The iPad Pro 13 has very good speakers, but the Apple tablet has now found its match in a new premium tablet from Honor. In our review, the MagicPad 3 reveals several advantages for audio fans over the Apple iPad.
As modern tablets become increasingly thinner, there’s correspondingly less space for integrated speakers. Does this mean that good sound always has to be put on the back burner, making external speakers a must-have?
No, at least when it comes to multimedia purposes such as watching movies and series or for an immersive audio experience while gaming. Large tablets are a good choice here. Anyone who thought that the Apple iPad Pro 13 was the gold standard in terms of speaker quality should think twice now in view of the Honor MagicPad 3.
The premium mid-range tablet from the Chinese manufacturer has a slim chassis with a thickness of just 5.8 millimeters, but the spatial audio speakers are the real highlight of the Honor MagicPad 3. Four of the speakers are responsible for the low tones, while the other four handle the high frequencies.
In terms of sound quality, the mid-range tablet significantly outperforms other tablets in the same class, producing a very balanced, full soundscape. There’s even bass in the mix, so a small room can be adequately filled with sound, and even at maximum volume, the speakers don’t really distort.
Our measurements confirm that the Honor tablet has one of the most balanced mids and lows available. Even much more expensive tablets, like an Apple iPad Pro 13, generate worse pink noise results.
Another important question for audio enthusiasts who want to fill a large room or party with sound is: How can the tablet be connected to an external speaker?
Although the Apple iPad Pro 13 (2024) supports modern Bluetooth, the available Bluetooth audio codecs are very limited. It primarily supports the AAC codec and the SBC standard. iPad users will look in vain for high-quality Bluetooth codecs such as aptX HD or LDAC, which limits the choice of compatible Bluetooth speakers, especially if high-quality audio transmission is important. Here, too, the Honor MagicPad 3 is better positioned.
Interested readers are advised to read our detailed review of the MagicPad 3 for further information.
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I have always been very passionately interested in mobile technologies, especially smartphones. Being a tech enthusiast means the half-life of my devices isn’t exactly long, and being the latest hardware is not enough to suffice as the manufacturer and operating system play a minor role – the most important aspect for me is that the device is state-of-the-art. After posting for Mobi Test I joined Notebookcheck in 2016, where I have been pursuing my enthusiasm for technology by reviewing the latest smartphone, tablet, and accessory trends.
Translator: Jacob Fisher – Translator – 2210 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2022
Growing up in regional Australia, I first became acquainted with computers in my early teens after a broken leg from a football (soccer) match temporarily condemned me to a predominately indoor lifestyle. Soon afterwards I was building my own systems. Now I live in Germany, having moved here in 2014, where I study philosophy and anthropology. I am particularly fascinated by how computer technology has fundamentally and dramatically reshaped human culture, and how it continues to do so.
Marcus Herbrich, 2025-09-14 (Update: 2025-09-14)
