AirPod Pro Ear Tip Fit test not working...Not the only one

[mentorosso]

hi,
i talked today with an apple support at the genius bar. They are aware of the solution, they said that sucking can do no harm. Blowing instead, can cause damage.
He said also to try to move repeatedly between ANC and transparency mode, this could cause the dirt that blocks the membrane to be expelled

 

[Artanis]

You’ll think I’m crazy, but... Today, I put my APPs in my ears and started the ear fit test. Both failed (the BOTH used to pass with no problem. Then, I started eating my lunch, which was a salad as I tried the test again. I was crunching as the test progressed and guess what? BOTH ears passed the test. Tried this several times and concluded the following: Whenever I was “crunching,” both EarPods passed. When I stopped “crunching,” both EarPods failed. If I just moved my jaw with not food, and therefore, no crunching, both failed. Why would both EarPods pass the test whenever there was crunching? What is the difference?

I’d be interested to see if someone else would try this to see if they get the same results. I did not try it with other crunchy foods such as chips or pretzels.

 

[Schranke]

You’ll think I’m crazy, but... Today, I put my APPs in my ears and started the ear fit test. Both failed (the BOTH used to pass with no problem. Then, I started eating my lunch, which was a salad as I tried the test again. I was crunching as the test progressed and guess what? BOTH ears passed the test. Tried this several times and concluded the following: Whenever I was “crunching,” both EarPods passed. When I stopped “crunching,” both EarPods failed. If I just moved my jaw with not food, and therefore, no crunching, both failed. Why would both EarPods pass the test whenever there was crunching? What is the difference?

I’d be interested to see if someone else would try this to see if they get the same results. I did not try it with other crunchy foods such as chips or pretzels.

Is there any sound difference when you does this?

 

[V_Man]

This feels like something Apple will never actually address.

Apple handles these issue the same way every time.

1 Don’t acknowledge the issue until it’s all over the news.

2 Then come up with an explanation for the failure.

3 finally offer a repair or replacement.

 

[Artanis]

Is there any sound difference when you does this?

I wasn’t listening to music. There was a lawnmower working nearby and I was just using the noise cancellation feature to deaden the mower’s noise. I wouldn’t listen to music while crunching salad because the crunching noice inside my head would be too loud. LOL

 

[Schranke]

I wasn’t listening to music. There was a lawnmower working nearby and I was just using the noise cancellation feature to deaden the mower’s noise. I wouldn’t listen to music while crunching salad because the crunching noice inside my head would be too loud. LOL

okay, but how much did the NC change? was it a big difference

 

[Kingmanarts]

I am formulating a theory. Apple, or anyone else, offering different circumstances does no good. Because, at least for some ear shapes, none of them come long enough, i.e. go into the ear canal far enough. Compare your $250 airpods with a pair of $8 scullcandy wired earbuds. The cheap ones are longer and go into the ear farther. Plus the hard body of the AirPods may prevent the rubber part from going into your ear far enough to make a good seal.

 

[EdMan]

I am formulating a theory. Apple, or anyone else, offering different circumstances does no good. Because, at least for some ear shapes, none of them come long enough, i.e. go into the ear canal far enough. Compare your $250 airpods with a pair of $8 scullcandy wired earbuds. The cheap ones are longer and go into the ear farther. Plus the hard body of the AirPods may prevent the rubber part from going into your ear far enough to make a good seal.

You know I've been reading this thread for a long time now. I was almost scared to use my APP. I've been using them to work out in this week since my Powerbeats were sent back to Apple for an issue. I've been checking the fit test regularly just because and mine still pass. I've had mine since early December. They even passed when I was sweating and the left one was having trouble staying put during the workout. The only time they failed was when I tried the larger tip for the left. Mine never updated to the new FW. Regular AP always fit my ears fine for what its worth.

 

[Duncan68]

You guys, like many people here my set started failing the ear fit test every time, despite the fact that they always passed when I first got them. I use the medium tips and decided to try the large tips and the test still failed.

I then had the idea to take the medium tips and rinse them under the tap for a good 30 seconds each. I carefully dried them off and put them back on the earphones, and to my surprise, the ear fit test passes again. I tried it three time and it passed each time.

My normal cleaning was to wipe the earphones (including the tips) with a microfiber cloth (reserved for that purpose) using Whoosh! I guess that wasn't enough to clean them.

Edit: never mind, they went back to failing the test!

 

[Surf Monkey]

I am formulating a theory. Apple, or anyone else, offering different circumstances does no good. Because, at least for some ear shapes, none of them come long enough, i.e. go into the ear canal far enough. Compare your $250 airpods with a pair of $8 scullcandy wired earbuds. The cheap ones are longer and go into the ear farther. Plus the hard body of the AirPods may prevent the rubber part from going into your ear far enough to make a good seal.

EXACTLY this. The tip are too short.

 

[Duncan68]

EXACTLY this. The tip are too short.

If the tips were longer, they'd have to make the case bigger.

 

[Artanis]

okay, but how much did the NC change? was it a big difference

Actually, the NC still seems to be fine and so is the audio. If Apple didn’t include the ear seal test in the app, I don’t think anyone would even notice a problem.

 

[Surf Monkey]

If the tips were longer, they'd have to make the case bigger.

Oh NOZ!!!!!!!!!!

 

[zhenya]

Oh NOZ!!!!!!!!!!

This is a deliberate design decision by Apple. Passive noise canceling IEM's require an excellent seal to have even a little bit of noise cancellation. Because the Airpod Pro's use active noise canceling, they need only a light to moderate seal, which is much more comfortable and easy to use.

Apple clearly changed how the fit test works at some point. For the first month+ I passed the test with every size tips, every time. Now it doesn't pass with any of the tips, ever, despite me clearly having a much better passive seal.

Apple changed how the test works - either intentionally or not - and this is driving the vast majority of complaints.

 

[BalutFX]

Actually, the NC still seems to be fine and so is the audio. If Apple didn’t include the ear seal test in the app, I don’t think anyone would even notice a problem.

I disagree. As many have stated on this and other forum topics, the NC was severely reduced from the original firmware. I travel by plane a lot and noticed it immediately. I acknowledge that some feel there was no change in NC, but even if the fit test did not fail with the since pulled firmware update, I think there would still be a lot of users complaining.

 

[Surf Monkey]

This is a deliberate design decision by Apple. Passive noise canceling IEM's require an excellent seal to have even a little bit of noise cancellation. Because the Airpod Pro's use active noise canceling, they need only a light to moderate seal, which is much more comfortable and easy to use.

Apple clearly changed how the fit test works at some point. For the first month+ I passed the test with every size tips, every time. Now it doesn't pass with any of the tips, ever, despite me clearly having a much better passive seal.

Apple changed how the test works - either intentionally or not - and this is driving the vast majority of complaints.

I get all of that. Deeper insertion would benefit it for those of us with ears that the stock tips don’t fit. Apple could have made deeper insertion tips AND a case that fits them. “They wouldn’t fit the case” is kind of a non-rebuttal since Apple designed both the buds and the case they live in.

 

[porkrind]

Apple changed how the test works - either intentionally or not - and this is driving the vast majority of complaints.

I’m not sure I buy this. Mine failed in exactly the way people are describing here in the first week of heavy usage, starting on the launch date. There were no updates affecting the fit test in that time. In retrospect, I believe the fit test began to fail through some combination of plugged vent panels and tip stiffness breakdown.

 

[vinegarshots]

I’m not sure I buy this. Mine failed in exactly the way people are describing here in the first week of heavy usage, starting on the launch date. There were no updates affecting the fit test in that time. In retrospect, I believe the fit test began to fail through some combination of plugged vent panels and tip stiffness breakdown.

Definitely not anything to do with the eartips, I can confirm that 100%. My replacements that I just got from the Apple store don't come with the eartip sets (only medium and I use large), so I'm using my old eartips on them, and they pass the fit test now.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Definitely not anything to do with the eartips, I can confirm that 100%. My replacements that I just got from the Apple store don't come with the eartip sets (only medium and I use large), so I'm using my old eartips on them, and they pass the fit test now.

That is very interesting. If they start to fail after a few days then it has to be hardware.

 

[Duncan68]

This suggests the AirPods Pro were rushed to market without long-term testing of the Ear Tip Fit Test beforehand. Shocking, huh?

Or even better, they knew that the test would start failing for many people, but decided to release as is to meet the Christmas deadline.

(This is all speculation. Don't take what I just wrote as the gospel truth.)

 

[vinegarshots]

This suggests the AirPods Pro were rushed to market without long-term testing of the Ear Tip Fit Test beforehand. Shocking, huh?

Or even better, they knew that the test would start failing for many people, but decided to release as is to meet the Christmas deadline.

Its more likely a symptom of how insanely complex the AirPods Pro are, and the sheer number of interconnected sensors/systems inside each pod, and yields of those sensors on a hard production schedule. We're talking a dozen sensors between a pair of these. If any one of them isn't performing to spec, there's going to be problems.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

If you look on the Apple site at the tech specs. It says that Apple tested the AirPods in October. If i read it right, it means that they only user tested the AirPods for one month before releasing at the end of the month. Thats hardly a sufficient testing period for such a complex device.

 

[eneisch]

Its more likely a symptom of how insanely complex the AirPods Pro are, and the sheer number of interconnected sensors/systems inside each pod, and yields of those sensors on a hard production schedule. We're talking a dozen sensors between a pair of these. If any one of them isn't performing to spec, there's going to be problems.

Add to that the millions of variations in the size and shape of everyone's ears! Also some people produce more earwax than others.

 

[clos101]

Just went through this madness because my left airpod pro started having distortion issues (long winded, but hmu if you want more info). Realized i never had actually done the ear fit test (med was perfect for me out the box, didn't know it even existed). I tried the test with every size, nothing worked, moved them around, etc... spent a good 45 minutes trying to no avail. Every size failed, no matter how much or little i played with them in my ears.

I talked it over with support, they said i could walk into an apple store, that they didn't have any way of setting reservations for AirPods. But they should be able to help me quickly. They are still under warranty.

Went by the store closest to me this morning, they checked and were willing to replace my left, but i had to drive to another apple store because they didn't have it on hand there. I drive over to the other store to get my new left airpod pro. It took a while updating and setting it up, but it instantly passed the test on the first try, while the right one continued not to pass... i asked them to replace the right one, of course it wasn't on hand at the store i was now at, but it WAS in stock at the apple store I had come from. I went back to the that store, was given a replacement right airpod pro.

At this point, what I had told my boss would probably take a half hour was already up to two hours. I went back to my office before updating and resetting. Half hour later, I connect, first test passes. I've got two new airpod pros working great, but there was a few hoops to get them. No charge, just a good chunk of my day and driving.

Oh... they DID charge me for replacement tips when i asked the support person via text. BUT i DID get some free ones with the new AirPods. So, YMMV on that front.

 

[Duncan68]

Just went through this madness because my left airpod pro started having distortion issues (long winded, but hmu if you want more info). Realized i never had actually done the ear fit test (med was perfect for me out the box, didn't know it even existed). I tried the test with every size, nothing worked, moved them around, etc... spent a good 45 minutes trying to no avail. Every size failed, no matter how much or little i played with them in my ears.

I talked it over with support, they said i could walk into an apple store, that they didn't have any way of setting reservations for AirPods. But they should be able to help me quickly. They are still under warranty.

Went by the store closest to me this morning, they checked and were willing to replace my left, but i had to drive to another apple store because they didn't have it on hand there. I drive over to the other store to get my new left airpod pro. It took a while updating and setting it up, but it instantly passed the test on the first try, while the right one continued not to pass... i asked them to replace the right one, of course it wasn't on hand at the store i was now at, but it WAS in stock at the apple store I had come from. I went back to the that store, was given a replacement right airpod pro.

At this point, what I had told my boss would probably take a half hour was already up to two hours. I went back to my office before updating and resetting. Half hour later, I connect, first test passes. I've got two new airpod pros working great, but there was a few hoops to get them. No charge, just a good chunk of my day and driving.

Oh... they DID charge me for replacement tips when i asked the support person via text. BUT i DID get some free ones with the new AirPods. So, YMMV on that front.

For some reason, I heard the Benny Hill theme music (Yakety Sax?) as I mentally pictured you going from one store to another and then back to the first store.

I hate to break it to you, but don't be surprised if after a few weeks you start failing the test again.