PODS' GIFT: Apple AirPods

The 3rd-gen AirPods offer a huge audio quality upgrade over the older version, but is the fit right for you?

- Josh Russell

£169 apple.com

If you’ve had AirPods for years, love them, and are wondering whether the 3rd-gen model is worth it, the answer’s an easy yes. They feature more discreet buds, massively improved audio quality, and even more iPhone-friendly features. It’s what you like about the current ones, but made better in every way.

Let’s get into the good stuff, then: the sound quality. The new AirPods sound excellent, and are a major and instant step up over the 2nd gen. The improvement seems to come from a more dynamic driver, because what you’ll notice immediately is how much clearer and brighter everything from the mid-range up is.

It makes the earlier model immediately feel like the bass is actually weighing down the soundscape, and the treble is only just keeping its head above the surface. In comparison, the new model feels like the high-end has burst out of the water, unfurled its wings and taken flight. At the same time, the bass still stays nice and deep.