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

[biscuit]

Following up on my post from December. Tried some of the suggested fixes to no avail. I contacted support again through chat and they tried to make me a Genius Bar appointment, but it didn’t work for some reason. Had to call up and go through everything again but they still couldn’t book an appointment. So instead they sent a left AirPod by overnight UPS.

Took a while to get the reset/repairing to work, but once I did I could immediately tell the new left one was better. I got that sort of pressure equalising whoosh that I got when I first got the airpods. Sure enough, now getting good seal reported in fit test.

Seems like there really is some kind of hardware thing here.

 

[Kingmanarts]

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

Very funny.

 

[KayneGiordano]

I don't know about you, but if I press my airpods lightly during the test, sometimes it passes.

 

[Broken Hope]

My fit test was fine before the last firmware update that got pulled, now it always fails in the right ear.

 

[zippster]

My fit test was fine before the last firmware update that got pulled, now it always fails in the right ear.

yup so glad I found this thread as I thought I was going crazy.. never had a problem with the first test until the latest firmware.. now consistently fails with the right ear.. bl00dy annoying .. still should great though!

 

[Essoesspeee]

I followed this and now everything works beautifully. Best $20 I’ve ever spent. https://www.macstories.net/stories/...tips-of-airpods-pro-with-a-memory-foam-layer/

 

[IRF]

This is a Design flawed Product, and we are carrying the costs of the Public beta testing! This needs to be in media and news by now since of the popularity of these! I really do not get how Apple is getting away with this banana product until today. Unbelievable...

 

[jbryant705]

My fit test was fine before the last firmware update that got pulled, now it always fails in the right ear.

I don’t know how many times this has to be said because it’s been said many times in this thread. It has nothing at all to do with firmware. It was just a coincidence in timing.

My right to ear fails every few days and feels like the pressure is out of balance between both ears. If I suck on the inner grill on my right ear (hard and with the other ear out or both in transparency mode) the fit test passes for a few days until failing again. I have screenshots with time stamps that I’ll be showing the Genius Bar whenever I decide it’s worth going back again. I’m on my third pair now and with a new pair it seems to last about a month or so before starting to fail again in the right ear consistently.

 

[Duncan68]

I like many people had the test start failing after the first couple of weeks.

At this point, unless it's a software issue (and not hardware) that Apple issues a fix for, the only thing I will be concerned about is if the sound quality and ANC is acceptable to me. Both seem to still be OK, so I will not worry about the test.

 

[Duncan68]

I ordered and received a backup pair of medium tips through Applecare+ (it was no charge). To satisfy my curiosity, I tried the test with the new tips and both sides still failed, just like the original tips. So at least in my case, degradation of the tips is not a cause for me to fail the Ear Tip Fit Test.

 

[audio for life]

It still happens to me around every 5 days. I can clearly hear it when it happens, Bass response decrease and noice canceling get less (the suction effect diminish). No need to run the seal-test, however the seal-test always confirms.

Then suck out the grills a few times and they are back to factory specifications again (seal test constantly pass after this procedure). This often happens on the road, and it looks very weird sucking, my AirPods..... I am afraid no firmware update will fix this due it is a mechanical design issue.

 

[richard371]

When I first got mine both medium and large tips passed. I moved to the larger tips as I feel they fit better. Now both medium and large tips fail the test. If cleaned and repaired and no luck.

Had my coworker try and hers both fail the test also and it worked before. I think its a software bug at this point. The ANC seems to work fine.

 

[richard371]

What grill do you suck on to try and fix this issue?

 

[richard371]

Well after sucking on the left grill I got that one to pass the test but no matter how hard I try I cannot with the right one. These things are a joke. I feel like they are working ok but I don't get that swoosh anymore when the ANC kicks on.

 

[zhenya]

I am one of the people who has been skeptical this was a hardware issue. Mine had stopped passing the fit test sometime in December after several weeks of use. Sucking on them never made any substantive change for me.

However, yesterday I tried cleaning the grilles with blu-tack as suggested here, and once again, both sides pass the fit test every time. It wasn't until after I'd cleaned them that I thought to dig out my kid's 25x handheld microscope to inspect them, but at the moment they are perfectly clean/clear.

Noise cancellation may/may not be better. I can't comment on that yet, but I am intrigued.

 

[jayinla]

Just tried the Blu Tack trick. Absolutely worked! Stuck it on all the grills for a few seconds and presto, ear tip test passes each time, bass was way more active as well. ANC still blows from the firmware update though. Before using the Blu Tack, neither ear passed the ear tip test after One week of owning.

 

[richard371]

Wow after trying everything it still failed on both ears. I tried the Blue Tac (Loctite) brand and now both get a good fit. It took me about 10 min or so but it works. This is 100% a hardware issue with the grills getting dirty. maybe Apple should include the Blu Tak and instructions with the airpod pros. Using a brush to clean it as stated in their care instructions does not work.

 

[sft109]

Wouldn’t blu tack leave residue and/or push things in more potentially?

Maybe I have some old blu tack that isn’t good anymore (3M Command mounting strips) as it left a bunch of blue sticky residue on the vent that I can’t really fully remove now. It had a bit of a gum-like consistency to it, like gum that sticks to your finger. I tried wiping it with a q-tip and a toothbrush dipped in 99% isopropyl alcohol and although it helped still not getting rid of it all. Is the Loctite blu tack going to make a difference and will it help remove the residue from the one I used?

I know I clogged them up good because I can’t really suck on the vent on the AirPod I tried the tack on anymore (failing the tip test every time) whereas the other one which I didn’t touch I can still clear if I suck on it and it will pass if I do that.

Any tips to get the residue from the bad tack out of the vent?

 

[anthony13]

I thought test fit did not work either but After you press the play button on the next screen you have to scroll up and you’ll see another play button.

i am so glad I’m not the only one annoyed by this. I feel like this sort of minor annoyance is gettin more and more prevalent in apple products, and its’ baffling that it hasn’t been fixed.

 

[vinegarshots]

Lol... well just want to confirm that Blue Tack definitely works (I also used the Lok Tite brand). Fit test passes again after cleaning. Cleaning with anything else doesn’t seem to make any difference.

 

[zhenya]

Wouldn’t blu tack leave residue and/or push things in more potentially?

Maybe I have some old blu tack that isn’t good anymore (3M Command mounting strips) as it left a bunch of blue sticky residue on the vent that I can’t really fully remove now. It had a bit of a gum-like consistency to it, like gum that sticks to your finger. I tried wiping it with a q-tip and a toothbrush dipped in 99% isopropyl alcohol and although it helped still not getting rid of it all. Is the Loctite blu tack going to make a difference and will it help remove the residue from the one I used?

I know I clogged them up good because I can’t really suck on the vent on the AirPod I tried the tack on anymore (failing the tip test every time) whereas the other one which I didn’t touch I can still clear if I suck on it and it will pass if I do that.

Any tips to get the residue from the bad tack out of the vent?

Yeah, new stuff doesn’t leave any residue at all. You can see a perfect impression of the grille each time you pull it away.

 

[Elektrofone]

Yeah, new stuff doesn’t leave any residue at all. You can see a perfect impression of the grille each time you pull it away.

which grille did you clean with the blue tack?

 

[sft109]

Yeah, new stuff doesn’t leave any residue at all. You can see a perfect impression of the grille each time you pull it away.

Ok thanks. Ordered some of the Loctite tack from Amazon so hopefully that does the trick when I get it tomorrow. I cleaned them pretty hard with isopropyl alcohol yesterday which got more out but still seems there is stuff deep down in there as it fails the test and bass is now weak in that one vs the other. Hopefully the new tack gets it all out.

 

[vinegarshots]

which grille did you clean with the blue tack?

The vent grill, the one that faces/touches your ear

 

[zhenya]

which grille did you clean with the blue tack?

The one that makes contact with your ear when wearing them is the usual one, but no reason not to do both.