I replaced my AirPods Max with the AirPods Pro 3, and didn’t mind the $300 price gap

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The AirPods Professional 3 deliver a number of design updates and a bunch of recent or upgraded capabilities to a product that was already among the many finest headphones.
• Apple stored the retail worth at $249, and this product tends to get discounted throughout vacation gross sales.
• AirPods Professional 3’s main characteristic is energetic noise cancellation that now rivals over-the-ear headphones, which shocked me in real-world testing.

extra shopping for decisions

sep / 2025

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Apple has taken what’s arguably one its most iconic and broadly acclaimed merchandise — the AirPods Professional 2 — and elevated them with a major improve for 2025. Because the product has a easy mission and it did not seem that there have been a ton of issues Apple may do to make them higher, it is at all times a danger to make massive adjustments. 

And make no mistake, there are main adjustments within the AirPods Pro 3. 

Additionally: I tried Apple’s 2 big AI features announced at the iPhone 17 event – and both are game changers

I have been utilizing a pair for 2 weeks since they have been first introduced on the Apple Occasion. And I am comfortable — even slightly relieved — to report that Apple did not break factor right here. In reality, there’s one space the place I did not notice it was even attainable to make them higher, however they’re. And there are new options that make the product extra helpful. After all, there are additionally a pair gaps and blind spots, and we’ll speak about these, too.

However when you’ve had a pair of AirPods or AirPods Professional prior to now and cherished them, the excellent news is there’s an incredible probability you are going to love the AirPods Professional 3 much more. 

How I examined AirPods Professional 3

I began testing the AirPods Professional 3 on the day they have been introduced at Apple Park on September 9. I wore them on a five-hour flight residence from California to check the sound high quality, energetic noise cancellation (ANC), and battery life. And I have been sporting them each day since then, and evaluating them with AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with Noise Cancellation, AirPods Max, Google Pixel Buds Pro, Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds, and Meta Ray-Bans smart glasses (which I have been more and more utilizing at instances once I used to put on AirPods). 

I spent probably the most time evaluating the AirPods Professional 3 to Sony’s XM5 earbuds as a result of these have a number of the highest high quality sound and energetic noise cancellation of any earbuds I’ve ever examined — a lot in order that they’re much more costly than AirPods Professional at $329. 

To research sound high quality, I performed Hans Zimmer’s “Only I Will Remain” from the Dune: Half Two soundtrack as a result of it has a really complicated multi-layered set of sounds that embrace whispers, whooshes, bass-filled booms and rumbles, lilting highs and lows, and an exquisite combination of loud and quiet thrives. 

I have been an AirPods consumer for the reason that first model virtually a decade in the past, despite the fact that they initially did not match into my ears. With the assistance of a pair of silicone ear hooks from AhaStyle that I wrote about on CNET, I used to be capable of make them work and so I might carry each the AirPods and the earhooks in my pocket day-after-day. 

Additionally: I compared the iPhone 17, iPhone Air, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max: Here’s who should upgrade

When the primary AirPods Professional have been introduced with silicone eartips in October 2019, I used to be thrilled for the match alone and instantly pre-ordered a set and have used a pair of AirPods Professional day-after-day since, together with their successors, the AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods Professional 2 with USB-C. They match into my ears a lot better and I have been very pleased with the sound high quality — however rather less pleased with the ANC, though I figured I could not anticipate rather more from a pair of earbuds. Enter AirPods Professional 3. 

The upgrades in AirPods Professional 3

To begin, Apple redesigned the form of the AirPods Professional in model 3. If the unique AirPods Professional design was like a head sitting on a pair of shoulders, then the AirPods Professional 3 design is like somebody purposefully sticking their neck out. 

It is delicate if you first take a look at them, however they positively really feel completely different in your fingers if you begin placing them out and in of your ears a number of instances a day. Because of this, the AirPods Professional 3 really feel like they sit slightly deeper into your eardrum. Some individuals might not like that sensation at first, but it surely did not trouble me. 

Additionally: AirPods Pro 3 vs. AirPods Pro 2: What to know before rushing to upgrade

The opposite bodily factor of AirPods Professional 3 that Apple redesigned was the ear ideas, which have switched from pure silicone to foam-infused silicone. In different phrases, they’re foam on the within and silicone on the skin. That is meant to provide the earbuds a greater seal inside your ear. And since completely different individuals’s ears are formed in a different way, it is also meant to contour to numerous ears. Apple has additionally added an XXS (additional additional small) set of ideas for AirPods Professional 3. 

In my testing, the brand new ear ideas do match slightly bit higher than the ear ideas in AirPods Professional 2 and have been much less more likely to fall out. Nonetheless, I’ve just lately been utilizing the $25 AZLA XELASTEC silicone ear tips on AirPods Professional 2 and they’re actually even higher at staying in my ears and creating a robust seal. When AZLA releases a model for AirPods Professional 3 in October, I am going to probably use these to exchange the Apple ear ideas.

So let’s get into the remainder of the upgrades and what they imply for each day use of AirPods Professional 3.

Sound high quality — Do the AirPods Professional 3 sound simply nearly as good or higher than AirPods Professional 2? That is probably the most vital issues it’s good to know when you’re contemplating an improve. First, it is vital to acknowledge that sound high quality generally is a very subjective factor as a result of individuals hear issues in a different way. Apple claims that the AirPods Professional 3 have a redesigned “multiport acoustic structure with extra exact airflow management.” That is key, as a result of in any case, the principle factor any speaker does to create sound is transfer air round. 

In my exams, I discovered the AirPods Professional 3 to have fuller, deeper, and clearer sound than AirPods Professional 3. It is particularly noticeable when watching motion pictures with massive, cinematic soundtracks. In my high quality take a look at with Zimmer’s “Solely I Will Stay” tune, AirPods Professional 3 have been once more noticeably clearer and fuller than AirPods Professional 2. Nonetheless, the standard did not fairly attain the extent of Sony’s XM5’s earbuds — I can nonetheless hear notes within the Sony’s that I am unable to hear within the AirPods Professional 3. However whereas AirPods Professional 2 have been about 70-75% nearly as good because the Sony’s, AirPods Professional 3 have been about 90% of the way in which there.

Lively Noise Cancellation (ANC) — That is the place the AirPods Professional 3 actually shine. Their finest characteristic is a large improve in noise cancellation. And I will be trustworthy in saying I am not fairly positive how Apple pulled this off. The AirPods Professional 2 have been already about nearly as good at noise cancellation as any earbuds you should buy — though ZDNET previously gave a slight edge to Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. I take advantage of ANC on the AirPods Professional 2 almost day-after-day, and from the primary time I turned on the ANC on the brand new AirPods Professional 3, I used to be shocked at how good it was. It appears to defy the legislation of physics, it is that good. 

It is a lot better than the Sony XM5 earbuds, which have been proper up there with Bose and AirPods Professional 2 among the many finest ANC earbuds — partially as a result of Sony was already utilizing foam eartips. After utilizing AirPods Professional 3 for weeks in a bunch of various noisy eventualities to attempt to discover a flaw, I am satisfied the ANC is about 80-90% nearly as good because the AirPods Max and different main over-the-ear headphones. It is so good that on my subsequent cross-country flight I’ll depart AirPods Max at residence and take a look at solely touring with AirPods Professional 3.

Additionally: This new AirPods Pro feature makes me question why I still wear an Apple Watch

Prolonged battery life — One more reason I really feel comfy leaving AirPods Professional Max at residence and solely touring with AirPods Professional 3 on my subsequent journey is that Apple claims that they’ve elevated the battery life by about 25%. I have not spent sufficient time testing them but to say I am absolutely assured in verifying that quantity. Nonetheless, I did simply get by a cross-country flight with extra battery life remaining than I would sometimes get with AirPods Professional 2, so I’m assured that there is an improve on this division.

Coronary heart fee monitoring — Just like the PowerBeats Pro 2 (Beats can be owned by Apple), the AirPods Professional 3 have added coronary heart monitoring as a well being characteristic, which follows the hearing health features added in 2024. Since I wear an Apple Watch, I haven’t got a lot want for the guts monitoring characteristic, however I have several colleagues who are ready to use AirPods Pro 3 to track their workouts instead of Apple Watch. And Apple clearly has no downside with that as a result of now you can use AirPods Professional 3 to begin and monitor sure kinds of exercises within the Health app.

Reside translation — I additionally bought to check the brand new Reside Translation characteristic on AirPods Professional 3 and the perfect half about it’s how simple it’s to begin — simply do a long-press on each earbuds on the identical time. The interpretation itself is at the least as correct as different dwell translation options I’ve tried with Google Pixel gadgets and Meta Ray-Bans, which is to say it may be hit and miss. 

I must do much more testing on this and I am assured that I’ll this fall after which I am going to report again with a separate article evaluating AirPods Professional 3 to the most recent Google and Meta dwell translation upgrades. Additionally, remember the fact that this characteristic will work with AirPods Professional 2 and AirPods 4 with Noise Cancellation when they’re linked to an iPhone with Apple Intelligence (iPhone 15 Professional or later). 

An improve to Discover My — The AirPods Professional 3 embrace an upgraded Ultrawideband chip (U2) that Apple claims will increase the discovering distance of the charging case by about 50% utilizing the Discover My app. I am unsure concerning the 50% enhance, however I did have enjoyable looking for AirPods Professional 3 with FindMy and so they did give off a sign that the FindMy app observed slightly farther away than AirPods Professional 2. The good half is that that is probably a sign {that a} new second-generation AirTag powered by the U2 chip may even be coming quickly.

Additionally: I’m not swapping my Apple Watch for the AirPods Pro 3’s heart rate tracking – here’s why

Improved mud and water safety — Apple additionally upgraded the mud and water safety of the AirPods Professional 3. The AirPods Professional 2 have been beforehand IPX4 licensed, which implies they supplied no mud safety (the X) and stage 4 water safety (in opposition to sweat and lightweight splashes of water). The AirPods Professional 3 provide IP57 certification, which implies they’ve stage 5 mud safety (in opposition to minimal quantities of mud) and stage 7 water safety (in opposition to complete immersion and downpours of rain). I didn’t try to check this, however I am glad to see it. By comparability, the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds have an IPX4 score.

What I would prefer to see in AirPods Professional 4

Personalised audio settings — One of many largest issues that has at all times been lacking from AirPods is the flexibility to personalize your sound settings. Apple claims that “AirPods Professional 3 characteristic next-generation Adaptive EQ” to match the form and type of every particular person’s ears. Nonetheless, loads of individuals would nonetheless love to spice up the bass themselves, for instance. Merchandise such because the Sony XM5 earbuds make this simple, but it surely’s nonetheless not attainable on any AirPods.

Additionally: Intrigued by Live Translation? You may not have to buy new AirPods to access it

Temperature sensor — The center fee sensor in AirPods Professional 3 is sensible for the reason that PowerBeats Professional 2 had already pioneered the characteristic. Nonetheless, the well being sensor I might have cherished to see added to the AirPods Professional 3 was a temperature sensor, for the reason that ear is a good place for taking an individual’s temperature and we have seen how sensible rings have used this to assist alert individuals after they is likely to be coming down with a virus or an an infection. The Apple Watch has a temperature sensor however I have not discovered it to be very correct or useful due to its placement on the wrist. 

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Of all the brand new merchandise Apple launched at its September 9 occasion, no product bought extra substantial upgrades than the AirPods Professional 3. And on the identical time, Apple maintained the identical retail worth at $249. As I’ve already talked about, my favourite Android earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM5, retail for an eye-watering $329 — and they’re going to solely join to 2 gadgets at a time whereas AirPods Professional 3 can hook up with your iPhone, iPad, MacBook Air, Apple Watch, and Apple TV and routinely swap between them.

If you’re an AirPods consumer and have at all times needed to have higher Lively Noise Cancellation, then you’re the primary candidate to improve to the AirPods Professional 3 as a result of the brand new ANC is by far the product’s standout characteristic. 

Additionally: I tried every iPhone 17 model, and my buying advice is different this year

If you would like to have the ability to monitor your exercises with out sporting a watch or one other well being tracker in your wrist, you then is likely to be the following almost certainly buyer for AirPods Professional 3. 

If in case you have a pair of AirPods or different earbuds which are sporting out and it’s good to substitute them — or you might have a pair with older options and you are not pleased with the sound or ANC high quality — I’ve little doubt that you’d be very pleased with a pair of AirPods 3, particularly if in case you have a number of Apple gadgets. 

My solely push is to be affected person when you can, and do not pay full worth. Once we get to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, AirPods are one of many favourite gadgets for Amazon, Greatest Purchase, and different retailers to placed on sale. You could possibly see AirPods Pro 3 discounted to $199 to $229 later this fall, if historical past repeats itself.