MacBook Pro speakers are worth the upgrade.

Significantly better — the Pro’s six-speaker system blows the Air’s stereo out of the water.

The Air’s stereo speakers are fine for podcasts, YouTube, and the occasional Zoom call. But they’re thin on bass and get muddy at higher volumes. You’ll notice it especially with music or any action movie scene.

The Pro’s six-speaker array (with force-cancelling woofers) actually produces real, non-gimmicky bass. It’s louder, clearer, and has proper stereo separation. It’s not “studio monitor” good, but it’s genuinely enjoyable to listen to — you might not even grab headphones for casual listening.

If sound quality matters to you at all, it’s one of the strongest reasons to go Pro over Air. If you’re mostly using headphones or external speakers anyway, the Air is fine.

Just don’t expect to be impressed by the Air’s speakers if you’ve heard a Pro first.