Apple AirPods Pro 3 review: immersive ANC

Apple has taken one of its most acclaimed products—the AirPods Pro 2—and given it a substantial refresh with the AirPods Pro 3. I’ve been using them since they were announced and, after months of daily wear and comparisons with a range of earbuds and headphones, I’m relieved to say Apple didn’t ruin a good thing.

There are meaningful upgrades, a few gaps, and some new features that improve day-to-day use. The shape is redesigned so the earbuds sit a little deeper in the ear, and the ear tips now use foam-infused silicone with an extra-extra-small option to help create a better seal.

In my testing the new tips stayed in place more reliably than the AirPods Pro 2 tips, though I’ve recently preferred third-party AZLA XELASTEC tips on the older model and expect to swap in a version for the Pro 3 when it becomes available. Sound is fuller, deeper and clearer than the previous AirPods Pro, especially on cinematic tracks, though the Sony WF-1000XM5 still reveals a few more details.

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