All products featured are independently chosen by us. However, SoundGuys may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links. See our ethics statement.

1 / 20

Apple

Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen

Name: Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen
Brand: Apple
SKU: B09JQMJHXY
Price: 243.76 USD

How do Apple's first pair of AirPods Pro hold up?

Current price · Amazon US

$243.76

Check Price on Amazon

Price last checked 1d ago

Noise Isolation / ANC

5.6/ 10

5.6

0.010.0

At 5.6, its noise isolation / ANC beats 47% of wireless earbuds we've measured.

Measured on 133 of the 271 we've cataloged.

Key specs

Battery Life Earbuds

5 hBelow average

5 h

3 h16 h

below average for wireless earbuds — based on 243 of 271 we've cataloged.

Battery Life With Case

24 hBelow average

24 h

7 h60 h

below average for wireless earbuds — based on 245 of 271 we've cataloged.

IP Rating

IPX4Most common

IPX433%IP5516%IP5415%IPX512%

IPX4 is the most common — on 33% of the 244 wireless earbuds we've cataloged (of 271).

Noise Cancellation Type

ActiveMost common

Active61%Passive14%None9%Adaptive8%

Active is the most common — on 61% of the 172 wireless earbuds we've cataloged (of 271).

Battery

Battery Life Earbuds: 5 h
Battery Life With Case: 24 h
Charging Method: Wireless (Qi)
Full Charge Minutes: 5 min
Battery Life Anc On: 4.5 h
Battery Life Wireless: 5 h
Charging Case Capacity: 500 mAh
Earbud Capacity: 40 mAh
Fast Charging: Yes

Build

IP Rating: IPX4
Sweat Resistance: Yes
Water Resistance: Yes
Material Case: Plastic
Material Chassis Primary: Plastic

Sound

Noise Cancellation Type: Active
Ambient Mode: Standard
Anc Modes: Off,anc,transparency
Driver Count: 1
Driver Type: Dynamic
Frequency Response: 20-20000 Hz
Frequency Response High Hz: 20000 Hz
Frequency Response Low Hz: 20 Hz
Adaptive Anc: Yes

Connectivity

Bluetooth Version: 5
Bluetooth Codec: SBC, AAC
Connection Type: Bluetooth
Headphone Jack: No

Design

Earbud Form Factor: In-ear
Case Dimensions: 60.6×45.2×21.7 mm
Ear Tip Material: Silicone
Ear Tip Sizes Included: S, M, L
Wearing Style: Deep insert
Weight Per Earbud: 5.4 g
Weight With Case: 50.8 g

Features

Companion App: IOS only
Control Type: Physical buttons
Find My Device: Find My (Apple)
Auto Connect: Yes
Auto Pause: Yes
Mono Mode: Yes
Spatial Audio: Head tracking
Voice Assistant Support: Siri

Identity

Model Number: MLWK3AM/A

Microphone

Count: 2
Wind Noise Reduction: Yes
Type: Dual microphone

Release

Date: 2019-10-30
Msrp Usd: 249 USD
Year: 2019

SoundGuys review

Read the full review ›

SOUNDGUYS rating

7.1/ 10

Recommended

Reviewed byAdam MolinaReviewed November 2022

Noise cancelling7.5

Isolation5.6

Battery life5.7

Comfort & fit8.0

Connectivity5.0

Design7.0

The verdict

For just $50 more than the original model with the wireless charging case, this is definitely the pair of buds to get. The AirPods Pro (1st generation) sounds better than the originals and has a way better fit and active noise canceling to boot. If you have an iOS device, just get this.

✓What we like

✓Good fit with three ear tip options

✓Sound quality

✓Good active noise canceling

✓The pressure-sensitive stems for controls

✓Portable charging case (Lightning/wireless)

✓MagSafe charging

✕What could be better

✕Charges via lightning cable

✕Design is not for everyone

Read the full SoundGuys review →

Lab data

How we test ›

Objective measurements from the SoundGuys test lab — overlay other models to see how this one compares.

Compare with

View

0 of 4 overlay slots used

Apple AirPods Pro 1st GenSoundGuys Headphone Preference Curve

Measured frequency response (dB) against the SoundGuys house target — the dashed curve. The closer the measured line tracks the target, the more neutral the tuning; peaks ride above the target, dips fall below it.

Frequency response — measurement data

Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen: frequency response, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)	Response (dB)
20	1.7
25	2.3
32	2.9
40	3.2
50	3.0
63	2.5
80	1.6
100	0.5
125	-0.5
160	-1.3
200	-1.2
250	-0.8
315	-0.1
400	0.5
500	0.9
630	1.4
800	0.5
1000	0.0
1250	0.7
1600	2.0
2000	3.9
2500	6.5
3150	6.8
4000	4.9
5000	3.5
6300	5.2
8000	3.4
10000	-4.4
12500	-0.3
16000	-2.0
20000	-11.6

Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen

Passive isolation (dB) with ANC off — how much ambient noise the fit blocks on its own. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.

Passive isolation — measurement data

Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen: passive isolation, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)	Attenuation (dB)
21	2.6
26	6.9
33	0.5
41	0.6
52	0.8
65	0.4
82	1.8
103	0.3
130	1.4
163	0.4
205	0.9
259	1.4
325	0.4
410	-0.1
516	0.9
613	0.8
772	3.7
972	6.5
1220	8.6
1540	11.6
1940	15.5
2440	19.9
3070	22.8
3870	18.9
4870	14.6
6130	15.0
7720	24.5
9720	24.2
12200	25.8
15400	34.0
19400	10.4

Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen

Total attenuation (dB) with ANC on — passive isolation plus active noise cancelling. Higher on the chart means more attenuation.

Noise cancelling — measurement data

Apple AirPods Pro 1st Gen: noise cancelling, as measured in the SoundGuys lab. Frequency in hertz.
Frequency (Hz)	Total attenuation (dB)
21	4.4
26	7.8
33	2.1
41	1.9
52	1.6
65	1.9
82	3.5
103	4.5
130	6.9
163	6.5
205	7.1
259	9.3
325	9.9
410	10.2
516	11.7
613	11.0
772	12.2
972	12.8
1220	12.6
1540	13.2
1940	16.3
2440	21.0
3070	22.8
3870	18.2
4870	12.3
6130	13.0
7720	21.5
9720	22.8
12200	24.1
15400	31.5
19400	10.4