Optus Mobile Review ALDI Mobile Review Amaysim Mobile Review Belong Mobile Review Circles.Life Review Vodafone Mobile Review Woolworths Mobile Review Felix Mobile Review Best iPhone Plans Best Family Mobile Plans Best Budget Smartphones Best Prepaid Plans Best SIM-Only Plans Best Plans For Kids And Teens Best Cheap Mobile Plans Telstra vs Optus Mobile Optus NBN Review Belong NBN Review Vodafone NBN Review Superloop NBN Review Aussie BB NBN Review iiNet NBN Review MyRepublic NBN Review TPG NBN Review Best NBN Satellite Plans Best NBN Alternatives Best NBN Providers Best Home Wireless Plans What is a Good NBN Speed? Test NBN Speed How to speed up your internet Optus vs Telstra Broadband ExpressVPN Review CyberGhost VPN Review NordVPN Review PureVPN Review Norton Secure VPN Review IPVanish VPN Review Windscribe VPN Review Hotspot Shield VPN Review Best cheap VPN services Best VPN for streaming Best VPNs for gaming What is a VPN? VPNs for ad-blocking The main difference between AirPods 3 and AirPods Pro is the open design. The AirPods 3 don’t have silicon tips, so they sit in your ear, rather than poking into your ear canal. The open design makes the AirPods 3 are some of the comfiest earbuds I’ve tested. I’m less aware I’m wearing AirPods 3 when compared to in-ear buds. The fit is also surprisingly secure, passing the all-important headbang test. However, an open design also lets in a whole lot of noise. The AirPods 3 have no noise isolation. This isn’t the biggest issue if you’re listening at home, in an office, or on a quiet walk, but becomes much more problematic in louder environments. I had to max out the AirPods to hear my music over the treadmill at the gym, and even then, some quieter moments in songs with quieter moments. Where the AirPods 3 suffer, however, is sub-bass and sound stage. The AirPods 3 have a surprising amount of low-end punch, but as you get deeper into sub-bass territory, you lose a lot of resonance. They robbed the thumping kick from Childish Gambino’s “3005” of most its weight. You also get a narrower sense of stereo separation; the swooshy opening synths in Pink Floyd’s “Comfortably Numb” felt mostly centred, rather than panning back and forward between left and right earbuds. Naturally, the AirPods 3 are still powered by the same H1 chip you’ll find across the family (and in most Beats headphones). This is the secret sauce that gives you instant pairing with any iPhone or iPad, and lets you easily connect the AirPods 3 to any iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac signed into your Apple ID. If you’re listening in Apple Music, the AirPods 3 also have support for dynamic head tracking if you’re listening in Apple Music. Dynamic head tracking creates the illusion that audio is coming from all around you - like a concert, rather than earbuds. If you tilt your head, your music reorients around you. The AirPods 3 are one of the few pairs of headphones that support this feature. Your other options for dynamic head tracking are AirPods Pro, AirPods Max, and Beats Fit Pro. I wouldn’t go out of my way to get a pair of earbuds with dynamic head tracking, but it can be an interesting effect. The Beats Fit Pro retail for just $20 more and are essentially sporty AirPods Pro. You get noise-cancellation and all the software smarts. And if you really love the AirPods aesthetic, spending $40 to $50 more will get you AirPods Pro. While they retail for $399, they’re regularly marked down to around $330. There are also plenty of great budget in-ear options if you’re looking to save a bit of cash. There are the Beats Studio Buds if you’re looking for iPhone-centric features like easy pairing and cross device support. They’ll only set you back $199. And if you’re more blasé, there are great budget options like the Jabra Elite 3 and Nothing Ear 1. If the AirPods 3 were a little bit cheaper they could represent a great entry-level pair of AirPods, but given the state of the market, they won’t be the right choice for most. Disclosure: This author owns shares in Apple.
Sound: Obviously. Do they sound good? Comfort & Design: Are they nice to wear? Features: Is the battery good? Is the connectivity reliable? What’s the noise-cancelling like? Vibe: What’s the overall experience like? Value: Are they good for the money?
While audio products can be quite subjective for many reasons, we have standardised testing procedures across the team designed to help us look at the category in a consistent way. You can read more about how we review wireless earbuds here.
