I’ve been a long-time user of Apple’s AirPods earphones. When I first got a pair, I loved not having to run a wire between my phone and my headphones to listen to podcasts or music. A Bluetooth connection works so much better than tangled wires!
The first two generations of AirPods never fit my ears very well. I pushed them firmly down into my ears, hoping they would seat well, but they never did. If I moved too fast or leaned over, I’d lose an AirPod.
They were especially insecure when I wore them over my hearing aids, but to a lesser extent were also insecure when I didn’t wear my hearing aids. Since they were more likely to fall out with my hearing aids in, I normally took them out when wearing AirPods. That meant the sound was always muffled.
Earlier AirPods never stayed in my ears very well.
When the new AirPods 3 came out, I read that they had a different design. Some reviewers indicated that they might be a better fit for some people. I decided to order a pair and see how they fit. Since Apple has a 14-day return policy, I could always return them if they didn’t fit better than my old ones.
When the AirPods arrived, I immediately tried them on. I found the fit to be much more secure than the previous generations. In fact, the fit is so much better for me that I typically wear my AirPods with my hearing aids now. They don’t fall out easily and feel much more secure in my ears.
I also like the look of the AirPods 3 better. The stems of the AirPods 3 are noticeably shorter. When worn, they don’t look quite as dorky as the longer-stemmed AirPods 1 & 2.
AirPods 3 are much more secure in my ears.
Although the AirPods 3 include spatial audio, I can’t really comment about the sound quality. If I don’t wear my hearing aids, then my hearing quality is poor and the sound is muffled. If I wear my AirPods over my hearing aids, it still sounds off. When I want to listen to music for enjoyment, I wear a pair of over-the-ear headphones that allow my hearing aids to function as designed. However, many other users report a big improvement in the sound quality.
The AirPods 3 allow MagSafe charging, as well as charging with a lightning cable. I find it convenient to lay the case on my MagSafe phone charger to recharge during the day when my phone isn’t being charged. At night, I plug them in, so I always have fully charged AirPods when I want to use them.
You no longer have to slap the side of your head to silence your AirPods.
In addition to fitting my ears better, the feature I like best about the new AirPods is the “touch control” mechanism. In the past, you were required to tap one AirPod to turn the sound off. Now, to turn the AirPods on and off you press on one of the stems until there’s a small click, and the sound goes off or comes on. In the past, I always thought I looked ridiculous slapping the side of my head to stop the music or podcast, so I could speak with someone.
Are AirPods 3 a good choice for you? I don’t know. I recommend that if you’re not satisfied with an earlier version of AirPods or if you’re attracted to the new features of AirPods 3, you buy a pair and try them. If you’re unimpressed with their performance and buy them from Apple, you can return them within 14 days for a full refund. Amazon often charges less than Apple for AirPods 3 and allows for free returns up to 30 days after purchase. At the time of this writing, Apple was selling AirPods 3 for $179.00, while Amazon was selling them for $149.98.