Advice requested for airpods please.

The big difference between the standard and pro, I think, is the pro has noise cancellation. Personally, I have the second gen regular ones and am very happy with them. I might go pro when these need replacing, but I'm not sure.

Around September, October new AirPods should be releasing and it might be more clear as to which ones are the best. Right now it’s the USB-C AirPods Pro second generation.

The AirPods Pro second generation have the H2 chip. The AirPods third generation of the H1 chip.
The AirPods Pro second generation are using Bluetooth 5.3. I believe the AirPods third generation are using 5.0.

I had this same debate several months ago. I ended up going with the Second Gen Airpods Pro and I am very happy I did. One feature in the second gen pro model, which I don't think is available in the third gen Airpods, is a speaker in the case. Yes, you can use Find My to have the airpods themselves make a sound, but with the small speaker in the case of the pros, it is really easy to hear them make a sound if you loose them in the case. I know, it sounds like a small thing, but it has helped me find them more times than I can count. The second gen pros sound amazing! The noise canceling is not as good as my Bose QC 2 Over ear headphones, but it is still quite good in noisy situations.
As other have said, I think new models will probably be dropping later this year, but if you need something now, I highly recommend the Second Gen Airpods Pro.
Jim

I suspect the Pro airPods are somewhat better audio quality for listening to music, but imho, no earbuds will ever be as good as on-ear or over-ear headphones for music. I use airPods for listening to audiobooks and podcasts. I don't like noise reduction, in fact, I want to be able to hear what is going on around me, so I prefer regular airPods over the pro models. My favorite airPods are the second generation airPods because each pod is configurable for a double tap. I configure the left airPod to skip back and the right airPod to play/stop. This is ideal for listening to audiobooks. Even the third generation airPods are not as configurable, as far as I know.

Hi, since I’ve been using AirPods since the beginning and had used them all over the years I think I can help you here:
first of all, the main difference between regular AirPods and AirPods Pro is the fact that the pro are in ear, so you will have Some silicon module tip that will be inside your ear. The regular model just sits snuggly, but without any silicone tips.
The most advanced when it comes to performance, connectivity and speed are the AirPods Pro second generation. These are fast, have a speaker inside the case to easily detect them inside the house or even outside and also have a latch where you can hang a strap if needed.
The second generation AirPods Pro also have multiple ear tips so you have a better chance of finding the right fit for you.
The third generation for the standard AirPods could be a solution if you don’t like ear tips, but these don’t include noise cancellation, transparency mode or conversation awareness. Only the second generation pro have these features and if you can get these I highly recommend them. The second generation AirPods Pro also connect superfast to your device and switch similarly between iPhone, iPad and Mac.
Of course, there is also the option to get AirPods Max, but these are big and I think double in price. These are regular headphones that cover your entire ears, but are easy to use and have noise cancellation and transparency mode. These are a little bit older, I think these are available on the market for almost 3 years now so There’s no conversational awareness and the chip is a little bit older than the one on the second generation pro. As I said, I used them all and actually the first generation AirPods are now used buy my mother and still working.
I am using the second generation pro almost all the time. When I’m outside and don’t want my ears to be obstructed or don’t use AirPods, I use the Ray-ben meta glasses and when I want to listen to super high-quality music I use the AirPods max.
My wife also uses a pair of AirPods Max almost all the time while she is outside or traveling to work and for audiobooks she uses the third generation standard AirPods as she Can’t use the AirPods Pro because of the ear tips.
I hope this is helpful. Please feel free to ask any more questions.

You’re welcome and please do let us know what you think of your new AirPods after you spend some time with them.