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

[stanft]

I am a little bit concerned that my AirPods Pro are also having a problem with the noise reduction or microphones. The seal test is passed for my AirPods, noise reduction also seems to work. But on the other hand, I always hear a thump when walking with the AirPods. It is even louder when running with the AirPods in my ears ... regardless of the mode chosen (ANC, transparency). It is reduced a bit in ANC mode but still clearly present.

In all reviews however, the testers are saying that there is not thump sound at all.

 

[LostAggie]

I have given up on these for now. Two pairs started well but both developed issue with the seal test. I started running the fit test after noticing the NC was lacking.

 

[mppn]

I am a little bit concerned that my AirPods Pro are also having a problem with the noise reduction or microphones. The seal test is passed for my AirPods, noise reduction also seems to work. But on the other hand, I always hear a thump when walking with the AirPods. It is even louder when running with the AirPods in my ears ... regardless of the mode chosen (ANC, transparency). It is reduced a bit in ANC mode but still clearly present.

In all reviews however, the testers are saying that there is not thump sound at all.

I had this issue. They replaced everything in person and it was night and day. New pair was working flawlessly... for the first 4 days, after wich The right one began to do the tumping and failling fit test systematically.

I have opened a ticket again and they are still working on it... I'm also forwarding them every thread I read about this issue. I will need to hear back from them today or tomorrow or I'll go see at the genius bar... Again

 

[stanft]

I had this issue. They replaced everything in person and it was night and day. New pair was working flawlessly... for the first 4 days, after wich The right one began to do the tumping and failling fit test systematically.

I have opened a ticket again and they are still working on it... I'm also forwarding them every thread I read about this issue. I will need to hear back from them todayor tomorrow or I'll go seeat the genius bar... Again

The strange thing is that I have absolutely no problem with the seal/fit test. I can choose small or medium-sized tips - both do pass the fit test every time. But the thumping still occurs.

 

[Elektrofone]

I had this issue. They replaced everything in person and it was night and day. New pair was working flawlessly... for the first 4 days, after wich The right one began to do the tumping and failling fit test systematically.

I have opened a ticket again and they are still working on it... I'm also forwarding them every thread I read about this issue. I will need to hear back from them todayor tomorrow or I'll go seeat the genius bar... Again

Doing good work there. I hope they find out what the issue is. Im just surprised its not a bigger issue considering I've had it now on 4 pairs.

 

[oli]

Doing good work there. I hope they find out what the issue is. Im just surprised its not a bigger issue considering I've had it now on 4 pairs.

"They" are earning lot of money with the APpro and the majority is not aware of the boneconduction stuff and inward-micro-fail.

 

[vinegarshots]

The "fit"/seal-test is a good indicator if the inward-facing microphone is working (they are working-out if its sealed). If they are not working = fit-test always failed… (ergo: failing the fit-test suddenly = indicator of problems with this micros).

But the more important "active" function of this micros:

"An inward-facing microphone listens inside your ear for unwanted sound, which is also eliminated with anti-noise"

So don`t expect this inward anti-noise (most obvious the noise of bone-conduction if you walk or working-out) functioning if the APpro are failing the "fit"/seal-test. The (outward) ANC is not affected…

The Airpods aren't using the inner mic for the seal test at all. In fact, if it were using the inner mic, it should actually pass the test if the inner mic failed, because the only way that could work would be if it were trying to listen to sound leaking out from the eartip. But....it's not using the inner mic for that.

I just tested it on mine, and you can prove it yourself:

1) Take one Airpod out of your ear and leave the other in place.
2) On the Airpod you removed, fully cover the black sensor on the bottom and the black sensor/mic on the side that faces your ear (make sure you dont hold it sideways, because they appear to have a sensor to keep them from turning on if they're sideways. probably to keep from turning on in your pocket or something)
3) Run the seal test...it will fail.
4) Run the test again, following the same steps, except this time also firmly cover the opening of the ear tip with your finger.

The test will pass on that Airpod. Which means the outer mic has nothing to do with it. The easier, less conclusive test is to just push one airpod as far as it can go into your ear and hold it there with pressure while you run the test. This also makes the test pass for me. To me, this pretty conclusively shows that the ear tips are indeed the cause and for whatever reason stop sealing perfectly in some people's ears over time. Or their algorithm is way too sensitive and only passes if the seal is absolutely perfect.

There's also no way to eliminate the inner ear bone conducting thump. The inner mic isn't actually inside your ear canal, so it can't cancel any mechanical thumping that's happening in your ear canal or in your skull.

 

[Otflyer]

Not so sure about that as Reddit users have reported Seal test and NC issues. There is a wealth of information on there about people 'customising' their Pros to use additional foam inserts in the same fashion as reported on Macrumors

My 4th replacement set arrive tomorrow...I only logged the call two days ago. I am going down the foam route to see if I can resolve the NC problem. Not so bothered about the seal test. Just want to ensure I get a good seal for NC

If the fourth pair don’t work for you than it may be that your ear shape is not compatible with AirPods Pro and that maybe the case with many others with similar issues. I tried the Sony WF1000MX3 and they would not seal in my ears and would have to be pushed back in occasionally. I couldn’t hear a difference with ANC on or off so I had to return them. The AirPods Pro work flawlessly for me.
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The seal test indicates if the inward-microphone is intact – the moment it is always failing that indicates broken micro and worse NC.

I’m not so sure. I don’t get a seal on my right ear ever. The ANC and sound of my APP’s is great.
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I am a little bit concerned that my AirPods Pro are also having a problem with the noise reduction or microphones. The seal test is passed for my AirPods, noise reduction also seems to work. But on the other hand, I always hear a thump when walking with the AirPods. It is even louder when running with the AirPods in my ears ... regardless of the mode chosen (ANC, transparency). It is reduced a bit in ANC mode but still clearly present.

In all reviews however, the testers are saying that there is not thump sound at all.

I never get a thump sound.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

If the fourth pair don’t work for you than it may be that your ear shape is not compatible with AirPods Pro and that maybe the case with many others with similar issues. I tried the Sony WF1000MX3 and they would not seal in my ears and would have to be pushed back in occasionally. I couldn’t hear a difference with ANC on or off so I had to return them. The AirPods Pro work flawlessly for me.
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Well my ear shape doesnt change and the AirPods are fine for the first 6 or 7 days and then the issues start. It could be an issue with the tips degrading after a short period of time or not being fit for purpose from the factory

 

[morsecp]

The Airpods aren't using the inner mic for the seal test at all. In fact, if it were using the inner mic, it should actually pass the test if the inner mic failed, because the only way that could work would be if it were trying to listen to sound leaking out from the eartip. But....it's not using the inner mic for that.

I just tested it on mine, and you can prove it yourself:

1) Take one Airpod out of your ear and leave the other in place.
2) On the Airpod you removed, fully cover the black sensor on the bottom and the black sensor/mic on the side that faces your ear (make sure you dont hold it sideways, because they appear to have a sensor to keep them from turning on if they're sideways. probably to keep from turning on in your pocket or something)
3) Run the seal test...it will fail.
4) Run the test again, following the same steps, except this time also firmly cover the opening of the ear tip with your finger.

The test will pass on that Airpod. Which means the outer mic has nothing to do with it. The easier, less conclusive test is to just push one airpod as far as it can go into your ear and hold it there with pressure while you run the test. This also makes the test pass for me. To me, this pretty conclusively shows that the ear tips are indeed the cause and for whatever reason stop sealing perfectly in some people's ears over time. Or their algorithm is way too sensitive and only passes if the seal is absolutely perfect.

There's also no way to eliminate the inner ear bone conducting thump. The inner mic isn't actually inside your ear canal, so it can't cancel any mechanical thumping that's happening in your ear canal or in your skull.

Suppose the inner mic is actually listening to see if the sound is not as loud as it should be indicating there is a leak. If this is the case then a failing internal mic might indicate an improper fit while in reality it is just not registering the sound properly. I have two pair of Airpod Pros. One has started to fail the fit test. Switching the tips between the two pair makes no difference: the same pair of Pods always fails regardless of the tips and the other always succeeds. A few weeks ago they both had successful fit tests.

 

[vinegarshots]

Suppose the inner mic is actually listening to see if the sound is not as loud as it should be indicating there is a leak. If this is the case then a failing internal mic might indicate an improper fit while in reality it is just not registering the sound properly. I have two pair of Airpod Pros. One has started to fail the fit test. Switching the tips between the two pair makes no difference: the same pair of Pods always fails regardless of the tips and the other always succeeds. A few weeks ago they both had successful fit tests.

Try the steps I outlined. If you run the seal test while holding the airpod and you put your finger over the eartip hole and it passes, then its just the tips that are to blame.

 

[vinegarshots]

I made a video showing you guys this little experiment:

First I run the normal seal test with AirPods pushed fully into my ears (both fail, but used to pass when new.)
Then I run the seal test with one AirPod outside of my ear. (both fail)
Then I run the seal test with one AirPod outside of my ear with my finger against the eartip hole. (airpod outside of ear passes)

Point of this test is that if it passes the seal test with a confirmed seal on the eartip (finger pressed to fully cover the hole), then it's not a hardware problem, it is indeed an ear tip seal problem (or software that is hypersensitive to any normal variations in seal).

If you follow these steps exactly and it still fails after multiple attempts, then there is something else wrong with your pair.

 

[ATC]

Try the steps I outlined. If you run the seal test while holding the airpod and you put your finger over the eartip hole and it passes, then its just the tips that are to blame.

That was never the case for me. No matter the tip size and pressure applied during the test, it failed. The tips passed the tests initially.

 

[vinegarshots]

That was never the case for me. No matter the tip size and pressure applied during the test, it failed. The tips passed the tests initially.

Did you run the test with it outside your ear? Thats the only way to conclusively say where the problem lies.

It's possible / probable that there is some kind of threshold in the software where it reports a good seal. Maybe it was originally something like a 95% value was ok, and now it's looking for a 100% value.

 

[ATC]

Did you run the test with it outside your ear? Thats the only way to conclusively say where the problem lies.

It's possible / probable that there is some kind of threshold in the software where it reports a good seal. Maybe it was originally something like a 95% value was ok, and now it's looking for a 100% value.

I only ever ran the seal tests while the pods were in my ear.

 

[morsecp]

Try the steps I outlined. If you run the seal test while holding the airpod and you put your finger over the eartip hole and it passes, then its just the tips that are to blame.

As I said, I have two pair of APP's. One pair used to pass the test, now it fails. I can swap the tips between the two pair and the same pair always fails, regardless of the tips. The other pair always succeeds. They both used to succeed. This to me is a clear sign that it's a hardware issue unrelated to the tips.

 

[vinegarshots]

As I said, I have two pair of APP's. One pair used to pass the test, now it fails. I can swap the tips between the two pair and the same pair always fails, regardless of the tips. The other pair always succeeds. They both used to succeed. This to me is a clear sign that it's a hardware issue unrelated to the tips.

But does it fail if you plug the end with your finger? If not, then your theory doesn’t make much sense either ? Are they both on the same firmware?

 

[morsecp]

But does it fail if you plug the end with your finger? If not, then your theory doesn’t make much sense either ? Are they both on the same firmware?

I'm saying that if one pair of APP fail the fit test regardless of the tips and another pair never fails regardless of the tips it's unlikely the tips. The only variable is the APP themselves. Also I hardly think that using your finger is an adequate representation of an ear canal. No one except the Apple engineers who designed these things truly know how the various microphones interact with each other and what is going on during the fit test and during ANC.
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But does it fail if you plug the end with your finger? If not, then your theory doesn’t make much sense either ? Are they both on the same firmware?

According to your theory new tips would solve the problem. Or rather tips that pass the fit test with one pair of AirPod Pros would pass with another.

 

[Elektrofone]

I made a video showing you guys this little experiment:

First I run the normal seal test with AirPods pushed fully into my ears (both fail, but used to pass when new.)
Then I run the seal test with one AirPod outside of my ear. (both fail)
Then I run the seal test with one AirPod outside of my ear with my finger against the eartip hole. (airpod outside of ear passes)

Point of this test is that if it passes the seal test with a confirmed seal on the eartip (finger pressed to fully cover the hole), then it's not a hardware problem, it is indeed an ear tip seal problem (or software that is hypersensitive to any normal variations in seal).

If you follow these steps exactly and it still fails after multiple attempts, then there is something else wrong with your pair.

I'm saying that if one pair of APP fail the fit test regardless of the tips and another pair never fails regardless of the tips it's unlikely the tips. The only variable is the APP themselves. Also I hardly think that using your finger is an adequate representation of an ear canal. No one except the Apple engineers who designed these things truly know how the various microphones interact with each other and what is going on during the fit test and during ANC.
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According to your theory new tips would solve the problem. Or rather tips that pass the fit test with one pair of AirPod Pros would pass with another.

I’ve tried brand new ear tips and it still fails.

 

[vinegarshots]

Hmmm, it would be useful to know exactly which component in these is measuring the seal. Is there a pressure sensor in there? How does it determine this?

Possibly the component that determines it loses sensitivity, so that it can still determine a perfect seal, but doesn't have the sensitivity to determine a less than perfect seal. That could be firmware related, too.
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Here's a new discovery. It appears that all I have to do to get the test to pass is put the AirPods in my ears and then cover the outer mic grilles (black stripe on outside of AirPods) with my fingers. That is weird....

 

[Elektrofone]

Hmmm, it would be useful to know exactly which component in these is measuring the seal. Is there a pressure sensor in there? How does it determine this?

Possibly the component that determines it loses sensitivity, so that it can still determine a perfect seal, but doesn't have the sensitivity to determine a less than perfect seal. That could be firmware related, too.
[automerge]1576123561[/automerge]
Here's a new discovery. It appears that all I have to do to get the test to pass is put the AirPods in my ears and then cover the outer mic grilles (black stripe on outside of AirPods) with my fingers. That is weird....

I think it’s listening for leakage outside the ears but it’s not only the failure of the test but it’s definitely more noticeable that the airpods are not working as well as they normally do in this state.

 

[Gathomblipoob]

I tried the Sony WF1000MX3 and they would not seal in my ears and would have to be pushed back in occasionally.

I had the same experience. Not one of the 7 ear tip pairs gave me a good fit. Not as handy, but I bought a pair of over-the-ears Sony WH-1000XM3s. Love them.

 

[morsecp]

Hmmm, it would be useful to know exactly which component in these is measuring the seal. Is there a pressure sensor in there? How does it determine this?

Possibly the component that determines it loses sensitivity, so that it can still determine a perfect seal, but doesn't have the sensitivity to determine a less than perfect seal. That could be firmware related, too.
[automerge]1576123561[/automerge]
Here's a new discovery. It appears that all I have to do to get the test to pass is put the AirPods in my ears and then cover the outer mic grilles (black stripe on outside of AirPods) with my fingers. That is weird....

I think by covering the outer microphone grill you're also putting pressure on the AirPods in your ears. I'm not sure it's the act of covering the external microphone or just the fact that you're pressing on the AirPods while doing so which is causing them to be tighter in your ear. If you equalize the pressure in your ears while performing the test you will likely get a pass as well.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

My 5th set of airoods have now arrived so will be wondering if they last more than six or seven days before the NC fails again.
i have memory foam from various third parties on order so see it I can get some performance continuity out of the pods

 

[morsecp]

Has anyone who has gotten a replacement pair had success with the fit test after a few days of use?