Apple AirPods Pro 3  Headphones Review

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 frequency response varies depending on the device they're paired to, how loud the output setting is (if the Loudness Contour is active), and, for the purposes of testing, if they're 'primed' for measurements. When measured with Adaptive EQ active and primed (through a combination of pink noise and a log sweep), the frequency response delivers bass that aligns well with our target curve, with a slightly pushed mid-range. Compared to our target, the low-treble is a little veiled. A peak in the mid-treble imparts a more excited response than other popular target curves like the SoundGuys.com Headphones Preference curve and the SenseLab Aizu curve, and doesn't evenly match ours. These dips and peaks in the treble affect how smooth-sounding the overall tuning seems, resulting in a relatively bass- and treble-dominant sound, especially compared to the Apple AirPods Pro 2's more conservative treble.

With ANC disabled, the frequency response changes a little, becoming a bit brighter. When compared, firmware 8A358 and 8A357 produce the same frequency response with non-Apple devices on our testing rig.

With compatible Apple devices, these apply a loudness-dependent equalization to the frequency response meant to provide a similar sound profile at different output levels. You can see how the loudness contour behaves with firmware 8A358 and an iPhone 16e with ANC on. (The iPhone 16e's volume control spans 16 incremental steps, so the graph notes the volume step and its associated decibel level, but this may differ with other iPhone models.) For the curious, the behavior of the loudness contour with the iPhone 16e changed between firmware 8A357 and the 8A358 update.

Lastly, no surprise here: with Spatial Audio enabled, the frequency response doesn't meaningfully differ from stereo.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 exhibit superb frequency response consistency. You can anticipate a similar sound across different listening sessions. The app provides a fit test to select the best ear tip to aid you in achieving the right fit. Plus, the Adaptive EQ feature is meant to ensure audio sounds the same to you each time, from the bass through mid-range frequencies.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3's bass profile aligns with our target remarkably well. Besides a shallow dip in the high bass, the range is very slightly boosted relative to our curve, providing ample thump, punch, and boom to basslines. Mixes with prominent kick drums get a good amount of weight to punctuate the rhythm, such as on tracks like Running/Planning by CMAT.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3's mid-range target compliance is outstanding. It's very slightly tilted to favor lower mids and de-emphasize high-mids, resulting in the upper harmonics of bass guitars having a bit of added growl and lead melodies and vocals that sound natural. However, the upper registers of parts like guitar solos can lack a little intensity due to the narrow dip in the high-mids.

The treble's target compliance is good. The curve doesn't deviate far from our target, but it has some valleys and peaks relative to our curve. Vocals can sound a bit lacking in presence or quite detailed (depending on the frequency) in the low treble. Meanwhile, the mid treble is alternatingly de-emphasized and overrepresented, causing sibilant frequencies, including S and T and crash cymbals, to sound either somewhat lispy or sharp and bright. In contrast, the previous Apple AirPods Pro 2 sound more laidback across the treble range.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3's peaks and dips performance is alright. Through the bass and mids, the sound profile is mostly even with only minor wobbles, resulting in a smooth-sounding bass and keyboards.

However, the transition from the high mids through the treble region exhibits more drastic peaks and dips, which cause vocal harmonics and upper harmonics of bright cymbal hits to sound either distant, dull, and lispy, or conversely sharp, piercing, and relatively bright. That said, the prominent peak in the high treble, which adds a blast of airiness to the top-end, may not be noticeable to everyone, considering people's hearing sensitivity varies with age and biology, especially in those frequencies.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 demonstrate excellent stereo matching. The earbuds are very well matched in weighted amplitude, weighted frequency response, and phase response, meaning the stereo field is stable without notably favoring one ear or causing phase cancellations. As a result, locating the source of sound across the stereo field is easy and accurate. That said, our results only apply to our unit, and this performance can vary with other units of the same model.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3's group delay is great, indicating that bass frequencies are tight without interfering with other higher frequencies.

Because these earbuds sit in your ear canals, they don't meaningfully interact with your outer ear's pinna.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 have remarkable harmonic distortion performance. When pushed to 94 dB SPL and 104 dB SPL, they reproduce audio cleanly without noteworthy additional coloration.

Like the previous Apple AirPods Pro 2, with the Apple AirPods Pro 3, you can access Apple Spatial Audio, which is built into the iOS interface. There are two types: fixed and head-tracking. Your Apple device scans your face to customize the sound to follow your movements to create an immersive sound. It's designed to work with Apple Music subscribers and Dolby Atmos audio tracks, mixed expressly for spatial audio listening. You can choose to 'spatialize' any conventionally mixed audio, which applies an algorithm to mimic the effect of Atmos mixes, too.

These are the settings used to test the Apple AirPods Pro 3. Unless otherwise stated in the extra graphs, the loudness equalization wasn't active during the sound measurement testing. Our results are only valid when used in this configuration.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 carry on the brand's theme of white monochromatic plastic earbuds with sleek stems. The silver charging points on the ends of the stems and the black vents break up the glossy all-white plastic look. Unlike their siblings, the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation, the Pro 3 come equipped with silicone and foam ear tips to make them more secure to wear and offer improved noise isolation.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are very comfortable. They feel a little different from the last generation, owing to the slightly deeper in-ear fit, which can seem more secure for people who feel like the Apple AirPods Pro 2 and the Apple AirPods 4 buds can inch out of their ears over time. The smooth plastic feels basically the same as the Apple AirPods Pro 2's plastic, but the shape has been somewhat revised, and the weight distribution rests more on the ear's concha, rather than the tragus.

Also new to the third generation of the AirPods Pro line are combination silicone-and-foam ear tips. The buds come with five sets of ear tips (XXS to L), which compress a bit differently from the last generation's silicone-only ear tips. These ear tips can take some time to get used to if you've worn the Apple AirPods Pro 2 for the last few years, and you might need to try a different size than you normally wear. While comfort is fairly subjective, most people who wore these in our office found them very comfortable, but if you're sensitive to the feeling of a deeper fit, you might like the previous generation better.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 have very good controls. When registering a command, the stems use flat pressure-sensitive 'Force Sensor' controls with audible feedback. Distinct chimes and clicks help to differentiate between listening modes (ANC, Transparency, Adaptive, and off) and pairing status, alongside playback and volume. They function and feel much like the previous Apple AirPods Pro 2. The sole downside is that you can accidentally trigger the volume command when adjusting the earbud's position in your ear.

You'll need to memorize a few controls and enable other functions in the iOS interface. This is the basic control scheme, and these are more comprehensive controls. The earbuds also support a couple of head gesture commands, which work well, but you need to enable them in your iOS settings. Siri is still on board for hands-free assistance with a compatible Apple device. Live Translation (with a compatible OS device) is also on the roster; more on that in the App section.

While some functions are exclusive to iOS devices with the latest version (like head gestures and Live Translation), the basics of playback and listening modes still work when paired to an Android device; you just can't change any of these settings using Android.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are lightweight and very portable, like most true wireless designs. You can pop them into virtually any pocket. As you can see, they're a little bigger than the previous generation, with slightly longer stems.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3's charging case is fantastic. You can charge it via USB-C or a wireless charger. Its form factor resembles the case for the last generation, but it's a bit larger. Besides charging and storing your earbuds, it features an IP57 rating, which is quite an upgrade to the dust and waterproofing available on previous AirPods models.

It also has a speaker for the 'Find My' tracking feature. Improvements using 'Ultra Wideband Technology' result in more precise tracking over greater distances, replacing the previous U1 chip.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are well-built. Both the earbuds and the case have an IP57 rating to protect against dust and water exposure, so you can definitely take them with you for a walk in the rain. The plastic feels smooth with tight seams, and the case's hinge is secure with a magnetic lid that stays closed. Included with the buds are redesigned ear tips made of a combination of soft silicone and foam, which are a bit more delicate than the last generation's silicone-only ear tips.

People have reported accidentally tearing the foam and silicone ear tips when swapping sizes, so it's worth giving extra care when changing them. We found they were a little easier to damage, but most people don't change their ear tips frequently once they've found the correct size.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 are amazingly stable. The slightly deeper in-ear fit due to a revised nozzle and new ear tips creates a more secure fit. The buds are a bit larger than their predecessor, so the body can stick out a little more, but they're less susceptible to slowly inching out of your ears. Of course, the trade-off of a deeper fit is that it can shift pressure to your ear canal, and stability varies with different ear sizes and shapes.

• Apple AirPods Pro 3
• MagSafe charging case
• 5x pairs of hybrid silicone-and-foam ear tips (XXS to L)
• User guide

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 have exceptional full-range noise isolation performance. Through a combination of ANC and passive isolation, these filter out a remarkable amount of low-pitched sounds like construction rumbles, traffic din, conversations, and bright dish clatter. During testing, we obtained measurable differences between fresh ear tips and those used throughout the review process, indicating that the isolation's effectiveness is slightly blunted by wear-and-tear. Usually, that kind of deterioration takes months of heavy usage (and not less than a month) to observe. Although this is unlikely to significantly impact your experience of ANC, we'll continue to monitor the isolating properties of the ear tips.

Rounding out the listening mode features, you can also access Transparency mode, which we subjectively find to be rather natural-sounding and an improvement over the Apple AirPods Pro 2's implementation. Adaptive mode dynamically combines noise cancelling and transparency modes in response to your surroundings. Conversation Awareness alters the mix of your audio playback and Transparency mode's audio, so you can still listen to your music while listening in. Personalized Volume 'learns' your preferences over time and adjusts your audio's playback volume in relation to the noises of your surroundings.

During testing, we noticed an unpleasant popping or clicking sound while on a call with ANC enabled, though it wasn't a constant issue. In Transparency mode, there's an occasional popping sound, too, which you may or may not experience. Similarly, fast transient noises produced by objects like metal utensils smacking together can cause an audible 'rebound' clicking sound in your ears, which is fairly common when there's ANC present for high-pitched noises.

These have incredible noise isolation in common scenarios. Notably, the ANC and passive isolation significantly attenuate sounds like cars driving by and city racket outdoors across the audible frequency range. Noises on planes, like ambient din, engine rumble, and office clatter such as keystrokes and HVAC whine, are also strongly filtered out.

These earbuds don't have a dedicated wind reduction mode. Depending on the angle at which the air hits the buds, wind can create unwanted noise through the interaction of the mic and ANC system.

Their leakage performance is excellent. What little sound escapes is focused in the mid-treble range, producing a bright and thin version of your audio. However, even people nearby won't notice what you're listening to.

The microphone system responds differently when paired with various devices, and unsurprisingly, it seems optimized for use with Apple devices. With our standard mic testing rig, voices sound rather muffled and somewhat congested. The severe roll-off in the treble negatively impacts your voice's clarity and articulation.

However, the recording quality (using the default settings) drastically improves when the earbuds are paired to an iPhone 16e. While the Apple AirPods Pro 3 aren't specifically designed for use with Android devices, their mic system captures fuller and clearer, albeit slightly sibilant, audio when paired with a Samsung Galaxy Flip 7 compared to our rig.

The integrated mic system's noise handling is decent. Like the recording quality, the noise handling behaves a bit differently when paired with various devices. Constant background noise is filtered out decently well, and the person on the line can still make out your voice. With fluctuating background sounds like passing trains, your voice gets more or less drowned out.

The noise gate seems to work better when you pair the buds to an iPhone 16e. Take a listen to the iPhone 16e samples with pink noise and with subway noise. Recent iOS devices have various audio processing settings meant to optimize your mic's sound, which isn't the case for all Androids, and can possibly boost the effectiveness of the noise gating in the iPhone 16e examples. That said, the same test performed with a Samsung Galaxy Flip 7 and the earbuds is a little better than the testing rig's results, but not significantly. Here are the samples with the Galaxy Flip 7 and pink noise, and with subway noise.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 have a good battery performance. Representing a solid improvement over the Apple AirPods Pro 2's battery life (5.9 hours), these last a workday, reaching nine hours of continuous playback with ANC on in our standardized test. That said, the case holds a lower overall battery life capacity than the last generation, which may be a reasonable trade-off if you tend to listen for extended lengths of time.

If you use the Heart Rate sensor feature, expect a decreased continuous battery life. The manufacturer estimates 6.5 hours of battery life with the heart rate monitoring enabled. Similarly, if you have Spatial Audio and ANC on simultaneously, the battery life will decrease as well, so your results can vary with use.

The case charges via USB-C or wireless charger, and the manufacturer claims that five minutes of quick charging delivers an hour of audio playback.

At the heart of the Apple AirPods Pro 3 is their integration with Apple's OS, but there's no specific downloadable app.

In the iOS settings, you can toggle various features on/off, such as call controls, in-ear detection, battery charging optimization, and head gesture controls (which are limited but work). You can reallocate select controls, like choosing which listening modes you want the controls to cycle through. There's no conventional EQ, but Adaptive EQ makes automatic tuning adjustments based on your hearing.

Using the Apple AirPods Pro 3's ear tip fit test, you can choose the optimal ear tip to get the best noise isolation for hearing protection. Hearing protection is also highlighted with these buds through the volume limiter and the loudness contour (altering the frequency response based on your volume), encouraging you to listen to audio at lower volumes. A standout feature is that you can use the earbuds as hearing aids (through the Hearing Health menu) if you have 'mild to moderate' hearing loss, but support depends on your region's regulations.

These earbuds also include heart monitors, a new addition to the line, that you can enable/disable in the Privacy settings. The monitors can integrate with your Apple Fitness+ account for live data readouts.

These earbuds also have Live Translation (also available on the previous model and the Apple AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation), which only works with compatible devices. We found that translation works, but it struggles to keep up with the speed of natural conversation. However, for slow conversations or asking for directions, it definitely works. At the time of testing, this feature is still in beta and has limited language availability.

You'll need to provide your own USB-C cable for charging the Apple AirPods Pro 3's case.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3's Bluetooth connectivity is very good. Equipped with the brand's H2 chip and Bluetooth 5.3, you can quick pair and seamlessly switch between Apple devices on the same iCloud account. However, multi-pairing is more limited otherwise because you can't seamlessly switch to a non-Apple product.

These support AAC and SBC Bluetooth codecs. AAC is optimized for use with Apple devices, and various apps and devices can compensate for things like audio/visual synchronization differently. That said, the SBC codec exhibits relatively elevated latency.

You can connect the Apple AirPods Pro 3 via Bluetooth to your PC for full audio and mic support. However, some functionality is limited to compatible Apple devices.

The Apple AirPods Pro 3 charging case houses two full recharges. You can charge its battery via USB-C or a wireless charger, and it includes a speaker to help you locate it using the 'Find My' function.