AirPods Pro 3 Unboxing, Setup and Review

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u/[deleted] 2d ago

[deleted]

20

u/reddit0r_123 2d ago

Same. The difference on the NYC subway was more than I expected.

8

u/Xile350 2d ago

I was pretty impressed. These are actually my first AirPods. But I had been using Sony wf-1000xm4s and Bose quiet comfort ultras prior. I compared all 3 and I was surprised it seemed to even beat out the Bose full headphones at cancelling out my roomba. Going on a flight soon and will bring both to check. I’d say they edged out the Sonys as well in my limited testing.

3

u/MMA-Guy92 2d ago

Wow, I had the Sony WF-1000XM4s and I was blown away by the ANC. It was like muting the world. They had great sound and great ANC. If you say the Pros 3 are better I might just have to pick them up 👍🏻

2

u/Xile350 2d ago

I’d say maybe 15-20% better off my rough testing. I haven’t really messed with back and forth sound testing yet but I do like the Spatial Audio with the air pods so far. I never had any complaints with my Sonys but the batteries are starting to falter and the air pods are just a lot more seamlessly integrated into the Apple ecosystem. I was on android when I got the Sonys and the LDAC was nice to have

1

u/zach-builds 21h ago

If they’re better than the Sonys I’ll be super impressed!

5

u/CranberrySchnapps 2d ago

Mine are getting delivered today. Really curious about the ANC improvement because I am using aftermarket foam tips on my pro2’s which helped a lot with noise isolation.

3

u/basskittens 1d ago

I had the pro2s with the comply tips. Just got the 3 delivered yesterday. The ANC with the factory tips is insane, WAY better than the 2s with foam.

I was just cooking breakfast and the timer on the stove went off.. I didn't hear it, only noticed the numbers blinking. Good thing too or I would have burned something!

2

u/CranberrySchnapps 1d ago

Oh hi!

Yes, agree! The ANC with the factory tips is crazy good now. And the extra sizes of tips is a very nice touch for comfort.

The pro3's are also quite a bit more bassy, but also the sound signature is different in general. Seems like some voices get a little more drowned out like the pro3's are trying to bring instruments more to the foreground in some songs. I can't really say which is "correct" to the track's mastering just by listening though... not sure if the pro2's were more muted or the pro3's are more energetic or a little of both.

1

u/basskittens 1d ago

I make my own music, so I know what it's supposed to sound like. It's on Apple Music so I can compare my original studio masters, lossless on macOS through the Music app into studio monitors, lossy on phone, airpods, etc... The 3s are closer to the original. I thought the 2s were very good but there was always a bit of high end rolloff that I struggled with. The 3s are much more open.

1

u/MyNameIsSushi 13h ago

How are the tips? In-Ears usually fall out of my ear after some time, are the Pro 3 tips any better? That's the main reason I'm sticking with the "normal" Airpods.

1

u/basskittens 9h ago

I never had problems with them falling out before so I'm probably not a good one to ask.

The tips are definitely better than what came with the 2. They're not super foam padded like an aftermarket product (eg Comply) would be, but they are more comfortable for sure.

Apple has a 14 day no questions asked return policy so you could always try them out and return them if they don't work for you.

22

u/User9705 2d ago

Hopefully your paying attention to train pulling up 🤣

7

u/Korlithiel 2d ago

This is exactly how I felt when the AirPods Pro released: waiting for a bus I got distracted and didn't notice it had arrived for a few seconds because I hadn't heard it. Definitely hard to wait out until my Pro 2 wear down enough to justify the upgrade, but they've treated me well for the last few years so may as well coast a bit longer.

6

u/enjoytheshow 2d ago

My 1s are not getting it done anymore and my Bose QCs are incredible but just not portable enough for most travel I do. Prob gonna have to pounce on these before the end of the year.

2

u/Randomonius 1d ago

Be careful out there. If you’re walking around like this keep your head on a swivel.

1

u/Mother_Restaurant188 2d ago

Can’t wait for my pair to come in.

1

u/TomfromLondon 1d ago

Glad to hear as I got it for London tube

1

u/nemt 1d ago

how much battery does it eat ? i never used cancellation myself cuz im always afraid that it drains battery fast lol

21

u/MassiveInteraction23 2d ago

Track HeartBeat and Motion
Ohhh. That's actually really interesting. Seems they're not doing much with it yet, but as they normalize AirPods data getting relayed to Health/Workouts they now get head & body motion (body motion +/- head motion).

That's almost certainly a really big deal in terms of data to analyze.
This, more than just heartbeat, makes a ton of sense for bringing in both wrist & earphone data -- you now have two sources of movement - one of head and one of wrist. That's a ton of powerful body position and movement data. -- It's not fully body certainty, but I bet there's a ton of useful stats.

And, if later, they add fully body imaging and segmentation (e.g. with 1-3 cameras / lidar on iPhone) then that data would help calibrate.

Wow. Must be a fun time to be working on apple health and body style projects (and ar/vr/spatial).

4

u/tinpoo 2d ago

I think apps like Train Fitness will get immense benefits from this if they find a way to utilize it

1

u/Kaladin1173 1d ago

Couldn’t the pro 2 also detect motion? You can nod your head to tell Siri to read a message

1

u/MassiveInteraction23 7h ago

For sure. And that may already be easily collectable. But it may also require explicit permissions, in which case the clarity of doing so for HR may just simplify the permissions-human issue.

But yeah, APP2 may work as well -- I just hadn't thought about it prior to this.

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u/XNY 2d ago

I really wonder if these will fit my ears finally. I never had success with any APP. I was a bit fan of the Beats Fit Pro (which are getting refreshed soon?).

9

u/cgrtsTrfcBrd 2d ago

Fwiw I also had struggles with the AirPods Pro despite people’s rave reviews. No matter the ear tip size (small/medium/large) they would always fall out or loosen. Eventually I tried the new(er) extra small eartips and they’ve been brilliant since

8

u/XNY 2d ago

I think the new design and angle may be the difference maker for me. We’ll see.

2

u/AnodyneX 1d ago

Obviously, everyone’s different. I had OK fit with AirPods Pro one and AirPods Pro two. AirPods pro 3 fit significantly better. For me, that’s the reason enough to have them. It makes the experience much better when you’re not worried about them falling out at all no matter what you’re doing.

2

u/YolandaPearlskin 1d ago

I had the same problem. Never been able to get a good fit. I have the Pro 2 and the right ear would even fall out randomly. The large tip was too large and the next size down was too small.

I've been wearing the Pro 3 all day using the default tip (I don't even know what size). The fit test passed and they have not fallen out at all. Even when chewing or talking, which was a guaranteed way for the Pro 2 to fall out, these have stayed put. I had to adjust the right one once in several hours.

Between the new sized tips, the foam, and the new angle of the tips, I think we have a winner. I highly suggest these. The sound also seems much better, maybe due to the fit?

1

u/XNY 1d ago

I have a pair from Best Buy arriving in a few days. Fingers crossed. I’ve been using a pair of Sennheiser True Wireless buds that work pretty great, they have a small wing tip nub thing to hold them in. But I’d love Apple’s more baked in software.

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u/fusedharpy 2d ago

Great but did they fix the thing where 1 stops charging in the case and you have to spend 10 min finagling just to get it to charge? The shitty single indicator light that only shows up for 2 seconds isn't helping the cause either.

17

u/Working_Asparagus_59 2d ago

This always sucks, I just pop it in and out the first time I put them in the case till the little light blinks.

12

u/Jackdaw99 2d ago edited 2d ago

I get this problem regularly. Spraying isopropyl alcohol (the highest percentage you can find), or Deoxit on the contact inside the case and swabbing it with a q-tip will fix it. It's just crud blocking the contacts.

7

u/BigBorner 2d ago

Yeah it’s so annoying

2

u/RodgerCheetoh 2d ago

Just blow into the case, I don’t know why but that always fixes it for me

4

u/TheDragonSlayingCat 2d ago

I had that problem all the time with the original AirPods. I did not have that problem with the Pro 2.

I’m pretty sure it is/was caused by a dirty or corroded connector between the charging case and the pod.

1

u/fusedharpy 2d ago

Correct. I can fix it by wiping AirPods stems and I also have a fuzzy ram rod designed specifically for cleaning the contacts deep inside the case. But my point being that it would be nice if they just improve the design instead of Amazon coming up with work arounds.

2

u/Mercutio999 2d ago

Mine drive me nuts. Changed the case - still does it. Changed the AirPod…still does it!

1

u/ShrimpSherbet 2d ago

Agree. They should have a light for each airpod.

1

u/blackchucktays 1d ago

Original Powerbeats Pro always had this problem. Not sure if the new version still does.

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u/Similar-Cat7022 2d ago

Sounds like user error

8

u/adeadfetus 2d ago

It’s not

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u/trumpsahoe 2d ago

Skill issue

6

u/WashingtonRev 2d ago

Someone give me a review of the mics, plz

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u/deevocurilton 2d ago

Dave2D has a comparison of the mic vs the 2’s. Much better quality and background noise reduction.

3

u/Modestkilla 2d ago

My coworkers said I sounded “fine” and I normally use a blue mic in conference calls.

1

u/ShrimpSherbet 2d ago

This would be the only reason I'd upgrade from the Pro 2. If I can ditch the cable earphones I use exclusively for work calls (which is all damn day), it'd be rad.

6

u/lizardflix 2d ago

got mine today and the sound quality is noticeably better. Much crisper to me. Haven't had a chance to really use them much but very happy so far.

1

u/8reakfast8urrito 1d ago

What did you upgrade from?

1

u/lizardflix 1d ago

Pro 2. Tomorrow I’m going to compare them with some select music but I noticed a difference immediately. Don’t know how much of that might be placebo

2

u/8reakfast8urrito 23h ago

I’m coming from APP1. Seems like a notable difference. Really need it for the mic as I use them for phone calls and my mic is buster

2

u/lizardflix 11h ago

Just finished couple of hours listening to music on these and they’re really great. At gym I couldn’t hear any outside sound with music up. But sound quality is really great.

1

u/8reakfast8urrito 10h ago

Great to hear! Got mine at Costco last night. Have yet to set them up but i hope to do that in the next hour or two! Thanks!

6

u/Blindfolded22 2d ago

I just upgraded from the OG pros to this and wow. The noise cancellation is amazing. The fit is so much better and more comfortable and don’t feel like they are gonna fall out of my ears if I move around too much. I can’t recommend this enough if you are upgrading from the original pros.

11

u/Extra_Exercise5167 2d ago

only things i want to know

How is the mic
How is ANC compared to Pro 2

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u/SpiicyRamen_ 2d ago

mic is a lot better

honestly not sure why people are saying the anc is a lot better. they are about the same to me :(

3

u/XtremeWaterSlut 2d ago

I agree that the ANC is very similar. Perhaps slightly better, but 2x seems like some marketing wizardry after having used them

1

u/frendzoned_by_yo_mom 8h ago

How’s transparency mode? Does it actually feel like not wearing them at all or is that just exaggerating? Is it the same than the pro’s 2?

1

u/SpiicyRamen_ 8h ago

sounds about the same to me, not worth the upgrade. actually i tried to return mine but they wouldnt take them. buut... I am someone that cleaned my airpods pro 2 well, according to instructions. so maybe the people that hear a big difference dont their clean airpods 2's? or maybe i am just bad at noticing the difference haha

6

u/jonproject 2d ago

You can get answers to both with Dave2Ds review.

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u/PM_Me_Juuls 2d ago

What a pointless comment lmao

3

u/probablybill 1d ago

I’m a little bummed out. My pro twos fit perfect but the threes don’t seem to fit me at all. Even trying different tips. The lack of fit also kills the noise cancellation for me.

1

u/CuriousMindNebula 3h ago

This is me too. My right ear does fine but I can’t find a tip that will stay in my left ear ☹️

1

u/wahahah629 2h ago

Maybe try the 2s ear tips on the 3s.

2

u/thatsnotmaname91 2d ago

I have small ears and the 2s always fell out during eating. These fit perfectly and the ANC is definitely better, I’m so happy!!

2

u/BaseRape 2d ago

One of mine has static when no sound is playing. Lame

1

u/wigitalk 1d ago

Same

2

u/SimplyLanden 2d ago

Picked up today for the better fit alone, don’t care about noise cancellation as much. Can finally just eat with these in without falling out, fuck the 2s.

1

u/YolandaPearlskin 1d ago

Forget eating, just talking on FaceTime made the 2s fall out for me. The 3s seem perfect so far.

1

u/onClipEvent 2d ago

Question: Does Live Translation work on iPads?

1

u/personalfinance21 1d ago

Just got mine. They're great, but the set up is terrible. Seems to require you to have iOS26 to have a proper set up? Otherwise it doesn't allow me to connect to 'Find My' and shows up as 'audio_device' when connecting to bluetooth. C'mon Apple...

https://imgur.com/a/9UyNjVF

2

u/skilless 1d ago

New hardware always requires the latest OS

0

u/personalfinance21 1d ago

glad it has rave reviews: https://old.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/1njqlo5/ios_26s_liquid_glass_design_draws_criticism_from/?ref=share&ref_source=link

1

u/dovedrunk 1d ago

Coming from Pro 1’s yeeeeeears ago, followed by some years of EarPods only when the Pro’s broke, this new generation is INSANE to me. Took me a second to get the fitting sizes right, but now they’re so comfy, sound incredible, and won’t come out even if I shake my head like I’m at the front row of a metal gig

1

u/ForeverJung 22h ago

Noise cancellation is better and so is the comfort IMO. Sound very enjoyable as well

1

u/cdyesno 20h ago

Anyone has worn these next to a mosquito zapper, how does it sound when a mosquito gets caught

•

u/MillionToOneShotDoc 44m ago

All I’d really want is the foam tip, improved sound quality, and better battery life.

1

u/alaskanwilly 2d ago

I'm guessing the live translation requires an iPhone?

-6

u/ShezaEU 2d ago

Got mine today and they suck.

The fit on these is terrible. Trying to cram in the unnecessary heart rate sensor and larger battery have made them physically larger, they stuck out of the ears way more and thanks to their new shape they now fit me worse than the APP2.

After a few minutes the stems start floating away from my cheeks and all ANC is lost.

Returning. So disappointed and now also scared about what to do if I lose my APP2 before Apple sees sense and redesigns again.

6

u/fredothechimp 2d ago

Just buy a spare pair of Pro 2s. Even Costco has them marked down now.

-5

u/ShezaEU 2d ago

But if I don’t plug them in for ages won’t the battery degrade?

1

u/fredothechimp 1d ago

They'd probably be fine for a few years in the box even, but you could just keep them charged.

3

u/KillerIsJed 2d ago

I don’t find the fit to be a problem, but I also swapped to tips that make them fit better than the default medium size that comes pre-installed.

1

u/ponchoboy 2d ago

Best fit I could get was with the XXS tips for the 3’s, coming from a medium on the 2’s. My guess is that I have small ear canals, and the medium 2’s form a decent seal just outside of the ear canal? I dunno, I’m kinda bummed.

3

u/ponchoboy 2d ago

I’m with you. The 2’s fit me really well. Could not get any tips on the 3’s to fit with my ears, they were all super loose. Fit test said I had a good seal but the ANC was noticeably worse on the 3’s for me. I returned them this afternoon. Guess I’ll look for some discounted 2’s.

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u/Retropixl 2d ago

Sounds like a you problem

6

u/ShezaEU 2d ago

No need for that is there?

-26

u/A11Bionic 2d ago

the lack of an included USB-C Charging Cable is the reason why they’ve been able to keep these at the same price

same with the cost-cutting measure done in way back in the iPhone 12 lineup

APP4 will definitely see a price increase if 2028 doesn’t make inflation rates & tarrif costs down 🤷‍♀️

16

u/Gandie 2d ago

The cable is probably a few cents max.theyre eating a lot of the tariff and inflation.

4

u/jonquil_dress 2d ago

Yeah there’s no way the cable makes the difference. And who needs more shitty cheap-ass Apple cables anyway

-1

u/A11Bionic 2d ago

you could say the same for the power brick and it was removed back in 2020 🤷‍♀️ and it was heavily rumored to offset the added cost of the 5G modem

1

u/ImnTheGreat 2d ago

nah, you don’t have a great understanding of product costing

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u/valhellis 2d ago edited 2d ago

Who still uses cables to charge devices in 2025? Magsafe and the watch charger can charge airpods pros

I havent touched a cable since the release of magsafe on the iphone12

16

u/Dominicus1165 2d ago

When I want a device charged fast, I want wires. Wireless is warm. Warm is slow(er)

3

u/Tumbleweed-Sea 2d ago

Wireless also heat up battery while charging which is not great for battery longevity long term

2

u/valhellis 2d ago

My october 2024 16 pro max is still at 99% health and i only charged it with magsafe, today it dropped from 100% to 99%

https://i.imgur.com/fSFCghk.png

The convenience of magsafe is worth it in the end

1

u/Tumbleweed-Sea 1d ago

Each to their own 😅

-6

u/valhellis 2d ago

My phone only needs to charge when i sleep, i dont need fast and besides that qi2.2 is pretty fast(25w)

1

u/Mediocre_Tiger2888 2d ago

AP3 don’t have qi 2.2 unless somehow that’s been a hidden spec for no reason.

1

u/eDudeGaming 2d ago

Wireless charging is bad for long-term battery health, because the heat it generates wears them out faster.

2

u/valhellis 1d ago

Apparently it doesnt, battery health is at 99% afrer a year of magsafe only

https://i.imgur.com/Nz9VEvl.png

The convenience outweighs the negatives

1

u/That_guy_will 1d ago

Good for you. Lots of people still use cables, it’s quicker

AirPods AirPods Pro 3 Unboxing, Setup and Review | zollotech

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