Hey,
Got the AirPods Pro 3 today and thought, as some help for anyone looking to buy, I could give my view on them.
First, no button on the case as there is on the previous generations; instead, there is a capacitive button in the middle on the front, which, if you double-tap it, the case chimes and it goes into pairing mode. This was a worry for me, but trying it, it's absolutely fine.
Second, fit. I read all the descriptions of how the earbud has been redesigned for a better fit, and now I'll try to explain from a blindness perspective. The ear tips are more like bulbs, meaning it sort of pops into your ear canal. The other change is that the nub onto which the ear tip is affixed is slightly higher on the bud, meaning the stems stick out further from your head where the previous generations lay parallel, or almost, to your cheeks. This is much better for a couple of reasons. Firstly, control is easier as you can wrap your fingers around the stem more easily, but it also seems to help with balance. I suspect the stem is lighter with more weight in the body, which results in a more centred mass.
This all results in a fit that feels much more secure. So certainly lives up to claims. So much so, I think I could sleep in these without too much worry for one or the other slithering out. Also, I believe I will be able to eat whilst wearing these, which is a rather base but useful feature.
Transparency is good. I'd not say there is a huge leap over the 2s in clarity for general ambience, which is important to us; more there is a boost in vocal range, which, again, was the boast. It is a step up, but, as general ambience, hearing desk fans for navigation, the click of claws as dogs roam, etc., I'd not say it's a huge leap though; I do need to try in more environments.
As for sound, it’s very good. Again, not a huge leap; the AirPods Pro 2, for a mass consumer in-ear, is pretty good as it is. There is a slightly wider soundstage and more sub-bass, and the sound is richer. Again, I need to listen for longer to have more of a view on this, but it’s an incremental improvement rather than a leap and there are far beter reviewers out there with better ears who can tell you more.
My quick and dirty suggestion for purchasing/upgrading:
Any standard AirPods to this (non-pro) will be a significant upgrade. Excellent fit, some of the best ANC I've heard, stellar transparency, fabulous sound... All the headlines.
For AirPods Pro 1 owners, I'd also say it is a very worthwhile upgrade.
I'm on the fence whether it is a good upgrade for AirPods Pro 2 owners though. There is the heart rate monitor, which is certainly useful, but when I consider the second-hand market for AirPods, it’s a far more expensive upgrade in that you'll get very little for AirPods Pro 2, and the 3s are still expensive. You also get the new translate feature on the Pro 2; the sound is great, transparency is excellent.
Finally, if you have none of them, I'd say the AirPods Pro 3 are the ones to go for if you can afford them. I'm sure there will be many sales on the AirPods Pro 2 now, but I'd probably not pull the trigger on them for anything above £ 150. It's worth the stretch up to the newer and shinier.
This is really rough and ready, but I hope it is of some help. Regarding the mainstream reviews of ANC sound, etc., there are a ton out there, so check those out; I just wanted to look at the aspects that might be more important to us.