DECEMBER 2021 T3 73Te s te d
Apple AirPods£169
apple.comf you’ve had AirPods for years, love
them, and are wondering whether
the 3rd-gen model is worth it, the
answer’s an easy yes. They feature
more discreet buds, massively improved audio
quality, and even more iPhone-friendly features.
It’s what you like about the current ones, but
made better in every way.
Let’s get into the good stuff, then: the sound
quality. The new AirPods sound excellent, and
are a major and instant step up over the 2nd gen.
The improvement seems to come from a more
dynamic driver, because what you’ll notice
immediately is how much clearer and brighter
everything from the mid-range up is.
It makes the earlier model immediately feel
like the bass is actually weighing down the
soundscape, and the treble is only just keeping its
head above the surface. In comparison, the new
model feels like the high-end has burst out of the
water, unfurled its wings and taken flight. At the
same time, the bass still stays nice and deep.
The new Spatial Audio feature is implemented
extremely well here, too. Not everyone will even
bother to make use of it, and some don’t like it for
music, but we’re total converts.
In movies, Spatial Audio with head tracking
acts like you’re in a movie theatre, with the sound
presented like surround sound all oriented to the
screen (ie, your phone). In movies that make the
most of a Dolby Atmos mix, this is just fantastic.
In music, Spatial Audio is a little less of a
clear-cut success. We recommend turning off
I
The 3rd-gen AirPods offer a huge audio
quality upgrade over the older version,
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Apple
AirPods
PODS’ GIFT
WE’RE IMPRESSED Dynamic
detailed, sound; great new
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ideal for some...
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not for everyone; battery still
average overall; sound leaks in.
THE LAST WORD The AirPods
sound excellent, and come
packed with useful features. As
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Find great deals on the
AirPods 3 at: bit.ly/t3airpod3head-tracking, because without the focal point
of a screen, we found it annoying. But with that
switched off, you get sound that pleasingly
appears to come from a ‘bubble’ around you
rather than pumped straight into your ears.
The new AirPods follow the path laid down by
AirPods Pro, with ‘sticks’ that are a third shorter
than the previous AirPods, and slightly larger in
the actual bud section. They’re also controlled
using a system of squeezing the sticks, which
works way better than you’re expecting it to.
The big thing about the fit is that they don’t
feature in-ear tips, for better and worse. Lots of
people don’t like the feel or isolation of in-ear
tips. But, conversely, without them, the new
AirPods let in lots of outside sound.
The battery life has been improved, with the
buds now offering six hours per charge and the
case bringing the total battery life up to 30 hours
between charging. That total battery life is pretty
great compared to other models, though the
charge in the buds is more average – some cheaper
options get eight or more hours between charges.
Accepting AirPods for what they are, they’re
very, very good. The sound quality is truly
impressive, the smart features are really useful
(for iOS users), and the new design is great. But
we’re frustrated that headphones this pricey are
overwhelmed by sounds when travelling or
vacuuming – we’d want them to be just as useful
anywhere, since they’re pretty premium. But we
know that the design that lets the sound in is just
the fit that lots of people like about AirPods.