the buttons and 35 with the case.
More AirPods Pro Gains
It’s not just power management, though — the new H2 chip architecture is behind most, if not all, of the performance improvements Apple touts in the AirPods Pro 2.
There’s more onboard memory, giving the chip the bandwidth to handle larger audio models. In practice, this means that it can interpret a wider variety of sound sources faster and better know what to do with them.
An example might be how the AirPods Pro 2 can apparently handle loud noises in adaptive transparency mode. The transparency mode, which pulls in real sounds through the earbud’s microphones, and which I experienced during a few short demos and later through more causal real-world use, was impressive for its clarity and fidelity, but the H2’s fast processing can also do the trick. , apparently, getting a head start on sharply louder outside noises like sirens and motorcycles. Just to be clear: that’s not it to predict a loud noise, but the response time may be fast enough to sustain sounds of 90 db and over 85 db as they come through the AirPods Pro 2 and into your ears.
Of course, no one wears their tops all the time, and it’s unlikely you’ll have them in your ears if your neighbor decides to turn on his gas-powered leaf blower. A more realistic scenario is wearing the AirPods Pro 2 at a concert to keep the sound below deafening levels.
I wore the earplugs on a transatlantic plane flight and they were very effective at dampening cabin noise (until one came out as I fell asleep and I almost lost it – I’m a restless airplane sleeper); they performed equally well when mowing my lawn as when walking through the bustling streets of Manhattan.
When I turned on ANC at a busy intersection, the transition to near-silence was like a whiz, and so complete that I felt momentarily isolated. Some noise still comes through, but it’s a dull whisper compared to the roaring reality of a city street.
For my lawn mowing experience, I tried switching back to the first-generation AirPods Pro, and there was a noticeable difference in noise cancellation. Both are good, but the AirPods Pro 2 are noticeably more effective.
Sound management isn’t just about loud sounds written big. Apple has optimized the processor’s algorithm for noisy spaces like restaurants and offices, and of course it’s done some work on the hardware to support these efforts. The inward-facing microphone has been relocated to improve the way it picks up ambient noise, allowing the H2 chip to better understand what the sound is and process it accordingly. There are also new beam-forming microphones that should help block out wind and outside noise, leaving you with only your voice during a call.
I made a number of phone calls with the new earbuds and noticed that no one had any trouble hearing me regardless of my surroundings – and in one instance I had a loud oven fan running next to me during my call.
Whatever Apple claimed during its presentation, my experience so far with the AirPods Pro 2 largely backs them up, with the powerful noise cancellation likely powered by the combination of a decent seal (small tips, finally!) and the processing power of the H2. chip.
Despite the hardware changes, including the new H2 chip, updated microphones, and new volume movement buttons on the stem, Apple hasn’t made the AirPods Pro 2 any bigger or heavier than their predecessors; in fact, they look almost exactly the same.
The charging case appears similarly unchanged, but it’s gained two or three ounces, perhaps to incorporate new features, such as a speaker that you can use with Apple’s Find My app to locate the case if it’s lost (the light of the case also flashes to aid in the location effort).
It’s just a shame that this more powerful case can’t also charge the last-generation AirPods Pro, but I guess you can’t have everything.