AirPods 3 test: when the price plays spoilsport

A familiar design… but different

The AirPods had revolutionized the world of wireless headphones (and especially among owners of iOS, iPadOS or macOS devices). If they are not a real revolution on the technological part, they had been thought around the ecosystem of Apple. For example, you could switch from one device to another as long as the devices shared the same iCloud account. Practice.

As a result, the AirPods have become so popular that they have also become lifestyle objects, despite their flaws: they do not fit on all ears, they are open earphones (a flaw for some but not for others , admittedly) and outside of Apple’s ecosystem, they are “just” simple Bluetooth headphones.

With the AirPods 3, Apple remains in the same line.

On the other hand, the design has evolved somewhat and from the first grip, we notice how much the AirPods 3 are inspired by the AirPods Pro on this point. With a smaller case but a similar shape, the AirPods 3 look like AirPods Pro… without the silicone tip. Because they’re open, the AirPods 3 don’t offer active noise canceling.

It’s a choice and that’s what explains its lower price (199 euros) compared to the AirPods Pro. Of course, you have to put this price in perspective with other wireless headphones on the market – and that’s what we’ll see below in this AirPods 3 test.

If the design has changed, the AirPods 3 are still light and we quickly forget its presence. On the other hand, without the silicone tip of the famous AirPods Pro, the AirPods 3 sometimes have trouble fitting in the ear: they rest on the entrance to the ear canal, so you have to remain very vigilant.

We didn’t have any problems but we would have liked a straighter, more secure port because depending on the morphology, the AirPods 3 can slip and fall more easily… We had a somewhat similar problem with the AirPods 1 and 2. We can only advise you to test them before buying them.

Audio quality and enhancements

The AirPods 3 do not offer active noise reduction, despite the very high price. This is perhaps where the shoe pinches. We are in 2021 and for this price level, all competitors offer active noise reduction. In truth, we even find them on much more accessible models. The AirPods Pro are now around 200 euros (with the various discounts) and we will advise you more.

Because there is no active noise reduction, there is no transparency mode either. As they are open headphones, it’s not too bad. On the other hand, the AirPods 3 offer the spatial sound of Apple and for once, with the support of Dolby Atmos, the quality is quite impressive for this type of headphones.

When the environment around the AirPods 3 is quiet, Spatial Sound works great. We feel this spatialization so bluffing (on a limited selection of titles only for the moment). Alongside this spatialization, it is above all the sound quality that impressed us during our test of the AirPods 3.

Whether with music, during a film or a series, the sound is good: the highs and mids are balanced and the bass is present. In addition, note that the sound level has been increased compared to AirPods 1 and 2. Indeed, even in a noisy environment, we will hear our sources.

On the other hand, because they are open earphones, it is obvious that it will be necessary to be in a calm environment to take advantage of the qualities of the AirPods 3. Once again, we have the impression of ending up with the same principle as the AirPods Max: these are earphones for sedentary use above all and not necessarily nomadic (although this is still the principle).

This is perhaps its biggest flaw: with a price of 200 euros, we are entitled to expect a similar experience both at home, in the office and on the go. This could have been mitigated with a closed design like on in-ear headphones. Those who want to be alert to their external environment will not necessarily see these criticisms as a fault.

As with the AirPods Pro, there is a flat capacitive button on each stem of the AirPods 3. It will be necessary “press” the rod to launch the options. If we did not find this method very orthodox at the beginning, time has proven Apple right since the system has proven itself and is more effective than buttons.

With this system and during our test, the AirPods 3 do not move. For key functions, it’s a single press to start or stop music, and answer/end a call; two presses to skip to the next track; three for the previous track and a long press to activate the voice assistant. Classic, there is a little habit to take but after a while, it becomes logical and intuitive.

All of these functions can be found in the iOS control center or on your Apple Watch. And as with its predecessors, no volume control: it will be either via the smartphone, or via an Apple Watch, or via Siri. Somehow, we would have really liked Apple to bring new functions.

The technical part

We obviously find the H1 chip from Apple, which ensures an almost immediate connection to any iOS device. As with products using the H1 chip, you can switch between the different devices connected with your iCloud account.

On Android or others, we will not take advantage of these little facilities. If the sound and functions remain unchanged, they will connect as simple Bluetooth headphones. As for the lag, there are no lags in the sound on streaming videos and the H1 chip works perfectly. We watched series, movies or Youtube videos without feeling a single discomfort.

The case is no longer high as for the AirPods 1 and 2 but it takes the style of that of the AirPods Pro. Compared to the latter, that of the AirPods 3 is still narrower and therefore slips more easily into a pocket. The case is recharged via a Lightning port or wirelessly and provides 35 hours of autonomy in all.

Moreover, speaking of autonomy, we can only be pleasantly surprised by such autonomy (about 7 hours per charge in our test). You can do long sessions without worrying about recharging. We are far from the autonomy of the previous AirPods (excluding AirPods Max of course).

There remains the conversation part since the AirPods 1, 2 and Pro have always shown that they are a reference on this point. During the presentation of the headphones, Apple touted its new AirPods 3 with additional fabric on each earphone to better filter the wind.

If we find the quality that characterizes all AirPods, we did not really feel any difference between the AirPods 3 and the AirPods Pro for example. And there, again, with the open side of the headphones, if you are in a noisy environment, the AirPods 3 will not necessarily work miracles. If the other party will hear you perfectly, the user may have difficulty hearing.