the most annoying thing about the airpods pro for me is that a good percentage of the time (maybe 15%, give or take), only one of the actual airpods will connect when I stick them in my ears. I got a buzzing a few months ago and swapped them out under the service program, hoping it would also fix the only-one-airpod-connecting issue, but, well, it didn't. (A large percentage of the time I realize that this is because something went wrong on the case side and the one that won't connect never got charged even though the other one did.)
Despite that, I'm still upgrading to round 2 this morning. Hoping the new version of the chip plus the new case makes this connection/charging issue go away. Sigh. Apple does manage to always get my money, doesn't it. Though, I guess, to be fair, apart from those issues my first gen's have served me well for like 3 years and they're the only headphones I actually use 90% of the time. (Also, even more noise cancelling on the already good noise cancelling sounds good...maybe these can become my long-plane-trip headphones and let me retire the big sonys.)
I had the issue where sometimes only one was charged. I noticed that sometimes the LED didn't blink when inserting one of them... and fidgeting with it, helped, but sometimes switching the position of the case from vertical to horizontal would make it disconnect (as reported by the charge widget on my iPhone).
(I tried resetting them, re-pairing, etc. and it didn't help)
I took it to the Apple store, showed the guy the issue, and he claimed it was most likely a firmware issue and not the case. He said the Airpod disappearing from the charge widget was the firmware misreporting, and not a bad/loosy connection. I had my doubts and was sure that it was a physical issue with the case... but he replaced the single airpod (he updated the new one's firmware first) and the issues went away.
Why wouldn't you try a different brand first?? I haven't used airpods yet because I tried a samsung pair first and they still work. I had an android phone when I got them. Now I have an iPhone. They work on whatever!
For me the AirPods Pro are one of my most loved and used pieces of tech in recent memory. Assume OP uses iPhone and there are a handful of unique features AirPods offer when paired with iPhone that I assume Samsung pods would not. Things like syncing across devices via iCloud account… spatial audio… IOS integrated noise canceling control. And for me the fit and sound is fantastic.
Because a “different brand” don’t automatically pair to every device connected to my AppleID (7), don’t have an interface on every device to adjust settings, don’t show the battery percentages on every device individually for each side and the battery case and don’t automatically switch.
BTW, AirPods “work everywhere” as standard Bluetooth headsets
AirPods are a case where I broke my rule of thumb with Apple, not to buy in to a new product line until the fourth iteration. And sure enough, they've been a little flaky, my first-gen not-Pros developed a terrible crackle and had to be replaced.
But fixing flakiness with Apple stuff by buying a new one works more than you might think. They do actually iterate on reliability (not you macOS).
Man, finding them in the cushions might be worth the cash all by itself. The ones I have do the one-ear thing like one in ten (?) times, and I swear quietly and stick them back in the case. Reboot them a few times a month.
So, fine really, could be better. If they were a bit worse I'd run out and get the new ones.
> they've been a little flaky, my first-gen not-Pros developed a terrible crackle and had to be replaced.
Can confirm. Here the 3 of us have 2nd generation AirPods. In one of them the mic is no longer working, on another one of the AirPods won’t connect 90% of the time, and the last one has a combination of these two issues. Another family member is on their second pair already.
AirPods are great, while they are working.
Edit: forgot to mention that 3 of those pairs were replaced while under warranty.
Hmm, I haven't had issues with my Galaxy live buds. But you might be a heavier user?
The main annoyance is just that I have to re pair them to switch devices. But so far so good otherwise. I'm interested to see if they ever make a new version.
Because it might feel like a betrayal if they’d use some other brand. For fruit company lifers it’s a lifelong fan association, it’s not merely a consumer-manufacturer relationship like mere mortals who (also) use other brands.
Indeed. Both of my original AirPods Pro developed the buzzing/crackling issue, had them both exchanged under the program, and now one of them is creaking again.
Also found the 1st gen noise cancellation not quite as good as with Bose (in ear as well as over ear).
And now I'm here pressing reload in the browser so I can buy the 2nd gen...
I hope the new generation is more durable, as it really does feel like a giant waste of resources. The sad part is that they are really good when they work so I keep getting them.
I've used it twice now, while they claimed it only affected airpods produced before a certain date. What's also annoying is that you have to wait two weeks each time until the new ones arrive, because they want to diagnose the problem first.
I think there is a limit on how long after you bought the airpods they fall under this program. Which basically means I'm going to buy the new ones after these break. Doesn't feel like the right way of voting with my wallet :-) but I use them literally every day.
My experience with Airpods Pro has been excellent for what I originally bought them for, listening to music. However, I later (after the warranty period, naturally) started trying to use them for calls, and noticed something I’m not sure is covered by this program: Occasional, random “blips” where there’s some kind of discontinuity in the sound for ~200ms, with a ~100ms offset between the left and right channels. It’s annoying enough that I take them out before a call or meeting.
I had a tough enough time describing it just now (it’s the sort of problem that is inherently un-Googleable), but has anyone else experienced this, and have you had any luck with the service program?
Yes! I have this exact same problem on my AirPods Pro, and only during phone calls and meetings as well.
I’ve also had a tough time describing it, so couldn’t Google for it. I’ve also held off on taking it to the apple store to get it looked at, just because I didn’t know how to describe it well. May be I’ll just use your description now.
Just yesterday two people told me that they hear echos when I use my AirPods on two different meetings, so I had to switch to using wired headphones. Adding that to my list of problems. I wish I could just return the product now.
This does sound a lot like Bluetooth issues which are of course almost impossible to debug.
At this point the only Bluetooth device I use is my mouse and AirPods. The rest I switched back to wires because of how unreliable it is especially in a residential building with lots of wifi access points.
Take it to the Apple Store. They'll very likely replace them.
Back in late 2020 I took mine in for an issue in one Airpod. They ran them through their little testing device and determined they had other problems too and just gave me another. Worse they can do is tell you no, but they're pretty liberal about just replacing them.
I had that, offset maybe more like 50ms but that's just quibbling. Showed up in a firmware update, disappeared again a month later. Not often, but often enough that I started calling it skew. Disorienting!
I had my air pods pro replaced under warranty about 2 weeks before my warranty expired. I was so relieved.
It has been two months and the new ones are already experiencing major issues. One doesn’t charge sometimes, even if the case seems to indicate that it’s connected. I thought it was the case, but the same thing happens in another case. The weird shifting noise cancellation the first ones did where both ears cancel noise differently has started happening. The pop, pop, pop, squelch as I walk has started happening.
I was sure I was breaking them somehow until I found out this experience is not that uncommon.
It’s such a shame because when they work well, they really are game changers. I’m hesitant to upgrade, though. These were expensive and only lasted two years (with replacements). Apart from the money, I also find the waste upsetting. I was optimistic to get more liken 5 years out of them.
I get the money argument better than the waste one. An AirPod is less embodied energy than one of those birthday cards with a built-in speaker that plays happy birthday. Is this really moving the needle? You could buy three pounds less of off-season fruit from another continent, if you really feel bad about it.
It's not the single set of AirPods that bothers me so much as knowing that, on a larger scale, a lot of AirPods are breaking on a similar time scale and it's a greater trend that causes damage.
I don't think there's much as an individual I can do to make a difference, it's just disheartening to see massive multinational companies dumping out electronics that become non-functional so quickly – even when they're a high enough quality otherwise that they wouldn't really become obsolete for a very long time.
Can any other runners comment on the new airpods for durability.
I've killed 3 pairs due to sweat from running seemingly shorting them out and then they never seem to recover.
the sound is great but I can't really tell much a difference between them and the $50 pair I tend to buy from amazon. That could be due to my 40 year old ears though.
They do connect really well and allow me to connect to both my phone and laptop which I love but durability seems to be a big problem for them.
Just anecdata, but I have been running with non-pro AirPods for years with no problems like one you describe. I tend to sweat a lot, so by the end of the run they are pretty wet. No shorting or other electrical issues.
The only problem I've had was ear wax buildup (yeah, gross, I know) with the first/second AirPods generation (the ones with the long stem). I was able to use alcohol & hydrogen peroxide to clean them up a bit, but eventually the sound is muffled pretty bad.
I have recently switched to a pair of the latest version, AirPods 3 (with the shorter stems) and they seem to be made better in general. No sound problems and they seem to stay cleaner with minimal regular cleaning. I use a toothpick to gently remove any buildup as needed. The fit of the 3s is significantly different that the older version and did require some getting used to. They are a bit larger in the ear.
I had to get somewhat elaborate to keep the long-stem AirPods clean, with the Pros, it's really just getting the goo off them and the case. They seem impervious.
I also ruined a pair of Airpod pros that way. Got them replaced on warranty, but I'm still annoyed because Apple has ads where people run with Airpods but if you do they'll break.
I have not had this problem despite the fact that I believe I sweat a lot especially during peak summer running. I also happen to use ear-hooks to help my airpods stay in place otherwise they would fall out. Its kind of like ... uh... a condom for the airpod. I wonder if that has provided some protection.
if you can afford having a separate thing for running, I'm a big fan of Aftershokz. They use bone induction and are basically sweat proof. It's also helpful to be able to hear out my ears while running while still listening to music.
Agreed, I would go with separate running headphones. Even if the sweat doesn't destroy them, I've lost several pairs of quasi-waterproof headphones to sudden heavy rain etc.
I've put my first-get AirPods pros through the washing machine. I've been successfully using them for years now. Still work great. I concluded that their waterproof rating was, practically speaking, far above whatever they stated.
I run with Powerbeats Pro and they seem to have great durability. The main reason for me is the ear hooks though which are great for running. They use the H1 chip too.
My experience of the Service Program has been very poor.
One of my AirPods Pro has an annoying tick. It's like a metronome (regular) and orthogonal to the music I'm listening to.
I've taken it to the Apple Store, but instead of the service rep putting it in their ear to confirm the issue, they use some machine that checks and, in my case, "computer says no!" to my complaint. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n_Ty_72Qds
The rubber around the ear insert is changeable, so it wouldn't be unhygienic for them to listen directly.
Their refusal at an exchange has caused me to eschew trusting them for the new AirPods, and instead I've moved on to another brand.
Mine too. I took a pair in that had symptoms exactly as described in the service program description. Both the left and right earbud failed in their test machine, but Apple said my Airpods did not qualify because they were not part of the program (manufactured a few months after the end date).
I suspect the issues weren't actually resolved by the date they claim.
Also, more annoyingly, they offered replacement refurbished left and right pods for $89 each. I can go to Costco and buy a new pair with a new charging case for only $2 more.
Moral of the story: Airpods are unreliable, if you buy them then also buy the extended warranty from Apple.
That was my experience verbatim. The employee even suggested going to Costco specifically, as he thought it was ridiculous that they weren't covering them.
> One of my AirPods Pro has an annoying tick. It's like a metronome (regular) and orthogonal to the music I'm listening to.
I also have this issue. I have a hunch that the glue inside the stem that holds the microphone in place fails, and so the tick is the microphone striking the stem/housing. I find if I hold my head very, very still, that clicking noise will stop.
For what it’s worth, with AirPods you can just contact their online support and they’re much quicker to send you a replacement after verifying just a few basics
That's Apple's fault. If they want to fix them, they need to be able to listen to them. So Apple should have tools so a human being can hear them. Relying on some computer to tell you everything is fine, when it's obviously not, is bullshit.
If they don't want to diagnose their hardware, then they should just exchange them with no questions asked. Getting denied on a repair "cuz the computer said so" is crap.
I am at the 5th and 4th replacements (left and right, or might be the reverse). I do hope these issues were fixed in 2nd gen.
At one time, I have found a YouTube video describing how to fix the noise cancelling issue by literally sucking on the external microphone grille of the malfunctioning AirPod. Oddly enough, it did fix the problem temporarily. I think there may be a valve that is used to equalize the pressure between the sealed ear and the outside, and if that gets stuck opened or closed the noise cancelling fails. In my case, low frequency sounds were passing through. Very annoying.
Worth noting, I had the clicking noise issue with Sony WH-1000XM3, too. The behavior was exactly the same as with the AirPods Pro. Whenever a change in pressure occurred (door/window closed or opened), and during walks or even just moving the head in certain ways, the clicking noise started. This only happened when ANC was active, both for AirPods Pro and for the Sonys.
With Apple, I never had any problems getting a replacement, and it was in two countries that do not have official Apple Stores. However, with the Sony it was a completely different story. I had them fixed in warranty, just to find out they were not actually fixed. They replaced the headband that had really nothing to do with the problem. Eventually, after lots of emails and calls, the store I bought them from just gave me back my money.
I'm thinking my WH-1000XM3's were faulty, the ANC didn't work very well unless music or brown noise was played at relatively high volume. Also the sound quality was really 'muddy', very muffled and very bass-dominant. I returned them. Neither of these issues were present on a no-name chinese 60 euro ANC headphone.
I’ve had my AirPods Pro for two years now and I’ve had to have both (left and right) replaced twice because of this. Unfortunately they are now out of warranty. I hope 2nd gen doesn’t suffer from something like this.
Got them replaced both for free in an Apple store, I thought only one was bugging out but their test machine said both were "broke". It was out of warranty since well over a year.
I have done this succesfully as well, even in another country than which I bought them in initialy. Nearly 2 years out of warranty at the time of replacement, replacement itself was not a problem.
This is in line with my experience, I got both AirPods Pro replaced out of warranty a couple weeks ago, even if only one of them was presenting issues. Apparently, the machine they use to check said both were affected.
I got them replaced in Spain while the original purchase took place in Germany.
i bet the rolling out of this program so close to the 2nd gen release is a subtle acknowledgment from apple that this issue is endemic to the 1st gen, and it's fixed now.
I've had this exact problem and I've had to replace one or both airpods not once, not twice, but thrice. But, to Apple's credit, they have handled it gracefully each time. The first time it did take a bit of convincing as there weren't many documented cases on the subject. Now, it's rote.
The root cause, as I understand it, is that the microphones that act for transparency mode or for noise-cancelling mode can be blocked by particulate matter. A quick test to see if this has happened is to disable both transparency and noise cancellation to see if the audio artifacts disappear - it is not always enough to inspect them under a microscope; this has been the case for me each time but I confess my environment is extremely dusty at times and I wear these airpods for extended periods in all manner of adverse conditions and they have always performed admirably.
>I've had to replace one or both airpods not once, not twice, but thrice. But, to Apple's credit, they have handled it gracefully each time. The first time it did take a bit of convincing as there weren't many documented cases on the subject.
Wow that sounds awful.
How did they "handle it gracefully"? You don't seem upset, but I got second hand customer service frustration reading this.
The closest thing I had to this was an xbox360 red ring of death 3 times. I excused it because I wanted to play Xbox games and that was the cost of playing.
- On the first instance I contacted apple via their customer support chat. It took about 30 minutes to get replacements shipped to me.
- On the second instance, the problem was well-established, so they just shipped me new ones.
- On the third instance, they asked me to go in to a local Apple Store, and that did take a bit longer.
In fact, I'm due for round 4 here soon. There's no stopping the dusty environment.
I'm pretty demanding of headphones - 2 pairs of jaybirds died horribly under the same circumstances and the company would only replace the first set. A cheap set of Aukey buds fared considerably better and they still have life left in them.
The tight integration of the airpods with my other apple devices and the perks, plus the overall sound quality and excellent noise cancellation around loud equipment more than make up for the hassle of a free replacement rigamarole every year. I've been pleased with them since I received them as a gift in December of 2019, and I'm absolutely not upset in the slightest that there have been problems. Fortune has smiled upon me with regard to my experiences with Apple products.
I'm still fuming at your story. But I'm happy that you perceive this as a good experience.
I wish whatever tricks Apple used, they could implement at the Post Office and Car Dealerships. I don't even care if I have to undergo exploitive psychology, I just don't want to be miserable with things outside my control.
Well, I don't consider it a _bad_ experience; I understand that my usage has contributed significantly to the problem. If Apple were to give me the runaround here, my story would likely be very different. I may have abundant patience but it is finite.
I wouldn't dare prescribe my regimen for how I deal with things beyond my control, but for interested parties I would say daily meditation and exercise have helped me turn down the volume on such things.
Buying AirPods Pro when I lost my original AirPods was probably one of the worst purchases I've made recently. They keep falling out no matter what I do, until I got these silicon "shark tip" covers that mimic the kind of eartips a lot of sports headphones have. It's so annoying.
What brand/model tip did you end buying? My favorite ear tips for the longest time have been the triple flange ones from Etymotic but they are a little behind the curve and still only sell wired earphones.
What happens when the battery no longer holds a charge? Are they able to replace them or do you have to toss them in the trash?
I’ve been avoiding these because they seem like wasteful fast fashion. I imagine having to throw them out in ~2-3 years, where as my over ear Beyers will likely last the rest of my life.
I contacted Apple about this issue with my 1st gen AirPods (non-pro) in mind. They were basically unusable since the batteries would only hold a charge lasting a few minutes. I was offered to send them in for a battery replacement IIRC, but that would’ve set me back as much as the cost of a new pair, so I ended up just buying a new pair instead. I agree, it does feel quite wasteful.
As I've said before, it's very highly likely they are not actually repairing the unit by replacing the battery -- IMO that's false advertising to make them look "green".
The plastic halves of the earbud casings are ultrasonically sealed together; you have to break them apart to get at the guts (and IIRC the battery is also soldered in). Just look up the iFixit teardown; they're completely unrepairable. My bet is, they are just swapping them out with refurbs or new units and writing off the loss against their AppleCare earnings.
> As I've said before, it's very highly likely they are not actually repairing the unit by replacing the battery -- IMO that's false advertising to make them look "green".
I'm sure you're right about the first bit, and that calling it "battery replacement" is a sin of omission and/or over-simplification. As an engineer you're offended, but for average consumers, the result is what matters.
It's a stretch to call it greenwashing, though. Apple has supported AirPods recycling since its introduction. In the case of AirPods specifically, Apple pays recyclers for the manual labor required to recover materials, even though it significantly exceeds the value of the materials being recovered.
It's not a stretch to call it greenwashing when a replacement is marketed as a repair, no matter what else they do. Especially since a full replacement for battery drain inevitably leads into their recycling process - if they think that their recycling process is even better than replacing the battery, why lie?
> Apple pays recyclers for the manual labor required to recover materials, even though it significantly exceeds the value of the materials being recovered.
The criterion for recycling isn't whether it's profitable or not. Why would you get any recognition for profitably recycling?
It all depends on what requires more energy: breaking apart the airpods to replace the battery, or recycling and delivering a new pair. If the factory line is efficient enough it may be greener to replace instead of repair.
Of course it can be argued that if apple had designed them for easy battery replacement repair would be so easy as to always be greener.
The plastic halves of the earbud casings are ultrasonically sealed together; you have to break them apart to get at the guts (and IIRC the battery is also soldered in). Just look up the iFixit teardown; they're completely unrepairable.
Their lifespan is, at best, the lifespan of the battery (in terms of useful recharge cycles). This is the dirty secret of the vast majority of wireless earbuds on the market, regardless of their cost.
IMO the Airpods Pro are poorly designed. You really gotta be careful when you handle them as the little "air vents" that prevent ear pressure can easily "clogs" and this create a rattle sound when ANC is active.
I have the distinct feeling that the current generation of AirPod Pros suffer from a lot of reliability issues. I had to replace them 3 times in a year. I don’t use them for sports, I’m careful not to wet them, keep them clean, and they developed noise cancellation issues on one side, or noise.
My guess is that there is a non negligible portion that gets returned.
I sincerely hope the new version is more robust, the return experience was not great, I have doubts about the capacity of their automated tests to detect some of the actual issues that users experience.
I’m surprised to hear all the complaints of early failures, since my experience has basically been the opposite. I bought used AirPods Pro on backmarket and accidentally sent them through the wash a few months in. But they still work flawlessly over a year later, and I even use them for running.
I am glad I came across this post. I was thinking I was going to need to buy some new ones. My right one has a static issue and the left one has a weird clicking.
I used it to replace one of mine. I told them it was staticy when I put it in my ear. They said so sorry and they would process a replacement. The process took minutes over Apple Support chat and I had a new one in 3 days with a postage free box to return mine.
If you have problems get it replaced. What's the drama?
Had four or five pairs replaced due to this issue. The most recent repair seems to have fixed the issue, but the noise cancellation is noticably worse than the launch set. On the bright side, it was nice getting a pair with refreshed batteries back each time.
Here is a 50 dollar alternative with isolation that lets you enjoy your music on the plane just fine - Marshall Mode. Once you realize you dont have to have BT audio you can get pro in-ears for the price of AirPods.
As someone who sits on video calls often, please, please do not use your AirPods for conference microphones. I cannot understand about 25% of what people are saying, especially those people w/deep voices.
I don't get why nobody is talking about this. I'm starting to suspect it only effects a subset of all AirPods Pro and is covered by this replacement program even though it's not really tasted clearly.
AirPods Pro even compared to the the non-Pros have awful microphones.
My AirPods Pro are great except the left one drains it's battery about twice as fast as the right one. Has anybody here experienced something similar? Will Apple do anything about it?
Probably it wouldn't. It could well have sustained an unfortunate fall, left in the sun to overheat etc. Batteries are somewhat delicate and there's often no way to tell the cause.
Isn't it odd that it's always the high end models that seem to have all sorts of issues? I got a cheap $25 pair of earbuds from Amazon a year ago and they work flawlessly.
Despite that, I'm still upgrading to round 2 this morning. Hoping the new version of the chip plus the new case makes this connection/charging issue go away. Sigh. Apple does manage to always get my money, doesn't it. Though, I guess, to be fair, apart from those issues my first gen's have served me well for like 3 years and they're the only headphones I actually use 90% of the time. (Also, even more noise cancelling on the already good noise cancelling sounds good...maybe these can become my long-plane-trip headphones and let me retire the big sonys.)