Airpods 3 Review: Apple Upped Its Sound Game

Apple's new third-generation AirPods come with a new design and sound. However, are they superior to AirPods Pro? AirPods Pro that cost around the same amount?

Have a look at the new look for third-gen AirPods. Newer third-generation AirPods ($179 PS169 $ 279 AU$) The first thought you'll think is, "Those are like AirPods Pro with no the ear tips." They certainly don't. Although they're more similar than identical twins, The AirPods 3 are shaped like the AirPods Pro, with identical stems that are shorter. These stems also feature the same pinch controls of the Pro that I prefer to the touch controls of the first and the second-generation AirPods. The new drivers, which are said to enhance the sound and provide a fuller bass, are also present.

How good are they? And why should you buy them over the AirPods Pro, which offers all-day noise-canceling and retail for about the same price at most retailers in increasingly frequent sales? This is the subject of is this AirPods 3 review is all about.

LIKE

• Ultracompact, light, and sweatproof (IPX4) and extremely comfortable to wear
• Sound dramatically improved with improved bass
• Calls are made with great efficiency. outstanding
• Increased battery longevity (up to 6 hours)
• The spatial audio virtual surround feature is compatible with a range of Apple devices.
• Siri always-on

Don'T LIKE

• It might not fit the ears as well as AirPods Pro.
• Open design allows sound to get in and out.
• AirPods Pro is frequently available for purchase.
• Let's begin with the fitting. The first and second-generation AirPods can fit certain ears with ease. But I was part of the minority of people who struggled to keep the AirPods within their ears. Therefore, I was interested to find out if this third-gen model would be more suitable for me. It's true. However, I had to crank the stems up to secure them while I was moving around, so they're not exactly a perfect match to my ears (and likely for a particular proportion with others' ears).
• The stem-up position leaves them resting a little higher in front of your face at an angle. I'm sure you've seen this AirPods style before, and they can be somewhat sloppy initially (and when I say dopey, I'm not referring to the word "dope"). However, wearing them that way did not seem to affect the quality of sound or performance. The sensors inside the earbuds detect when you're wearing them. Apple states that its Adaptive EQ alters the sound in line with your wear. \
• Contrary to AirPods 2, I was in a position to run with these by turning the stems upwards. Many people prefer to run using AirPods because they're light and feature an open design that lets you listen to what's going on in the surrounding area for safety reasons. However, the original and second-generation models were not water or sweat-resistant. At the very least, Apple didn't say that they were. They are, however. Much like those of AirPods Pro, they're IPX4 splash-proof. A majority of earbuds are waterproof, and many of them are completely waterproof. This means that Apple has caught up with the rest of the market with its standard feature instead of making an upgrade. However, while earlier models could withstand the pressure of who used them for physical tasks, I'm happy to see that these are now officially waterproof.
• I requested a few enthusiastic AirPods users to test their hands on the AirPods 3 with me, and all liked the 3rd generation's design better than the first-gen model. They also felt that the sound was much better. As I said, Apple has equipped these with custom high-excursion drivers. They're 11mm smaller than the drivers of 14mm found in the second generation of AirPods (the AirPods Pro also features drivers of 11mm). However, they're revamped to let more air flow through to increase the bass response, and a bigger air vent can help.
• I'm not a big fan of open earbuds. They let sound leak into your ears and interfere with the music you're listening to, but it is also common to lose bass when you have open earbuds, resulting in their sound becoming thin. If you are playing your music at moderately higher levels (or loudly), those around will be able to hear it, especially in quieter rooms. I certainly appreciate the attraction for those who do not like the insertion of an edge of the ear into their canal.                    

                         

Bring the bass

• AirPods 3 still leak sound. However, Apple has put a lot of effort into improving the AirPods sound experience. Alongside the brand new drivers, they come with the Adaptive EQ, included on AirPods Pro. AirPods Pro optimizes the audio on the fly. Other brands like Bose also offer advanced digital processing options with their headphones. Bose refers to its version as ActiveMQ. At the same time, Sony includes their Digital Sound Enhancement Engine, which is specifically designed to fill in the gaps using compressed music files and enhance the quality of music that you enjoy sound superior. This isn't groundbreaking; however, it's beneficial to have it onboard. Indeed, AirPods 3 are a step up from the previous models. AirPods 3 now deliver richer and fuller sound, with greater clarity and more bass.
• The sound quality isn't at the quality offered by the Sony WF-1000XM4 or the top quality noise-isolating earbuds made by Sennheiser and other brands, which cost more (check for our guide to the best-sounding headphones). These earphones offer some more sound and depth—audio with more bass.
• It can be heard On the Spoon's Knock Knock Knock, the haunting track with the deep bassline, as well as multi-layered guitar tracks running through the track. The music is more expansive with more bite and nuance and more bass kick with the Sony Sound. This is also true about the Foo Fighters' Everlong. True wireless Bluetooth earbuds have the greatest difficulty with complex rock tracks with multiple instruments playing simultaneously (they may sound too cluttered with other buds). Therefore, I often play a variety of tracks from rock through the earbuds to check what they sound like.
• However, the new AirPods have a decent sound and sound quality. Headphones are a feat. Even though you'll have some problems in noisy environments, the bass was better than I had hoped, even while walking through the busy roads that are in New York. Overall, the AirPods 3's fresh sound did well in the combat against ambient noise, not completely blocking it out but making you less conscious of it as you would think from earbuds with an open design. The AirPods 3 sound wide with a large soundstage. However, it's not the same as those from Sony WF-1000XM4.
• Although they're designed to have the same sound quality as the AirPods Pro, I think the AirPods 3 sound slightly better overall. They have a better, more spacious, more dynamic sound and slightly more defined bass. They do a decent job of not distortion when you play at higher volumes which is where the Adaptive EQ comes in, as is possible when you put on the cheaper earbuds with an open-back design. But based on the music playing, you'll be able to discern that Adaptive EQ is dialing back certain frequencies just a little to prevent distortion when you increase the volume.

Extras for Apple users

• They feature Apple's latest spatial audio feature that includes head tracking with AirPods Pro and Max. AirPods Pro and AirPods Max. It's a great extra feature that lets users enjoy virtual surround sound while watching TV and movies on various Apple devices. It's an interesting effect when video streaming but more unpredictable for Apple Music tracks using Dolby Atmos. Also, it's now compatible with groups of FaceTime calls which is amazing. I tried test calls using one iPhone 13 with two people and put on the handset in the landscape position to ensure that the person on one side was left and the other in the middle. If the person on the left spoke, I got an impression that she was speaking from my left, and it was the reverse.
• Like AirPods Pro, the AirPods 3 come with ear-detection technology, but they also add a brand new feature that is skin recognition, so they can distinguish between when a bud is inside your ear or your pocket. The AirPods 3 also come with the enhanced Find My feature with a proximity view that helps you locate your AirPods in the places they prefer to hide in with greater precision (you can determine the location of your AirPods within a couple of feet regardless of whether the budgets removed from the case although it might take a while to recognize the Electronic scent).
• In addition, they're equipped with Apple's H1 chips. You'll get all the features connected to it, such as automatic switching between all your Apple devices in your iCloud account and Siri that is always on so that you can say "Hey Siri" to inquire about whether the weather is good or bad, adjust the volume and volume, call contacts on your list, and perform a myriad of other commands using a voice that Siri's voice assistant can respond to.
• To be clear, AirPods 3 aren't a good choice for everyone. AirPods 3 will pair with the majority of different Bluetooth audio devices. However, you're not able to use all the additional features such as spatial audio and the ability to always-on Siri. If you're not an Apple user, there's not much need to purchase these. I own two of them, Apple and Android devices, and I did pair them together with my Android phone. They have an Adaptive EQ included in the buds which means they'll sound exactly like an Android device. They're excellent for making calls using any phone that you have.

High-quality noise reduction for calls

• The AirPods 3 comes with beamforming microphones covered by wind-dampening acoustic netting and accelerometers that detect voice. They did a fantastic job at reducing background noise in my tests while keeping my voice clear. The people who spoke to me said that their noise cancellation was higher than they had heard with AirPods Pro. AirPods Pro and my voice were also more clear.
• A small change worth noting: Apple says these have high-quality audio in FaceTime calls due to the support of the AAC ELD speech codec. Also, I thought the wind noise reduction feature was very effective. They'd probably work well on bikes, but I'd prefer an additional sport-fin to ensure they stayed within my ears.
• AirPods 2 are great for calling. AirPods 2 are also excellent for calling with voice, and their long stems are closer to the mouth. I'm not certain you'll see a significant improvement with the AirPods 2 for calling. Their broader sound made it easier for me to hear calls better (one important advantage of AirPods Pro's design that isolates sound is they significantly reduce ambient noise so that you won't have any trouble hearing calls).
• The battery life has been increased from 5 to 6 hours on one charge, with an additional four charges within this charging case (that rate is for moderate volumes, so your mileage could differ if you crank the volume). This case is larger than AirPods Pro's cases but larger than AirPods 2; AirPods 2 has wireless charging and has added MagSafe compatibility. This means that it can be used with the magnetic MagSafe chargers and other wireless chargers with magnetic magnets, for example, wireless batteries (however, it isn't possible to put them on top of the iPhone to reverse-charge the phone's battery). It can also be charged by using any Qi-compatible charging pad or connecting the Lightning cable. Utilizing MagSafe as a MagSafe charger won't make the buds charge any faster. However, the buds will stay nicely on that charging device.
• The AirPods Pro will also have MagSafe However, AirPods 2 will not. AirPods 2, which stays in the lineup, is currently available exclusively equipped with Lightning charging at $129. I don't believe wireless charging is an essential feature, but I'll still consider it, especially for the price. (Sale price is already lower than usual: Walmart is offering that they will offer the AirPods 2 for $89 in November.) 

Final thoughts: Pricing can be tricky.

• In reality, the AirPods price could cause some confusion for prospective buyers. The AirPods Pro retail for $250; however they're sold at less than $200 and have been the low of $180, that's the price at which the new generation of AirPods are launching.
• Although the AirPods 3 are superior to the AirPods Pro in some ways (as I mentioned earlier), I think they sound a bit better in quiet environments as well as offer an improved noise reduction during calls, and also have a longer battery time. The AirPods Pro's noise isolation design and active noise cancellation offer obvious advantages. In particular, you'd prefer to carry AirPods Pro on a plane rather than AirPods 3. AirPods 3. Additionally, the Pro's superior transparency mode helps alleviate some of the issues with occlusion that people face with noise-isolating headphones.
• It is my experience that the AirPods Pro is comfortable to wear. The fit is perfect for my ears extremely secure, especially since I bought a pair of foam tips to go with them. But, as I said, many people dislike having the tips of their ears stuffed into their ears. Despite their limitations, they prefer the regular light AirPods and their comfortable design.
• This is the reason why AirPods 3 come in. AirPods 3 come in. They're premium Earbuds, which are a rare item. You can find pretty decent open-style buds for about $60 these days on Amazon (check out our list of AirPods alternatives). However, AirPods 3 are a different story. AirPods 3 sound better and don't distort when they're pushed, but they also include extra features, like spatial audio. Also, they're great for calling. Overall, they're a great pair of earbuds that open up like them, and I'm not even a huge fan of this particular headphone style. You've come to the right place if you're looking for it.
• But, I think they'll need to lower the price, possibly at around $140-$150, to differentiate themselves from AirPods Pro, which seems to fit a lot more people's ears and come with the feature that everybody seems to want nowadays -- noise cancellation. Of course, there's a growing number of other great headphones for around $180 that include this feature.
• I'd personally shell out the additional $50 to get these instead of AirPods 2. AirPods 2, but I think things could become more complicated if AirPods 2 were to drop to $80 or $90 in sale flash, and that appears likely. For this price, they're an excellent choice for children or those who are a fan because of their voice calling capabilities and their easy-to-use Apple features and light design. It was difficult for me to switch back to the previous generation of AirPods after trying the first.