AirPods Max: Crown sometimes restricts volume increase around 60-70%

[Asthmatic Kitty]

I've had the APM for about a year, but for the last 3–6 months I've occasionally run into an issue where, when I try to increase the volume using the crown it'll kind of fight me. So as I keep turning it the volume will fail to increase, but then it'll break through some kind of barrier and resume increasing as normal. Always seems to happen around the 60–70% mark. I don't have any kind of restriction of loud noises set in iOS, as far as I know. Easier to see what I mean in the screen recording below, it's most prominent towards the end of the video. The parts where the volume indicator is jiggling about is where I'm trying to increase the volume and it's fighting me.

This definitely didn't used to happen with them, so I assumed it was a bug in a firmware update, but when I couldn't find anyone else talking about it online I thought maybe it's a hardware issue? Also the fact they've not fixed it in so long is a strange one if it's firmware … but it really does feel like a firmware issue to me. Anyone else experienced this with theirs?

My warranty is about to run out so I might try taking them to the Apple Store to see what the geniuses have to say.

 

[jprmercado]

OMG I thought it was just me! Yes, I’m having this exact same issue too! I was thinking that it could be a mechanical problem, but I suspect that it could be more of a firmware problem.

Overall, the latest firmware has caused me battery drain, connection issues, and this weird volume thing. You are not alone!

 

[Asthmatic Kitty]

Ah I'm glad to hear of someone else having the problem! I actually did a bit more digging the other day and concluded it must be firmware: the bug only happened around that volume level, not others, and it still happened after switching the crown rotation direction. So don't see how it can be hardware. Hopefully they'll fix it at some point, though it's been an issue for a few months now for me.

 

[jprmercado]

Yes, I’m also glad to know that I’m not the only one with this issue because it pretty much confirms that this is a firmware issue.

I was hoping that we’d get a firmware update with one of the iOS releases, but no dice. My warranty’s about to expire too, so I’m also wondering if I should have this looked at before the expiry date. Or, better yet, I hope we get a firmware update that fixes the issue before then.

 

[Asthmatic Kitty]

I think they’ve finally fixed this 🎉 Firmware v5B58.

 

[Tofupunch]

Wow, i just stumbled across this. And I've totally experienced this. Not sure if my APM have updated its firmware yet. Thanks guys!