All I Want for Christmas Is Apple AirPods Pro 2 (for My Daughter)

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Now that they’re on sale, she’s finally getting those magic white buds.

David Katzmaier Editorial Director — Personal Tech

David reviews TVs and leads the Personal Tech team at CNET, covering mobile, software, computing, streaming and home entertainment. We provide helpful, expert reviews, advice and videos on what gadget or service to buy and how to get the most out of it.

Expertise A 25-year CNET veteran, David has been reviewing TVs since the days of CRT, rear-projection and plasma. He created CNET’s methodology for testing TVs, streaming services and AI tools. Prior to CNET he wrote for Sound & Vision magazine and eTown.com. Credentials

Although still awaiting his Oscar for Best Picture Reviewer, David does hold certifications from the Imaging Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Standards and Technology on display calibration and evaluation. Last Christmas, I gave her a dud, and the very next day, she threw it away. This year, to save me from tears, I’m giving her something special (special).

All apologies to the late, great George Michael, but allow me to explain. The “her” is my 13-year-old daughter, who for the last two years has asked for AirPods for Christmas. Last year, I decided to instead give her a lesson in my sanctimoniousness and frugality. It didn’t go well. 

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Tell me AirPods, do you recognize me?When my daughter unwrapped a pair of Amazon Echo Buds (in white!!!) and realized they were not, in fact, genuine Apple AirPods, her disappointment hit me hard. She didn’t have a negative word to say, bless her holiday spirit, but her unspoken reaction said enough. A couple days later, I noticed she never wore them, so I asked why. She told me, with a straight face, that she’d lost them. 

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See all photos Of course I told her that I thought AirPods were too expensive, that other earbuds were just as good and that I felt she shouldn’t bow to the peer pressure of her schoolmates (who all, according to her, wear “real Airpods”). One guess whether any of my words made her happier.

So this year, when I saw that the actual Apple AirPods Pro 2 were on sale for $170 (or even less, at times) for Black Friday, I pounced. Once bitten and twice shy, off-brand, you won’t fool me again.

Amazon’s Echo Buds cost me $35 and the approval of my child.

David Carnoy/CNETWell it’s been a year, ANC doesn’t surprise meWhy did I choose AirPods Pro 2 instead of the newer AirPods 4 with ANC? First off, as I mentioned in another article about another pair of earbuds I bought recently on a Black Friday sale, I think sealed, in-ear buds are better than open-design models like the AirPods 4. The seal creates another layer of noise isolation and contributes to superior sound quality, and if you want to pay attention to the world you can always engage ambient sound mode, which Apple calls transparency mode. 

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Also a factor were the immortal words of CNET reviewer David Carnoy, who considers the Pro 2 the best Apple noise-canceling wireless earbuds: “While we’re quite impressed with those new models — and with the AirPods 4 ANC in particular — the AirPods Pro 2 remain arguably the best Apple AirPods you can buy if you don’t mind having silicone ear tips jammed in your ears.”

My daughter uses earplugs all the time to help her sleep, so she definitely qualifies as somebody who’s comfortable stuffing things in her ears. Like her fingers when I start using words like “sigma,” “skibidi” and “relateable” to try to relate to her.

XS eartips mean an XL hug from a happy kid may be coming soon.

Lexy Savvides/CNETI asked Carnoy about the Pro 2’s potentially not fitting in her kid-size ears and he reassured me that Apple’s range of eartips included on the Pro 2s “now include XS so they should fit.” 

Now I know what a fool I’ve beenFinally I had a few recent conversations with my daughter to confirm her desires, without giving too much away. When she assured me that she’d rather have AirPods than a $170 gift certificate to Sephora, that sealed it. Now I’m dreaming of a white Christmas present and the joy it will bring to my Apple-happy kid.