AirPods have long been a favourite of iPhone users, first because they were convenient and then (once the AirPods Pro were introduced) because they were genuinely good. While the AirPods Pro 2 boasted the best transparency mode around, I criticised them for not having particularly robust noise cancelling to my ear. That might have been a tech issue or a fit issue, but either way, it was an issue.
With the AirPods Pro 3, Apple has made some big promises. Promises like heart rate tracking, live translation, improved comfort and fit, and double the noise-cancelling chops of the previous generation (four times that of the original AirPods Pro).
Having now spent a couple of weeks with the new AirPods Pro 3, I can say with confidence that while Apple hasn’t nailed all those big plans, they have certainly made an excellent pair of headphones with the best noise cancelling I’ve ever experienced on a pair of true wireless headphones.
Table of contents
- First impressions
- Specifications and price
- Noise cancelling
- Transparency mode
- Listening experience: music and podcasts
- Translation
- Comfort and fit
- Who are the Apple AirPods Pro 3 for?
First impressions
The first thing I noticed about the AirPods Pro 3 was how much wider the case is than the previous generation. This is to accommodate the wider buds. The buds are wider because the shape of the bulb has been changed to better accommodate more ear types, and also better position the heart rate sensors.
Other than that, the buds look largely the same: a stem with a flattened area for volume and other controls, and black lines on the top for assorted sensors. These are the next evolution of the iconic white buds that have represented Apple since the defining silhouette iPod ads more than 20 years ago.
On Apple products, the setup was as easy as you’d expect from AirPods. I just put my phone near the case, and suddenly they were synced with all my phones, Macs, iPads and Apple Watches. Syncing them with my non-Apple items was only mildly more laborious.
Apple AirPods Pro 3 specifications and price
| Price | $429 |
| Warranty | One year in addition to your Australian Consumer Law Rights |
| Manufacturer’s website | Apple Australia |
| Sensors | Dual beamforming microphones Inward-facing microphone Skin-detect sensor Motion-detecting accelerometer Speech-detecting accelerometer Heart rate sensor for workouts Touch control |
| Chip | Apple H2 headphone chip Apple second-generation Ultra Wideband chip in MagSafe Charging Case |
| IP rating | IP57 |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours of listening time on a single charge with Active Noise Cancellation enabled When paired with the charging case, up to 24 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled |
| Accessibility features | Hearing Test Hearing Aid Loud Sound Reduction Live Listen audio Headphone levels Headphone Accommodations Conversation Boost |
It is important to note that most of the fancy features (like hearing aids, live listen audio, conversation boost, and the heart rate sensor) are just for Apple users running the latest operating system. For Android users, they will just be normal headphones.
There are so many different features on the AirPods Pro 3, too many to go into detail on each one without this becoming an unwieldy book-length review. So, I’m going to focus on what I see as the main features: active noise cancelling, transparency mode, audio experience, live translation, and comfort.
Noise cancelling
Noise cancelling is something that’s really hard to quantify without access to a lab, so I can’t definitively say that these are the best noise cancelling headphones I’ve ever used. However, I use noise cancelling headphones all the time; I travel a lot, and I’m extremely sensitive to noise and sounds around me.
The AirPods Pro 3 have the best active noise cancelling I can remember using on any pair of headphones I’ve ever tried that weren’t intense aviation earmuffs or similar. This is not a claim I make lightly.
Turning on noise cancelling is like turning off the world. I can hear the ghost of sounds — for example, I can hear a whisper of my extremely loud keyboard as I type this now. But popping these in blocked out the idiot playing TikTok videos out loud on the train earlier.
They blocked out the crying baby sitting in front of me on the plane. I can hear the shadow of conversations happening very near me, but I can’t make out many of the details with my music’s volume at 60%. Somewhere in my home is a Nanomal toy that activates at random intervals with a deeply creepy voice, and yet with AirPods Pro 3 in, I don’t hear any of it.
It’s like putting a little dome over me, and if I close my eyes, I’m on my own in a quiet room, instead of on a tram near the zoo during school holidays.
Also, while I was writing this section, my wife and daughter came home, slamming the front door and then talking to me about dinner. I didn’t hear a thing and almost had a heart attack when I saw her walk around the corner.
Part of the reason for the improvement over other in-ear headphones with active noise cancelling is that I’m able to get a better fit and seal with the AirPods Pro 3. So, your experience may vary depending on how weird or normal your ears are.
Transparency mode
The AirPods Pro 2 have the best transparency mode on any pair of headphones available. The AirPods Pro 3 have the second-best. It’s a close second. But while the AirPods Pro 2 transparency mode sounded like I wasn’t wearing headphones at all, I am slightly more aware of how the audio is being processed by the AirPods Pro 3.
I’m not mad at it, and it’s not bad. People who have never used the AirPods Pro 2 will be blown away. It’s just half a hair below the GOAT.
Listening experience: music and podcasts
I wish Apple had taken more of a reproduction EQ approach to the AirPods Pro 3. These drivers are excellent, and they’re able to convey so much. While the bass isn’t prioritised as much as it is on Apple’s Beats line, it’s still slightly more prominent than it is on the AirPods Pro 2, and a bit more prominent than I’d like to have to listen to all genres.
Yet, on “Full Heart Fancy” by Lucky Chops, while the bass is certainly more present than I’d like in an ideal world, it isn’t overwhelming, still allowing the brass instruments to joyfully soar. Though the gentle taps on the ride don’t sound as bright and present as I would expect on more neutral headphones. Some of the details get lost as the bass takes over.
The emphasis on bass works on a chunky folk/country song like “Chasing Twisters” by Delta Rae very well. You can feel the darkness welling up throughout the song.
On “Shimmer” by Hayley Williams, which is a really tricky song for headphones to convey accurately due to how delicate the hi-hat strikes and some of the snare ghost notes are, the song comes across well. Again, I’m having to strain more to hear the hi-hats than I’d like. Yet I can still hear that rumble on the snare, and the dichotomy of wavering strength in Williams’ voice.
“Georgiana” by Dario Marianelli, a piano solo, sounds bright and warm. Full of emotion. The added bass doesn’t harm it.
An emphasis on bass is normal for headphones in Australia, so I wouldn’t say this is a disqualifying factor. I’m just hearing the power these headphones can put out, and wishing they were more balanced.
As far as podcasts go, I’ve listened to more Drama Queens (the One Tree Hill podcast) on the AirPods Pro 3 than is possibly healthy, and all the voices are clear and crisp.
Translation
Like almost all other headphones that claim to be able to do live translation, the AirPods Pro 3 are great at giving you the gist of what’s being said.
I translated from Brazilian Portuguese into English from a couple of YouTube videos. Many words were missed, and some where the AirPods Pro 3 only caught half of a word, entirely changing its meaning.
Even with me speaking a few simple phrases, like “Eu falo Português” and “Eu tenho uma filha”, were translated incorrectly. The first phrase, which means “I speak Portuguese”, was translated to “I speak podcast” and on the second, the AirPods misheard it as “tendo”, which changes the meaning to “having”. It did, however, understand “eu tenho uma tartaruga” (I have a turtle), so that’s something.
But the little things, like mishearing table (mesa) as pasta (massa), are going to make things challenging for travellers who need to rely on the translation and don’t have a handle on the language.
It is absolutely better than nothing, and it will likely improve. However, it’s important that potential users know its limitations before relying on it fully.
Comfort and fit
Arguably, this is the most important feature for any true wireless headphones. Apple has absolutely nailed the comfort and fit on the AirPods Pro 3. Like, hats off. They crushed it.
I thought that making the body of the headphones stick out further away from the body of the wearer would make the fit worse rather than better. Yet, here I am, finally able to walk and eat with AirPods Pro 3 in without having to adjust them every 30 seconds. This is the dream.
A lot of this is down to the new physical shape of the buds.
More of it is because of the new mix of materials in the ear tips. Apple used to only use silicone in those tips, and now blending that silicone with foam has really made for a much better and filling fit. It’s not as foamy as iso foam would be, which some people can find claustrophobic (though, is generally the most effective). It strikes a really nice balance between the two, prioritising comfort and not making the ear feel too ‘full’.
While I haven’t yet tried to wear them on an international flight for 10+ hours, I’m pretty confident that they’ll be the same if not more comfortable than the AirPods Pro 2, with the added bonus of actually fitting.
Who are the Apple AirPods Pro 3 for?
These are the headphones for Apple users who want the best Apple has to offer. Yes, there are some true wireless buds out there with better or more neutral audio profiles. But there are none that I’ve tried that have this many features and noise cancelling this good.
They really hit all the features you expect in expensive true wireless headphones, and then add a full suite of accessibility features. This is so important because it’s useful for those who need it, and helps make those accommodations more mainstream and less taboo.
However, they’re not really for people who don’t use iPhones, Apple Watches, and Macs. Sure, they’ll still have great noise cancelling and audio quality. But they won’t do the hearing aid stuff, live translation, or heart rate sensing.
If you do have an iPhone, though, and are in the market for true wireless headphones in this price bracket, your search is over. These are the earbuds you’ve been looking for.
