Each part of AirPods 3 is specially designed
Gary Geaves, responsible for the acoustics of Apple products, gave an interview to the publication What Hi-Fi. He spoke about the design and development of the AirPods 3 and emphasized that everything was designed by myself. Not a single part came “off the shelf”. The AirPods use a complex acoustic system, Geaves said. The amplifier and other parts are also unique. The semi-open design is popular with consumers, but it presented quite a few challenges for the audio team.
Limitations of Bluetooth
Geaves is also critical of Bluetooth, which creates obstacles for the sound quality:
We are trying to get the most out of Bluetooth technology and there are some tricks we can use to get around the limitations of Bluetooth. But honestly, we'd like more bandwidth and… let me say nothing more about it. We want more bandwidth.
It is clear that Geaves is not allowed to go deeper into it from his employer. Interviewer Tom Parson says he understands between the lines that Apple has a plan to sideline the current restrictions. That could mean Apple switches to Qualcomm's aptX Lossless format, but it could also mean Apple is working on its own Bluetooth alternative. It is currently possible to listen to aptX on the Mac, but the iPhone and iPad do not support it yet.
Geaves talks about the AirPods even more in the interview, including the fact that Adaptive EQ was added to accommodate the different type ears. As a result, you get an even frequency response, no matter how well the earbuds fit. The interview contains even more interesting details for people who want to know more about it.