Tired of your old dusty AirPods? Apple’s newest and most improved wireless earbud, the AirPods Pro 3 are a huge jump from older generations, and Best Buy currently carries them reduced to just $200a $50 discount off their usual price. We think these are the best AirPods yet and well worth the upgrade, even for AirPods Pro 2 owners.
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Review: Apple AirPods Pro 3
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Review: Apple AirPods Pro 3
The biggest improvements are in sound insulation and active noise cancellation, which our reviewer Parker Hall compared to the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 headphones. It does a great job of eliminating all but the highest-pitched noises.
They sound good in a variety of genres, with boosted highs and lows that can be a bit loud at times, as well as nice detail and immediacy to the headphones. They’re perfect for working out or yard work, thanks to the boosted treble and bass that assist the ANC, and sound particularly good with pop, hip-hop and bright jazz.
Apple’s tight integration of hardware and software means that these can also do cool tricks, like real-time translation. When paired with any iPhone with Apple Intelligence, you can speak a variety of languages into the phone and the earbuds will translate them into yours. They also have heart rate detection, which we found surprisingly accurate. Other earbuds have similar features, but putting them all in one place, along with quick pairing and Siri compatibility, makes them feel like a complete package.
Although they look largely the same as the second generation, there have been some improvements in fit that anyone with smaller ears will appreciate. The ear tips are also thicker, with a layer of foam that helps with sound insulation and noise reduction. They are more durable, with an IP57 rating that will take you anywhere except the pool.
Although I’m often tempted by the deals I offer, as an avid Android user, I’ll keep my wallet in my pocket today. The AirPods’ rich feature set only really works meaningfully with iOS and Mac, so if you don’t have an iPhone, iPad, or other Apple computer to connect to, you’ll want to Check out our other favorite headphones.
