Apple AirPods Pro 3 (with MagSafe Charging Case, USB-C)

A long rail journey is mostly engine, cabin and conversation noise, which RTINGS says these earbuds filter out very effectively, while the Transparency modes still let station announcements through. For a railfan riding a heritage line or a long-distance route, that means listening to a streamed scanner feed, a podcast or a live cam's audio without raising the volume to fight the carriage. The five ear-tip sizes in the box cover a range of ears, and RTINGS found the fit comfortable and the design light enough to take little room in a bag. RTINGS also points to the Adaptive EQ and volume limiter, which encourage listening at safer levels over a long day of travel.

Apple states IP57 dust, sweat and water resistance for both earbuds and case, from its own laboratory tests, applies to non-water sports and exercise and fades with wear. Each earbud weighs 5.55 g. Apple quotes up to 8 hours of listening with noise cancelling on and up to 24 hours with the case; RTINGS measured about nine hours of continuous playback. The case has a speaker for Find My and a lanyard loop, and charges by USB-C, MagSafe or Qi. Isolation this strong calls for judgement outdoors: use Transparency, or leave them in the case, wherever trains may approach. Apple also says its Hearing Protection feature is not suitable for sustained sounds above 110 dBA or extremely loud impulse sounds, so it is no substitute for ear defenders beside horns.

Expert pick · RTINGS: RTINGS, which buys and tests every pair, called the AirPods Pro 3 amazing for travel, with outstanding noise isolation, a comfortable fit and long continuous battery life. It faulted features locked to iOS, a device-dependent microphone and the lack of a conventional equalizer. Read the review

iPhone owners who spend long hours on trains and want strong isolation in a case that fits a pocket. Android users get the earbuds but lose features that RTINGS and Apple tie to Apple devices, such as heart-rate sensing and the hearing-aid function, and RTINGS counts the missing equalizer against everyone.

Sony WF-1000XM6, which RTINGS ranks alongside these for noise isolation, with more tuning options and Bluetooth LE but a less comfortable fit. Apple AirPods Pro 2, which RTINGS found has a smoother frequency response and a shallower fit, with weaker noise cancelling.