After using the AirPods Pro 3 for 2 months, this one problem is testing my patience

I’ve been using the AirPods Pro 3 as my daily driver earbuds for the past two months. They haven’t left my pocket since we got them in the office. I’ve used them for commuting, at the gym, while cooking dinner, and I’ve even tested the hearing aid features at concerts when things got too loud. After 60 days of constant use, three things have become crystal clear—two genuinely impressive, and one that’s starting to wear on me.

The ANC is almost too good

When we first tested the AirPods Pro 3 in our labs, the data showed something remarkable: these earbuds reduce outside noise by an average of 90%. That’s the best isolation result we’ve recorded in our testing, and it’s honestly a feat that Apple pulled this off in such a compact form factor.

Truthfully, I didn’t fully appreciate what that number meant until I started using them on the street. With the AirPods Pro 2, I could still hear cars passing by during my daily commute, which was actually reassuring. With the Pro 3, especially when listening to bass-heavy music, it’s actually difficult to hear traffic. I’ve had to start using adaptive mode for the first time in my life because I’m legitimately concerned about my safety while walking.

On Vancouver’s older SkyTrain cars, which screech and rattle through tunnels at ear-splitting volumes, the AirPods Pro 3 create an almost eerie silence. If noise cancelation is your top priority, these are the most compelling option on the market, especially within the Apple ecosystem.

There is one caveat worth mentioning: some users have reported hearing screeching or static when flying with these earbuds. We don’t have the full story on how widespread this issue is, but it’s something to be aware of if you’re a frequent flyer. I haven’t experienced it myself yet, but I’ll be testing them on an upcoming flight.

For everyday use—such as commuting, working in busy cafes, or simply blocking out household noise—the ANC on the AirPods Pro 3 is unmatched.

The fit really is better (mostly)

Fit is subjective, so your mileage may vary depending on your ear anatomy. But for me, the AirPods Pro 3 are noticeably more comfortable than the Pro 2.

I had to size down to the small ear tips on the Pro 3, and they feel significantly more stable in my ears. The Pro 2 had a tendency to slip out if I was using the stock silicone tips, especially when walking. The Pro 3 don’t jostle around or slide out during normal activities. They sit deeper in my ear canal, which some people might find uncomfortable, but I don’t mind the sensation.

The improvement isn’t perfect, though. The silicone exterior of the ear tips becomes problematic in specific situations. Early morning, when my skin is naturally more oily, the left earbud tends to slip out slowly. The same thing happens at the gym—once sweat builds up, both earbuds start losing their grip, with the left one being especially troublesome.

I’m curious to see how third-party memory foam tips will perform on the Pro 3. That’s how I solved my fit issues with the Pro 2, so I’m waiting for companies like Comply to release compatible replacements. If you use the right ear tip size, there’s a good chance you’ll have a better fit experience with the Pro 3 compared to the Pro 2, but don’t expect it to be a miracle solution.

The sound quality desperately needs an EQ

This is the issue that’s been testing my patience: there’s too much bass on the AirPods Pro 3, and it makes them fatiguing to use for extended listening sessions.

At the gym, when I’m focused on lifting and the environment is already noisy, the bass emphasis doesn’t bother me. But when I’m sitting in a quiet room with ANC cranked up, the bass becomes overwhelming and distracting. After about 30 minutes of critical listening, I find myself reaching for a different pair of headphones.

The reason for this comes down to loudness-dependent equalization (LDEQ). Basically, the AirPods Pro 3 automatically adjust bass and treble emphasis based on your listening volume. I typically listen at a volume of 50-60%, and at that range, the earbuds produce significantly more bass and treble than I prefer.

The treble emphasis is also inconsistent depending on the genre. Orchestral music sounds fine—violins and violas don’t come across as shrill. But EDM tracks with sharp saw synths become piercing, and cymbals or hi-hats in certain songs sound uncomfortably bright. I find myself constantly riding the volume control, turning it up for one song and down for the next, which is frankly exhausting.

All of this could be solved if Apple simply added a manual EQ to iOS. Users could tune the sound to their preferences instead of being forced to rely on third-party options like Spotify’s built-in EQ. It’s 2025; there’s no good reason why such an expensive pair of earbuds can’t give users basic control over frequency response.

Sound quality is subjective, and plenty of people might enjoy the bass-forward tuning. But for me, it’s too much. I can’t see myself using the AirPods Pro 3 for serious music listening beyond gym sessions or short commutes.

Still my daily drivers. For now…

Despite my frustration with the sound signature, I’m still using the AirPods Pro 3 every day. The reality is that I don’t use earbuds for most of my music listening anyway. I primarily use them during my 30-45 minute commutes, and for that specific use case, I can tolerate the tuning issues.

More importantly, it’s hard to give up ANC this effective. When I’m on the SkyTrain, I genuinely can’t hear anything except my music, and that’s a level of immersion I’ve come to depend on.

I wish Apple would dial back the bass and treble—or better yet, just let me control the frequencies myself. Until then, I’ll keep using these for commuting and casual listening while hoping that future firmware updates address the EQ situation. In the meantime, I’ll continue testing the hearing aid and health tracking features for a longer-term evaluation down the road.

If you own the AirPods Pro 3 and have found workarounds for the sound quality issues, we’d love to hear about them in the comments. Currently, for me, these earbuds are nearly perfect; I just need Apple to give us a bit more control over the sound.