Are the second-gen AirPods Pro still the absolute best wireless earbuds hardcore Apple fans can pair to their beloved new or old iPhones nearly two whole years after the original release of these noise-cancelling bad boys? At a retail price of $250, the answer to that question is a clear and resounding no, especially with so many excellent Beats-branded alternatives frequently available at hefty discounts these days.
But the AirPods Pro 2 are also oftentimes marked down to $200, $190, $180, or even $170 a pair at various major US retailers, and one such occasion has just arisen once again. You have (less than) 24 hours this time around to nab the super-premium buds at a cool $70 discount from Best Buy, and although this new deal doesn’t quite match Amazon’s recent offer on the same product, it’s still difficult to resist a purchase at $179.99… if you missed your $169 opportunity.
As you can imagine, you’re once again dealing with a “new” version of the second-gen AirPods Pro here, which is virtually identical to the old model, only bundled with a modern USB-C charging case this time around rather than an outdated Lightning-equipped case.
Deemed pretty close to perfection in our in-depth review back in the fall of 2022, the AirPods Pro 2 haven’t aged quite as well as a bottle of fine French wine, nonetheless continuing to impress with their exceptional Spatial Audio capabilities, state-of-the-art active noise cancellation, super-light and comfortable design, not to mention the absolutely flawless connectivity with your iPhone of choice.
At 180 bucks, these puppies are of course still considerably costlier than the likes of the Beats Studio Buds, Solo Buds, and even the Studio Buds Plus and Fit Pro… on occasion. But that’s because the Apple brand is worth a great deal more than $20 or $30 for a lot of people, and no matter how much the competition may be progressing (from inside or outside Cupertino), AirPods are likely to stay at the top of many shopping lists for years to come.