The AirPods Pro 3 reminded me of one key thing when it comes to wireless earbuds

With any new pair of wireless earbuds that I take for a spin, my default setting is to go for the biggest size of eartips available, so that there’s a better chance of me getting the best fit possible.

It’s a tactic that’s served me very well over the past decade or so while testing wireless earbuds. After all, you do want the best seal possible, not just for keeping out external noise but also to preserve the quality of your audio.

An incorrect fit can lead to bass leakage, which in turn can lead to a sound lacking in low-frequency heft. (If your in-ears fit into this category, might I suggest you take another size of tips for a spin, and maybe even try mixing and matching different sizes.)

However, spending a bit of time with Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 has me wondering if it’s time for a change to my approach.

The second-generation model has been a regular travel companion of mine for a couple of years now, ever since I had an epiphany in the wake of our five-star AirPods Pro 2 review.

Which is why I was more than excited when Apple unveiled their successors, the AirPods Pro 3, at their recent September event. Could the Cupertino giant make some of the best wireless earbuds even better?

Our review sample of the AirPods Pro 3 is in the building, and I couldn’t resist pestering our Hi-Fi and Audio Editor Kashfia Kabir to see if I could take them for a spin.

Now, Apple made quite a big thing about the design of the new AirPods at its September reveal, which also saw the unveiling of the iPhone 17. Apple claims the new design makes the AirPods Pro 3 “the most secure and best-fitting AirPods ever.”

They also have new “foam-infused eartips” with “a new layer of foam-infused microspheres”. In hand, they feel more cushioned and a little more substantial than the Pro 2 tips, which makes me think they will create a more solid seal with your inner ear.

Unboxing the AirPods Pro 3, I reached for the bigger tips as per usual. My first impression of wearing them was that I thought they felt more secure, more locked-in around my ear. Apple has rotated the tips more inward, compared to AirPods Pro 2, which, in my brief experience with them, gives them greater stability.

After a few hours, though, I could feel a bit of pressure on a part of my ear, *checks Google*, the tragus, where I hadn’t felt pressure before with the Pro 2.

Part of this could be down to the new rotated eartip design. They definitely feel different in place compared to the 2nd Gen model. This, combined with the new big tips, might be the cause of my discomfort.

So, in the name of testing and to satisfy my own curiosity, I went down a size of eartip. I still ran Apple’s ear fit test to make sure my seal was up to scratch, and would you believe it, I think it made a difference and released a little bit of that pressure.

And, thanks to the combination of new earbud shape and new tip material, using the smaller (medium size) tips still feels super secure, and I’m confident the seal will remain intact, even though I’ve gone down a size.

I’ll need to use them a little while longer to be sure, but it’s a timely reminder of how design changes can impact comfort and also goes to show why it’s so important to experiment with all the tip options you get with wireless earbuds.

I’ll be waiting for the full verdict from our review team before I consider taking the plunge, but my gut feeling is I’ll be sticking with the Pro 2 until they need sending to that big electricals recycling bin in the sky. Alternatively, I’ll be praying for an AirPods Pro 3 Black Friday deal to take advantage of.

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