AirPods Pro 3 New Firmware 8B40 Improved ANC?! 😐
So the AirPods Pro 3 got a new firmware dubbed 8B40. As usual, Apple gives no indication whether it changed anything about its performance, such as sound, noise canceling, mic pickup and transparency. Well, except for the usual ‘bug fixes and improvements’. So in this video we’re going to find out if there are any inadvertent changes, so buckle up!
Microphone Quality
In terms of microphone quality, on iOS devices with voice isolation mode, the mic pickup seems to be comparable, except that noise reduction seems to be heavier compared to before so in noisy conditions, my own voice seems a little more chopped up. On Android, again, it seems comparable to the previous firmware in quiet conditions. But in noisy conditions, voice filtering seems to be a lot more aggressive than before the update.
👉🏻 Have a listen to the mic quality samples
Active noise Cancelling
In terms of noise canceling, frequency sweeps show that now it seems to cancel a bit more in the lower frequencies below 400hz and this might reduce rumbling noises from traffic a bit more. In the upper midrange, it seems to have gone back to the way it was on the older firmware 8B30 which cuts a bit less of voices and other higher pitched noises. That being said, it’s definitely an improvement at cutting low frequency noises, which could be better on a plane flight.
👉🏻 Have a listen to the ANC quality samples
Transparency Mode
Its transparency mode on 8B39 is pretty similar except for this small boosting above 1.6khz, which should make transparency feel a bit crisper. But in day to day usage, there’s not a whole lot of a difference because its transparency was quite awesome to begin with.
Sound Quality
For sound quality, the new firmware seems to have made the AirPods Pro 3 sound more V-shaped, like, there is a boosting of the sub bass frequencies, around 4dB more pulling back in the lower mids, and some boosting in the upper mids above 1.8khz. This should lead to a more vibrant, thumpy signature without the bass leaking over in the mids. Airiness could also have been improved, although in my A-B testing, I couldn’t tell that much of a difference in that area.
👉🏻 Have a listen to the sound quality samples
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