Lots of folks, including myself, really loved AirPods Pro 2. They were great, especially as an audio enthusiast. Was it the most balanced in-ear monitor (IEM) in the world? No. But it was the combination of features and decent sound quality that really made me fall in love with them.
So with that being said, I was cautiously optimistic about AirPods Pro 3. Especially considering the language Apple used during its announcement of the product. The company specifically called out "better bass," and that got me really concerned.
With that caution in place, I did not optimistically pre-order the AirPods Pro 3 like most others. I waited until after launch and have spent the last week with the earbuds, and boy do I have a lot of thoughts.
Sound Quality
Let’s tackle the elephant in the room. The new sound signature is problematic as an audio nerd. The tonal balance is more V-shaped and has notable peaks in the treble that cause a lot of harshness in the upper frequencies. On the other side of the spectrum? The bass, most notably the sub and mid bass, are boosted as well, giving it an overall warmer tone compared to a slightly warm and dark AirPods Pro 2.