New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware 7B21 affects Mic! 😯 (How to update?)
AirPods Pro 2 FIrmware 7B21
Firmware 7B21 for the AirPods Pro 2 replaces 7B19, which brought about some very interesting updates related to the Hearing Test, Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection features for iOS 18. At this moment, Hearing Aid is not available for every country, possibly due to regulations, and this update won’t change that. Meanwhile, there are people on Reddit saying noise cancelling’s better now, it’s got more bass, but we’re here to find out if that’s really the case. Does 7B21 have any impact on Sound, microphone pickup and noise cancelling? Let’s find out.
Sound Quality Comparison
In terms of sound quality, after sweeping the frequency response of both the Lightning connector and USB-C AirPods Pro 2, there doesn’t seem like any change, not even in bass. So. if someone said there’s more bass, it’s likely a placebo. Even when comparing sound samples, both models don’t seem to be different from the previous firmware.
👉 Have a listen to the sound samples.
Active Noise Cancelling Test
It’s active noise cancelling does seem to be marginally better. The Lightning model seem to be a teeny bit more effective at cutting mid frequencies. This difference is something that can be seen in the decibel meter, but the USB-C version remains largely the same.
👉 Have a listen to the ANC samples.
Microphone Test
Now, we’re going to test its microphone pickup in both quiet and noise conditions using really loud cafe noise and wind noise from a fan.
👉 Have a listen to the mic samples.
Zoom Call Test
When it comes to microphone pickup, it seems quite a bit slower at cancelling background noise. This is a simple recording off a voice record app, which is a more accurate indicator of the AirPods’ mics on non Apple devices. However, on iOS 18 or any device that supports Apple’s voice isolation feature, such as making a Zoom call, it performs extremely well nonetheless.
👉 Have a listen to the Zoom Mic samples.|
Conclusion
Overall, firmware 7B21 did affect the AirPods Pro 2’s regular mic pickup, but otherwise it didn’t seem to have much of an impact on the AirPods Pro 2’s performance. If you guys notice anything different that wasn’t mentioned in this review, drop a comment below.
