Apple Airpods Pro 3

[soundwave76]

I have been testing mine and comparing them to Pro 2. The new tips hurt my ears. I am using XS tips and they are still uncomfortable. No such issues with the Pro 2. Regarding sound, the bass is a bit too heavy for my taste. No major differences besides that in my experience. Probably will return them.

 

[Peluvius]

given this is Audio SCIENCE Review, surely people should show some interest.

It might be intended to the masses rather than "audiophiles", but there's not really much than can compare to the R&D that goes into Apple's audio products

Here here! These little things are a remarkable product of research and development. Imagine something this tiny, noise cancelling and wireless sounding this good! I won't be giving up my sound systems but man, these things are truly incredible.

I do wish Apple would give us native EQ, that would elevate the performance. There are "accommodations" but these are quite imprecise.

 

[MonkeyKing]

Had these show up on Friday and they are noticeably better than the 2's. Musically, they are not at BW PI8 levels, but they are much closer. And I might not have bought the BWs had these been around. From a daily use, in the office, perspective they have some very nice new features. The noise cancellation is the best I have seen in this type of headphone. And the transparency mode, with the ability to lower volumes when people are speaking is really great if you are bouncing around between talking to people and needing to be on a call. 10/10 would buy them again.

 

[Esprit]

And the transparency mode, with the ability to lower volumes when people are speaking is really great if you are bouncing around between talking to people and needing to be on a call

Functions always available even on the 2.

 

[GiBo61]

The Apple buds are just too expensive to my taste. Love my iPhone (Verizon made a deal too good to pass up), but I find my $28 TOZO wireless earbuds have very good sound and excellent wind blocking and noise cancellation algorithms.

Which Tozo earbuds are you using?

 

[Joe Smith]

Which Tozo earbuds are you using?

NC9 is the model.

 

[scotchrocks]

I have been testing mine and comparing them to Pro 2. The new tips hurt my ears. I am using XS tips and they are still uncomfortable. No such issues with the Pro 2. Regarding sound, the bass is a bit too heavy for my taste. No major differences besides that in my experience. Probably will return them.

The silicone tips are definitely stiffer than before with the additional insulation they put into them. I use S tips (as I did before with APP2), but they fit more snugly than before. When I tried XS tips, they were fitting just right on initial insertion, but they tended to slip out when moving or exercising. So, I'm sticking to S tips.

As a payoff for the stiffer tips, I can at least tell the noise cancellation is definitely better than the APP2. For example, when using a rowing machine, the fan noise is quieter than before.

 

[soundwave76]

I tried the XXS tips and they feel much better. I also ran the seal test and it passed. The difference to Pro 2 is not that big imo so still might return these...

 

[josiah]

How do people like this garbage? Even as a mid-fi enthusiast, I am at a loss? I have my Kali IN5, SMSL DL200 and Series XS as my daily drivers. I have been able to adapt and enjoy my Air Pods Pro 2 on plain rides. This sounds terrible. Mids sound recessed. Male vocals sound awful. Even Black Pink songs that have instrumentals like Kill This Love sound off... I am thoroughly confused by the hype.... The Air Pods Pro 2 sound better...and they were already V shaped.

 

[masterhw]

How do people like this garbage? Even as a mid-fi enthusiast, I am at a loss? I have my Kali IN5, SMSL DL200 and Series XS as my daily drivers. I have been able to adapt and enjoy my Air Pods Pro 2 on plain rides. This sounds terrible. Mids sound recessed. Male vocals sound awful. Even Black Pink songs that have instrumentals like Kill This Love sound off... I am thoroughly confused by the hype.... The Air Pods Pro 2 sound better...and they were already V shaped.

This could (in part) be explained by the below.

From the SoundGuys written review.

 

[masterhw]

This guys experience is very close to my own. The EQ seems to change with volume.

Yes this is loudness correction, however the point of changing it with volume is so it sounds the same actually (because the human ear remains more sensitive to mids at lower volumes, so the highs and lows need a boost).

 

[antcollinet]

is there anything other than subjective nonsense in those videos.

Note - A description is REQUIRED.

Related, any video posted needs to have text explaining the reason for such posting (exception, music and entertainment videos). If such reasoning is not included, the posting/thread is subject to deletion.

'Notification about “External YouTube Video Link Dropping”'

Jan 14, 2025

Forum Wide Notification:

NOTE: The updated version of this policy is posted in the site Terms and Rules

See the above before posting any comments or reporting.

====== below is maintained for reference ======

We are strongly discouraging random YouTube and similar “Video links” being posted without some detailed type of description as to what you want to highlight, or what you think is important to our community. Another words, what in the video do you want to discuss/dissect/analyze. Also, provide a reasonable TLDR summary and if appropriate the Timestamp in the...

• AdamG
• Replies: 68
• Forum: Forum Suggestions and Announcements

• 

 

[rirelien]

A review here, on YouTube, that I found interesting. Creator describes themselves as a professional producer/mixer.

Acknowledges the adaptive EQ, loudness EQ and subjectivity/sight bias so well#well-aligned to ASR worldview.

The idea of using it as a reference and sending to clients so that both parties had common playback equipment seems like a goodmidea

Otherwise, it is itself subjective, so no new data. I’ll remove it if it’s not adding enough

 

[JustIntonation]

It's a tip size thing I think.
I had the upper mid / lower treble dip as well.
Used the standard mid size ear tips just like with the Pro 2.
I thought they fit well. Though noticed the Pro 3 was sticking a little bit further out than the Pro 2.
Then I tried the S size ear tips.
The no longer protrude a little, are more comfortable. Still seal perfectly well. And the upper mids / lower treble dip is gone!
Very balanced / smooth yet extended sound now. (with a bit of a bass boost but nothing excessive like many other earbuds).
They now make the Pro 2 sound low-fi by comparison in several ways.
Still not as mid heavy as the Pro 2 though, but wasn't balanced in my opinion. It now sounds extended in the treble and bass and smooth / balanced, more in the direction of studio sound.

The Pro 3 have a new ear tip design, hybrid foam and silicon. And the nozzle now protrudes a bit into the ear canal whereas the one on the Pro 2 was flat.
Getting it fully inserted into your ear canal is the key apparently.
Measurements should probably be done with the smallest ear tips that still give a seal. I'm sure the measurements will change when this is done.

 

[Webninja]

I’m not going to add any subjective review on audio quality. I’ll only add that comfort is much better for me than the Pro2. I was using the aftermarket foam tips but these new Apple ones fit perfect, plus offering 5 tip sizes should cover most ears.

 

[thewas]

is there anything other than subjective nonsense in those videos.

Not in the one I posted above which has measurements, also compared to the v2, otherwise I wouldn't have posted it:

 

[HalSF]

Sidestepping for a moment all of the debates and ASR-esque controversies around AirPods, this brilliant video dissection of the industrial design that goes into these products is fascinating. I learned a lot.

Real Engineering — The Hidden Design of the Apple Airpod

The apple Airpod is a triumph of modern electronic miniaturization. This video explores the design of the airpod using volumetric CT scans.

nebula.tv

 

[masterhw]

Had these a few days… while you can talk about tonality till the cows come home, it’s clear these headphones allow for a phenomenal dynamic range by having such a low background noise level (thanks to ANC). Feels like I can bring a controlled listening room with me anywhere. There are probably other headphones I prefer the tonality of, but the listening experience would still be worse (in my opinion).

These are great products not for raising the ceiling of audio quality, but for delivering very good sound to virtually any environment. My HD650s are safe, but everything else might go in the drawer indefinitely.

 

[ryaneagon]

Here are my thoughts. I’m a big fan of the AirPods Pro 2. They do almost everything well, and I really like their tuning. It’s not perfect, but I’m not looking for perfect—I’ve got IEMs and headphones for critical listening. I’ve had the AirPods Pro 3 for three days now, and right off the bat, I don’t like the sound. They come across as bright and boomy, even harsh at times with a lot of the music I know well—and surprisingly, even with audiobooks. They also don't have the mid warmth I'm used to with the 2's. They are definitely a V shape, while the 2's are more of a U shape. (my take)

That said, the fit of the 3s is excellent—much more secure. Adaptive and Transparency mode feel basically the same, and ANC (which I don’t use much) does seem a touch better, maybe due to both tech improvements and the deeper nozzle insertion. I didn’t spend a ton of time comparing ANC, though.

Here’s my biggest takeaway: I almost returned the 3s today. The only reason I didn’t is because I cycle—a lot, both road and mountain. If you’ve used the 2s on a bike, you know wind noise is a problem. It’s not unbearable, but it can get annoying. Adaptive mode helps, but not enough. This is where the 3s shine—way less wind noise. A huge difference. I’m guessing that’s thanks to the deeper nozzle.

So, I’m keeping the 3s as my cycling buds. The heart rate sensor is a neat bonus, though honestly, I doubt I’ll check it much in the Health app. Still, it’s cool if you don’t wear an Apple Watch. Hopefully, Apple makes heart rate easier to view, maybe with a widget or Control Center option. If the APP3s sounded like the 2s, I’d happily retire the 2s. Maybe Apple will push out a firmware update to get them closer or provide an EQ option. Who knows?

 

[MayaTlab]

Maybe Apple will push out a firmware update to get them closer or provide an EQ option. Who knows?

I'm skeptical of this. I haven't seen a lot of evidence that they changed the intended target for their Airpods over time - besides it's a liability issue as well.
I just remeasured my APP2 after two years in a clone coupler, zero change in measured results over this time.

What could have happened though is that they updated over time their algorithms so that (hopefully) the Airpods are more consistently hitting the intended target in a wider range of leakage / impedance / fit scenarios, and that for an individual in particular this resulted in a change in FR at the eardrum, but this is only speculation on my end.

The slightly differently shaped bass region seems to me like a deliberate choice (one I'm not happy about), it's unclear to me what led them to this and since they don't publish anything .
In the treble region, I'm not even sure an EQ option or a firmware change is desirable, my sentiment is that they f*cked something up in between the FR simulations they most likely did in various ear canals, with the earbuds seating in the 3D scanned concha in the intended way, and how the finished product actually manages to fit some people (I've seen a lot of people wear them sticking out quite far from the concha bowl and this is not what Apple's engineers intended, but as someone who can't have them sitting properly in my concha bowl because of the ear tip / nozzle design, regardless of ear tip size, these people may not have any other choice).