AirPods Pro Hurt Your Ears? Here's an Alternative I Tried.
Last Updated:Ā Ā ā¢Ā Ā PublishedĀ Ā ā¢Ā Ā By Ryan from LingoNomadSome time ago, I purchased a pair of AirPods Pro. I tried using it, but my ears started to hurt and they didn't feel right. I gave it a couple more chances, and I also tried the large as well as the small ear tips, but I still had the same problem.
Well, long story short, I ended up returning the AirPods ProĀ and I got a pair ofĀ Beats Studio BudsĀ instead, which fit my ears a lot better.
Specifications
Here's a quick comparison between theĀ Beats Studio Pro and the two generations of AirPods Pro.Ā AirPods ProĀ is built with a little moreĀ pizzazzĀ overall, but if it hurts your ears, Beats Studio Buds is worth considering.
| FEATURES | BEATS STUDIO BUDS | AIRPODS PRO (2nd gen.) |
AIRPODS PRO (1st gen.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listening Time on Battery | Up to 8 hours | Up to 6 hours | Up to 4.5 hours |
| Water and Sweat Resistant | Yes, IPX4-rated | Yes, IPX4-rated | Yes, IPX4-rated |
| Active Noise Cancellation | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Transparency Mode | Yes | Yes, adaptive transparency* | Yes |
| Touch Gestures | Play, pause, previous, next | Play, pause, previous, next, slide up/down for volume | Play, pause, previous, next |
| Ear Tips | Small, Medium, Large | Extra Small, Small, Medium, Large | Small, Medium, Large |
| Dynamic Head Tracking** | No | Yes | Yes |
| How It Looks |
* Both Transparency and Adaptive Transparency modes allow you to listen to outside sounds without having to remove the earbuds, but Adaptive Transparency will actively reduce noises above 85 dB.
** Dynamic Head Tracking is a feature thatĀ tracks your head movement to deliver an all-around-you (surround sound) audio experience, making listening a more immersive experience.
How's the Setup Process Like?
The setup process for Beats Studio Buds I went through was pretty much the same asĀ the AirPods Pro,Ā which isn't a surprise consideringĀ all Beats products areĀ now part of AppleĀ (BeatsĀ wasĀ acquired by AppleĀ in 2014 for USD 3 billion.)
All you need to do is to open up the case with your iPhone nearby, and a prompt will appear for you to connect it.Ā The processĀ isĀ prettyĀ intuitive, really.Ā No need for an external app either.
If you are an Android user, fear not! Both AirPods Pro and Beats Studio BudsĀ are also compatible with Android phones.
How Does Active Noise Cancellation Compare?
Per my memory, the noise cancellation feature is more powerful on the AirPods Pro, but Beats Studio Buds still has itĀ pretty decent overall.
Over and Out
IfĀ AirPods ProĀ didn't hurt my ears in the first place, I would'veĀ kept using it and I wouldn't have found out about Beats Studio Buds the way I did.
The deviceĀ I purchased and returned was the 1st generation AirPods Pro, but considering the 2nd generation one is practically identical in shape to the 1st generation one, I would likely have the same problem.
TheĀ 2nd generation one however, has a pair of extra-small ear tips that I did not try becauseĀ it wasn'tĀ available in theĀ 1st generation one. I wonder what the chances are that my ears would like it, considering they didn't like the other 3 tip sizes.Ā
The ear tips that I've been using in my Beats Studio Buds are very likely medium in size. I remember trying out the other ear tips inside the packaging but I recall switching them back to the default ear tips that were pre-installed on the ear buds when I bought them.
Your Turn
Did AirPods Pro hurt your ears as well? What did you end up doing?