Test review: AirPods 3 are better headphones, but beware of the competition from AirPods Pro | WatchGeneration

Forget the MacBook Pro, the real Apple novelty of the week is the 3rd generation AirPods! The headphones will be marketed tomorrow and Apple has lifted the embargo on the tests: they all emphasize the improvement in audio quality compared to the AirPods 2 while retaining a “button” shape, a design that is becoming rare.

Chris Welch of The Verge praises the work done by Apple to design earphones that adapt to almost all ear shapes, including his own: the AirPods 2 tended to get lost, which does not This is no longer the case with their successors.

Apple has done a lot of research to improve the shape of its headphones which, unlike the AirPods Pro with their silicone tips, have no room for maneuver to accommodate all users. "I can finally say that Apple's basic AirPods are right for me," writes the tester, "when this has never been true before. If you had problems with the originals, it's worth trying the new ones”.

Cnet's David Carnoy isn't a fan of "open-back" headphones, with sound from the outside that can creep into the ear. It should nevertheless be that this format can appeal to those who do not appreciate intra-auriculars. For TechCrunch, Brian Heater explains that it will be difficult to do without active noise cancellation if you live in a noisy environment. "There were times when the podcast I was listening to [with AirPods 3] was completely drowned out in the cacophony of the city."

For the Wall Street Journal, Nicole Nguyen also regrets the ANC of her AirPods Pro: “Walking down the street, I had to turn up the volume to listen to a podcast. And later, while I was working at home, it was impossible not to hear the sound of the neighbor's leaf blower! ".

Despite everything, the audio quality is good, and even very good: Apple has designed a new in-house driver and these AirPods 3 integrate adaptive equalization (also present in the AirPods Pro) which "optimizes" the sound on the fly, recalls David Carnoy. "I will say the AirPods 3 sound richer and better, with more detail and improved bass."

For Engadget's Billy Steele, there's no question these AirPods sound better than previous models. “As soon as I started a song, it was obvious” that the audio quality of the headphones had been raised. He even let out a "woah" of admiration. But all the testers insist that the AirPods 3 are not on the same level as in-ear headphones, the opposite would have been surprising.

Reactions are more measured with Dolby Atmos and head movement tracking, which can have a small effect for movies and series, but for music it's up to individual tastes (and the mixing done by the sound engineers). As for the battery, the mission is accomplished: Billy Steele even obtained 7 hours of listening (with Dolby Atmos, but without head tracking) while Apple promises one hour less

It now remains to find a place for these headphones within the Apple range. The AirPods 3 are better than their predecessors, but still not at the level of the AirPods Pro, summarizes Brian Heater. The question of price positioning arises when the Pro models are 80 € more expensive, but much less with regular promotions: “For someone who has used AirPods Pro regularly in recent years, switching to AirPods on a daily basis has been [ a withdrawal experience].