The AirPods Professional 3 are my favourite earbuds I’ve ever used

Over time, I’ve reviewed a variety of wi-fi earbuds, whether or not it is the Pixel Buds Pro 2, the Nothing Ear (Open), a number of generations of AirPods, and even the wonderful, however ill-fated Galaxy Buds Reside (keep in mind how they have been usually affectionately known as “the beans?”), however I all the time discover myself coming again to Apple’s AirPods Pro for a number of causes.

First off, they only work. Whether or not I am listening to music on my MacBook Professional, watching content material on my Apple TV, or zoning out to a podcast, the AirPods Professional 2 almost all the time immediately hook up with no matter system I am utilizing and infrequently drop their Bluetooth connection. Plenty of corporations make the identical declare about their earbuds, however in my expertise, they not often reside as much as it (I am you, Google’s Pixel Buds line). On prime of that, the AirPods Professional 2 characteristic spectacular audio high quality and strong mics, the 2 options I worth essentially the most within the wi-fi earbuds I exploit day by day.

However they don’t seem to be excellent. Over the previous few months, I’ve discovered that the roughly three to 4 hours of battery life my AirPods Professional 2 supply simply is not sufficient anymore, particularly now that the battery has began to degrade. Including to this, I lately began operating a number of instances per week and ditched the AirPods Professional 2 for the Powerbeats Pro 2 as a result of they sit way more securely in my ears. Match has been my important situation with the AirPods Professional and AirPods Professional 2. They simply aren’t that snug and do not sit securely in my ears, no matter what ear ideas I exploit.

That is the place Apple’s new AirPods Professional 3 are available in. Apple has improved the high-end earbuds’ match considerably due to a smaller design that options foam-infused ideas and revamped ergonomics. There are different key upgrades, too, together with higher battery life, improved sound high quality, IP57 sweat and water-resistance,built-in coronary heart charge monitoring, and extra.

With the AirPods Professional 3, Apple has taken its spectacular pair of high-end wi-fi earbuds and made them notably higher in a number of key methods.

4.5/5

Battery Life

8 hours

Bluetooth

Sure

Noise Cancellation

ANC

Charging Case

Sure

New AirPods Professional 3 options embrace Reside Translation, IP57 sweat and water resistance, and a built-in coronary heart charge sensor, permitting customers to trace exercises instantly with the wi-fi earbuds.

Execs & Cons

• Snug design
• Battery life enhancements
• Reside Translation works nice

• Sound high quality enchancment is not notable
• ANC improve is marginal

At instances, it seems like I do not even have earbuds in

The consolation improve over the AirPods Professional 2 is spectacular

The very first thing I observed in regards to the AirPods Professional 3 is how snug they’re. Whereas I would not describe the AirPods Professional 2 as painful to put on, after three to 4 hours, my ears usually want a break. With the AirPods Professional 3, that is now not an issue. In contrast to the AirPods 4, they’re in-ear earbuds, so it often nonetheless seems like there’s an insect burrowing into my ear canal if I push them in an excessive amount of, however the AirPods Professional 3 are considerably extra nice to put on for longer intervals in comparison with the AirPods Professional and AirPods Professional 2. In actual fact, the AirPods Professional 3 are essentially the most snug in-ear wi-fi earbuds I’ve ever used.

There are a number of causes for this. First off, they’re barely smaller and have a distinct form, permitting them to raised align together with your ear canal (you will discover that they sit tilted barely in your ears). There are additionally new foam-infused ear ideas. The guidelines nonetheless really feel the identical because the AirPods Professional 2’s silicone ideas while you squeeze them together with your fingers, however when the AirPods Professional 3 are in your ears, you will discover that they are way more malleable, permitting the tricks to conform to the form of the within of your ear higher, whereas additionally blocking out extra outdoors noise (foam is best at passive noise isolation).

This makes them align together with your ear barely in another way from the AirPods Professional 2. Like with the AirPods Professional 2, the AirPods Professional 3 include a number of completely different ear ideas, starting from extra-small to giant. Much like the AirPods Professional 2, I discover that the medium ideas match the very best in my ears, however some folks have needed to size-down to accommodate the AirPods Professional 3’s new tip design.

Together with being extra snug, the brand new ear ideas make the AirPods Professional 4 sit extra securely in my ears. Whether or not I am cleansing my home, out in my backyard choosing strawberries, or going for a fast run, Apple’s new wi-fi earbuds stay firmly in my ears. In actual fact, I am contemplating ditching the Powerbeats Professional 2 for operating and switching to the AirPods Professional 3 as a result of they sound so a lot better (extra on this later).

I am unable to consider a single occasion over the previous few days after they’ve fallen out of my ears, whereas with the AirPods Professional 2, it felt like they consistently tumbled to the bottom every time I used to be doing one thing a bit extra lively than simply sitting at my desk. As somebody who actually values match relating to wi-fi earbuds, the truth that the AirPods Professional 3 are this snug to put on for lengthy intervals and really keep in my ears, is sufficient to justify an improve from the AirPods Professional 2. I now perceive why Apple boasted that the AirPods Professional 3 are the “best-fitting AirPods ever” — they are surely.

There are a number of different design adjustments price noting, together with the elimination of the Bluetooth pairing button on the charging case, and the truth that the case itself is barely taller and wider, much like the AirPods 4. Neither change is an enormous deal, however I want the bodily pairing button from the AirPods Professional 2. It is price noting that sadly, the case continues to be product of the identical comfortable white plastic as Apple’s different AirPods, which suggests it is extremely simply scratched.

Sound high quality and lively noise cancellation enhancements

Do the AirPods Professional 4 actually sound that a lot better than the AirPods Professional 2? Not likely

Apple talked an enormous recreation about AirPods Professional 3 sound high quality and lively noise cancellation enhancements (ANC), however after spending roughly per week utilizing the earbuds, these claims really feel a bit excessive. Certain, the AirPods Professional 3 sound higher than the AirPods Professional 2 due to their new drivers/transducers, providing a wider sound stage and deeper bass, however the enchancment is not that large. Some folks won’t discover it, particularly in the event that they’re coming from the 2nd era AirPods Professional.

However as anticipated, there is a very clear enchancment over the unique AirPods Professional. Every little thing from Underoath’s scream-filled They’re Solely Chasing Security, to one thing way more low-key like Taylor Swift’s Anti-Hero, sounds full, with a spread of highs and lows that is so large it is usually stunning that it is coming from earbuds. They simply sound nice acrosst he board.

The identical could be stated in regards to the AirPods Professional 3’s improved ANC. Apple says that the AirPods Professional 3 blovk out twice as a lot outdoors noise because the AirPods Professional 2 and 4 instances greater than the unique AirPods Professional, due to the earbuds’ new ultra-low-noise microphones, developments in computational audio, and the brand new foam-infused ear ideas. In my expertise, whereas the ANC is best, it does not really feel prefer it’s an enormous enchancment over the AirPods Professional 2, except you are in a very loud setting or blocking out somebody speaking instantly beside you.

However, identical to the sound high quality bump, the soar between the unique AirPods Professional’s ANC versus the AirPods Professional 3 is way extra substantial. My greatest guess is that the foam-infused ideas are doing the majority of the heavy lifting with regard to the higher ANC.

Reside Translation works higher than I anticipated

Language choices are nonetheless restricted, although

Apple may be very late to the sport with Reside Translation on the AirPods Professional 3, given Google has supplied the characteristic with its Pixel Buds for several years, but it surely nonetheless works impressively properly due to the facility of the H2 chip and a mixture of voice isolation, ANC, and the beam-forming mics (this characteristic additionally works on the AirPods 2 and AirPods 4). You may even begin Reside Translation instantly from the earbuds by holding each stems.

While you launch Reside Translation, ANC kicks in to drag down the noise round you and to cut back the amount of the particular person you are chatting with. This makes it simpler to listen to Siri translate the dialog by means of the AirPods Professional 3. When you’re utilizing the Reside Translation app, a transcript reveals up in your telephone, providing you with entry to the interpretation earlier than it comes by means of your AirPods, in addition to the flexibility to play your translated speech to whoever you are speaking to (it took me a couple of minutes to determine this out). The entire expertise is a bit overwhelming and feels difficult at first, however after getting Reside Translation up and operating, it really works higher than I anticipated.

Apple Intelligence was simply capable of decipher my accomplice’s French simply and in flip, flipped my English into comprehensible French. This is not a characteristic I will use fairly often, however like is commonly the case, Apple’s implementation of a reside translation is impressively clean, regardless of being a number of years late.

At launch, language assist may be very restricted and solely consists of English, French, German, Portuguese, and Spanish. Apple says that Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Chinese language (simplified) are coming later this yr. It is seemingly extra languages are on the horizon, too.

Constructed-in heart-rate monitoring is a welcome addition, however I already personal an Apple Watch

The battery life improve is much-needed

Constructed-in coronary heart charge monitoring has been a rumored AirPods Professional characteristic for a number of years, so it is nice to see it lastly make its option to the AirPods Professional 3. That stated, it does not work fully how I anticipated and stays tethered to your iPhone. Having a safe match is required for the center charge monitor to work persistently, however in my expertise that hasn’t been a problem. The App works with Apple’s Health app, in addition to third-party apps like Nike Run Membership, Runna, Ladder, and extra.

My largest situation with the center charge monitor is it requires me to run with my iPhone in my pocket to document the info (if I am not utilizing my Apple Watch), which is sensible, however that limitation is not one thing I thought-about when the characteristic was revealed. After a quick take a look at by means of Apple’s Health app, I went again to utilizing the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and the AirPods Professional 3 collectively when going for a run (I actually do not just like the added bulk of my iPhone 17 Pro bouncing in my pocket).

Fortunately, this does not make the center charge sensor fully ineffective, since each units work collectively to drag essentially the most persistently related coronary heart charge information. I can see the center charge sensor being helpful for somebody who does not personal an Apple Watch and that is snug operating with their telephone, however in my particular case, the AirPods Professional 3’s coronary heart charge monitoring is only a nice-to-have bonus characteristic that backs up the Apple Watch’s coronary heart charge sensor.

With regard to name high quality and voice recording, I have not observed a lot of an enchancment over the AirPods Professional 2, although Transparency mode (which passes noise round you thru the earbuds), sounds vastly improved and is approach clearer. However, I instantly observed that the AirPods 3 eke out a further two hours of battery life, hitting a complete of eight in comparison with the AirPods Professional 2’s six (in the future I managed to get eight and a half hours).

This has allowed me to put on the earbuds for a full work day with out charging them, whereas I would generally have to cost the AirPods 2 one to 2 instances over the course of a workday (I believe the battery has degraded over the previous few years). Just like the match enhancements, I actually admire the battery life improve, and I’ve a sense a variety of different AirPods customers will too.

Do you actually need to improve?

When you’re an OG AirPods Professional proprietor, you will get so much out of the AirPods Professional 3

Since I worth consolation and battery life over almost all the pieces relating to wi-fi earbuds, the AirPods Professional 3 are a worthwhile improve for me, although I am coming from the AirPods Professional 2. Couple that with the minor sound high quality and ANC enhancements, and you’ve got an all-around, high-end AirPods bundle that is very spectacular and the best choice for Apple customers.

However, should you’re an AirPods Professional 2 consumer, the marginal upgrades in sound high quality and ANC won’t push you to shell out the $250 USD/$330 CAD for the AirPods Professional 3. The wi-fi earbuds are league higher than the unique AirPods, however relying on what options matter to you, they don’t seem to be that massive of a transfer over the AirPods Professional 2.

4.5/5

Battery Life

8 hours

Bluetooth

Sure

Noise Cancellation

ANC

Charging Case

Sure