Yinon Ben Shoshan

07/11/2021

Sunday, 07 November 2021, 09:03 Updated: 09:32

Worth an upgrade?

We tested the Airfoods 3

The third generation of Apple wireless headphones has arrived in Israel - and we have already had time to take them for testing.

The design is new, the sound is spectacular, but the rather high price tag (at least in Israel) may disappoint quite a bit.

However, they are probably still the best.

The full review

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Airfoods 3 (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Half a decade has passed since Apple first announced the Airpods, its wireless headphones, causing us all to finally part with the wires.

In the beginning they were ridiculed for their strange shape, but later they became a cultural phenomenon that managed to make the product one of the best sellers in the Tim Cook era.

It is estimated that AirPods made close to $ 12 billion in the technology giant last year.

Last month, Apple announced the third generation of Airfoods, and for the first time since 2016, they received a completely new design - with elements from the Pro version, along with other innovations.

Now, shortly after the global launch, we received the new headphones courtesy of the iStore network, Apple's official marketer in Israel, and we came back with some conclusions.

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Airfoods 3 (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Design and comfort

The AirPods 3 draw their design from the AirPods Pro model, coming with a shorter "stump" (the little leg that protrudes out of the ear).

Do you have the first or second generation?

The difference will be quite significant for you, but after a few days of use you will get used to it.

And now we come to the part where we talk about the middle ground: the fit for the ears.

Well, as with all In-Ear headphones, this is a tricky and annoying thing, and what works for one person may not work for another.

However, it's clear that Apple has slightly increased the AirPods, in part, because the previous-generation headphones easily fit into my ears.

In practice, they sat fine inside the ear.

I mean, I was not afraid they would fall, but on the other hand, they are not really noticeable.

At the same time, as in the Pro model, Apple has decided to give up the touch button and control of the headphones - answering calls or turning the music on / off - is done with a long press on the power sensor at the end.

This is convenient, but will also require you to get used to the change.

Slightly larger than the previous generation (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Sound

In the new generation Apple has promised an improvement in sound quality with the Spatial Audio feature that ensures a sense of listening like in the cinema, along with support for Dolby Atmos (in some applications) and dynamic tracking of head movement with Head Tracking and a dynamic equalizer - features taken from the Pro and Max models.

And before I started listening to music, I was a little apprehensive, as I got used to the sound quality of the AirPods Pro (the headphones I use on a daily basis), but then the exact opposite happened. The AirPods 3 sound experience, for the first time since 2016, has received a very significant upgrade.

The sounds are very deep, sharp, the bass is close to perfect - although you won't find silicone rubbers or a noise filtering mechanism here - and there are no creaks in the high notes. However, the lack of impermeability to external noises is well felt, and from about two years of experience with the Pro model (which comes with active noise filtering), it's quite disappointing. Also, the noise in other noisy environments manages to overcome them even at maximum volume.

The sounds are very deep, sharp and the bass is close to perfect (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

But it must be said, these are not headphones that will provide audiophiles (sound lovers), but more those who are looking for a quality way to consume music during a workout in the gym, travel on public transportation or just watching movies or series.

There is also MagSafe and a few other innovations

Apple is betting - and for the first time, AirPods are also adopting MagSafe, a wireless charging technology integrated with strong magnetic linkage.

The technology is available in the iPhone 12 and 13 series, and allows not only charging, but also easy and safe connection of a variety of accessories to the backs of the devices.

If you own AirPods that support wireless charging, you are likely to be familiar with the guessing game that needs to go through when you want to charge them with a charging pad.

Now, you can simply place the charging case on a MagSafe support surface, without worrying about their exact location.

For example, you can charge them using Apple's new mobile charger - the MagSafe Battery Pack.

The headphones constantly in your ear?

You will be happy to hear that there is an upgrade on the battery life side, and now you will get 30 hours of listening in total, instead of 24 hours in the previous generation.

In reality I noticed that it's a little less than what Apple markets (depending on uses of course), but still the upgrade is noticeable.

Strong magnet: charging using MagSafe (Photo: Walla! Technology, Yinon Ben-Shoshan)

Bottom line

The AirPods 3 brings with them quite a few innovations that you will not find in the previous generation, such as improved sound, long battery life and spatial audio support.

True, there are headphones with better sound on the market, but (still) nothing comes close to the complete experience that Apple provides to the user with the AirPods.

Want to upgrade your old headphones?

The AirPods 3 are sold for NIS 799 at the iStore chain - NIS 100 less than the AirPods Pro, where you will also receive active noise filtering.

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