AirPods Pro 3 Review: I Understand It Now!

Summary

MKBHD reviews the AirPods Pro 3, Apple’s latest wireless earbuds that feature significant improvements in noise cancellation, fit, and durability. Despite not being someone who typically wears earbuds all day, Marques admits he now “gets it” - understanding why people love these for daily use. The new AirPods Pro 3 deliver improved sound quality with stronger bass, redesigned ear tips with foam for better seal and fit, IP57 water resistance, longer battery life (9 hours with ANC), and a built-in heart rate monitor. While Apple claims these have the “world’s best active noise cancellation” for in-ear wireless headphones, MKBHD confirms the ANC is genuinely impressive after comparing them against competitors like Bose QC Ultra 2, Sony WF-1000XM5, and Samsung Galaxy Buds 3. The verdict: an excellent upgrade at the same price point, highly recommended for iPhone users.

Highlights

”I Get It Now”

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“I’m not typically a wear my headphones all day type of person like so many are. But with all the improvements in this third generation, I get it. I totally get it.” — Marques Brownlee, 0:43

”Best Fitting AirPods After Years of Falling Out”

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“It’s been years and generations of AirPods that have always slightly fallen out, but these actually stay.” — Marques Brownlee, 2:28

”World’s Best ANC - No Asterisk”

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“World’s best Active Noise Cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones. No asterisk, no fine print, no weird comparisons or anything, just all gas, no breaks, big claim… Apple says a lot of things, things like the iPhone 16 Pro has studio quality microphones. Stuff that’s obviously not totally true. But this one, this one’s interesting.” — Marques Brownlee, 5:35

”3,295 Days and Still the Same Design”

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“The original AirPods were announced 3,295 days ago and they still look like this. Like the tech has gotten way, way better. But all these generations with this small white…” — Marques Brownlee, 10:37

Key Points

• 0:26 - AirPods Pro 3 look physically similar but have significant internal changes
• 0:43 - Marques admits he now “gets it” regarding all-day earbud use with this generation
• 0:54 - Sound quality improved with stronger bass, full mid-range, and less high volume distortion
• 1:18 - Redesigned vents and interior acoustics for better sound
• 1:29 - Ear tips now sit at a slightly different angle for better fit
• 1:38 - New ear tips feature foam inside silicon tips for better seal
• 2:17 - Five ear tip sizes now available (including new double extra small)
• 2:25 - Best-fitting AirPods ever for Marques after years of them slightly falling out
• 2:53 - IP57 water resistance added (upgraded from IPX4)
• 3:16 - Case is also water resistant
• 3:30 - Case is slightly thicker/taller with new design changes
• 3:50 - Pairing button removed; double tap front to pair with non-Apple devices
• 4:23 - No USB-C cable included in box (like AirPods 4)
• 5:14 - Battery life: 9 hours with noise cancellation (up from 6)
• 5:24 - Transparency mode/hearing aid: 8 hours (up from 6)
• 5:30 - Apple claims “world’s best active noise cancellation” for in-ear wireless headphones
• 6:06 - ANC quantified as 2x better than last generation
• 6:22 - Same H2 chip as previous generation
• 6:40 - ANC is excellent - blocks out studio noise at half volume
• 7:01 - Airplane white noise almost completely eliminated
• 7:26 - Outperforms Bose QC Ultra 2 in comfort, seal, and noise cancellation
• 7:37 - Sony WF-1000XM5 has good sound but worse fit and ANC
• 7:45 - Galaxy Buds 3 don’t match ANC performance
• 7:56 - Still no lossless audio support
• 8:08 - New heart rate monitor feature via window on earbud
• 8:23 - Heart rate well integrated with Apple Fitness app
• 8:56 - Live translation feature powered by Apple Intelligence
• 9:12 - Translation works offline after downloading language packs
• 9:47 - Same price as previous generation with all improvements
• 10:10 - Marques still prefers over-ear headphones for studio use
• 10:35 - Highly recommended for iPhone users
• 10:37 - Original AirPods announced 3,295 days ago - design still similar

Mentions

Companies

• Apple - Manufacturer of AirPods Pro 3
• Bose - Competitor with QC Ultra 2 earbuds
• Sony - Competitor with WF-1000XM5 earbuds
• Samsung - Competitor with Galaxy Buds 3
• Dbrand - Sponsor offering grip cases and skins

Products

• AirPods Pro 3 - Main product being reviewed
• AirPods Pro 2 - Previous generation for comparison
• AirPods 4 - Mentioned for similar design changes
• Bose QC Ultra 2 - Competitor earbuds compared
• Sony WF-1000XM5 - Competitor earbuds compared
• Galaxy Buds 3 - Competitor earbuds compared
• Powerbeats Pro - Preferred workout headphones
• iPhone 16 Pro - Mentioned regarding Apple’s marketing claims
• iPhone 17 - Mentioned alongside Dbrand cases
• Apple Watch - Mentioned for charging compatibility and heart rate comparison
• H2 chip - Same processor as previous generation
• Apple Fitness app - Integration for heart rate monitoring
• Apple Intelligence - Powers live translation feature

People

• Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) - Video creator and reviewer

Surprising Quotes

“But with all the improvements in this third generation, I get it. I totally get it.” - 0:43

“World’s best Active Noise Cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones. No asterisk, no fine print, no weird comparisons or anything, just all gas, no breaks, big claim.” - 5:35

“Apple says a lot of things, things like the iPhone 16 Pro has studio quality microphones. Stuff that’s obviously not totally true or that’s greatly exaggerated. But this one, this one’s interesting.” - 5:47

“It’s been years and generations of AirPods that have always slightly fallen out, but these actually stay.” - 2:28

“The original AirPods were announced 3,295 days ago and they still look like this.” - 10:37

Full Transcript

0:00 (gentle techno music)

0:02 Okay, so this is actually the same thing that happened to me with where it’s September, it’s really busy. I didn’t really think I There’s lots of other but just like last time, Apple sent me their latest AirPods Pros. And the first thing I was get on a plane and fly with them. And now, I gotta show These are AirPods Pro 3.

0:29 They look physically almost but there’s actually a And the thing is I’m not and I’m certainly not typically a wear my headphones all day, like so many are. But with all the improvements in this third generation, I get it. I totally get it. And I think there are specifically made for that type of person.

0:54 But first of all, they This was one of the first things I was impressed with with the last gen and I even did some And I think these sound There’s more strong base and low end while still keeping, you know, a totally full mid-range and very little high volume distortion. And they do seem to get even louder too.

1:15 And there’s a couple reasons If you look very carefully, you’ll notice the vents are and the interior is redesigned So, I’m betting that’s where a bit of that But then, also the ear at a slightly different angle, which you can tell if you right next to this third gen.

1:38 And the new ear tips are also bolstered with a little bit of foam inside the end. So, they’re not fully foam ear tips. They’re still silicon, but you kind of get the The foam ear tips that you kind of compress them, and then let them expand in your ear. It’s this really nice but not great for everyday use outside.

2:00 So, this has some of They have some foam to the inside of your ear. It’s a little bit firmer and so it’s a better seal. And I gotta say this new which there’s also now a double So, there’s five ear tip sizes. But the new ear tips plus the new angle that they go into your ear that have ever stayed in my ears.

2:28 It’s been years and generations of AirPods that have always slightly but these actually stay and Now, I still give the for working out just because that piece that goes around your ear when you’re running, or jumping, or moving around a lot, But for the everyday these are incredible.

2:53 They’ve also added IP57 for the first time. So they were IPX4 before, which meant they could take a splash, or a sprinkle, or go out in the rain, but now they are protected and they can fully survive So, that’s better for heavy rain, better for spills especially, and even better for a ton of sweat. Like if you somehow sweat couldn’t handle it before,

3:24 And turns out this case which is nice, but that does And so, the more you the more you’ll notice there’s a bunch of other little small Like it’s a tiny bit thicker and taller, because of the new shape of the buds. And then also, the cutout for the pairing/battery but the light’s still there. It’s just behind the plastic now and quite a bit brighter, clean.

3:50 And also just like AirPods 4, the pairing button is gone from the back. So pro tip, if you do need to a non-Apple device for or an Android phone, you and double tap the front to Then there’s also a next in the case, which means from 50% further away, which Honestly might still be

4:16 The old buds don’t fit in the new case and the new buds don’t fit just in case you are wondering. And then, there’s also some articles about how these don’t seem and that’s true. I unbox them. Sure enough, there was no but also neither do AirPods 4.

4:38 And I think you know, to be honest, like most other headphones but I think Apple is that if you’re buying the new AirPods, which suck to use with then you 99.9% most likely from the past three years and therefore, already have a USB type C charger or you already have an Apple Watch, which it can also use that charger, or you already have some that you can also use. They’re probably right,

5:14 is actually longer on these with noise cancellation up from six. So, you can ignore your coworkers for an entire uninterrupted nine to five. And then, transparency mode or hearing aid functionality from the previous six.

5:30 Slide in the keynote that rose my eyebrow when they introduced this a few days ago was “World’s best Active of any in-ear wireless headphones. No asterisk, no fine print, no weird comparisons or anything, just all gas, no breaks, big claim.

5:47 Now, Apple says a lot of things, things like the iPhone 16 Pro has studio quality microphones. Stuff that’s obviously not totally true or that’s greatly exaggerated But this one, this one’s interesting.

6:06 So, the way they’re quantifying it is they’re saying it as the last gen, which Matter of fact, if you go when they introduced the AirPods Pro 2, they said that those as the first gen AirPods Pro.

6:22 Now, these do have the same H2 chip as the previous generation, but the new ear tips with foam, the new angle that they go into your ears, and the bigger vents and probably some more all combine to give you much better, allegedly two times noise

6:40 And yeah, the ANC is With my music at basically half volume, I already hear nothing but my music. Now in this studio environment, where you know, there’s some voices, maybe occasional louder noises, one really loud mechanical keyboard and a few dog barks, I’m locked in. I’m only hearing my music.

7:01 But I also took a flight and the white noise of the It was almost completely but more than enough to fully immerse in whatever media I want to and actually enjoy the which is saying something.

7:17 And these of course still transparency mode, adaptive EQ, conversational awareness is here I’m just, I’m very happy with this ANC. I went and compared them back to back with the Bose QC Ultra 2, which I found less comfortable and don’t seal in my ear as well. And they also don’t cancel as much sound.

7:37 The Sony WF-1000XM5 sound really good, but the fit and noise cancellation And these Galaxy Buds 3 and I think even look better, or cancel as much background noise. These have been pretty excellent for me.

7:56 Still no lossless audio to but this is about as good as I’ve heard wireless earbuds sound.

8:05 Now speaking of workout headphones, these also have a new feature and it’s this little window that’s a heart rate monitor. So, AirPods Pro 3 can while working out. I consider this a nice to have the same way it was in the Powerbeats Pro.

8:23 What’s nice is it’s well integrated in the Apple Fitness app. So even if other earbuds not sure they’ll be able to plug in to this ecosystem as nicely and keep your rings closed. Classic. But it’s nice for people who So if you do have an Apple Watch and you wear it at the apparently it’s using its to decide which is the better Because at no point does the app tell you or let you choose where it’s

8:56 Apple also introduced live translation alongside AirPods Pro 3. It’s not exclusive to these like they might want you to think. So I won’t spend too much but it is powered by Apple Intelligence and it does require you download each individual language So, everything works offline So, that’s cool.

9:19 And I’m starting to think a big comparison just on all ‘cause it seems like 2025 is And there’s a bunch of and I kind of wanna see which one’s best, like is it a phone app, or or will it be smart glasses That probably won’t be a pin. But this really feels like actually finally became possible.

9:47 But overall, okay, better ANC, IP rating all for the same price. I get it. People who wear AirPods all day are gonna love these things. People who sometimes wear AirPods are also gonna love these things.

10:08 Honestly, the only reason they’re not about to become my new dailies is because I still prefer So, I mostly still use and listening to music, Anytime I’m on a plane, I have these. And then when I work out, it’s back to dedicated workout headphones, which for me are still the Powerbeats.

10:26 But if you want one pair of or if you’re on the fence, like these really don’t if you’re an iPhone user. Well played Apple, well played.

10:37 Now fun fact, the original AirPods were announced 3,295 days ago and they still look like this, Like the tech has gotten way, way better. But all these generations with this small white,

10:54 So, channel sponsor ‘Cause the grip case for the AirPods Pro 3 is a great way to keep from scuffs, and scratches, and drops. But I’m really just into the look of the things, literally dozens of ways. I’ve got the matte black one here, but they’ve got a ton of and it goes perfectly with like this Grip case, which can also be customized or even Dbrand’s new Tank Case, this super overkill tactical alongside the iPhone 17 series.

11:26 So if you’re like me and you wish there was a matte black well then either of these So if you are trying to pick or your iPhone 17, then I highly recommend checking out Dbrand Link will be down below.

11:39 Thanks for watching. Catch you very soon. It’s techtember. I’ll catch Peace.

11:45 (gentle techno music)