AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 ProvsAssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro
Accuracy and speed
Left gets fewer words wrong. Lower has the final text ready sooner.
- Universal 3.5 Pro1.93% · 180ms
- Universal 3.6 Pro1.77% · 91ms
AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro is ahead of AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 Pro on time to first text and final-text delay. The Pipecat Dataset and The Ocular Dataset are too close to call.
Last updated Methodology by Dileep Chagam
Who is better at what
- Pipecat Dataset WER1.93%1.77%
- Ocular Dataset WER4.23%4.50%
- Time to first text489ms485ms
- Final-text delay180ms91ms
Lower is better on every measure. Too close to call means the likely ranges overlap.
Where Universal 3.6 Pro improved
Same clips, same turns, both releases.
Final text, median
49% sooner- Universal 3.5 Pro
- 180ms
- Universal 3.6 Pro
- 91ms
Time from the speaker stopping to the final transcript.
Final text, P95
66% sooner- Universal 3.5 Pro
- 692ms
- Universal 3.6 Pro
- 232ms
19 turns in 20 are final within this.
Turns over 500ms to final text
none left- Universal 3.5 Pro
- 25
- Universal 3.6 Pro
- 0
Out of the same 205 turns.
Word errors, Pipecat Dataset
38 fewer- Universal 3.5 Pro
- 460
- Universal 3.6 Pro
- 422
On the same 1,000 clips.
First text, P95
11% sooner- Universal 3.5 Pro
- 1.08s
- Universal 3.6 Pro
- 967ms
19 turns in 20 show first words within this.
Universal 3.5 Pro vs Universal 3.6 Pro FAQ
Which is more accurate, AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 Pro or AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro?
AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 Pro and AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro are too close to call on accuracy. On the 1,000 public Pipecat clips, AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 Pro scores 1.93% and AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro 1.77%, with likely ranges of 1.69 to 2.18% and 1.55 to 2.00%. The ranges overlap, so the difference is too close to call. On the eight licensed Ocular recordings, AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 Pro scores 4.23% and AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro 4.50%, with likely ranges of 3.57 to 4.68% and 3.66 to 5.34%. The ranges overlap, so the difference is too close to call. Word error rate counts incorrect, missing, and extra words, so lower is better.
AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 Pro and AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro are too close to call on accuracy. On the 1,000 public Pipecat clips, AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 Pro scores 1.93% and AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro 1.77%, with likely ranges of 1.69 to 2.18% and 1.55 to 2.00%. The ranges overlap, so the difference is too close to call. On the eight licensed Ocular recordings, AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 Pro scores 4.23% and AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro 4.50%, with likely ranges of 3.57 to 4.68% and 3.66 to 5.34%. The ranges overlap, so the difference is too close to call. Word error rate counts incorrect, missing, and extra words, so lower is better.
No. AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro finishes the transcript 89ms sooner. AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 Pro has the final transcript 180ms after the speaker stops and AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro 91ms, at the median. Both are measured on the same 206 streamed turns.
AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro finishes the transcript 89ms sooner, and the two are too close to call on real conversations. A voice agent cannot reply until the final transcript arrives, and the Ocular recordings are real conversations.
Yes, both return partial text before the speaker stops. AssemblyAI Universal 3.5 Pro shows first text after 489ms and AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro after 485ms, at the median, so AssemblyAI Universal 3.6 Pro is 4ms sooner.