AirPods Pro with USB-C – a mouthful of a model name – don’t have any radical hardware changes. As part of its new lineup, Apple replaced the proprietary Lightning port with a USB-C charger.

As a result of a series of software features that will launch with the new AirPods, noise-canceling on the wireless buds will be significantly improved in practice, and AirPods Pro users can leave their earbuds in while navigating cities or conversing with coworkers all day long.

These new features are referred to as Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, and Personalized Volume by Apple, but taken together, and using the default settings on a review unit of the new $249 AirPods, the overall effect is that the device turns down music during a conversation or allows near-by sounds to enter the headphones when necessary.

As an alternative to removing AirPods or turning off noise-canceling altogether when you’re navigating a treacherous street or conversing with a coworker, users can now leave their AirPods in while Apple’s software intelligently determines what they need to hear.

Overall, the improvements are subtle but welcome. AirPods aren’t worth upgrading if you have an older pair that’s working just fine, but they are worth considering if you are getting new wireless headphones and know you don’t like to take them on and off constantly.

The new AirPods are, however, exciting from a technological standpoint. Through cutting-edge technology and its own customized chips, Apple filters the world of sound through Apple’s hardware, enhancing or muting individual sounds to enhance your daily life. Comparable headphones have simple on-or-off noise-canceling features. Apple’s headphones go much further.