Adam Engst, TidBITS:

When it comes to general usage, I haven’t noticed any real difference between the AirPods and the AirPods Pro.

In an attempt to qualify that better, I connected both to my Mac and played my go-to test music—the “Brothers in Arms” album by Dire Straits from Apple Music—through one and then the other. Even with the same song and switching back and forth, I couldn’t really pick a winner.

I’d have to agree with this. As far as audio subtlety goes, they both sound very good, though a pair of top over-ear headphones wins that battle. But convenience reigns. The best earbuds are the ones you have with you, and that you can easily slip into your pocket.

Back to the review:

The noise cancellation in the AirPods Pro, on the other hand, can be near magical. The first time I used them, I was vacuuming the house. They were a revelation. The noise cancellation dampened the vacuum noise so significantly that I can’t imagine vacuuming without them again.

And there’s the value. Again, you can get better noise cancellation, but AirPods Pro noise cancellation is very good, and fit in your pocket.

The AirPods Pro also have shorter stems, which means I can just fit them inside the earmuffs that I wear when mowing the lawn.

I wear a knit cap (I’ve long shaved my head, and the knit cap keeps my head warm) and I find that, especially with the shorter stems, the cap keeps my AirPods Pro in place and, if I pull the cap over my ears, makes the noise cancellation even better.

I love my AirPods Pro, consider them worth every penny and then some.