3rd generation AirPods
I was able to try Apple's new completely wireless earphone "AirPods (3rd generation)", which will be released today, as soon as possible. Let's report the first impression such as sound quality, fit, and operability. [Photo] Differences between 2nd generation AirPods, new AirPods, and AirPods Pro ■ Open type based on Pro. How do you feel about wearing the ear-mounted style? The new AirPods also use an open housing, and are completely independent left and right earphones that do not have ANC functions. The price is 23,800 yen (tax included). The second-generation AirPods, which come with a case that does not support wireless charging, will continue to be sold as an entry model in the series for 16,800 yen (tax included). The charging case has changed from a portrait type to the same landscape type as the AirPods Pro. There is an LED indicator on the front. The charging terminal is Lightning. The width of the case is shorter and more compact than the AirPods Pro. The weight of the earphone is slightly heavier for the 3rd generation, 4.28g. The second generation is 4g. The case is 37.91g for the 3rd generation and 38.2g for the 2nd generation. If you add up the mass of the earphones in the case, the 3rd generation weighs 46.47g and the 2nd generation weighs 46.2g. The feel in my hand is almost the same. The shape of the earphones is based on AirPods Pro. The thickness from the tip of the housing to the back is a little slimmer on the new AirPods than on the Pro, but the body that inserts into the ear is a little larger than the second-generation AirPods. It's an ear-mounted inner earphone that doesn't wear earpieces, but my family, who have been using second-generation AirPods for many years, say that the housing is too big to put on their ears. If you have smaller ears, we recommend that you carefully try the fitting at the Apple Store when considering purchasing. The stick-shaped stem, which has a built-in remote control with a pressure sensor, is almost the same size as the AirPods Pro. It's 33% shorter than the second-generation AirPods. When the 2nd generation machine is placed on the ear, the stem touches the temple so that it fits snugly, and the fit is stable. The new AirPods have a slightly thicker housing and a slightly shorter stem. I was a little worried if the earphones would be comfortable to wear because they are earphones that fit on my ears, but in my case, they seemed to be extremely compatible and fit my ears perfectly. Even if you tilt your ears with AirPods to the bottom or shake your head violently up, down, left or right, the earphones will not shift at all. However, I hear that in many cases, completely wireless earphones slip and drop or disappear when you try to remove the earphones from the charging case while walking. I want to put on and take off the earphones once, or stay calm while sitting. ■ It's like another thing. Report amazingly rich mid-bass sound impressions. The new AirPods have a tremendous amount of warm bass, which is a completely different impression from the second-generation AirPods. It seems that a custom-made Apple driver, an amplifier with an expanded dynamic range, and "adaptive equalization" that automatically optimizes the sound balance according to the shape of the user's ear and the music to be played are effective. The output sound pressure level is also improved from the 2nd generation AirPods. When I first started listening, I felt that the balance was a little biased toward the low range, but as soon as I played it, the connection with the mid-high range became smooth, and I was satisfied with the sound with a rich sense of unity. .. When I listened further, I noticed that the impression of the AirPods sound changed slightly between the quiet room and the lively outdoors. Since it is an open type earphone, it may be tuned to emphasize the extension of the mid-low range so that the sound of music playback and hands-free calling can be heard firmly even in the noisy outdoors. Adaptive equalization is a function that detects the acoustic environment "in the ear" and optimizes the reproduced sound, so it is basically not affected by external environmental sounds. Even if you are suddenly exposed to a large amount of environmental noise, the playback volume of the earphones does not increase at the same time, and the listening feeling is very stable. I tried using it on a crowded train, but the volume of the iPhone was around 60%, and I could hear not only music but also movies and drama dialogues. I connected to the iPhone 13 Pro and listened to Apple Music songs. From Hiromi Uehara's album "Silver Lining Suite", "Jump Start" has a lively piano feel and a lustrous tone of stringed instruments. The impression of the bass range is very plump and warm. Compared to the 2nd generation AirPods, you can see that the violence in the mid-high range is further suppressed and smoother. For the vocal song, I auditioned "Himitsuno Hanazono" from Tomoyo Harada's album "Love Song 2-Wakaba no Koro". The texture of the voice is brought out very straightforwardly, and AirPods especially brings out the characteristics of the transparent voice of the vocalist delicately and realistically. The outline is drawn carefully but boldly. I was drawn into the power of the vocals that squeezed forward. The bass of the piano and electric bass sinks deeply, solidifying the feet of the performance. The chords of the electric guitar echoed slowly and the sweet harmony was layered. Drums have high resolution in the high range and are smooth. The image that the afterglow of the fine hi-hat blends quietly and refreshingly is also excellent. ■ Supports dynamic head tracking of spatial audio The new AirPods support "dynamic head tracking" that localizes the sound of the content to the desired position when the content that supports spatial audio is played back, in response to a change in the direction of the face. This is the third earphone after AirPods Pro / Max that can use dynamic head tracking. I watched Season 1 of the science fiction drama "Invasion" that started distribution on Apple TV +. In the middle of the story, in the scene of the rocket launch of the space station, the vibrant bass of the engine injection echoes to the bottom of the belly. When you watch movies and dramas with lots of action scenes, you can really see how the sound of AirPods has changed between the old and new generations. The appeal of the new AirPods is its high resolution and expressiveness, which carefully draws the sound effects of applause resounding at the Space Center, which rejoices in the success of the launch. The realistic sound of AirPods will fully enhance the tension of the serious science fiction drama that "aliens threaten the survival of humankind on earth". ■ Firmly suppresses sound leakage. Clear call voice AirPods are open-type earphones, so you may be worried about sound leakage. When comparing the degree of sound leakage with the 2nd generation AirPods and the audible volume, it seems that the new AirPods especially suppresses the leakage in the high frequency range. Since it is an open type earphone, you can hear the outdoor environmental sound and the voice of the person next to you even when you wear it, but when you start playing music or making hands-free calls, the sound is firmer than the 2nd generation AirPods. I hear. That's why I think it would have been good to add an "external sound capture function" to the new AirPods. You can make HD high-quality voice calls with the FaceTime app. The quality of the call voice by the built-in microphone is less noisy than the 2nd generation AirPods, and it is now possible to deliver the clear voice of the speaker to the other party. Those who listen to the voice of the other party can also draw the outline of the voice boldly. From iOS 15, 3D voice communication by spatial audio has become possible during FaceTime calls. With the new AirPods, you should be able to experience realistic voice communication as if the other party was talking in front of you. ■ Check every corner of Apple's unique features Check out the usability of the new features of the 3rd generation AirPods. The "skin detection sensor" was newly developed to improve the accuracy of attachment / detachment detection by the "automatic ear detection" function of earphones, and was first installed in the new AirPods. In the case of a completely wireless earphone equipped with many earphone attachment / detachment detection functions, the same function is realized by an optical sensor. In some cases, the sensor reacts even if you touch a part that is not human skin, and you may start playing music in your bag or pocket. I compared it with AirPods Pro, which automatically detects ears with dual optical sensors, but there was no difference because the functions of this unit are highly complete. It responded accurately to putting on and taking off from the ears, and even when I put the earphones on my body from the top of my clothes, there was no malfunction. With Apple's move to develop more accurate sensors, skin detection sensors may become a trend among other companies' products in the future. The new AirPods will also support BLE-based exploration with the "Find" app that Apple devices support. Since October of this year, AirPods Pro / AirPods Max has supported the "Find My" network with a firmware update. The user interface when you select the "Find" feature from the app also changes, letting you know if you're approaching or moving away from the missing AirPods earphones. The same usability is achieved with the new AirPods. It also supports wireless charging with a MagSafe charger. Wireless charging that supports the general Qi standard can still be used, but the MagSafe charger is more secure because the case is attracted and fixed by a magnet. ◇ In terms of both sound and function, the new AirPods have become completely wireless earphones that allow you to feel a steady step up. Among the completely wireless earphones equipped with ANC function, the number of products that can be purchased for around 10,000 yen is increasing, but after all it has a high affinity with Apple devices such as iPhone and iPad, and it is a third party "AirPods exclusive accessory" It's well worth spending 20,000 yen on the new AirPods, hoping that it will increase in the future. Also, the sound has changed a lot, so even if you are already a fan of the 2nd generation AirPods and AirPods Pro, you can actively add the new AirPods to your collection.
Atsushi Yamamoto
Last updated: PHILE WEB