If you’re using Apple Music then you do it via Settings | Music | EQ. It’s all done with presets, none of which I particularly care for. There’s no built-in graphic or PEQ.
If you’re using other sources, there are various players available that have proper built-in EQ. And if you’re using Roon around the house, you can setup EQ in Roon for the device and it’ll work (since it’s processed on the Roon Core).
Unlike the AirPods Max, the Air Pods Pro 2 do not have the personal profile accommodation.
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I personally find them just about ideally tuned for the environments I use them in. Which is not sitting around at home. And, I’m not finding the treble notably depressed, but that is one area where age and the condition of one’s hearing will make a significant difference.
As far as source and EQ, Barbara doesn’t like complicated interfaces, so she never uses ROON. She’ll access SONOS via Airplay, but doesn’t like using the SONOS app (which I know isn’t addressing AirPods). She’s frequently listening to YouTube (I know, I know) or clips from friends or influencers on FaceBook or X. Sometimes she uses Apple Music.
When I listen, I’m comparing to Audeze LCDi4 on ROON using AUDEZE PEQ for them. I really don’t think it’s my hearing, as the preset sounds just about right for me. When I AB as much as I can with the AirPods Pro, I can still hear cymbals, snare, etc, but there is no air or shimmer, and it sounds about 6 db down to my guess compared to the LCDi4. I’m aware of the price differential, of course…
The mids and upper mids are good. Vocal presentation is good. I haven’t had a chance to try them on anything but pop/rock so far. And I can see that they’d be fine in transparency mode riding a bike, or in ANC when using power tools, or not wanting to hear the neighbor using power tools. Good in the gym - if I ever join one again.
If I were to use them, I’d probably go through ROON or ROON ARC, as you suggest simply in order to apply EQ as I wish. Like you, I was not particularly fond of Apple Music presets. I find that in some locations, I can access Qobuz when I can’t get ROON ARC (or I want Apple Classical). I haven’t looked to see if Apple Classical has any EQ presets. But on reflection, I don’t think I’d be listening to classical in those environments that are right for the AirPods.
You are overthinking it. These are fantastic for TV/video speech, podcasts, workout music, and noisy environment music. They can also serve as stealth hearing aids or to improve sound quality in a large room or auditorium. They are not meant for critical listening or hardcore audio. The words “ROON” and “EQ” are not comfortable here. Casual and lifestyle audio likely comprises a big chunk of your listening time. It certainly is a big chunk of mine.
I would say as much as 95% of my listening is in such environments/situations today.
In that context, the Air Pods Pro 2 are the best TWS IEM I’ve come across - and they’re 100% seamless for my iPhone and MacBook Air/Pro when using them for non-music purposes (calls/meetings on the go etc.).
I often don’t take anything else when I’m away from home (even if it is just a stay-cation), as the opportunities to sit and listen critically are rare and random then. And if such opportunities do occur, the Air Pods Pro 2 meet the “good enough” bar that I can enjoy the music without fatigue.
And if I was only going to have ONE way to listen to personal audio, it would have to be these (currently) due to how much relative “critical” listening vs. “everything else” I get to do.
BUT …
There are reasons I also have the EE Odin, Thieaudio Monarch MK3, IE600, Moondrop Blessing 3 and ER4-XR … etc. Along with things like the W4 and N30LE.
The Apple tips never sealed well, and are not comfortable. I bought these memory foam tips a few months ago, and they’ve held up to a couple months of regular use:
There are so many brands…knock offs…same factory? Fortunately memory foam is memory foam and very forgiving.
Haha yeah, they do good work but I don’t think it’s worth it at that point. I’ve been close to going with them tho. As soon as I do, they’ll release an updated pair or additional colors.
I am interested to try their hearing test with the upcoming software update for the AirPods Pro. Evidently it will identify your hearing acuity at different frequencies, and then offer equalization settings that will compensate for any hearing deficiency. Should be interesting.
This might suggest why there are so many varying reviews of different headphones, dacs and amplifiers. Tyll Hertsens stated when he retired from headphone reviewing on InnerFidelity that his hearing was not as acute as it had been in the past. I can certainly sympathyze with that.
There is the free Mimi app for iOS that tests the user’s ears and generates a compensation curve for the AirPods Pro. I’ll be interested in comparing the results with the FDA-approved hearing test that is coming in an AirPods Pro update.
