AirPods Pro 3 Review: Why the Guy Who Avoided Them for Years Is Glad He Finally Bought a Pair

I like Apple products.

I’ve used an iPhone for years, and I use an iMac too. What I like about Apple is the simplicity, how well things just work, and how seamlessly the devices connect to each other.

Earphones, though, are a different story. I’ve never been all-Apple there.

I’ve owned a top-tier fully wireless noise-cancelling model from Sony, one of Sony’s higher-end WH-series headphones, and a pair of Bose SoundSport earphones. To me, Sony’s sound always felt like it had more resolution — more detail in the sound itself.

Why I kept avoiding AirPods

I’d been curious about AirPods for a while. I just never pulled the trigger.

A few reasons. So many people already use them that it felt a little uninteresting to join in. They’re also fully independent left-and-right earbuds, and I worried about the risk of dropping one.

I’m a fairly large guy, but my ears are on the smaller side, and I usually go with the smallest eartips available. I’d gotten used to the secure, locked-in feel of something like the Bose SoundSport, and AirPods just looked, to me, like they’d fall out.

Somehow, I’d drifted back to wired earbuds

Because of all that, I’d actually been using Apple’s plain white wired earbuds more and more — for everyday use, and for online meetings at work. Plug them in and they work. No charging. Surprisingly easy to live with, and the sound was fine for what I needed.

Funny enough: despite owning several different wireless earbuds over the years, I’d quietly drifted back to a wired pair.

I bought the AirPods Pro 3 anyway

At some point I started thinking it was a little odd to use an iPhone and an iMac and never touch AirPods. I’d also heard the noise cancellation on AirPods Pro was genuinely good, and I was curious about the feature that lets ambient sound in naturally when you’re talking to someone.

So I bought the AirPods Pro 3.

Short version: I’m very glad I did.

The sound is good — just a different kind of good than Sony

The sound is genuinely good.

That said, my sense is that Sony’s higher-end models probably still have the edge in raw resolution. That’s a personal impression on my part, not an objective comparison.

Where the AirPods Pro 3 win, for me, is the overall experience: the noise cancellation cuts out enough ambient noise that I can enjoy music without pushing the volume up. That combination is what I actually end up happy with.

The noise cancellation is what surprised me most

What surprised me most this time was the noise cancellation.

On the Shinkansen especially, and while commuting, the ambient noise drops noticeably. Honestly, it’s strong enough that I sometimes worry I wouldn’t notice if something unusual were happening around me.

Apple’s own claim is that AirPods Pro 3 cancel up to 2x more noise than AirPods Pro 2, calling it the best in-ear noise cancellation available. Based on how it feels to actually wear them, that claim tracks.

Because of exactly that strength, I wouldn’t recommend using strong noise cancellation in situations where you need to stay aware of your surroundings — driving, for instance. I’m careful about volume and usage in those situations myself.

The “they’ll fall out” worry wasn’t as bad as I expected

Before buying, I worried AirPods would feel like they were about to fall out of my ears.

In actual use, it’s been more stable than I expected. The earbuds themselves are also very small.

I still wouldn’t say they can “never” fall out — they’re independent left-and-right earbuds, so there’s an inherent risk of losing one.

The case is small, but I struck out on a protective case

The charging case itself is small, compact, and easy to carry.

The third-party protective case I bought on Amazon, on the other hand, was a miss. It didn’t fit well, and the lid kept popping off. I’m still looking for a better one.

I haven’t found a case I’d actually recommend yet, so I’m not linking one here. If I find a good one later, that might be worth its own post.

No battery anxiety so far

So far, using them out and about for extended stretches, I haven’t run into any battery anxiety.

Apple’s official figures list up to 8 hours of listening per earbud with noise cancellation on, and up to 24 hours total with the case. That’s Apple’s number, not something I measured myself — but it matches how the battery has felt in actual use; nothing about it has worried me.

Working with the rest of my Apple devices is really the main reason

This is probably the most important point in this whole review.

What I like about Apple products is that they’re simple, functional, and the devices talk to each other without friction. Between iPhone, Mac, and AirPods, I don’t have to think about the small annoyances.

I know other companies beat Apple on individual specs here and there. Even so, I think the overall experience across Apple’s devices is worth something real.

It’s a bit pricey — but worth it if it makes every day a little better

On Apple’s own site, the AirPods Pro 3 are priced at ¥42,800 (tax included, as of my check in August 2026). Honestly, that’s not cheap.

But I don’t judge it on price alone. If something makes me a little happier every single time I use it, that’s worth something. Feeling a small bit of satisfaction every day you use a thing — that matters more to me than the price tag by itself.

Watch out for fakes

AirPods are popular enough that I’ve heard there are look-alike fakes floating around, and products that aren’t genuine Apple hardware inside similar-looking packaging.

Personally, I’d rather pay a bit more and buy from a source I trust. I’m not saying peer-to-peer marketplaces are inherently bad, but with an individual seller, it’s worth being careful about where you’re buying from and confirming it’s genuine.

Conclusion: glad I bought them

I really like the AirPods Pro 3.

The noise cancellation is excellent. I’m happy with the sound. They’re small and compact. No battery complaints so far. They work smoothly with the rest of my Apple devices. And the “they’ll fall out” worry I had going in turned out to be smaller than expected.

They’re expensive, I’ll admit that. But if something makes you a little happy every time you use it, day after day, I think that’s worth paying for.

I’m glad I bought them. If you’ve been on the fence about AirPods, I’d genuinely recommend giving them a try.