Just How Much Better are Apple’s AirPods Pro 3?

Pros	Cons
World-class ANC, improved secure fit with foam tips, strong battery life, and seamless Apple ecosystem integration. Extras like heart-rate sensing, hearing health tools, and Live Translation make them the most feature-rich AirPods yet, perfect for iPhone users who want convenience and performance in one package.	Despite improvements, AirPods Pro 3 still rely on SBC/AAC codecs with no high-resolution audio support. Some tracks reveal sibilance in the highs, and ANC can feel overly isolating with no manual controls. Battery life, while longer, still falls short for long-haul flights.

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Like Omega Speedmaster or Porsche 356 collectors, the headphone community is littered with knowledgeable people who can explain things like sibilance and show you a technical graph measured using a B&K 5128.

These things are essential, but they mean practically nothing to most people. It’s a good thing that I’m not one of those reviewers. I didn’t test the new Apple AirPods Pro 3 (AUD$429, USD$249, £219) by sticking them on a bench and performing audio surgery. No, I put them in my ears, walked around, sat at my desk, ordered coffee, worked out, and did everything most people do when they have headphones. Why? Because if you’re on the hunt for a new set of ANC earbuds like the ones I’ve been testing for this review, you’re probably not interested in graphs.

I know many people who have been itching for an Apple Pro headphone model, so most importantly, I compared them to the Apple AirPods Pro 2 (AUD$310) to see if it’s worth upgrading. Next to my Sony WH1000-XM6s, the APP2s would be the most-worn pair of headphones ever. Now, let’s check out the review.

Price and Competition

The new Apple AirPods Pro 3s are $20 more expensive than the outgoing model in Australia, priced at AUD$429 (USD$249, £219).

Here’s a breakdown of pricing and how they fit in the model line-up:

• AirPods 4 – AUD$219
• AirPods 4 with ANC – AUD$299
• AirPods Pro 3 – AUD$429
• AirPods Max – AUD$999

Most iPhone users should simply buy the APP3s as the UX integration is unmatched. Still, suppose you’re interested in checking out some of the competition. In that case, I recommend the Sony WF-1000XM5 (AUD$399) and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2nd Gen (AUD$449) first, before considering the more affordable options like the Technics EAH-AZ80, Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, and Nothing Ear 3. If you’re on the hunt for cheap alternatives and an iPhone user, consider the AirPods 4 with ANC.

Comparison

	AirPods Pro 3	AirPods 4 with ANC
Price (AUD)	A$429	A$299
Finishes	White	White
Chip	H2	H2
Active Noise Cancellation	ANC (Up to 4× better than original AirPods Pro)	ANC
Adaptive Audio & Transparency	Yes	Yes
Conversation Awareness	Yes	Yes
Spatial Audio	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking	Personalised Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking
Lossless Audio	—	—
Heart Rate Sensing	Yes (during workouts)	—
Hearing Health	Hearing Test, Hearing Aid, Loud Sound Reduction	—
Live Translation	Yes	Yes
Battery (listening time)	Up to 8 hrs with ANC / 10 hrs in Transparency with Hearing Aid	Up to 5 hrs with ANC
Battery (with case)	Up to 24 hrs with ANC	Up to 30 hrs
Fast Charge	5 min = ~1.5 hrs	5 min = ~1 hr
Charging Case	MagSafe, USB-C	USB-C Wireless Charging Case
Water/Dust Resistance	IP57 (dust, sweat, water)	IP54 (dust, sweat, water)
Connectivity	Bluetooth 5.3	Bluetooth 5.3
Microphones	Dual beamforming + inward-facing	Dual beamforming + inward-facing
Drivers	Custom-built high-excursion driver	Custom-built high-excursion driver
Amplifier	High-dynamic-range amplifier	High-dynamic-range amplifier
Sensors	Skin-detect, motion, speech, heart rate sensor	Optical in-ear, motion, speech
Size & Weight (earbuds)	30.9 × 19.2 × 27.0 mm / 5.55 g each	30.2 × 18.3 × 18.1 mm / 4.3 g each
Case Dimensions	47.2 × 62.2 × 21.8 mm / 44 g	46.2 × 50.1 × 21.2 mm / 34.7 g

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Design and Fit

They might look the same at first glance, but the design of the AirPods Pro 3 is entirely new. Previously only available in white, this new generation continues that trend. However, the foam-infused ear tips are new (silicone-only on Pro 2) and now come in five sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, and L (an expansion from the previous range).

I’ve always been an ‘L’ ear tip wearer, but I sized down to an ‘M’ for these new earbuds because the new foam-infused tips seem to take up more space in the ear. I will note that the foam eventually shrinks slightly, so consider sizing up if you’re in between two sizes. If you’re unsure about the fit, there’s an ear tip fit test in the AirPods Settings to check which size gives the best seal. The brand recommends starting with the same ear tip size before sizing down if the fit is too tight. It’s essential to get the fit right for the new heart rate sensor to work as advised.

Measuring 30.9 × 19.2 × 27.0 mm, the AirPods Pro 3 is smaller in volume than the AirPods Pro 2, but they’re a touch heavier, at 5.55 grams vs. 5.3 grams. If you want the lightest ANC earbuds in the lineup, check out the 4.3-gram AirPods 4 with ANC, which measure 30.2 × 18.3 × 18.1 mm / each.

While I’ve never had an issue with fit with the AirPods Pro 2, the new AirPods Pro 3 is certainly more secure in my ear, and at no point has the earbud attempted to slide out. The angle of the bud has been adjusted to point the tip into your canal more accurately, while the tight seal is crucial for optimal sound and noise-cancelling performance.

Gym goers will appreciate that the AirPods Pro 3 is the first to have IP57 dust, sweat, and water resistance. The ‘5’ designates a dust-protected (limited dust ingress, no harmful deposits), and the ‘7’ means water-resistant up to 1 metre for 30 minutes (suitable for sweat, rain, and accidental splashes). This makes them more durable for workouts, essential when taking advantage of that new heart rate sensor.

Sound

The sound of the AirPods Pro 3 has been hotly debated online, with many audiophiles and headphone reviewers complaining about sibilance in the high-frequency bands.

I won’t discuss this at length in this review, but I will note that some tracks produce somewhat unpleasant levels of sibilance in the upper frequencies, e.g., Respectfully by Dave East and Girls, Girls, Girls by JAY-Z. Still, I would say that with more data on people’s listening habits than any company in the world, Apple has found a happy medium between a neutral and full-bodied sound. There’s more breadth to be found at each end of the frequency band, which can sometimes do more harm than good, but it’s less pronounced when listening at “healthy” decibel levels and not turned up to the max like many people are guilty of.

These are not bad-sounding earbuds! Actually, they’re very, very good. Even with a slight sibilance flaw, where the vocal clarity seems artificially clear, the overall sound quality produced is among the best in-ear headphones on the market.

When tested back-to-back with the AirPods Pro 2, the entirely new multiport acoustic design helps move air through the buds more effectively and produce deep, rich bass that’s above and beyond that produced by the older design, despite both earbuds using the same-sized 10.7mm drivers.

Strangely, no two people’s listening experiences will be the same, as a new Adaptive EQ customises the sound signature for your unique ear geometry and fit.

Unlike competitors with LDAC or aptX Lossless codecs, the AirPods Pro 3 only support SBC and AAC. The brand’s computational audio processing can make up for its codec limits to a point, but considering Apple Music is capable of delivering Hi-Res Lossless (ALAC up to 24-bit/192kHz), it’s a bit sad that we can’t stream lossless audio to the AirPods Pro 3. Still, doing this online would consume six times the data, so it’s a trade-off that most people wouldn’t be willing to make.

There’s also a strong desire for an iOS-wide EQ, which is not something that Apple has brought to the AirPods Pro 3.

Noise Cancellation

Despite the same H2 chip inside both models, Apple says the ANC in the AirPods Pro 3 is twice as good as that in the AirPods 2. They also claim the AirPods Pro 3 have the world’s best Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) in any in-ear wireless headphones, but are they correct? That’s when we turn to The Sound Guys, who have tested the in-ears on a bench, and their tests confirm the AirPods Pro 3 have the best ANC of any earphone or headphone on the market. Other tests from outlets like RTINGS mimic these results.

Anecdotally, my real-world tests, which included using them on the Sydney Metro and domestic flights around Australia, showed that they are several notches above the AirPods Pro 2. Most importantly, the sound quality hasn’t suffered because of this.

This level of ANC also opens another can of worms. How much isolation do we actually want from the world? I remember taking the same walk every day from the carpark to the office, where I’d previously worn the AirPods Pro 2, and I was momentarily concerned that I was too isolated from the world. I was worried that I couldn’t hear the bell from the George Street light rail, I couldn’t hear anyone walking around me, and if someone said my name, I wouldn’t be able to hear them. It’s a bit disconcerting.

I could always put the earbuds into Transparency Mode, which runs alongside ANC and lets voices (your own and others) come through naturally. Still, I wish there were a slider that let me adjust the level of transparency, similar to what Sony offers with the Sony WF-1000XM5. It could be tied to location, so it knows when to change the ANC level.

Battery Life

Battery life has increased by 33% compared with AirPods Pro 2 (6 hours with ANC), so you don’t have to charge them as often. It’s claimed to last up to 8 hours with ANC enabled, 7.5 hours with Spatial Audio and Head Tracking enabled, and 10 hours in Transparency mode (Hearing Aid). While that’s still not enough for a long-haul flight out of Australia with ANC on, you wouldn’t want to wear them in your ear for much longer than this, as comfort becomes an issue.

With the charging case in your pocket, you’ll have up to 24 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation enabled, and a 5-minute charge in the case provides about 1-1.5 hours of listening time.

You can charge the MagSafe USB-C Charging Case with:

• MagSafe chargers
• Apple Watch charger
• Qi-certified wireless chargers

It features a built-in speaker for Find My alerts, a lanyard loop for attaching straps, and a new ultra-wideband chip that makes precision Find My 1.5 times farther compared with Pro 2.

Features

While sound quality, ANC, battery life, and fit are the most important considerations before purchasing your pair, you should also consider these features. We’ll note that most of these features aren’t available for users of other phones, so if you’re not using an iPhone, you should probably skip this part.

Live Translation: Let’s you speak with another person in any of the supported languages in real time. If they also have AirPods in, talk with them naturally, but if they don’t, hold your iPhone up, and they will be able to read the translation. Having now tested this in real time with a Spanish speaker, it’s pretty amazing, but it is a bit slow. Note that this is also supported on the AirPods Pro 2.

Camera Remote: Press the stem to snap photos or start/stop video recording on an iPhone.

Audio Sharing: Share what you’re listening to (music, video, etc.) by bringing a friend’s AirPods nearby.

Accessibility Features:

• Hearing Test
• Hearing Aid
• Conversation Boost
• Loud Sound Reduction
• Live Listen
• Headphone Accommodations
• Headphone Levels

One of my favourite features that is retained is the automatic switching between Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV).

Verdict

By the numbers, the AirPods Pro 3 are the best ANC earbuds or headphones on the market, and for many, that’s enough to convince them that they’re worth the AUD$429 price tag.

The improved fit should open the ownership experience to more ear types, and the sound quality is still amongst the best on the market, even if the new Adaptive EQ does need some work to stop some iffy frequencies in the higher ranges. Live Translation has true, real-world benefits for those who travel often, even if the use cases will be awkward at first.

Sure, if you’re on a budget and want to save a hundred bucks, the AirPods Pro 2 are still an excellent set of in-ear buds. However, the AirPods Pro 3 is a worthy investment for most iPhone users. If you’re on the fence, know that the original AirPods Pro (2nd generation) with the Lightning charging case were released on September 23, 2022. So if you’re considering waiting for the next-generation AirPods Pro 4, you might be waiting a long time.

Overall, the AirPods Pro 3 are the best all-around headphones for pairing with an iPhone.

NOTE: The author of this article, Ben McKimm, was provided with Apple AirPods Pro 3 for the purposes of this review. All reviews remain independent and objective. Apple was not shown this review before publishing, and we received no money for posting the review. In fact, we’ve never done business with Apple. For more information on how we test products, view our editorial guidelines here.