I figured I’d share my journey because I’ve now bought both of these, and my opinion has completely flipped after living with them.
AirPods Pro 3 first time around
When I first bought the APP3s, I wasn’t impressed.
They didn’t feel like a big enough upgrade from the APP2s to justify the price, and on top of that the fit felt fiddly and I could never quite get them to sit right. They were fine, but not “lock‑in and forget” secure. I found myself obsessing over which tips were the best fit.
Between the underwhelming upgrade and the awkward fit, I sent them back.
Bose QC Ultra Earbuds - The Honeymoon + The Headaches
Since I love my QC Ultra over‑ears, I assumed the earbuds would be the perfect match.
The good was really good:
- Sound quality is better than the APP3s - richer, fuller, more detailed. Typical Bose sound profile though
- Fit is excellent - super secure with great tip options.
- ANC - Top tier. Despite what Apple say the ANC is far superior.
But then the software issues started creeping in:
- Left and right buds constantly falling out of sync
- App bugs and random connection weirdness
- Occasional audio stutters
It became a pattern, not a one‑off glitch. Amazing hardware, but the software made them unreliable. Eventually, I sent them back too.
AirPods Pro 3 - Second Try (And a Surprise)
I reordered the APP3s expecting to tolerate them… but this time I actually appreciate them.
Two things changed:
- The Bose basically taught me how to put AirPods in properly After getting used to the deeper, twist‑to‑lock fit of the Bose, I applied the same motion to the APP3s and suddenly the fit clicked. They’re way more secure than I originally thought.
- The reliability stands out massively after using Bose
- Instant, flawless iOS integration
- Zero desync
- No app drama
- No random dropouts
The sound still isn’t quite as rich as Bose, but it’s consistent and clean. And the ANC? comparable, if not quite as good.
After going through both, I’m sticking with the AirPods. They just work, every single time.