As someone who’s used the AirPods Pro 2 since they launched in 2022, you can bet I was excited to get my ears on the new AirPods Pro 3. Apple’s ubiquitous buds weren’t necessarily due an upgrade in my opinion, such is the quality of the Pro 2, but if there were improvements to be made in sound quality or noise cancellation, who was I to tell Apple not to bother?
Now, having used the latest set of Apple’s flagship earbuds, I can safely say those feelings of excitement were warranted. The tech giant has once again delivered a phenomenal pair of in-ears.
If you’ve never owned a pair of AirPods Pro – or you’ve only ever used the regular AirPods – the Pro 3 absolutely represent the very best of Apple’s audio tech to date. They sound superb, their upgraded active noise cancellation is something Bose and Sony need to watch out for, and they’re as comfortable as ever. In fact, I’d even agree with my colleague Simon Cohen that the redesigned buds are more comfortable than the model they replace.
However, if you already own the AirPods Pro 2, I’d recommend saving your money. The overall upgrade just isn’t worth it.
Sounding off against one another
For the last two weeks, I’ve been alternating between the two generations, and while I can pick up subtle differences in sound quality, they’re marginal. Play Miley Cyrus’ Walk of Fame from her latest album, for example, and both pairs exhibit a great level of energy. I will say that the Pro 3 sounded ever-so-slightly cleaner, and had a bit of extra impact on the heavy bass beats. The extra bass weight is likely thanks in part to the new shape, proving the change was functional, not just aesthetic. However, the improvement is too minor to make a difference for the average listener.
Everyone talks about Spatial Audio being immersive, but I personally don’t like it – I feel it can weaken the sound. Controversially, I found the third-gen Apple buds sound more immersive with that feature turned off, much like the Pro 2.
Does this mean the AirPods Pro 2s sound bad? Not in the slightest. A new model undoubtedly means there are going to be differences. When Apple calls each new phone their “best iPhone ever”, my reaction is always, “Well yeah, you’d hope so.”
It’s a similar story with the AirPods.
Of course the Pro 3 are going to be the company’s best model to date, but that should be expected. The question is whether the changes made are worth upgrading for. Each new iPhone gets a new processor that makes it even faster, but that doesn’t mean the previous model is slow.
When it comes to the AirPods Pro 3, the improvements simply don’t justify the cost of trading up – especially in Australia where I’m based, where the Pro 3 retail for AU$429, an increase from the AU$399 launch price of their predecessor. That AU$30 increase might not seem like much given the improvements, but it’s quite a hike compared to the US where Apple has kept the same $249 price as the Pro 2, or the UK where the new model has actually dropped to £219 (down from £229).
Had Apple kept the same AU$399 price tag, my opinion may have been toned down a tad. Yet, the fact the company is charging more for (what I deem) a very similar product just doesn’t sit well.
Innovation for the sake of innovation?
With regard to the things that actually matter in a pair of earbuds – sound, ANC and fit – the Pro 3 are difficult to fault, but so are the Pro 2.
For that reason, you might think the big upgrade is new set of features, but I was disappointed by the small additions they did make. The most noteworthy feature is a heart-rate sensor, which is even smaller than the one found in the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
In my mind, it’s an unnecessary addition. Yes, the AirPods Pro 3 now have IP57 protection against water and sweat, making them a good choice for workout headphones. But if someone wants to track their heart rate during workouts, they’re likely going to use one of the best smartwatches. In the case of Apple specifically, if someone already owns and uses an Apple Watch, then fitness apps will prioritize the measurements from the Apple Watch anyway, leaving the sensor in the AirPods Pro 3 redundant.
The price is high so I’m holding off
Circling back to the topic of price, I would be easy to say the new features – heart-rate sensor, Live Translation – have influenced the price hike in Australia. Yet considering prices in other countries haven’t increased, and Live Translation is also available on the AirPods Pro 2, it highlights how unnecessary the Australian price increase is.
That’s especially the case when you consider how talented the AirPods Pro 2 are. The previous model has been our unequivocal recommendation for the best wireless earbuds for Apple fans for the past three years, and I still think that’s the case. They sound great, their ANC performance is superb, and they offer iOS users some truly useful extras like Find My, which I’ve personally relied on after misplacing my case on a bus (the new case with the Pro 3 is supposedly even easier to track down, which I admit is a welcome touch).
For me, the only real area Apple could meaningfully improve on the AirPods Pro 2 was sound quality. And, while the Pro 3 do sound slightly better, it’s not enough to make the older pair feel obsolete.
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