AirPods Pro 3 here, early impressions (vs AirPods Pro 2)

[Lounge vibes 05]

I didn't miss it at all. He made two statements. One, he was returning because of a defective component. Fine. But Number Two, he said he didn't hear a remarkable difference from his app2 after 5 minutes. Come on, man. How can make an honest evaluation in 5 minutes?

I'm very used to the sound and fit of my APP2. I love them. I put the new 3 in and immediately heard a difference. Treble was sharper and the bass was more pronounced. It was different from the 2 and sometimes our brain initially prefers something we're used to over something that may be better.

I listened for at least 45 min before I was able to get used to the new sound. And then it just became obvious how much better the 3 sounds compared to the 2. I listen almost exclusively to classical music. To hear it well, you need really high quality sound devices that will bring forth all the subtlety and clarity that is needed to really "hear" classical. As good as the 2 Pro is, the 3 is better, significantly, IMHO. Much clearer definition of the sound, a broader more spacious environment, beautiful highs, and really good base.

I'm thrilled with these. They come with the middle size tip on. I'm used to the very comfortable fit I have with the Pro2, where you hardly notice they in your ears. Initially, the 3 felt a bit tight with the medium tips. I then tried the small tip, and voila. Perfect. Comfortable. Could barely tell they were in my ear. Same great sound. Spent the next few hours really enjoying them. Had to finally, stop and charge them (they came charged about 20%).

I certainly don't expect everyone to have the same opinions. Some certainly may not ending up liking the 3. That's fine. BUT at least give yourselves more than 5 minutes to come to any conclusions.

I pretty much had the absolute identical experience to this.
I wear the AirPods Pro second generation every single day, for hours and hours a day, usually at least two full charge cycles.
Initially, trying the new AirPods Pro 3s, I was confused. The medium tips were so big in my ears because of the new foam-infused tips that it was instantly extremely uncomfortable, and while I did notice an improvement in active noise cancellation compared to my Pro2s, to my mind the difference was barely noticeable. Keep in mind, these were just initial impressions off of only keeping the earbuds in for about a minute in the car.

Once I got home, I adjusted the eartips to the extra small, which didn’t quite work. So then I went up to the smalls, which were the exact right ones that I needed.
Absolutely perfect fit, can barely feel them in my ears now. Just as comfortable as my Pro 2s.

The thing you said about our brains needing time to adjust to anything new, but especially something that we literally keep in our ears for hours and hours at a time every single day, is extremely true.
After finally getting the ear tip that I needed, I charged both the pods and the case up to 100%, and have had them in my ears ever since.
Yes, our brains absolutely have to adjust to things and will likely prefer the familiar at first, but now when I put back in the Pro2s they feel ready to fall out any second, and the noise cancellation is noticeably, noticeably lesser.

It is not just the AirPods Pro 3s that required this adjustment period, I remember being initially disappointed when the original AirPods Pro came out because they just felt different to the regular AirPods. But after 20 minutes, the brain adapts.
One thing I can absolutely say, though, the batteries on these last way longer. I put them in charged at 100% around 3 p.m., and I heard the low battery tone at 10% about an hour ago.
Currently only a couple of minutes after 10 p.m., and they only just now died as I was typing this. And keep in mind I’ve been fiddling with them all day, turning off and on transparency and noise cancellation and adaptive mode, doing ear tip fit tests, playing different audio sources, etc.
So the fact that they lasted a bit over seven hours is a very, very good sign, especially once I’m just using them as regular headphones and I’m not messing around with different settings and such. The eight-hour claim from Apple is very much believable.
Incredible product.

 

[meDANOcine]

Edit: DOWNSIZE YOUR TIPS. I moved down to the XS tips and love it. It really helped warm things up and opened the soundstage. Bass still has plenty of kick. Treble is still a bit punchy.

Original post:

Adding my initial impressions after upgrading from the APP 2 version 1 (lightning connector)

Eartip Fit
I was using the small tips. The small in APP 3 are tighter and deeper in the canal, but so far comfortable enough to not move to the XS. I think a lot of people will end up sizing down.

Headphone Stability
These seem to fit my ear much more securely. The stems fit right into the lobe where I would expect them to. They seem to be closer to the ear and should stay in place much better during workouts.

Spectral Flatness
Relatively flat response, with some falling off in the low-mid and some over-accenting of highs. I found the headphones get much flatter response if you back them out ever so slightly rather than jamming them deep into your ear canal.

Frequency Response
Incredible bass response. It's present, punchy, but not thumpy. Probably the best bass response since some old Sennheiser open back cans I used to have (can't remember the model). I'm honestly still blown away at how well controlled the bass is. Mids could use a little tweaking up. I think they lost something in the new design here, hoping it gets rectified with a software update. Higher frequency response is a little bright, like others have said. I can discriminate a little over 17 kHz, whereas I could only hear about 16.5 kHz with the APP 2.

Sound Stage
Call me crazy, but it seems narrower than the APP 2. Haven't figured out why yet. Maybe it's because the tips sit further in my ear canal. Maybe it's the foam. Maybe I'm just sleep deprived. I don't like all the instruments to be right in front of me. This seem like a minor step backwards, but it's a tradeoff I'm totally willing to accept for better ANC and the improved bass.

Transparency mode
Last but not least, transparency mode is a mixed bag. I have much less hissing compared with the APP 2. However, there seems to be a new high-pitched sound that replaces the hissing. I haven't decided if I like it yet. Maybe it's just new drivers settling in. Will reserve judgment until I've had a chance to burn them in.

Song Impressions
Blackbird (Beatles): More vocally forward. The "spaciousness" of the recording seems to be lost. It's like Paul McCartney is sitting in front of me with his guitar, not a singer in an acoustic coffeehouse, which is how I typically feel when listening to this recording.

1812 Overture, with cannons (Tchaikovsky): Apple, are you listening? Go fix the cannons. Here's probably the most egregious example of where the APP 3 is worse than APP 2. Plenty of low kick bass, the high frequency clash is way too strong, and the midrange cannonball firing is completely lost.

Crazy (Seal): Bring back the techno, baby! Fun, present, though the snare drum probably shines more than it should.

Hotel California (Eagles): This is the way this song is meant to be heard. Every instrument gets its moment to shine. The vocals are present, but not forward. Bass guitar settles right where it's supposed to be. My only gripe is the sound stage. This song, above all others, deserves a nice wide sound stage. The APP 3s murder it. In the overall scheme of things, it's not a big deal (we're talking about earbuds after all, not cans) but I'm still annoyed. I'll probably forget all about it in a few days.

 

[zakarhino]

Adding my initial impressions after upgrading from the APP 2 version 1 (lightning connector)

Eartip Fit
I was using the small tips. The small in APP 3 are tighter and deeper in the canal, but so far comfortable enough to not move to the XS. I think a lot of people will end up sizing down.

Headphone Stability
These seem to fit my ear much more securely. The stems fit right into the lobe where I would expect them to. They seem to be closer to the ear and should stay in place much better during workouts.

Spectral Flatness
Relatively flat response, with some falling off in the low-mid and some over-accenting of highs. I found the headphones get much flatter response if you back them out ever so slightly rather than jamming them deep into your ear canal.

Frequency Response
Incredible bass response. It's present, punchy, but not thumpy. Probably the best bass response since some old Sennheiser open back cans I used to have (can't remember the model). I'm honestly still blown away at how well controlled the bass is. Mids could use a little tweaking up. I think they lost something in the new design here, hoping it gets rectified with a software update. Higher frequency response is a little bright, like others have said. I can discriminate a little over 17 kHz, whereas I could only hear about 16.5 kHz with the APP 2.

Sound Stage
Call me crazy, but it seems narrower than the APP 2. Haven't figured out why yet. Maybe it's because the tips sit further in my ear canal. Maybe it's the foam. Maybe I'm just sleep deprived. I don't like all the instruments to be right in front of me. This seem like a minor step backwards, but it's a tradeoff I'm totally willing to accept for better ANC and the improved bass.

Transparency mode
Last but not least, transparency mode is a mixed bag. I have much less hissing compared with the APP 2. However, there seems to be a new high-pitched sound that replaces the hissing. I haven't decided if I like it yet. Maybe it's just new drivers settling in. Will reserve judgment until I've had a chance to burn them in.

Song Impressions
Blackbird (Beatles): More vocally forward. The "spaciousness" of the recording seems to be lost. It's like Paul McCartney is sitting in front of me with his guitar, not a singer in an acoustic coffeehouse, which is how I typically feel when listening to this recording.

1812 Overture, with cannons (Tchaikovsky): Apple, are you listening? Go fix the cannons. Here's probably the most egregious example of where the APP 3 is worse than APP 2. Plenty of low kick bass, the high frequency clash is way too strong, and the midrange cannonball firing is completely lost.

Crazy (Seal): Bring back the techno, baby! Fun, present, though the snare drum probably shines more than it should.

Hotel California (Eagles): This is the way this song is meant to be heard. Every instrument gets its moment to shine. The vocals are present, but not forward. Bass guitar settles right where it's supposed to be. My only gripe is the sound stage. This song, above all others, deserves a nice wide sound stage. The APP 3s murder it. In the overall scheme of things, it's not a big deal (we're talking about earbuds after all, not cans) but I'm still annoyed. I'll probably forget all about it in a few days.

Fantastic write up. I tried your suggestion of sizing down to small but that ruined the bass then I tried the large tips based on your response observations, now I think they sound better. I found the medium tips recessed vocals a bit. Large rounds it out, a tad more balanced.

The more I listen the more I like. Fit is much improved irrespective of tip size. I will keep testing over the course of this week.

 

[zakarhino]

I feel like ear tip size influences the audio characteristics more than any other AirPods Pro before. Went back to medium because there’s a bit more energy.

 

[BIGSHOTT]

3s have A little too much bass for me. I cut in the Acoustic EQ and it sounds better. Better balance overall than the 2s.

 

[anubis1980]

I was dubious about the 3s, I hate foam ear tips normally , but I’m shocked at how good these feel. I can finally get rid of the hooks I had to use on the 2s. I love the 3 so far, I can definitely notice an improvement in sound quality. Bass is better for me, and overall it feels like the soundstage has widened for me if that’s the right term. I feel more immersed in my music.

I can hear small details i couldn’t before and words I didn’t even know were said on the 2s. I loved my pro 2s they were my favourite apple product. I’m really happy with the 3s , anc seems better but not really tested it much , just been sat listening to music and smiling. They feel so comfy to wear and I don’t feel like they’re going to fall out which I always felt with the 2s. Very happy !

 

[GigabitEthernet]

These fit so much better, it is night and day.

Haven’t tried them on a run yet but I’m confident.

 

[Kylo83]

Just tried it on a train in London and the anc is worse than the pro 2 what the hell, the seal is fine I can’t hear the train at all on the pro 2 but the pro 3 I can; what’s going on

 

[macphoto861]

All I can say is that I envy the abilities of those who can A/B test between these and note the differences. I mean, if I am comparing with regular AirPods, I think I’d be able to hear the obvious improved bass response that the sealing tips provide, but I struggle to hear the differences between my APP2 and APP3… they both sound very good to me.

My problem is that my brain sucks. By the time I take one pair off and put the other on, I “forget” the exact details of what the first ones sounded like.

 

[anubis1980]

All I can say is that I envy the abilities of those who can A/B test between these and note the differences. I mean, if I am comparing with regular AirPods, I think I’d be able to hear the obvious improved bass response that the sealing tips provide, but I struggle to hear the differences between my APP2 and APP3… they both sound very good to me.

My problem is that my brain sucks. By the time I take one pair off and put the other on, I “forget” the exact details of what the first ones sounded like.

See I envy you, I don’t want to be able to hear little differences, it’s a pain! Just want to be oblivious haha

 

[Kylo83]

Someone please explain to me how the new ones have double the anc where I can hear the train moving on the 3 and not the 2

 

[Dave245]

Sorry but this is just wrong; I have been comparing them both the pro 2 and the new one and the pro 2 sound much nicer, bass is stronger and cleaner. The pro 3 are to on the high end and don’t have anywhere near the bass the pro 2 have; it’s a downgrade in sound quality. Sorry but what are Apple thinking even the anc isn’t as strong. And trust me I used to work in audio mixing I know my sound. They don’t sound any better than the pro 2 but actually worse. I’ve had enough of Apple now. Every new product actually seems worse

It is literally night and day difference, I have the Pro 2s and my Pro 3s arrived yesterday, I have been using them since then. The Pro 3s of noticeable audio improvements and the ANC is miles better, the ANC on the Pro 2s is good by the Pro 3s is miles better!! well worth the £219 price tag in my opinion.

 

[Dave245]

Someone please explain to me how the new ones have double the anc where I can hear the train moving on the 3 and not the 2

Try all of the ear tips and find the ones that work for you. That's the only thing I can say, because the ANC on the 3s is night and day better for me.

 

[NvidiaIntelPC]

Ok, so here’s my update.

Tested them last night for about 1 hour of mixed music, podcasts, and YouTube, plus another 2 hours watching a TV show.

I tested them by connecting to Apple devices (iPhone, Mac, and Apple TV 4K), as well as via Bluetooth directly to an LG OLED TV.

The improvements over the AirPods Pro 2 are clear and significant in both sound quality and ANC — no question. The ANC is especially impressive. Sound quality is definitely better across the board, with the stronger bass being the most noticeable change.

They no longer sound like "AirPods", but like full-on good headphones

As for the fit: initially, they felt a bit tighter in my ear canals (using the default tips), and I was worried they might hurt because I have very sensitive ears. I’ve bought and returned many excellent earbuds, including higher-end Sennheiser and Sony models, purely due to comfort issues. BUT after wearing these for hours nonstop, I can confidently say they are very comfortable with no pressure issues at all. They are more comfortable than the already comfortable AirPods Pro 2.


Visually, they do stick out more from the ears and ar more noticeable.


Overall: if you already have AirPods Pro 2 and are wondering if the upgrade is worth it — in my opinion, yes, it is. The improvements in ANC and sound quality are significant. (By comparison, the jump from AirPods Pro 1 to AirPods Pro 2 felt pretty minor.) If you don’t own any ANC earbuds, these are among the very best — if not the best — all things considered.

 

[Kylo83]

Try all of the ear tips and find the ones that work for you. That's the only thing I can say, because the ANC on the 3s is night and day better for me.

Honestly something much better wrong with mine because trust me it’s not better for me, I can hear the whole train and pro 2 it’s silent, also the bass is worse on the new ones, I have a good seal. I don’t understand this, I doubt they are faulty but they just don’t sound better to me at all

 

[reinisbaab]

I returned my AirPods Pro 3, because the touch controls in the stem were extremely unreliable - they would only register 20% of my squeezes to play/pause or adjust volume or switch between transpatency/nc modes. I've never had such issue with Pro 1 or Pro 2s.

Apple Store explained that this is because Pro 3's have changed the location of the proximity sensor and because of the updated overall design the buds sit more outside the ear and appratenly the sensor thinks that the buds are not fully inside my (totally normal and regular) ears and so the touch controls get disabled.

Interestingly, Pro 3's have a second proximity sensor to determine whether to automatically play/pause when earbuds are in/out of ears.

TBH I'm very dissapointed in Apple, such a sloppy design change.

 

[Dave245]

Honestly something much better wrong with mine because trust me it’s not better for me, I can hear the whole train and pro 2 it’s silent, also the bass is worse on the new ones, I have a good seal. I don’t understand this, I doubt they are faulty but they just don’t sound better to me at all

That is weird. Mine are a lot better than the Pro 2s, I can't hear anything with them in and playing music.

 

[Kylo83]

I returned my AirPods Pro 3, because the touch controls in the stem were extremely unreliable - they would only register 20% of my squeezes to play/pause or adjust volume or switch between transpatency/nc modes. I've never had such issue with Pro 1 or Pro 2s.

Apple Store explained that this is because Pro 3's have changed the location of the proximity sensor and because of the updated overall design the buds sit more outside the ear and appratenly the sensor thinks that the buds are not inside my (totally normal and regular) ear.

Interestingly, Pro 3'd have a different proximity sensor to determine whether to automatically play/pause when earbuds are in/out of ears.

TBH I'm very dissapointed in Apple, such a sloppy design change.

Every new Apple product seems to be worse now days, especially in design

 

[Dave245]

Honestly something much better wrong with mine because trust me it’s not better for me, I can hear the whole train and pro 2 it’s silent, also the bass is worse on the new ones, I have a good seal. I don’t understand this, I doubt they are faulty but they just don’t sound better to me at all

have you tried altering this setting?

 

[crypthick]

Every new Apple product seems to be worse now days, especially in design

I’m just going to say that I think it’s a ‘you’ problem- every thread about the APP3s has you complaining about them… I can’t see mine when they’re in my ears… majority of people can clearly hear the improvements

 

[GigabitEthernet]

There are very few products I genuinely think are a push forward but these fit so much better it’s kind of unbelievable.

I could get a seal with the old ones but they always felt like they’d come loose. These ones really feel jammed in there.

 

[Adelphos33]

Remember that earbud fit is personal - the fact that the AirPods Pro 3 fit deeper into the ear canal may be a negative for some. AirPods Pro 2 fit secure for me without going too deep in the canal - which I like. Based on these reviews, I have no idea what to expect with AirPods Pro 3.

 

[Joseph C]

Every new Apple product seems to be worse now days, especially in design

Sounds like confirmation bias to me.

The APP3s are drastically better in terms of fit and noise cancellation (I've run tests with my APP2s side by side), and the soundstage feels noticeably better to my ears too.

 

[Kylo83]

That is weird. Mine are a lot better than the Pro 2s, I can't hear anything with them in and playing music.

Go on a train and see, again mine must be faulty or others just don’t hear what I’m seeing because I’ve have spent hours testing these

have you tried altering this setting?

View attachment 2554311

i don’t have this activated

 

[Kylo83]

Ok so you guys think I’m lying, I done a side by side test and anc was worse for me, unless there is something wrong with mine