by drclau on 9/9/22, 11:16 AM with 116 comments
by paultopia on 9/9/22, 12:03 PM
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.)
by dewey on 9/9/22, 1:20 PM
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.
by mortenjorck on 9/9/22, 1:43 PM
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?
by steve_adams_86 on 9/9/22, 12:14 PM
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.
by chollida1 on 9/9/22, 12:10 PM
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.
by andsoitis on 9/9/22, 11:39 AM
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.
by drclau on 9/9/22, 3:05 PM
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.
by yabqk on 9/9/22, 11:44 AM
by themensch on 9/9/22, 4:11 PM
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.
by LetsGetTechnicl on 9/9/22, 1:24 PM
by s__s on 9/9/22, 2:50 PM
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.
by remir on 9/9/22, 10:04 PM
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.
by Renaud on 9/9/22, 1:38 PM
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.
by jjuel on 9/9/22, 4:03 PM
by SpikeDad on 9/10/22, 4:52 AM
If you have problems get it replaced. What's the drama?
by wodenokoto on 9/9/22, 1:39 PM
Needs a (2021) in the title.
by dayedh on 9/9/22, 2:55 PM
by rumblestrut on 9/9/22, 4:24 PM
Now my replacement pair is doing a similar, although different sounding issue. I need to take those in.
Annoying. But clearly a First World Problem that I'm glad Apple is taking steps to fix.
by alexalx666 on 9/9/22, 11:21 PM
by mmastrac on 9/9/22, 5:32 PM
by robertlagrant on 9/9/22, 2:01 PM
by criddell on 9/9/22, 12:00 PM
by acqbu on 9/9/22, 8:09 PM
by LUmBULtERA on 9/9/22, 4:39 PM