Apple AirPods 2nd gen vs 3rd gen: Which is better in 2024?

Odi Productions Jul 28, 2024

1700 People Read

Holding AirPods 2nd gen vs 3rd gen earbuds in hand

Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to purchase.

In this article, I'm going to share my HONEST Apple AirPods 2nd gen vs 3rd gen comparison in detail, after personally owning both products. I have thoroughly tested each of these headphones for hundreds of hours, and aim to offer a critical opinion from the perspective of an audiophile and professional music producer.

I'll be comparing these two head to head on categories like price, comfort, features, battery life, noise cancelling, and sound quality.

Then at the end, I'll share which is the better overall value for the money, and my overall recommendation on which you should buy.

Also, if you're interested in learning more after, I have tested each product individually in my AirPods 2 review and AirPods 3 review, along with the higher-end AirPods Pro 2 review and AirPods Max.

Apple AirPods 2nd Generation vs 3rd Generation Price Compared

Overall, the Apple AirPods 2rd generation is $50 cheaper than the AirPods 3rd generation at current market prices for brand new.

Apple AirPods 2nd generation Prices

Retail: $129.00
New: $99
Renewed: $75 (save up to $24)

Apple AirPods 3rd generation Prices

Retail: $169.00
New: $149
Renewed: $129 (save up to $40)

Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE

(Do NOT pay retail):

Save up to $24 on Apple AirPods 2 with Renewed below:

Save up to $40 on AirPods 3 with Renewed below:

Disclosure: These links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to run the website 🙂

Comfort

Apple AirPods 2nd generation vs 3rd generation inside of charging cases

True to their name, "AirPods" are extremely comfortable, and I find both the 2nd generation and 3rd generation equally deserving of this moniker.

These wireless earbuds truly feel effortless like "air", and it's easy to forget you're wearing them.

I've heard some complaints towards either generation, with some people preferring the fit of the 2nd gen over the 3rd gen, and vice versa.

It's worth noting the 3rd gen has noticeably larger "head" of the earbud, with a much shorter stem. Depending on your ear size, this can be less comfortable than the smaller earbuds of the 2nd gen.

Personally, I prefer the larger AirPods 3rd gen due to a more secure fit in my ears, but I can see why it would be more uncomfortable for smaller ears.

Apple AirPods 2 Comfort: 5 out of 5

Apple AirPods 3 Comfort: 5 out of 5

Winner: Tie

Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling

Holding AirPods 2nd gen lightning charging case next to 3rd gen MagSafe charging case

What's the difference between 2nd gen vs 3rd gen AirPods?

The newer AirPods 3rd generation has more features like Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos support compared to the AirPods 2nd gen.

Both have charging cases with lightning connector, but the latest version of the 3rd gen also has MagSafe support for wireless charging.

Neither the 3rd or 2nd gen have any form of Adaptive Noise Cancelling like the more expensive line of AirPods Pro (1st and 2nd gen).

What they share in common is that seamless connection and switching between multiple Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and MacBooks.

Once you get used to how AirPods effortlessly switch between your devices, it's really hard to go back to manually pairing, unpairing with other Bluetooth devices.

Please note that all AirPods still work fine with Android and Windows devices, which I've tested myself, but you don't see as much info as iOS or MacOS about the device.

Although both also contain in-built microphones, I highly recommend you use another mic such as your laptop or smartphone instead.

The microphones are very underwhelming in my opinion, and something like a late-model MacBook Pro has way better sound quality. So choose that as the input for your Zoom calls instead of the AirPods.

Looks

Personally I think the 3rd gen of AirPods looks better than the 2nd gen, and the shorter stem makes the 2nd gen look dated.

Make no mistake, the original AirPods design is absolutely iconic, with the distinct white sticks poking out of everyone's ears.

But the 3rd gen and AirPods Pro are more subtle and unassuming.

I also like that the 3rd gen much more closely resembles the AirPods Pro line when worn, it's hard to tell them apart.

AirPods 2nd gen vs AirPods 3rd gen Battery Life Comparison

The newer Apple AirPods 3rd generation has 20% longer battery life than the older 2nd generation.

Apple AirPods 2 Battery Life: Up to 5 hours on single charge, Up to 24 hours with charging case
Apple AirPods 3 Battery Life: Up to 6 hours on single charge, Up to 30 hours with charging case

The 3rd gen's extra 1 hour on a single charge, along with 6 extra hours with the charging case, is a significant improvement upon its predecessor.

6 extra hours is an entire charge's worth of battery, and something that comes in handy on a daily and weekly basis when you forget to charge the case.

AirPods 2 Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 2.5 out of 5

AirPods 3 Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 3.0 out of 5

Winner: AirPods 3rd gen

Apple AirPods 2nd gen vs AirPods 3rd gen Sound Quality Comparison

Holding Apple AirPods 3rd gen vs 2nd gen earbuds in hand

I still remember when the AirPods 2nd generation came out, and I was genuinely surprised at how these tiny wireless earbuds could produce decent sound quality.

The bass is what stood out to me the most, just scratching my head over how they can get respectable bass response without a physical seal.

Now that time has passed since the 2nd gen was introduced, what impresses me to this day is the clarity in the treble.

With the newer 3rd generation of AirPods, I think Apple improved the sound quality as a whole and took a step forward.

The bass which impressed me on the 2nd gen is improved, with a more powerful impact and overall heft to the bass response.

The treble is still clear, perhaps not as forward as it was on the 2nd gen.

This is still a very consumer-friendly sound signature that is not as natural or "audiophile" as the AirPods Pro 2nd gen, but enjoyable to listen to nonetheless.

I'd say the 3rd gen does sound more balanced compared to the 2nd gen, but there is something still redeemable about the 2nd gen's clarity and detail.

One area where the AirPods 3rd gen has a clear advantage is the addition of the Spatial Audio feature, which emulates listening to an expensive speaker system right in front of you.

At first I thought this was a gimmick, but honestly I prefer listening to music with Spatial Audio turned on, and head-tracking on as well.

Does a fairly convincing job of making you think you're listening to a sound system with a subwoofer.

Overall, music is enjoyable enough, and either of these are just fantastic for casually watching YouTube and listening to podcasts.

Apple AirPods 2nd gen Sound Quality: 6.8 out of 10

Apple AirPods 3rd gen Sound Quality: 7.1 out of 10

Winner: AirPods 3rd gen

Value

At the time of this writing, the AirPods 3rd generation is roughly $50 more expensive than the 2nd generation.

Do I think that the price difference is justified?

I think so.

Personally, I would spend the extra $50 for the 3rd gen to get that improved sound quality, battery life, and Spatial Audio.

What the 2nd gen has going for it is that it can be found for under $100, and even as low as $75 renewed, while the 3rd gen can cost up to $149 new.

$149 starts to get into a territory where there are some really compelling alternatives like the AirPods Pro 2 and Beats Studio Pro, which I recommend you check out next.

Apple AirPods 2 Value: 3.5 out of 5

Apple AirPods 3 Value: 3.5 out of 5

Winner: Tie

Apple AirPods 2nd gen Overall Rating: 7.1 / 10

Sound Quality: 6.8 / 10
Comfort: 5 / 5
Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 2.5 / 5
Value: 3.5 / 5
Total: 17.8 / 25

Apple AirPods 3rd gen Overall Rating: 7.4 / 10

Sound Quality: 7.1 / 10
Comfort: 5 / 5
Features / Battery Life / Noise Cancelling: 3.0 / 5
Value: 3.5 / 5
Total: 18.6 / 25

Overall Winner: Apple AirPods 3rd Generation

Holding AirPods 3rd generation wireless earbud in hand

The newer 3rd generation of Apple's regular line of AirPods is improved upon the 2nd generation in pretty much every way.

With better sound quality, features like Spatial Audio, and 20% more battery life, it's hard to argue a case for the older 2nd generation.

However, the $50 premium of the 3rd gen over the 2nd gen makes this comparison a lot closer than was expected.

I think both generations are fairly priced at their value, so it's a question of whether you want to spend more for wireless earbuds, and if you're planning to use them for just casual music listening or YouTube-watching.

If you're serious about sound quality and want Adaptive Noise Cancelling, I highly suggest you check out the AirPods Pro 2nd gen and Beats Studio Pro instead. I've also compared the AirPods Pro 2 vs AirPods 3 directly as well, if you're interested.

Order HERE for the LOWEST PRICE AVAILABLE

(Do NOT pay retail):

Save up to $24 on Apple AirPods 2nd gen with Renewed below:

Save up to $40 on the AirPods 3rd gen with Renewed below:

Disclosure: These links may provide a discount and in return, give us a commission in order to run the website 🙂

How We Tested and Our Methodology

RecordingNOW.com is a 100% independent publisher with over 10 years of experience testing and reviewing consumer electronics and headphones.

We currently purchase the products we test with our own money, and are not paid by any company or manufacturer to influence our opinions or decisions.

After purchasing the product, we conduct up to hundreds of hours of detailed hands-on testing in a controlled, acoustically-treated environment.

ODi Productions is our resident expert and author of this article, with 10 years of experience as a professional music producer, tech journalist, and audiophile.

Apple AirPods 2nd gen vs 3rd gen: Which is better in 2024?