AirPods Pro 3 Firmware 8B39 - Noise Canceling IMPROVED! 🤔

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So the AirPods Pro 3 got a new firmware dubbed 8B39. As usual, update notes from Apple simply say ‘bug fixes and improvements’, so there’s no indication whether there’s anything it fixed regarding its core performance, such as sound, noise canceling, mic pickup and transparency. In this article, we’re going to find out if there are any inadvertent changes, so buckle up!

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Microphone Quality Changes?

In terms of microphone quality, whether it be on iOS devices with voice isolation mode, or Android devices, I’m not seeing a huge difference, as in voice quality and noise filtering is basically the same, except that it seems the new firmware is doing better at canceling the noise of wind. That is indeed an improvement, but a very small one.
👉🏻 Listen to the mic quality samples

(Tested in both quiet and noisy conditions using really loud cafe noise and wind noise from a fan.)

Active Noise Canceling Changes?

In terms of noise canceling, frequency sweeps show that it’s largely the same as on the previous firmware, with some changes in the lower frequencies around the 50hz region, but also some improvement in the midrange above 400hz. There shouldn't be a difference you can hear easily, except for a bit more blocking of voices and a tiny bit less canceling of rumbling sounds.

In the samples, though, the difference is very audible. It seems like it’s able to more effectively react to higher frequency noises.

👉🏻 Listen to the ANC quality samples

Transparency mode Changes?

Its transparency mode on 8B39 is pretty much the same. As you can see, there’s barely any difference between one or the other, except for this small reduction above 1khz, which, by my own testing, didn’t make transparency feel any darker or more occluded than before the update. In other words, transparency is still awesome.

Sound Quality Changes?

For sound quality, frequency sweeps show that the tuning is the same, but there are some variances, for example the sub bass seems a bit more pulled back, and lower mids seem to be a bit heavier. In the upper mids and highs above 5khz there seems to be a bit more sculpting but by and large, the difference is so small that most people won’t be able to hear the difference. But can you? Listen to the following samples recorded before and after the update and let me know what you think in the comments.

👉🏻 Listen to the sound quality samples

So that’s how the AirPods Pro 3 on firmware 8B39 compares to 8B34. Let me know guys if you’ve also spotted any difference not mentioned in this article. And as I said, get subscribed if you want to keep track of these changes with me..