Performance
Build Quality
Ergonomics
Value

PRICE $249

AT A GLANCE
Plus

• New shape and foam-infused tips comfortable for all-day wear.
• Improved sound quality – big soundstage, clarity, and better bass.
• Live Translation in person or on calls.
• Heart rate sensor.
• Noise reduction deadens outside sounds and conversation awareness lowers the AirPods volume when it detects your voice.
• Automatically connects to Apple devices.
• Apple’s Hearing Test can turn AirPods into an FDA-authorized hearing aid (for mild–moderate hearing loss)..

Minus

• Most features are only available when paired with Apple devices.
• No USB‑C cable or wireless charger in the box
• No equalizer or audio styles choices.

THE VERDICT
The Apple AirPods Pro 3 bring significant upgrades in comfort, sound quality, and noise reduction, making them not just convenient for Apple users but great performers on their own. Still priced at $249, they stand as arguably the best wireless earbuds in this price range.

Since their debut in 2016, AirPods have evolved considerably. The original AirPods Pro launched in 2019, and Apple has consistently updated them every three years. The AirPods Pro 3, however, showcase some of the most significant changes yet, from their redesigned shape and internal architecture to new features like an invisible heart rate monitor. Although they use the same chip processor as the second-generation AirPods Pro, the redesign dramatically improves both noise reduction and sound quality.

Unlike basic AirPods, the Pro models feature ear tips that create a physical barrier, making noise cancellation more effective. The Pro 3’s Active Noise Cancellation removes four times more noise than the original AirPods Pro, thanks to a revamped shape and multiport acoustic architecture that delivers deeper bass and an expansive soundstage. These changes narrow the gap with competitors like the Sony WF-1000XM5 and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. While Sony may edge ahead in noise reduction and Bose offers customizable EQ settings, the AirPods Pro 3’s seamless integration with Apple devices and exclusive features give them a distinct advantage.

The Live Translation feature now brings the AirPods Pro 3 up to speed with Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro, and Google’s Pixel Buds.

Features
Many noticeable improvements have been made to the AirPods Pro 3 both to the design of the earbuds and additional software features bringing exciting new capabilities like Live Translation, Transparency, Conversation Awareness, and Hearing Assistance. The new shape not only helps noise cancellation, it improves sound quality.

New or improved features include:

Multiport acoustic architecture: Precisely controls airflow that carries sound to the ear, transforming bass response, widening the soundstage to separate each instrument, bringing clearer vocals, and opening up Spatial listening. This isn’t just for music—videos and calls benefit, too.

Improved Active Noise Cancellation: Apple analyzed over 10,000 ear scans and conducted more than 100,000 hours of research that led to a redesign of the silicone tip that now combines infused foam with five different sizes of silicone tips (instead of three) for a comfortable, conformed fit. This physical seal blocks out external noise effectively, while inward-facing microphones monitor internal sounds to enhance quietness using advanced computational audio.

Adaptive Audio: AirPods Pro 3 have three noise cancellation settings – turned off-transparent, turned on for no noise, and Adaptive Noise Cancellation that dynamically blends Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) and Transparency mode that allows you to be aware of important noises in your environment while maintaining an immersive listening experience to enjoy the music, podcast, or other source. This is particularly useful when walking in a city or near a road.

Personalized Transparency and Volume Using AI and Machine Learning
Transparency adjusts the audio based on the environment and your listening habits. Levels are set based on your voice and conversations with others.

Personalized Volume learns what levels you prefer for different music, video, and other sources, then automatically adjusts the media volume based on your habits and the current environment.

Conversation Awareness recognizes when someone is talking to you and automatically lowers the volume of the media to better hear them.

Heart Rate Monitoring in the AirPods can detect heart rate without an Apple Watch. The infrared light sensors are invisible when measuring heart rate (unlike the green sensors on an Apple Watch). This works in the Apple Fitness app, the Health app, and some third-party apps.

Live Translation can be started by pressing and holding both stems, by saying ‘Siri, start Live Translation,’ or from a paired iPhone. It supports in‑person conversations and phone calls; during calls, translations are spoken in real time. Initial languages include English (US/UK), French (FR), German (DE), Portuguese (BR), and Spanish (ES), with Chinese (Mandarin), Italian, Japanese, and Korean slated to follow later this year. During translation, ANC reduces the volume of the person speaking to help you hear the translated audio more clearly.

Live Translation works when speaking to someone in person or over the phone. During a phone call, it will speak the translation of the foreign language to you and translate your words to the caller. When using Live Translation in person, your words will be transcribed in the foreign language on an iPhone where you can read it or press play and have the phone say the words.

Water Resistance (IP57): The AirPods are sweatproof, can get caught in the rain or have an ice bucket poured on your head (as long as it’s not directly on your ears), but cannot be submerged or used for swimming. And they won’t do well in the shower with a vigorous water stream. Apple warns that soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions, perfumes, solvents, detergent, acids or acidic foods, insect repellent, sunscreen, oil, or hair dye will affect water seals and acoustic membranes.

Hearing Assistance: The AirPods Pro can tell you if you have any hearing loss and amplify the sound of media, calls, and in-person conversations to help you hear with clinical-grade hearing aid features. Start by running a 5-minute hearing test from the settings on an iPhone. It will display any hearing loss or you can upload a prescription.

Camera Remote Control: When the iPhone is in camera mode, you can touch an AirPod to take a photo, a three-second timer delay is the default.

Performance – Sound
In the past, I’ve enjoyed using AirPods because I’m entrenched in the Apple Ecosystem and it was just easier but it was never about sound quality. The AirPods Pro 3 has changed that. Finally there is a better quality experience that is not only good for accompanying a workout but compelling enough for dedicated listening sessions. The improved fit allowed me to wear them comfortably all day during testing, both at home and out in the world, paired with my iPhone 17 Pro Max, Apple TV 4K, Mac Studio, and Apple Watch.

It’s immediately easy to hear and sense the effects of the multiport acoustic architecture and the open internal air flow. Music sounds more open, expansive, like sitting in the room at the recording studio. Spatial Audio mode takes this further with each instrument and vocal seemingly placed in distinct locations, remaining there even when you turn your head.

Listening to Spatial tracks like Riders on the Storm by The Doors or Get Lucky by Daft Punk, Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, the separation of vocals and instruments is striking. The music source and recording matters and the AirPods Pro 3s do a great job on all formats. While the voices were crystal clear in Apple Music Spatial Audio, listening to Get Lucky on Amazon Music in 360 Reality Audio, I could hear quiet snapping fingers. The backup singers sounded like they were right over my shoulder and I was in the middle of the party.

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Spatial tracks in spatial mode expanded the soundstage. Cat Stevens’ Hard Headed Woman was huge, sounding like it was filling the whole room. James Taylor’s Oh Baby Don’t You Loose Your Lip on Me starts with a voice calling from a distance. I almost got up to see who was in the other room.

Compared to the AirPods Pro 2s, where sounds felt compressed and claustrophobic, the AirPods Pro 3s deliver open, vibrant audio with deeper bass and clearer highs. Songs like While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Paint the Town Red by Doja Cat showcase richer tones and more pronounced bass. The bass was pounding without being overpowering.

That same low frequency response and drum beat surrounded me when watching Apple TV on my desktop Mac Studio. The trailer for F1 was immersive, the drum and lows pounding, the cars raced around me. It felt like I was in a theater rather than sitting at my desk.

When watching Apple TV 4K, the home theater experience was good but not as impressive as it was on the Mac. Superman flew over my head, and discs were thrown to distinct positions across the room, but nothing gave me that “you are there, better duck” experience. Still, I could hear nuances of sound effects, the dialogue was clear, and it was open, creating a sense of sitting in a room full of mid-priced surround sound speakers. And I could crank up the volume without waking others in the house.

Performance – Additional Features
The noise cancellation is phenomenal. When enabled, I could feel the cool breeze but eerily couldn’t hear the fan just a few feet away from me. When outdoors, I was careful to choose Transparency mode to let in all of the sound around me or picked Adaptive Noise Cancellation so I could hear cars driving by.

Conversation Awareness worked perfectly. It would turn down the music whenever it heard someone speaking to me, or when it heard my voice. It was useful when greeting a neighbor on a walk, but it also quieted the music when I sang along with the track playing. As I would rather hear the artist, I disable the feature when listening alone.

Live Translation was surprisingly versatile, useful beyond travel. I set the language to Spanish and visited a Mexican restaurant. I was able to ask about the dishes on the menu. I would ask in English then play the translation from my iPhone. As the server answered in Spanish, I could hear the English translation immediately for a smooth flowing conversation without delay. If the other person also had compatible AirPods, the translation would have been two way.

Likewise, a fast-talking Spanish-speaking friend called me and we had a conversation. His sentences were quickly translated to English, and he was pleased with the Spanish translation he could hear on the phone call. This could be huge for people whose relatives do not speak fluent English, and vice versa.

While it may be redundant to have heart rate in the AirPods if you have an Apple Watch, there are times when my watch is out of battery or I’m not wearing it. After enabling the heart rate, I went to the heart tab in the iPhone Health app to see my live heart rate measurements. I also did an outside walk and started the activity in the Apple Fitness app. It took my heart rate even while playing workout music, displaying it in the fitness app while calculating my calories burned.

With an Apple ecosystem, switching from device to device was seamless and automatic. If I was listening to my iPhone, but wanted to switch to my Mac, I stopped the music on my phone, and started playing a video or music on my Mac. It switched automatically. When it didn’t, I need only go to the control center of my Mac, iPhone or Apple TV and choose the AirPod Pro 3 as audio output.

Conclusion
With better sound quality that makes it fun to listen to music again, it’s time to trade up to the AirPods Pro 3rd generation. The noise reduction will help immerse you and forget about your surroundings, and Conversation Awareness lets others penetrate the silence when they speak to you. The myriad of features are not just gimmicks, they are useful tools and a welcome addition particularly for those with hearing loss.

Most importantly, the AirPods are comfortable enough to wear all day, to aid in hearing, monitor your heart and create a soundtrack to your day. And the fit keeps the AirPods Pro 3s snug in your ears even when shaking your head without getting that tired feeling of trying to hold earbuds in your ears.

Some balk at the $249 price, but the sound quality is well worth it along with the other features for those with an iPhone and/or other Apple devices.

Specifications
Earpieces:
Height: 1.22 inches, Width: 0.76 inch, Depth: 1.06 inches Weight: 0.20 ounce
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.3
Battery Life: 8 hours (ANC on). Up to 24 hours of listening time with Active Noise Cancellation when using a charging case to top off. 5 minutes in case = 1 hour listening time.
Case:
Dimensions: Height: 1.86 inches, Width: 2.45 inches, Depth: 0.86 inch Weight: 1.55 ounces
Charging: USB-C, MagSafe charger, Apple Watch charger, Qi-certified chargers
Find My compatible: second‑generation Ultra Wideband chip