The AirPods Pro 3 Are the Best AirPods Yet
Music sounds great. The sound is similar to that of the AirPods Pro 2, with a mildly boosted low end and a more pronounced peak in the consonant range of speech, which delivers an extra pop of detail that many people will enjoy — though sensitive listeners may find that it sounds a bit artificial.
These earbuds also support spatial audio formats such as Dolby Atmos. Listening in that mode creates a wider soundstage, adds some bass, and increases the intensity of a narrow band of high frequencies, which can sound exciting on some tracks but artificial on others. Head tracking allows the earbuds to create the illusion that sound is coming from speakers in a specific point in space. Personally, I find the effect disorienting, but that’s a matter of taste.
The active noise cancellation is much better. Even before we measured the AirPods Pro 3’s ANC, we could hear the improved noise reduction in the lower frequency ranges compared with the AirPods Pro 2. Subjectively, the reduction sounded on a par with that of our current top pick for the best noise-cancelling earbuds, Sony’s WF-1000XM5, and our measurements confirmed that impression.
The battery life exceeds that of the AirPods Pro 2. One of our long-standing complaints about the AirPods Pro was that the battery life was subpar for the price, so we were happy to see that the new version has increased the battery life from an average of 4 to 6 hours to about 8 hours per charge. That number goes up to 10 hours if you are using only the hear-through mode in conjunction with the hearing-aid functionality.
Eight hours of battery life is not the best we’ve seen from wireless earbuds, but this pair at least runs even with the competition now.
The improved IP57 water and sweat resistance is a welcome addition. Also, Apple has slightly reduced the shape of the chassis, modified the materials in the ear tips, and included an XXS tip size in the packaging. Those changes should help many people get a more secure, comfortable fit, but joggers and athletes engaged in high-impact activities may still find — as I did during my tests — that the AirPods Pro 3 earbuds work their way loose over time, especially if you’re using the squeeze controls frequently.
I tried several types of workouts and found indoor cycling to be the most successful. Once I switched to activities such as burpees and weightlifting, the combined jaw movement, sweat, and gravity forced me to reach up and adjust the earbuds’ position every so often. Although the fit was better in comparison with previous versions, I still found myself longing for the stabilizing wings or hooks of our workout earbud picks.
But at least if one of the AirPods Pro 3 earbuds falls out and lands in a puddle, you can rinse it off without worrying about damage.
The heart-rate monitoring is as accurate as that of a good smartwatch. The AirPods Pro 3 set uses a combination of integrated sensors and an accelerometer to monitor your heart rate, track calories, and detect different kinds of workouts. The data transmits to the iPhone Health app in a similar manner to the Apple Watch, and you can use it in conjunction with many fitness apps available for the iPhone, such as Strava and Fitness Buddy. Plus, if you subscribe to Apple’s Fitness+, you get the same on-screen experience as Apple Watch wearers do.
Unfortunately, the heart-rate monitoring doesn’t work on Android phones. If you want workout earbuds that support heart-rate monitoring for Android, we suggest the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
Calls sound clear, if occasionally artificial, because of Apple’s software and microphone placements. I tested the call quality in a variety of locations and conditions, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well the AirPods Pro 3 reduced wind noise and lower-pitched background sounds such as traffic and air-conditioner hums.
When the background sounds were in the human vocal range, the reduction created a highly compressed, unnatural quality to my voice, but that’s forgivable.
