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**Introduction** \- Hello everyone! Here's yet another Buds 3 Pro versus Buds 4 Pro review, but I just wanted to toss one in as many of the reviews I have seen so far come from people who were jaded / disappointed with the Buds 3 Pro. For me the Buds 3 Pro were (and still are) one my favorite pairs of quality earbuds out of the 20+ I have tried over the past 2 years. I can toss in the Buds 3 FE here too as I own those as well, but the Buds 3 FE loses in every category to both the Buds 3 Pro and the Buds 4 Pro (imo) so I won't elaborate on it further. 

**Summary** \- For me personally it is a very narrow race deciding which pair of earbuds I like more, details below. All in all though I'd say the Buds 4 Pro just ever so slightly edge out the Buds 3 Pro. 

**Sound** \- (Winner : Buds 4 Pro) This one was way closer than a lot of people on this subreddit will lead you to believe. There isn't a “night and day difference” as many keep claiming. Both sound great and I'd give both a 4/5 in this regard but I'd say that the B4P sounds just slightly better. They are just slightly more clear, slightly wider sound stage, slightly more instrument separation than the B3P. If I had to try and quantify the improvement I'd say the B4P are maybe 5% better?

**Fit** \- (Winner : Draw) I have seen a lot of people talk about how much better the B4P fit them compared to the B3P. To my ears at least they feel completely identical. Both fit well, both are secure with zero leakage (using my preferred AZLA tips, same on each). I'd give both a 4/5 for Fit. 

**ANC / Ambient Mode****s** \- (Winner : Bud 4 Pro) As far as I can tell the ambient modes are equal for both as far as how effectively they let sound through. Both are 5/5 in this regard. For ANC I would say both are 4/5 but I'd give a slight edge to the B4P as they bloc sounds just ever slightly better across most frequencies. The main reason the B4P is the clear winner here though is that the B4P ANC/Ambient modes react so much faster with much higher accuracy. For example the B4P passed my “Keyring Test” with flying colors and the B3P failed it horribly by comparison. My Keyring Test consists of putting the buds in ANC and then Ambient mode, putting them in my ears, and then shaking my keyring of 5 metal keys about 3 inches away from the earbuds on either side. Most earbuds panic with the sudden noises and the ANC / Ambient modes are too slow to react accordingly. The result is typically a sudden, loud, jarring burst of sharp static. This is what the B3P does which isn't so much a flaw as I find this normal for most ANC buds. But the B4P reacts so smartly and quickly that I couldn't even get the ANC or Ambient modes to trip up using my keys. This is an excellent and often overlooked QoL feature as sudden sharp sounds happen all around us (someone drops a metal water bottle, a soda can opens nearby etc) and it's nice having a pair of buds that don't panic at the sound and make the sound painfully worse as many ANC buds do. 

**Features** \- (Winner : Buds 4 Pro) This one slightly goes to the Buds 4 Pro simply because it has a very slightly longer list of features like head gestures and 360 microphone recording. I literally never use either of these features though so to me they are both a solid 5/5 in this category. I'm fact I can't even see myself using buds that lack a volume slider, pinch controls, voice commands, and at least IP57 ever again moving forward. Of course you need a s23 or higher to take advantage of these rich features, so obvious disclaimer there. 

**Batteries** \- (Winner : Draw) both seem to give me the same mid level battery life, 3-4 hours before the buds need a new charge, 2-3 full charges per cycle before case needs charging again. Nothing impressive here from either buds. Personally I'd rather the buds be slightly heavier and maybe a tiny bit bulkier if they offered more competitive battery life but the amount you get from either buds is plenty enough for my use. For batteries I'd give both a 3/5. 

**Controls** \- (Winner : Bids 3 Pro) this one is also very close but I pick the B3P over the B4P simply because of the location of the volume slider. On the B3P it is on the rear of the stem which is nice because there is nothing really back there at least with my fairly average ear anatomy to block the slider. On the B4P the slider is on the front which means that my Tragus blocks part of the slider, making adjusting the volume via the slider somewhat difficult without repositioning the earbuds to make room for my fingertip. It still works well with the B4P but the B3P volume slider placement is easier at least for me. Also it seems to require harder pinches to activate pause/play etc on the B4P. Not bad but not quite as easy as it is with the B3P. Overall though it's close enough that I would give both a 5/5 for controls. 

**Case** \- (Winner : Buds 3 Pro) I know a lot of people, especially earlier on had charging issues with the B3P case but I've never had any issues in the last several months of heavy use. The reason I pick the B3P here is the case is skinnier so it fits more nicely in the pocket or when stored and the B3P has a quality metal hinge that has very little play and feels very secure. Now that being said I use the same style of rugged Spigen case for both pairs and the new one for the B4P is very nice due to the fact that the case itself is also hinged. This adds to the structural integrity and with both in their cases the gap between case qualities is very narrow. The B3P still wins though as the keyring loop is the right direction to hang more easily from my belt loop or backpack and it is of course still thinner so easier to transport. Also as great as the Spigen case is for the B4P, opening the lid while it is plugged into a wall charger causes the lid to hit and push on the charging cable. The magnetic grip strength of both cases and earbuds is about the same, not super strong, easy to shake the buds out while the case is opened. Lastly, the B3P is easier to open with one hand, but conversely the B4P is easier to put the buds in and out. I'd give the B3P a 4/5 for the case and I'd give the B4P a 3/5. 

**Aesthetics** \- (Winner : Buds 3 Pro) This is of course personal preference obviously but I like the way the B3P look over the B4P. Both look great but to me the B3P look more unique and the blade lights, as gimmicky as they are, still stand out and are a pretty cool feature you don't find on many other buds. The B4P look fantastic as well but they have a much more generic style to them. I'd give the B3P a 5/5 for style and the B4P a 4/5.

**Conclusion** \- I'd say both are great buys and worth the price if you find either on discount. If you have the Buds 3 Pro and don't have any issues with them, I'd recommend saving your money and not upgrading to the 4. If you are in the market for a new flagship AWS, I'd recommend the 4 if you find a good deal on it over the 3. Paying MSRP for either is a little bit of a stretch if you have a s23 or higher and I completely recommend against buying either if you don't have a compatible mobile device

Yet another Buds 3 Pro Vs Buds 4 Pro Review