Om 3 Review: Real User Experience After 3 Months

Category: Electronics

Introduction — Why I Bought the Om 3

I've been using the Om 3 for about three months now, and I wanted to write down a full, honest account of what living with them day-to-day is actually like. I bought these earbuds because I wanted a compact set with solid active noise cancellation (ANC), decent battery life, and a companion app with an EQ. I also wanted something lightweight for commuting, phone calls, and occasional workouts. After testing them in a range of environments — quiet home offices, noisy coffee shops, on public transit, and during runs — this is what I found.

First Impressions and Unboxing

Right out of the case, the Om 3 felt light and well-balanced. The case is smaller than many true wireless cases I've owned, which made pocket carry very easy. The buds themselves have a stem-style shape with soft silicone tips. I appreciated that they included three tip sizes — I ended up using the medium tips most of the time.

Build quality felt mostly solid: the case has a matte finish that hides fingerprints, and the earbuds themselves have a pleasant tactile feel. One minor gripe: the case hinge is snug but attracts small scratches after a few weeks in my pocket. Nothing catastrophic, but noticeable if you carry them with keys.

Daily Use: Comfort, Fit, and Controls

Comfort has been one of the Om 3's strong points for me. The buds are light and they sit shallow enough in my ear canal that I can wear them for multi-hour sessions without fatigue. I was surprised by how stable they stay in place during light runs and walking — I never lost a bud during my runs, though for intense interval training I used an armband or my phone in a zip pocket to be safe.

The touch controls are convenient — single-tap for play/pause, double-tap to skip, long-press for ANC/transparency toggle — but they are a bit too sensitive. I often found myself pausing music when adjusting my hair or putting on a sweater. There is a way to customize sensitivity in the app (more on that later), but I still experienced accidental triggers more than I'd like.

Sound Quality: What I Heard

In my experience the Om 3 strikes a pleasant balance between bass presence and midrange clarity. Bass is firm and satisfying without overwhelming vocals, which made podcasts and acoustic tracks sound natural. For bass-heavy tracks the Om 3 gave a punchy experience, but it didn't have the deep sub-bass extension of larger over-ear headphones — which is fair given the size.

Highs are generally clean and not overly bright, though at higher volumes I noticed a slight harshness on very sibilant tracks. The mids are the highlight for me: vocals and guitars cut through nicely. I used a small EQ bump in the app to get the sound exactly where I wanted it for different genres, and that flexibility helped a lot.

Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency

The Om 3's ANC impressed me for this class of earbuds. On a noisy commuter train, ANC removed most of the low-frequency rumble and made conversations at a normal level audible without cranking the volume. It doesn't produce the same "complete silence" you get from flagship over-ear models, but it reduces enough noise that I felt comfortable listening at moderate volume levels.

One thing I noticed is a mild pressure sensation when ANC was engaged. It wasn't painful, but it was noticeable for the first couple of minutes until my ears adjusted. The transparency mode is usable — it brought in ambient sound clearly for short conversations — but voices can sound a bit tinny unless you dial the transparency profile down in the app.

Call Quality and Microphones

Call performance is decent but not perfect. In quiet environments callers told me I sounded clear and natural. In busier places (rain, street noise) the Om 3's mics did a reasonable job of suppressing background noise, but voices sometimes sounded slightly distant. I definitely wouldn't choose these as a primary headset for long, important conference calls — the signal processing can make my voice feel a touch processed under heavy background noise.

I appreciated the dedicated "voice mode" in the app that prioritizes clarity during calls; it helped on windy days but didn't completely eliminate wind noise. If you need studio-grade call clarity, consider a headband mic or a dedicated call headset.

Battery Life and Charging

The manufacturer claims a total playback time with the case that sounds optimistic on paper; in my hands-on testing I averaged about 6.5–7 hours of listening per charge with ANC on and moderate volume. With the charging case I typically got about three full earbud charges, bringing total usable time to around 22–24 hours before needing to plug in the case.

With ANC off, I saw closer to the claimed maximum (around 8–9 hours on a single charge) in low-volume listening. Battery degradation over three months has been minimal — maybe a 3–5% drop in single-session runtime — which is within my expectations for daily use.

Charging is via USB-C and the case supports fast charging: a 10–15 minute top-up gave me about an hour of playback in a pinch. Wireless charging is a convenient…

Connectivity and Latency

Bluetooth pairing was straightforward and reliable. The Om 3 re-paired quickly with my phone and laptop when switching devices. I used them with both Android and iOS devices and didn't encounter codec-related hiccups — audio quality stayed consistent.

For watching videos and casual gaming, latency was low enough that lip-sync was not a problem. There is a low-latency gaming mode in the app that does reduce delay further; I tested it with a few mobile games and noticed an improvement in responsiveness. If you're a competitive gamer, dedicated wired headsets still have the edge, but these are fine for streaming and casual play.

App and Software

The companion app is simple and functional. It offers an EQ with presets, ANC levels, a few transparency modes, and firmware update functionality. I appreciated getting a firmware update about six weeks after purchase that improved ANC behavior and reduced a couple of random connection drops I experienced early on.

My frustrations with the app: EQ customization is limited to a 5-band slider rather than a full parametric EQ, and the preset names are vague. Also, multipoint pairing was listed as a feature, but in practice it was hit-or-miss: sometimes the buds would reconnect to my laptop instead of my phone and require manual switching.

Durability and Real-World Wear

After three months of daily use — commuting, workouts, and desk time — the Om 3 shows normal signs of wear. The case shows light scuffs, and the silicone tips have held up well with regular cleaning. I accidentally dropped the case once and it survived without damage. The IP rating (IPX4) is adequate for sweat and light rain, which matches my experience: no moisture-related issues so far.

One reliability annoyance: I saw occasional connection drops in environments with many Bluetooth devices (conference halls), roughly once every two weeks. Reconnecting was quick, but it was inconvenient during calls. Firmware updates have reduced the frequency.

What I Appreciated

• Comfortable fit for long listening sessions — I can wear them for hours.
• Balanced sound profile out of the box, with a midrange that highlights voices and acoustic instruments.
• Effective ANC for commuters and noisy cafes; noticeable reduction in low-frequency rumble.
• Compact case that's easy to carry in pockets.
• USB-C fast charging and convenient wireless charging option.

What Bothered Me

• Touch controls are too sensitive and caused accidental pauses frequently.
• Call mic is adequate but not excellent in very noisy outdoor conditions.
• Multipoint pairing is unreliable in my experience.
• Some mild pressure feeling with ANC engaged — not painful but noticeable.
• Case picks up scratches and scuffs more easily than I expected.

Pros & Cons

• Pros:
  • Comfortable and lightweight
  • Well-balanced sound with adjustable EQ
  • Effective ANC for daily commuting
  • Good battery life with fast charging
  • Wireless charging support
• Cons:
  • Overly sensitive touch controls
  • Call quality could be better in noisy outdoor situations
  • Multipoint connection can be flaky
  • Case shows cosmetic wear quickly

Comparison Table — How the Om 3 Stacks Up

Buying Guide — How to Decide if the Om 3 Is Right for You

In my experience, the Om 3 is a great fit for certain buyers and less ideal for others. Here’s how I’d break it down to help you decide.

Who Should Consider the Om 3

• Commuters who want a compact case and effective ANC without the bulk of over-ear headphones.
• People who value comfort and plan to wear earbuds for long listening sessions.
• Users who like to tweak sound with an EQ but don't need ultra-deep customization.
• Anyone who wants wireless charging and fast wired top-ups for quick boosts.

Who Might Want Something Else

• Professionals who need crystal-clear call quality in noisy outdoor environments — you might prefer a headset with a boom mic or a flagship model with advanced voice processing.
• Competitive gamers who need the absolute lowest latency — wired or dedicated gaming headsets still perform better.
• Buyers who want the most durable scratch-resistant case — the Om 3's compact case is convenient but shows cosmetic wear.

What to Test Before You Buy (My Checklist)

• Try them on for at least 15–20 minutes to see if they stay comfortable over time.
• Test ANC and transparency modes back-to-back so you can judge the pressure feeling and naturalness of ambient sound.
• Make a quick call from your phone in a loud area to judge mic performance.
• Try the touch controls with your typical movements (putting on a jacket, running a hand through hair) to check accidental triggers.
• Open the companion app and look for EQ flexibility, firmware update options, and low-latency/game modes if you plan to game.

Reliability, Updates, and Long-Term Thoughts

After three months I can say the Om 3 feels like a product designed to be useful for everyday life rather than to impress in headline specs. The firmware updates during my ownership improved stability, which is a good sign the company is listening to feedback. I plan to continue using them for at least the next year to observe battery longevity and whether any long-term issues crop up.

One tip from my experience: keep the earbuds and case firmware up to date. The update I installed fixed a couple of small but annoying glitches, and that improved my day-to-day reliability noticeably.

Final Verdict — My Honest Take

After three months with the Om 3, I've reached a clear, practical verdict: in my experience they are a very solid mid-range pair of true wireless earbuds that cover the essentials well. I appreciated the comfort, balanced sound, and effective ANC for commuting. The touch controls and call performance are the main areas that could be better, and the case shows cosmetic wear sooner than I'd prefer.

If you want a comfortable, well-rounded pair of earbuds for daily use, and you value compactness and wireless charging, the Om 3 is worth considering. If you need top-tier call quality, the absolute lowest latency, or the most scratch-resistant case, you might want to compare to higher-end alternatives or specialized headsets.

In my everyday life these became my go-to earbuds for commuting, podcasts, and casual listening — and while they aren't perfect, the combination of comfort, sound and ANC made them a reliable companion. After three months, I still reach for them first when leaving the house.

Conclusion

I've been using the Om 3 for three months and overall they delivered on my main expectations: comfortable fit, pleasing sound, and competent ANC. They aren't flawless, but the strengths outweigh the weaknesses for my needs. If your priorities align with mine — comfort, portability, and balanced audio for daily life — the Om 3 is a dependable choice that performs well in real-world use.