The AirPods Pro 3 won because they score highest in the two areas that matter most to daily earbud users: noise cancellation and reliability. MKBHD measured ANC performance at 2x the noise reduction of AirPods Pro 2, and Mike O'Brien confirmed it matches or beats the Bose QC Ultra in controlled testing. InsideTech ranked their transparency mode as the most natural on the market, meaning you can hold a conversation without removing them.
The health features sealed the deal. No other earbud offers a built-in optical heart rate monitor with clinical-grade accuracy, and the over-the-counter hearing aid certification from the FDA gives these earbuds a functional dimension that competitors haven't touched. RecordingNOW called this 'the most forward-thinking earbud launch in years.'
Build quality is a quiet strength. IP57 means full dust protection and submersion resistance, where every competitor tops out at IPX4 splash resistance. The case has USB-C, MagSafe, Apple Watch charging, and a built-in speaker for Find My. InsideTech noted that the total package feels like Apple over-engineered every surface, and for once, the premium price reflects the premium experience.
Call quality rounds out the win. RTINGS Audio tested voice isolation across 12 earbuds and ranked the AirPods Pro 3 in the top two, with natural-sounding voice reproduction that doesn't compress or roboticize your speech the way Sony and Technics tend to.
What It Won't Do
The AirPods Pro 3 only support AAC over Bluetooth. No LDAC, no aptX, no lossless streaming. For the 55% of the market that uses Android, there's no companion app, no custom EQ, and no true multipoint switching. Picky Audio put it bluntly: 'If you're on Android, you're paying $249 for half a product.' The ecosystem lock-in is real and disqualifying for a large chunk of buyers.
The Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro won the value pick because it packs features that shouldn't exist at $129. InsideTech ranked its call quality 3rd across ALL earbuds tested at any price point, beating the $299 Bose and $330 Sony in windy outdoor environments. The dual dynamic driver setup (10.5mm bass + 4.6mm tweeter) is a hardware configuration you'd expect in the $200+ tier, and LDAC support means Android users get hi-res streaming that the AirPods Pro 3 can't match.
The smart case is the feature that makes this earbud memorable. Mike O'Brien showed how the built-in touchscreen and slider let you adjust ANC intensity, switch EQ presets, and check battery without opening your phone. This sounds gimmicky until you connect the earbuds to a TV or smartwatch that doesn't have a Soundcore app, and suddenly the case becomes your only control surface.
IPX5 water resistance beats the IPX4 rating on the $299 Bose and $330 Sony. Picky Audio highlighted the squeeze-and-swipe control scheme as 'the most responsive of any earbud under $200,' and the 30-hour total battery life with the case is second only to the Beats Powerbeats Pro 2.
What It Won't Do
The default sound tuning is aggressively bass-heavy. Picky Audio described the out-of-the-box experience as 'boomy' and spent the first segment of their review walking through the EQ adjustments needed to tame the low end. You'll fix it in 10 minutes, but the fact that you need to fix it at all is a weakness. The spatial audio mode adds so much reverb that RecordingNOW called it 'a reverb mess' and recommended turning it off permanently.
Who Should Buy Which
Apple AirPods Pro 3
The earbuds that made every reviewer throw away their scoring spreadsheet
- iPhone users who want seamless ecosystem integration across Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV
- Frequent flyers who need the strongest available ANC in a compact, durable package
- Buyers who want health tracking (heart rate, hearing aid) baked into their earbuds
- People who take a lot of phone calls and need top-tier voice isolation
- Anyone who values build quality and IP57 water/dust resistance for gym and outdoor use
Soundcore Liberty 4 Pro
A $129 earbud with a smarter case than most $300 flagships
- Android users who want LDAC hi-res streaming and a full-featured companion app
- Budget-conscious buyers who refuse to compromise on call quality
- Students and first-time premium earbud buyers who want the most features per dollar
- People who connect earbuds to TVs, smartwatches, or devices without app support and need the smart case controls
- Anyone who values 30 hours of total battery life and IPX5 water resistance under $130