Libratone AIR+ 3 review: It worked better once
A TEST REPORT from David Haydl 
on February 29, 2024, 12:00 | Write a comment
Libratone has been back in the in-ear headphone market for some time now. You can find out what the latest Libratone AIR+ 3 can do here.
The AIR+ 3 from Libratone are inexpensive in-ears that convinced me on many points. These include the improved design, active noise cancellation, the app with many helpful functions and the battery life, even if it is not quite where it often is with the competition.
My biggest criticism is the sound quality. Often there is a lack of heights and details where others Proproducts can sometimes deliver more at a similar price. I would also say that Libratone felt like it was doing better even here. However, I have to add that an update has already drastically improved the sound and it cannot be ruled out that this will happen again.
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Unboxing and initial setup
The Libratone AIR+ 3 come in white packaging, which has several logos and texts as well as an image of the Proproduct with texture. The packaging includes the headphones in their charging case, a short USB-C cable, four different sized earbuds, with one pair already installed, and various instructions. What bothers me about the cable is that it has USB-A on one side, which many people no longer have a power supply for.
The initial setup is as simple as it gets with in-ear headphones. You open the case and press and hold the pairing button on the back. Within a few moments it should ProThe product will then appear in the Bluetooth settings of the playback device for pairing. Alternatively, you can use the Libratone app to set it up, which will guide you through the Proprocess.
Design and workmanship
Without thinking too much, it's easy to see from the look that we're dealing with Libratone with the AIR+ 3. There are still some adjustments to the design. The side part and the part that goes into the ear now look like they are made from a single piece and the case comes across a lot more discreet. Libratone also added another option to the color selection: mint green.
Picture: TechnikNews
The case is made of matt plastic, which means you can't see traces of grease or small scratches, weighs only 41,5 grams and feels very high quality. Based purely on how it feels in your hand, I would give it to the AirPods Pro 2 is clearly preferable. What I also liked is the mechanism of the flap. The case can be charged in two different ways: either with a cable or wirelessly. The AIR+ 3 have an IP54 certification, which makes them resistant to dust and sweat, but not to extended dives.
The plugs have a touch-sensitive surface on the side for control, and their actions can be configured via the Libratone app. By default, both sides are occupied equally. What I would have liked at this point is that there could be an action not only for double and triple taps, but also for single taps. With a weight of 4,9 grams, the plugs are pleasantly light and, at least in my ear, don't hurt even after a few hours. Unfortunately, none of the silicone adapters ensured a perfect fit for me. I often had to readjust them, especially when lying down or when brushing my teeth in the morning.
Picture: TechnikNews
Battery life
The Libratone AIR+ 3 have a battery life of six hours at a time and 24 hours in total. One could say that the competition is doing better in this regard. But you really don't notice in everyday life whether the battery life is six or seven hours or 24 hours or 26 hours. In addition, Libratone's specifications were always approximately accurate with half the volume and ANC.
sound quality
The Libratone AIR+ 3 houses an 11 millimeter driver on each side. They connect with Bluetooth 5.2 and support the SBC and aptX codecs. Active noise cancellation is able to compensate for up to 40 decibels.
I was a bit shocked by the sound at first. Everything sounded completely dull, not balanced and was therefore a disappointment. Thankfully, an update to the firmware eliminated the behavior. However, I wanted to briefly note this here because during my research I came across a case where the experience was probably similar.
But even after the update, the in-ears are still not at the top of their game in terms of sound. They often don't reach the heights in particular and the level of detail that I imagine is not always there. Proproducts of CX series from Sennheiser As far as I remember, they were much better. And as already mentioned at the beginning, I also claim that Libratone has already delivered a better sound.
The active noise cancellation can be adjusted to 30 levels and blocks out constant noise just as well as the competition. However, when noises start suddenly, they have their difficulties. There is also still room for improvement in transparency mode, as the outside world sounds noticeably choppy. That's enough if you just want to stay attentive in public, but the mode isn't really useful for conversations.
App connection
The Libratone app allows you to change settings and updates again Proproduct. It is free and available in the App Store and Play Store.
There are several pre-defined equalizers to choose from in the app, which should cover all your needs. The ability to create your own equalizer would still have been nice. The app also offers flexible setting options for the ANC. On the home page you can immediately see a dial that can be used to set a desired intensity. Alternatively, you can quickly switch the noise cancellation completely on or off with one tap. The only practical thing now would be if the headphones remembered the configuration from the last time they were used and restored it when they were started again.
The menu for managing connections is fairly new. Here you can see the last five connected devices so you can easily switch between them. Unfortunately, in practice this only worked sporadically.
Last but not least, there are a few settings and menu items for the AIR+ 3's hardware. These include a view for the battery level, the settings for the tap gestures and the option to update the firmware.
Picture: TechnikNews
Libratone AIR+ 3: Pricing and availability
The RRP of the Libratone AIR+ 3 is 169 euros. You can buy them here:
We would like to thank you for providing the Libratone AIR+ 3.
