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Airpods Pro 3 - ANC loud static white Noise?

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Bud_Spencer

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Sep 22, 2025
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1
Last night when it was quiet in the house, I noticed, that the AirPods Pro 3 have a rather loud active noise hiss (also known as “static white noise”). I only knew this kind of noise from my old Sony XM3.

The hiss/white noise is clearly audible in both ANC and Transparency mode.
The AirPods Pro 2 also have a hiss, but it is a lot much quieter, barely noticeable.

Before I go to the Apple Store to exchange them: could someone please double-check this?
Do you also hear a hiss in a quiet room, or are mine defective?

Thanks
 
I notice far less static than the APP2, but my guess is since everyone's ears are different, and ANC is frequency based, people will hear different things.
 
I'm not noticing the static in ANC, but in Adaptive there's a bit more static noise in my APP3 than APP2. I feel like something's not right with the APP3's Adaptive/Transparency modes — I noticed some very jarringly harsh sounds of cutlery clattering the other day (like that sound specifically was being amplified), which I'd never noticed on the APP2, and have seen other people mention too. Hopefully it's something they can fix in a firmware update.
 
I found some people talking about it on reddit as well, so probably a firmware thing rather than a problem with our specific hardware:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AirpodsPro/comments/1nl2fem/ocean_static_noise_with_airpods_pro_3_anyone_else

I checked going into “Off” listening mode, and there's no static there. So it's something to do with the microphones. Gotta imagine Apple will be able to fix this in firmware … just some teething problems.

Edit: Actually, mine seems much worse in the left AirPod compared to the right … so maybe it is a hardware thing 🤷🏻‍♂️
 
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Asthmatic Kitty said:
I found some people talking about it on reddit as well, so probably a firmware thing rather than a problem with our specific hardware:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AirpodsPro/comments/1nl2fem/ocean_static_noise_with_airpods_pro_3_anyone_else

I checked going into “Off” listening mode, and there's no static there. So it's something to do with the microphones. Gotta imagine Apple will be able to fix this in firmware … just some teething problems.

Edit: Actually, mine seems much worse in the left AirPod compared to the right … so maybe it is a hardware thing 🤷🏻‍♂️
Click to expand...

For me the left one has also a louder static noise.
And I don't have the Off option.
Only Transparency, Adaptive, and Noise Cancel, but no OFF.
 
I haven’t heard that in mine. And I have the curse of hearing frequencies I’d rather not hear. Like I can hear electronics turning on, and off. It sucks.
 
Just spoke to Apple support about the issue and they're going to replace the AirPods. Was hoping they'd just replace the affected one (left), but they have to replace everything for some reason.

I hope the APP3 aren't going to have a host of hardware issues like the APP1 did — the 2s seemed so much more reliable in that regard.
 
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It's very strange, I would think it's defective, but it's on both ears?? You can switch ANC from on to off, clearly ANC is quieting down the lower frequencies, but the higher frequencies seem to actually get LOUDER in a quiet room when turning ANC on. It just sounds like I have a small fan on in the room all the time (I do not).

No, I do not have background sounds on, that's the first thing I checked.

WTH? Just me?
 
Update:
today i exchanged my AirPods 3 Pro at the Apple Store.
Very Sadly the White-Noise is the same. So it's hardware-related. Presumably, the ANC and Transparency modes are working more powerfully to get the 2x (which is causing more noise due to the amplification).

Very disappointing, it really bothers me when it comes to audiobooks or podcasts.
 
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Same issue here. I got another pair from amazon when they had them for $10 less than apple… and both my launch day APP3 as well as the amazon pair have the annoying white noise with ANC in a more quiet environment. It is super annoying when i listen to podcasts at home and as bad as the truly outdated XM3s and much worse than my XM4 ear buds. Hope apple can fine tune the ANC a bit with a new FW and not having it blast full on in quiet environments.
 
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Bud_Spencer said:
Update:
today i exchanged my AirPods 3 Pro at the Apple Store.
Very Sadly the White-Noise is the same. So it's hardware-related. Presumably, the ANC and Transparency modes are working more powerfully to get the 2x (which is causing more noise due to the amplification).

Very disappointing, it really bothers me when it comes to audiobooks or podcasts.
Click to expand...
All we need is a FW update which has 2 options for ANC… normal / high. I’m more than happy to select “high” for a noisy walk along a street but sitting at home in the bedroom watching a movie I don’t need ANC that high and “normal” would be fine while reducing white noise.
 
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Very pronounced in mine but only in Transparency/Adaptive mode. And only, or at least way more pronounced, in the right one.

Had absolutely zero static noise with APP2. Will be returning since I also don't quite like the new sound profile and they are less comfortable for me.
 
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Ralfi said:
For me, it’s like raining in the distance.
Click to expand...


Yes, that's how I heard it the first time, too. My window was open and I thought, oh, it's raining, I look out, everything's dry.It does bother me; I could leave the APP2 inside all day, without music, podcasts, etc.That doesn't work with the APP3; the hissing/noise really annoys me.One reason to return it.
 
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