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Insanely conflicted about AirPods 3

phenste

phenste

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Sep 16, 2012
742
2,184
Hi friends! So, the new AirPods look pretty great. I’ve had gen 1 since I could get my hands on em, and I’ve wanted Pros since launch for ANC/better sound quality. However: firstly, I’m holding out for stemless Pros, which don’t seem like they’ll be out for a while; secondly, we’re living in different times where ANC isn’t as huge a selling point for me, BUT, one thing is—Atmos support. I’m curious to know from Pro (and Max!) owners what their opinion is on Atmos, particularly on newer stuff where the artist actually has input (Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X—go ahead and laugh, I’m a youngin’). I’m fascinated to know what it sounds like and if it’s worth the upgrade. That’s about it, let me know your opinion!

P.S.—@arn if this is already being discussed I’m sorry, I got so many suggestions typing this title out but none seemed to fit my dilemma ?
 
You don’t need Pros or Maxs to enjoy Atmos tracks. The enjoyment of Atmos with music depends on the mix and personal preference, not the product you’re listening to them with.

You do need Pros, Max or AirPods Gen 3 to enjoy Spatial Audio with videos. That to me is the most valuable thing Apple headphones offer and I consider it a game changer. Pick the product that fits you the best and makes sense for your own use cases.
 
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Atmos as it exists in AirPods is absolutely nothing like Atmos in a speaker system. There is no way to get convincing front/rear up/down sound object placement without calibrating to a person's particular body, head and ear canal shape. AirPods spacial audio is NOT surround sound. It's just a fold down of an Atmos mix to regular stereo. Some Atmos mixes sound better than the regular release, some don't. So you can't say Atmos sounds better or worse. It just sounds different. The only thing you get with AirPods spacial audio is head tracking, which is generally more effective with movies than it is with music.

If Apple puts in the R&D and comes up with HRTF calibration, that might change. But at this point, the settings for Atmos and Spatial Audio are primitive and are limited to on and off and head tracking.
 
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johntw said:
You don’t need Pros or Maxs to enjoy Atmos tracks. The enjoyment of Atmos with music depends on the mix and personal preference, not the product you’re listening to them with.

You do need Pros, Max or AirPods Gen 3 to enjoy Spatial Audio with videos. That to me is the most valuable thing Apple headphones offer and I consider it a game changer. Pick the product that fits you the best and makes sense for your own use cases.
Click to expand...

Spacial audio is why I upgraded from the AP2 to AP3
 
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It’s neat. That’s about it. I wouldn’t let it influence a decision on what you want to buy.
 
phenste said:
Hi friends! So, the new AirPods look pretty great. I’ve had gen 1 since I could get my hands on em, and I’ve wanted Pros since launch for ANC/better sound quality. However: firstly, I’m holding out for stemless Pros, which don’t seem like they’ll be out for a while; secondly, we’re living in different times where ANC isn’t as huge a selling point for me, BUT, one thing is—Atmos support. I’m curious to know from Pro (and Max!) owners what their opinion is on Atmos, particularly on newer stuff where the artist actually has input (Billie Eilish, Olivia Rodrigo, Lil Nas X—go ahead and laugh, I’m a youngin’). I’m fascinated to know what it sounds like and if it’s worth the upgrade. That’s about it, let me know your opinion!

P.S.—@arn if this is already being discussed I’m sorry, I got so many suggestions typing this title out but none seemed to fit my dilemma ?
Click to expand...
Just out of curiosity, have you ever used stemless earphones? I have some and they are not as easy to get in and out of your ear. Without stems, you have to kind of dig them out. I’m really hoping that the Pros never go that route.
 
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phenste said:
and I’ve wanted Pros since launch for ANC/better sound quality. However: firstly, I’m holding out for stemless Pros
Click to expand...
This isn’t a valid reason for depriving yourself of a MUCH better product for the years you have thus far.

I still have my OG AirPods & only use them around the house (to save the battery of the Pros). Whenever I leave the house (or do noisy chores in house) I take the Pros.

I’ve cancelled my Apple Music subscription recently. Both Spatial Audio & Atmos weren’t impressive enough for me to regret that decision. Apple’s Bluetooth codec doesn’t help things as it’s a lower bandwidth variety compared to that on Android, so we’re probably too early to enjoy a noticeable boost in wireless audio with Atmos.
 
aok75 said:
AirPods 3 $180
AirPods Pro $180 (Amazon sale)
Easy choice.
Click to expand...

May not be so easy. The thing is, our ears are very different, so while some of us can enjoy everything APP have to offer, others cannot. For me, personally, AP2 sound better because of their “open” hanging fit. I have tried the APP as well, but to get a good detailed sound from them for my ear anatomy was tricky, as it would also create more in ear pressure in the process. So while APP indeed do seem better on paper, I would encourage everybody to try both APP and AP2-3 fits to find out what works better for them.

As I am currently using AP2 and they work rather well, I will wait for more in-depth reviews and comparisons to see if it is worth upgrading to AP3. I am quite tempted, though. ?
 
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aok75 said:
AirPods 3 $180
AirPods Pro $180 (Amazon sale)
Easy choice.
Click to expand...

I bought the Pros, used them for about 10 days. Couldn't get a good fit in both ears, didn't like the sound/sensation similar to having your fingers in your ears all the time. Had to return them. They're definitely not for everybody. When I returned them the girl who processed it said she returned hers also for the same reasons and mentioned there were quite a few returns of the Pros.

I liked the 2nd generation just fine but one has developed a crack after a drop onto the street. It didn't fall out, I was fumbling with it while putting it away. They've always stayed in my ears comfortably. So in the mean time I've ordered the new 3rd generation AirPods to replace the older ones.
 
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Herrpod said:
I will always say that. They’re horrible for your ear health.
Click to expand...
In ear pods are no more dangerous than headphones or speakers. For hearing damage, AirPods with noise cancelling and a tight seal are actually safer because they operate at a lower volume level. The only problem with putting stuff in your ears is bacteria, and that isn't a problem if you let your ears air out once in a while and keep them clean.
 
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bigshot said:
In ear pods are no more dangerous than headphones or speakers. For hearing damage, AirPods with noise cancelling and a tight seal are actually safer because they operate at a lower volume level. The only problem with putting stuff in your ears is bacteria, and that isn't a problem if you let your ears air out once in a while and keep them clean.
Click to expand...
Ear infections are a very real issue. Again, I’ll never put buds inside my ears. There’s too many better options.
 
It really isn’t a big deal. People use in ears all the time with no problem. It isn’t at all dangerous.
 
I think he might be exaggerating a tiny bit too. There were rumors that in ears were bad for your hearing (just like ones that say that noise cancellation is bad for your hearing) but those rumors aren't true.
 
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Herrpod said:
I will always say that. They’re horrible for your ear health.
Click to expand...
But so are the non sealing AP3. They let in outside noise which means you need to turn them up louder which means more wear and tear on your hearing. So either way you're doing some damage to the ears.
What's the answer? Don't wear headphones as much as possible. Only when needed.
 
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Respectfully, this veered off track a little bit. I am not looking for advice related to: price; ANC vs. non-ANC; current Pros vs. non-Pros (I have tried Pros, albeit for a short period of time and long before Atmos became a thing). Put simply, I don’t have the money or the proper space in the room I listen to music the most for an Atmos sound system, and I’m looking to know if I can get anything even close to that with headphones (wired, wireless…I do not care, and am only asking about AP3 due to the somewhat-major refresh). Then, of course, any non-Apple headphones would leave me SOL for Spatial Audio…

I would like to thank these people for their advice (bolded the most useful stuff instead of cutting off sentences):

johntw said:
You don’t need Pros or Maxs to enjoy Atmos tracks. […] You do need Pros, Max or AirPods Gen 3 to enjoy Spatial Audio with videos.
Click to expand...

bigshot said:
[…] AirPods spacial [sic] audio is NOT surround sound. It's just a fold down of an Atmos mix to regular stereo. […] The only thing you get with AirPods spacial [sic] audio is head tracking, which is generally more effective with movies than it is with music.

[A]t this point, the settings for Atmos and Spatial Audio are primitive and are limited to on and off and head tracking.
Click to expand...

(I am curious about a source for the initial statement in this quote, bigshot [golden username for asking this ?]—I always have an open ear!)

perezr10 said:
Just out of curiosity, have you ever used stemless earphones? I have some and they are not as easy to get in and out of your ear. Without stems, you have to kind of dig them out. I’m really hoping that the Pros never go that route.
Click to expand...

Ralfi said:
[…] Apple’s Bluetooth codec doesn’t help things as it’s a lower bandwidth variety compared to that on Android, so we’re probably too early to enjoy a noticeable boost in wireless audio with Atmos.
Click to expand...

Seems fair to come to the conclusion that 1) true wireless buds are a ways from being able to give an Atmos-like experience 2) stemless earbuds might not be the best idea (even with Apple’s hypebeast subsidiary making them).

The peanut gallery has always called Apple’s marketing deceptive, I’ve always pooh-poohed such, but some of the things they’ve been doing lately…what’s up, Tim?
 
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smoking monkey said:
But so are the non sealing AP3. They let in outside noise which means you need to turn them up louder which means more wear and tear on your hearing. So either way you're doing some damage to the ears.
What's the answer? Don't wear headphones as much as possible. Only when needed.
Click to expand...
This is false.
 
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phenste said:
Put simply, I don’t have the money or the proper space in the room I listen to music the most for an Atmos sound system, and I’m looking to know if I can get anything even close to that with headphones
Click to expand...
The simple answer to that is not with AirPods. The only way to get truly dimensional and directional sound is with a Smyth Realiser. Not cheap. https://smyth-research.com

Apple's Spatial Audio takes a multichannel recording (almost all of them have been previously released in multichannel on SACD or blu-ray audio) and then folds down the various channels into two stereo channels (left and right). The sound goes down the center of your head between your ears, just like any headphone. It adds some sort of phase trick to the center channel, but it just makes it sound more distant, it doesn't sound like different directions. Spatial audio can sound better or worse depending on how good the multichannel mix it's folding down is.

The reason head tracking works better with video is because you are looking at the screen on your phone with your eyes. There is a visual clue to give it placement to reinforce the audio. You turn your head and it pans the sound left or right. But it's still a straight line down through the middle of your head.

Directionality and distance are complex things to simulate. Perhaps in the future Apple and Dolby will get a better handle on it, but I wouldn't buy AirPods in hopes that they will do what a 5.1 speaker system can do, because it doesn't even come remotely close. I have a multichannel speaker system, and I have AirPod Pros and Maxes. I have many of the Atmos recordings that are on Apple Music on SACD and blu-ray and I've been able to compare. Not even close.
 
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