Apple AirPods Pro 3 vs Bowers & Wilkins Px8

Apple AirPods Pro 3

The ANC improvement is the headline feature, and it delivers beyond expectations.

• The noise cancellation is shockingly good for earbuds — it blocked out airplane cabin noise almost as effectively as my Sony WH-1000XM5 over-ears.
• Apple claims 2x better ANC than AirPods Pro 2, and in my testing that's roughly accurate — office chatter and street noise disappear.
• The adaptive transparency mode is incredibly natural — it's like not wearing earbuds at all until you want silence.

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

Good ANC but not class-leading.

• ANC is effective for most situations but Sony and Bose still lead on raw noise blocking

Apple AirPods Pro 3

A genuine step up from AirPods Pro 2, though audiophiles may still prefer dedicated music earbuds.

• Bass is noticeably richer and mids have more detail — Apple has finally made earbuds that sound genuinely good, not just convenient.