I love my AirPods Pro 2, and I use them every single day. From the moment Apple announced the AirPods Pro 3 in early September, I knew I had to try them. I needed to see (hear) what the hype was about.
Thankfully, the hype is justified. The AirPods Pro 3 truly are some of the best wireless earbuds you can get. If you've got an iPhone, it's a no-brainer: AirPods + iPhone is a magical combination.
I got to try out the Pro 3 for a week or so, and I loved them from the moment I pressed 'play' on my music. The sound quality is like ancient gods serenading me. But I still won't be buying them, and here's why.
What I love about the AirPods Pro 3
Before I get into why I'm not going to be upgrading from my beloved AirPods Pro 2, I'll talk about what I loved about the AirPods Pro 3. Because I do love the AirPods Pro 3.
In a nutshell, the AirPods Pro 3 have great battery life, unbeatable sound, and the ANC is actually gobsmacking. If you need earbuds with ANC so good it'd block out a volcanic eruption, then get the Pro 3.
The ANC is actually one of the biggest and best improvements over the Pro 2. When I was using the Pro 3, my boyfriend was playing music from our Tribit StormBox Blast 2 speaker (which is a floor-shaking party boombox — it's loud) and I couldn't hear a thing. I was so surprised when I took out the earbuds, because I genuinely had no idea he was playing music out loud.
So when Apple says the Pro 3's ANC is two times as good as the Pro 2, I believe it. The ANC is unbeatable. Unbeatable enough to be, dare I say, Bose-worthy.
I also love love love the sound quality. When I was listening to music on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles, I could hear every layer of the track. In 'Ma Tau Wai Road' by Bolis Pupol, the electronic synth notes were dynamic, affecting, and immersive. Each instrument sounded like it was coming from all around me, and the eerie, reverb-tinged vocal seemed to dissipate into my bloodstream.
It wasn't just electronic music that sounded awesome: 'New Day' by Liz Cooper, a guitar-led track, seemed to magnetize in my ears. I was addicted to this track: I had to play it over and over. The heady bass was swollen and sweet in my ears, and Cooper's scratchy-yet-delicate voice was handled deftly by the Pro 3.
Finally, 'Pain Killer' by Iceage, a heavy, grungier track, was layered perfectly. The soft, feminine backing vocal was infectious and seemed to burrow into my brain. It wasn't overpowered by the gritty, raucous guitar or the irate percussion, and the tension in the track was perceivable enough that it needed to be cut with a knife.
I adored every track I listened to on the Pro 3, and I will put my hand on my heart and say these earbuds would impress audiophiles. Yes, they're Bluetooth, something about lossy audio files, something about wireless streaming, blah blah blah. But seriously... if you're an audiophile who wants a great pair of wireless earbuds to grab on the go, the AirPods Pro 3 are the ones for you.
Why I'm not going to buy a pair
The most obvious reason is that I've got a pair of AirPods Pro 2 that work perfectly fine, so there's little point spending all that money to get a new set of earbuds that have otherwise incremental improvements (in my opinion).
In this economy, I don't think it's necessary to upgrade to the newest model just because it's, well, new. I think it's worth using the stuff you have until you can't use it anymore.
Secondly, while there are a number of improvements over the Pro 2, the Pro 3's changes are generally quite minor. Take the battery life, for example: sure, it's 8 hours in the buds now, but it's still only 24 hours in the case. This means that while you can wear the earbuds for longer periods of time, you'll still be charging the actual case just as often as you would with the Pro 2.
And the sound quality is another reason why I'm not going to upgrade. For me, the AirPods Pro 2 already sound utterly fantastic. While I think the Pro 3 sound incredible too, I don't think it's enough of a difference to justify the unnecessary $249 spend. I've seen other reviews claim the Pro 3 have best-ever sound, but even while listening to 24-bit 192kHz tracks on Qobuz, I didn't notice a night-and-day difference.
This could just be personal preference, or my personal ability to perceive sounds. Hey, maybe I've blasted my eardrums with emo music for so long that I can't hear the difference.
Even so, I'm perfectly happy with the Pro 2 sound quality, and I'll be using them until they fall apart.
But I've not mentioned the number one reason why I won't be upgrading yet. And what is that, I hear you ask? It's the fit.
I'll start by acknowledging that I have small ears. I didn't realize this until I started testing earbuds for a living, but it's true. I've tested tons of earbuds I've adored — namely the AKG Hybrid N5 and the Denon PerL Pro — that are just too big for me.
So when Apple announced that it had redesigned the fit of the Pro 3, my heart sank. Noooo, I thought to myself, why would they do that when the Pro 2 fit me like a silk glove woven directly onto my hands?
And, unfortunately, the fit is most definitely redesigned. Now, the AirPods sit a little deeper into my ear canal, but jut out further on my concha. Some people might like this snug/large fit. Me, personally? I find it quite uncomfortable for more than around four hours.
It's not like Apple hasn't put effort into making them all things for all people. There's the new XS eartip size this time around, and the firm made a concerted effort to make them softer by blending the silicone with foam. And yet, they're just not up there with my beloved AirPods Pro 2. I tried all of the ear tips and found XS to be the most comfortable, but still not as comfortable as my preferred buds.
I've seen loads of reviewers say the original AirPods (Pro and Pro 2) didn't fit properly, and that has been rectified with the Pro 3. But I've also seen loads of reviews say the Pro 2 used to fit perfectly, and now the Pro 3 are too big.
So I suppose there's no "one-size-fits-all" here. Apple has tried to fix the Pro 2 issues with the Pro 3, but now the tables have turned, and the people who were happy with the Pro 2 aren't happy with the Pro 3 and vice-versa.
So I think overall the fit will be up to your anatomy. If you, like me, love the fit of the AirPods Pro 2, then perhaps the Pro 3 won't suit you. But if the Pro 2 always felt unsteady and wobbly in your ears, then you're probably a Pro 3 person.
What I think you should do
Right, I can sense two possibilities in your future.
If you're an iPhone user and you don't have AirPods, I recommend that you get some. Actually, you should've got some yesterday. AirPods are, hands down, the best earbuds for Apple users. I can't imagine a version of my existence wherein I don't have AirPods.
While the Pro 2 have been discontinued by Apple, these dinky little buds are still available from Amazon. But as they've been discounted to just $199 and discontinued by the manufacturer, I'm not sure how long stocks will last. If you want to save as much money as possible but still want some AirPods, I'd hurry up and grab a pair before someone else does.
But if you want the best of the best, the brand-new model, then you should get the AirPods Pro 3. Or, if you have bigger/deeper ears than I (read: normal-sized ears, apparently), you should get the AirPods Pro 3.
Either way, if you've got an iPhone and no AirPods, you're missing out. The way AirPods and iPhones pair is just magical, and I can't express how much I love my Pro 2. Truly, these earbuds changed my life.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!
More from Tom's Guide
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
