REVIEW: AirPods Pro 2 = HiFi truth tellers, with a twist.
Apple and their overwhelmingly successful AirPods need no introduction. What does need introduction – to the world of high-end audio anyway – is their latest feature set, a medical grade and approved hearing test, accessible through the latest software update iOS 18.1 and the latest firmware updated AirPods Pro 2.
I am surprised that not a single “audiophile" channel has picked up on this – then again, I really am not. The hearing test will lay bare your actual hearing abilities and that of course opens up a can of worms, that high-end audio in general doesn’t want to deal with.
After all, why would you trust a reviewer who can’t hear anything?
Let’s check this out in more details, as always, drop a comment below!
💰 Suggested retail price for AirPods Pro 2: USD $249-
Apple website:
www.apple.com
🎻 Equipment currently setup in Studio A:
EINSTEIN The Preamp https://einstein-audio.de
EINSTEIN The Last Record Player, CD player
EINSTEIN The Perfect Pickup, MC current sensing phono
EINSTEIN The Poweramp, hybrid Circlotron dual-mono amplifier
EMMlabs MTRS, solid state stereo amplifier https://www.emmlabs.com
EMMlabs DS-EQ1, optical cartridge “energizer" x 2
Meitner MA3, DAC + Streamer
Kuzma XL Air + Safir, turntable + arm https://www.kuzma.si
Bergmann Galder Signature + Odin, turntable + arm https://bergmannaudio.com
ReVox H1 Cassette tape deck
Telefunken M15A reel to reel tape machine x 2
Nagra IV-S reel to reel tape machine https://www.nagraaudio.com
Wilson Audio Sasha V https://www.wilsonaudio.com
Wilson Audio Loke x 2
DeVore Fidelity O/96 https://devorefidelity.com
SonoruS Audio proximity bass controller https://sonorusaudio.com
Tascam DA1000, A/D converter + digital recorder
QNAP 8 bay 32TB NAS
Tidal, Apple Music streaming services
Audirvana Studio media playback app https://audirvana.com
eero Pro 6 WiFi network
🎼 Cables used in Studio A:
Black Cat Cable https://blackcatcable.com
Graceline L3, speaker + interconnect
LessLoss C-MARC Classic power cables https://www.lessloss.com
🔈 Music used for evaluation –
Courtney Pine – Journey To The Urge Within
Arooj Aftab – Night Rein
Joaõ Gilberto – Ao Vivo
Amira Medunjanin – Damar
Boris Blank – Resonance
Trevor Horn – Echoes
Eva Cassidy – The Best Of
Fluxion – Traces
Placebo – S/T
David Murray – Plumb
Willie Nelson – The Border
Yosi Horikawa – Spaces
Einstürzende Neubauten – Rampen
📝 About SonicFlare
Danny Kaey has been a published audio and HiFi reviewer for almost 25 years in online and printed publications in the US, Canada and Europe. In the hobby for over 40 years, his tastes have varied through the decades, though now have settled for what music is all about: dynamics, slam, resolving power and tonality. DK believes that like many personally experienced tastes, there are many flavors to HiFi, though in all cases HiFi should aim to replicate music as closely as possible.
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#audio #music #hifi #stereo #records #sonicflare
Thanks so much for watching this episode, AirPod Pro 2, truth tellers!