Like always, I was tempted by the great green fruit's autumnal offerings: the understated yet feature-packed iPhone 17, the muscular might of the iPhone 17 Pro, and its bigger slab of a brother, the supermodel-skinny iPhone Air... And yet, I was good, virtuous, some might say. Though, I couldn’t not buy anything—that’s just nuts.
So, on launch day I received a little box, and in that little box was another little box, and in that little box were two little earbuds... Surprise! It was the AirPods Pro 3!
The Blind Perspective
There are plenty of reviews out there on the AirPods Pro 3—or as I'll call them from here on out, the APP3. What I'd like to do is look at them from the blind perspective: how they fit into our lives and what issues they may present, if any.
I've had the APP and the APP2 and I think they are among the best products Apple has made in the last decade. Headphones and speakers are the equivalent of our screens. They’re the way we interact with our devices, and the way we parse information. What Apple has created is a pocketable device that allows us to use our phones, our laptops, and our iPads anywhere—from working in the same room as a sleeping partner, to getting directions on our phone in the centre of a busy city. AirPods plug us into the digital world.
Of course, there are alternatives—open-ear models like Aftershokz and other types of earbuds—but none have the special sauce of the AirPods, especially the AirPods Pro.
Transparency
Above all, the most compelling feature of any AirPods Pro is Transparency. This is the ability to squeeze an AirPod stem and let environmental sound in. It's the perfect combination: our interaction with our device remains private, while we remain aware of the world around us. No other earbud comes close.
The AirPods Pro 3 are no exception. They build on the clarity of the previous generation. I'd love to say it's like not wearing earbuds at all, as some tech journalists so glibly declare, but it’s not. Maybe, as people who rely on hearing, we are more discerning. It is good—very good—but even on the latest version there’s a dip in higher frequencies and a narrowing of the stereo field. It is an improvement on the AirPods Pro 2, though I’d be loath to call it a significant one; the transparency of the APP2 was already excellent. This is a refinement. Voices are clearer, there’s a little more precision in how the external world is piped in but—and this is important to us—it does impair our hearing. Not dramatically, but enough that taking them out is a relief. Even with this latest version, I’m a little uncomfortable using Transparency Mode when I’m out by myself.
Fit
I’ve never had a huge problem with fit for the APP, at least not to the extent they suddenly tumble out. The APP3 has most certainly improved the fit, though. They ship with five sets of ear tips (to lose). They now use a memory-foam core covered in a delicious silicone coating. (Please don’t eat your AirPods Pro 3.) Where the ear tips on the APP2 were domed, these are more bulbous, popping into the ear canal. The connection point has also been moved so that the stem of the AirPod sits further from your cheek.
The big test: can I eat while wearing them? The answer is yes—at least, they stay in while eating. The issue is that I can hear myself snuffling and grunting away, the clack of teeth, and all the other abysmal sounds of mastication. Crisps are a right racket. Maybe eating something soft would work, but limiting my diet based on my need to listen to an audiobook while eating seems a little too much, even for me.
Audio Quality
I’ll be brief on this one, as there are plenty of reviews out there from people who have a lot more to say on the matter. They sound better than the APP2, which already sounded good. It’s not night and day, though. There’s more bass, better imaging—but we don’t buy earbuds for the best sound. Considering their size and portability, they do an excellent job. They simply can’t rival over-ear headphones, and that won’t change until physics does.
The Case
One concern I had about the case was the removal of the pairing button from the back. It’s been replaced by a capacitive touch button on the front, centred beneath the indentation to flip up the lid. In my testing, it was easy to double-tap the front to put them in pairing mode, with an audio confirmation.
Final Thoughts
The question I’m sure you’re asking yourself—the question I was asking myself—is: Are they worth it? And, of course, the answer is nuanced. It depends on what you already own, if anything.
They are a big upgrade from everything aside from the APP2. The only significant difference between the APP2 and APP3 is the heart-rate monitor which, as someone who has an Apple Watch, I won’t use. If you don’t have an Apple Watch, the APP3 has more value. If you do, well, Apple’s latest audio offering isn’t cheap.
Upgrades, when it comes to Apple devices, are usually quite painless after the first purchase. Most devices retain a lot of value, and the actual out-of-pocket cost is the difference between your sale value of your existing kit and the new shiny toy. With AirPods, however, it’s not so simple. Maybe it’s because we don’t like the idea of buying things that have been inserted into human orifices, but the resale value of AirPods of any type is far lower than the rest of Apple’s cornucopia of treats. This means you’re pretty much buying them outright, even if you have the APP2.
If your APP2 are dying, the batteries not holding charge, then it’s a no-brainer. If they still work, I’d be more thoughtful about purchasing the newer version. It’s likely there will be many sales on the APP2 as stock is cleared and, honestly, if you can get them for less than £150/$150, then maybe you should consider them. You get transparency, you get a very good pair of earbuds which sound almost as good, fit almost as well, and have almost the same level of transparency. The question is: how much is that almost worth to you?
If you want the best of the best, the decision is simple. Even at their high price, I think these, for us, are fantastic value. I return to the point: these are our version of screens. Sighted folk spend a lot more money on high-res monitors with silly refresh rates. These are our window to the digital world.
Whichever version you go for—the APP2, APP3, or even the AP4 (AirPods 4; how dare I throw in a new acronym so late in the article)—you’ll be delighted.
Anyway, that’s my week-long review of the AirPods Pro 3. Anyone else got them? Anyone have differing views? If so, I’ll meet you outside...
Comments
Great review
Thanks for the review - very interesting.
As I've said on here before, I never managed to get the Air Pods Pro 2s to fit properly. So whilst they are fine, I'm not getting any benefit from ANC or any of the other nice features. One day I will get myself into an Apple Shop so they can tell me what an idiot I am. Maybe I am supposed to be drilling the things into my ears or something and I'm just being too feeble. Or maybe I have mutant ears.
Anyway the thing that attracts me most to the 3 is the supposed better fit. But I don't think I would dare ordering them and finding out they don't. (I am absolutely lterrible at returning things)
It's a shame you can't trade in the old AP2 (or even Air Pods 3 as I have those too). If I could, then I would be very tempted to go for it anyway.
Going for the pro 3
Given I bought my airpods pro 2 in 2021 or thereabouts, lightning version... Worth it to get them for the usbc port, tbh.
I’m old school. Still use wired EarPods.
I’m old school. I still use the Apple wired EarPods. I have no intent of changing that anytime soon as ever. Those work for me. I still have the lightning ones because I use them for my iPhone SE third generation. But I also have the USB-C ones for my iPhone 15. Both of them worked perfectly well for my case. I didn’t wanna have to worry about updating any software and firmware and having another device to keep the battery charged on so that’s why I stick with the wired. All of my devices are like that. Not just my Apple products. I have wired over ear headphones for my digital piano and even for my stereo that still has a CD player in it because I still buy CDs. I just need headphones to just work and if it means that I have a wire on them then I have them. Same thing for my chargers I don’t even bother with wireless charging. I still think it’s fun to read people’s reviews to see what they think about these devices, though. I just don’t have any intention of getting anything that’s Bluetooth for headphones myself. I’m glad you seem to be enjoying them so far after a week. I hope you were continued to get enjoyment out of them. Great blog post.
Singer Girl
I think there’s gonna be a point where you might not have the option. At some point one way or the other they’re going to have to swap to wireless headphones. Might take another two years. It might take another 10 years, but it will happen.
Wired is under rated.
I have considered getting a pair of the wired as backup. They have a lot going for them beyond their price. 0 latency, can actually play lossless, for what that's worth and, as Singer Girl points out, no need to charge them. A very solid choice considering they are less than one tenth the cost of the AirPods Pro 3.
Ash Rein
I hope not. I, too, prefer wired earbuds and headsets. In fact the only Bluetooth audio device I currently use, are my Meta smart glasses. And yes, I am aware of your thoughts on those. 😇
It’s possible, but I’ll keep them as long as I can
It’s possible I might have to switch to wireless, but until then I will stick with wired. Those are the things that just work. All you have to do is put them into the headphone jack and you don’t have to do any additional steps. That was the other thing I don’t like with Bluetooth. You have to have extra steps to eject it to your device. That’s why I stick with wired. No need to have to update them. Charge them any extra steps to pair them to the device or anything all you have to do is plug them in when they work. The only thing that I think is sort of dumb is on the iPhone 15. You have to unlock your phone in order to use them. I don’t have to do that with my SE third generation. I guess that must be something with some of the newer iPhones. I just never run across that until I had my iPhone 15. It’s all good though. It just requires putting in the passcode first. That’s OK. I can deal with that. I have a four digit passcode so I’m fine. I still think this is a really cool review though. I like reading reviews on different devices even if there ones that I don’t actually get myself.
Ash Rein
I'd say yes and no; there's a lot of devices that still have a 3.5 jack, i.e, recorders, computers, interfaces, mixers etc; Wired will likely always remain as a option, tbh. As far as phones and macs etc, that might change, but as said most devices still use wired in some form or another, there are some things which you cant do reliably with bluetooth i.e, what I mentioned about recorders etc still having a 3.5 jack, that one would be one. I wouldn't say it would vanish entirely. Used less? Maybe; but go away all together... Highly unlikely.
Wondering why you haven't covered ANC at all
I have the AirPods Pro 2, and am tempted to upgrade to Pro 3 for better battery life, improved audio quality and, specifically, better ANC. Has it been noticeably improved to handle street and plane noises more efficiently? I'm still in two minds about the upgrade though I can sell my Pro 2 to cover a portion of the Pro 3 upgrade cost.
Always wanted to try a pair
Always wanted to try these but I'm not a fan of the type of buds that just plainly go into your ear with out anyways of keeping them in place. That's a no no for me. Unless I'm missing something and they finally have like a little hook that go over the top of your ears so you don't lose them easily I think apple has lost me on the design on this one. And we're talking going all the way back to the earpods.
Also bought them myself
Other than casually mentioning it, and listing them in the section of Apple devices owned of my AppleVis profile, I never talked about the AirPods Pro 3 in depth here because like I said on the Apple Watch Ultra 3 thread, I don't think that I make a good reviewer. I never owned AirPods 2 so I cannot compare these AirPods Pro 3 to those, but I do own AirPods Max, and at least to me the AirPods Pro 3 sound better, the Active Noice Cancelling is better, the Transparency is better, and the audio quality is better, so the only reasons why y I am still using AirPods Max is because the AirPods Pro 3 still slowly slide out of my ear canals, as well as because AirPods Max can be connected wired which kills all latency whereas AirPods Pro 3 suffer from the usual buffering latency that plagues all digital wireless devices and is unlikely to fully go away.
Below is a copy-paste of my audio quality review of the AirPods Pro 3 that I posted as a comment to a reddit thread linking to a review video a couple of days ago:
Brian
And share Bluetooth capability, I will say that the Meta glasses are amazing. Very good speakers and microphones.
Active noise canceling is amazing
I will say that active noise canceling is amazing. Cut out pretty much everything. And I test them in a very active fitness gym, in the middle of Manhattan (Timesquare), and many different train stations. It’s almost scary how silent the world gets.
Igna Triay
I would say you’re probably right. It might take a long time before it gets faced out. There will always be a use for some kind of wire. Even target just released a press conference, saying that they upgraded their self check out machines. They tauted a lot more accessibility. And one of those things was a headphone jack
Reason I didn't cover ANC
As the review was from the blind perspective, I thought it best to focus on the specific aspects of the APP3 that aren't covered elsewhere. The audio quality and ANC are well reviewed by far more knoledgable reviewers than myself.
On the comparison between audio between AirPods Max and APP3, though I think the gap in quality has narrowed, the APM, to me, sound far less processed and are more reliant on having larger speakers. I find that after a while of listening on the APP3, like the APP2, I feel audio fatigue. I think it's common to all earbuds though in the way they are injecting sound into your ears and, especially in the case of the APP3, working hard with dSP to mould the sound into something pleasing.
I'm not saying anyone else is wrong if they say the APP3 sound better, I'm just giving my personal view.
I do also have a concern about using in ear too much and the impact on my hearing. I know over ears aren't a great deal better. I'm lucky enough to have the choice.
They are better
AirPods Pro 3 have been great. They last easily over 7 hours in one go and you receive notifications when they need to be charged and when they are fully charged.
There is no latency even when you’re gaming on PS Remote Play or using your phone.
The Mike is better. there is a safety mode for not harming your ear in the long-term. They don’t fall while eating. The ANC it’s very good when you need it. I don’t get scared while using it. Having said that I would highly recommend it to @Singer Girl and to anyone who was considering getting one.
Audio quality
Most keep saying are the same with pro 2 and pro 3. The others are much better. Hoping to get it next year. Time will tell.