Adaptive Audio: Connecting AirPods Pro with an Apple-Locked USB-C Port and an Anker Cube with MagSafe and Power Adapter

Apple announced last week that the second-gen AirPods Pro would be able to charge with a credit card using the company’s Lightning port. But surprisingly, this refresh isn’t strictly about the case: Apple also added dust resistance (on top of the existing water resistance) to the USB-C AirPods Pro. The Vision Pro headset, which will be released next year, will support lossless audio, not the model of the last year.

Anker’s cube has full MagSafe support, meaning it can wirelessly charge a compatible iPhone at 15W, and it also has wireless charging spots for an Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods. While many three-in-one chargers are fairly large pads designed for a desk or bedside table, the Anker Cube is quite compact and more travel-friendly. It even comes with a 30W USB-C power adapter to deliver all the juice you need to your three devices.

Aside from those three main new features, Apple says the latest AirPods firmware also “adds convenience and control on calls with press to mute and unmute for AirPods (third generation), AirPods Pro (first and second generation), and AirPods Max, as well as significant improvements to the Automatic Switching experience for all available AirPods across Apple devices with the latest software updates.”

Adaptive Audio combines active noise cancellation and transparency, canceling loud distractors where needed, and helping you stay present in your environment, in a mode that is set-it-and-forget-it. In my experience so far, this feature rarely cancels my surroundings to the same degree as the full noise cancellation mode (I wouldn’t use it on a plane), but it reduces outside sound enough to not take away from my music — even at lower volumes. To my ears so far, it’s basically an even smarter version of the adaptive transparency that Apple debuted with last year’s AirPods Pro.

You should tryAdaptive Audio if you wear your AirPods pro on busy city streets. I think this is something Apple will continue to refine and tweak as it collects feedback from customers about which sounds they do and don’t want their earbuds to let through.

It’s easier to chat with people without your earbuds if you have Conversation Awareness. When you start speaking, you will see the volume of your music go down and transparency mode will kick in to make sure you hear what’s being said. Apple says the feature reduces overall background noise while enhancing the voices of anyone you’re talking with. Conversation Awareness has amazed me so far. It is smart to avoid being woken up by a cough or other noises. If you quietly sing along with your music, that will become a problem if you keep this setting on.

The new tactic that I have tried the most is personalized volume, but I am someone who just prefers manual control over how loud my audio can be, instead of letting software make random adjustments based on my past preferences. Over the next few weeks, I will give it a try and see if Apple is good at knowing what I want and if I find myself using a manual override.

Automatic Switching is usually disabled on my devices but in the past it has acted erratically and proven unpredictable for me, so I normally just don’t use it anymore. But some of my colleagues including deputy editor Dan Seifert have noticed that this update really does seem to improve things when switching from one Apple product to the next. It is important to remember that you need to have all three devices installed on them in order to experience the more reliable automatic switch. The concept is great, but nothing is more frustrating than earbuds that switch to the wrong device during a time of greatest need.