I was looking forward to upgrading from my two-year-old AirPods (2nd gen), to these newer flagship AirPods 3 — and yet I felt rather underwhelmed and disappointed by Apple.
While these do sound slightly cleaner and a little bit more detailed with music and overall video playback. The AirPods 3 also have a very "cold/flat" sound profile, and at times sounds a bit harsh (particularly with the mids and highs of certain songs). I was surprised, as I rather enjoyed the AirPods 2 overall sound profile. My AirPods 2 sounded warmer, clear enough, and not overly aggressive. It's hard to explain, however the newer AirPods 3 sound hollow, vs. having a nice natural, full sound profile. I was disappointed.
The fit is what many have spoken about with these AirPods. They are indeed slightly larger, everything about them is (even the case is a different size). While the AirPods 3 themselves fit my ears fine, they're definitely snugger (even to a fault). My AirPods 2 are not necessarily as snug fitting, they are lighter and felt more comfortable for me. Especially after using one with longer listening sessions. The AirPods 3 felt alright, but less comfortable after shorter listening sessions. You can start to feel them, after say 20 minutes of typical usage — which is frustrating as an avid music fan.
Obviously having a MagSafe-compatible charging case is a big convenience, it's a clear advantage over my AirPods 2. I believe all earbuds over $60, should have wireless charging these days.
While I wanted to love the AirPods 3, especially since they're considered to be the successor of the AirPods 2 — the AirPods 3 felt flat off my expectations and is honestly disappointing. Coming from my AirPods 2, I expected these to sound superiorly better, have a better fit, and of more convenient. Only the convenience of having wireless charging is the only win I see with these, and perhaps a sturdier build AirPods case.
With all the hype these got a year or so ago, the AirPods 3 are pretty lackluster and were a major letdown for me. You're better off grabbing a pair of AirPods 2 (with wireless charging) on sale. Or just go for the new AirPods Pro 2, as they're way better valued and have everything one could ever need out of a pair of flagship earbuds. They also sound better, are more comfortable, have incredible ANC, have better battery life, and more.
The AirPods 3 just don't cut it and is f poor value. These days, there are so many great options for decent earbuds that are of better value and far less expensive than the below-average AirPods 3.