AirPods Sound Quality On Phone Calls

[OBirder]

Are the AirPods compatible with HD voice? It seems voice quality is being left behind in the pursuit for lossless music! Eventually most users are going to be upset switching from great quality music audio to mono 8khz SBC voice quality when making calls.

Do you have AirPods or are you assuming?

For me personally these are the best Bluetooth headsets for phone calls I ever had. I had Bose, Jabra, Plantronics and others.

I can hear the caller very well and I am getting feedback that the other side can hear me with high quality as well. I talk frequently to people that have AirPods too. I can hear them better than most other phone calls I receive.
I have used both AirPods for calls or just one (when driving). On a two hour call while driving I changed from the right one to the left one without the other side noticing it.
I have don't have to raise my voice as I experienced with others. They are the least distracting while driving (much better than the car Bluetooth).

I did experienced 2 or 3 times since December the distortion as described. But its the whole call. Hanging up and dialing again fixed it. I did experience this a few times with prior headsets. So is it AT&T, the phone or the headset? I don't know, but it doesn't bother me the few times it happened.

I had a few hiccups with Music, but after the recent iOS (10.3.1) update the connection has been flawless.

My wife operates from her home office and is using the AirPods all day long for Music and phone calls. She is not a tech enthusiast as I might be, for her this was the best invention since the iPhone.

For me these are most amazing things I have bought in a long time. The Jaybirds we both used before are collecting dust. Only if I want it quiet and the according noise cancellation I use my Bose QC35 (e.g. flights). The call quality on the AirPods is in my opinion superior to the Jaybirds and Bose.

 

[zorinlynx]

Do you have AirPods or are you assuming?

It's not too surprising that people would be paranoid about call quality when buying new bluetooth headsets or earbuds.

Historically (at least for the past several years) there have been dozens and dozens of bluetooth headsets that sound amazing for music, but as soon as you make a call they sound like arse. I remember a coworker asking why I took off my (then, Jaybird SB1) headphones to take a call directly with the phone, and I had to explain how they sound great for music but crappy for calls.

Every brand, every headset had this issue. Even the $300 JBL Everest headphones I bought had this problem; I returned those because they aren't comfy.

My Bose Soundlink AE2 headphones sound a bit better for calls, but still not very good and I will disconnect them and take a call directly with the phone most times. This is more because the other person can't hear me that well with those headphones.

Now, the AirPods, on the other hand, are the FIRST Bluetooth headphones I use that actually sound pretty good for calls, both for me and the other person. I've started reaching for them when making calls, even, and I'm pretty happy with them in that regard. Seems Apple cracked the code and figured out how to make bluetooth calls sound good. Yay!

 

[rnbarg]

It's not too surprising that people would be paranoid about call quality when buying new bluetooth headsets or earbuds.

Historically (at least for the past several years) there have been dozens and dozens of bluetooth headsets that sound amazing for music, but as soon as you make a call they sound like arse. I remember a coworker asking why I took off my (then, Jaybird SB1) headphones to take a call directly with the phone, and I had to explain how they sound great for music but crappy for calls.

Every brand, every headset had this issue. Even the $300 JBL Everest headphones I bought had this problem; I returned those because they aren't comfy.

My Bose Soundlink AE2 headphones sound a bit better for calls, but still not very good and I will disconnect them and take a call directly with the phone most times. This is more because the other person can't hear me that well with those headphones.

Now, the AirPods, on the other hand, are the FIRST Bluetooth headphones I use that actually sound pretty good for calls, both for me and the other person. I've started reaching for them when making calls, even, and I'm pretty happy with them in that regard. Seems Apple cracked the code and figured out how to make bluetooth calls sound good. Yay!

I would be interested in a comparision of the Airpods w/dedicated BT Wireless headsets intended (clip on) one ear such as those made by Jabra, Motorola, Plantronics, and the outstanding but no longer made Bose BT2 vs headphones like the QC-35s.

 

[OBirder]

I would be interested in a comparison of the Airpods w/dedicated BT Wireless headsets intended (clip on) one ear such as those made by Jabra, Motorola, Plantronics, and the outstanding but no longer made Bose BT2 vs headphones like the QC-35s.

Actually that's what I did in the first part of my prior post. I have been using dedicated one ear wireless BT headsets for years. Did have Motorola, Jabra, Plantronics and the mentioned Bose BT2. The best for phone calls for me had been in recent years the Bose BT2 and the Plantronics Legend Voyager which replaced the Bose. Both connect to two phones (my company and personal phone).
The Bose BT2 had good call quality, but didn't work well outdoors (wind). It had terrible battery life and very short Bluetooth range. I din't like the charging with Micro USB and the long charging time.
The Legend Voyager was better outdoors, had a travel charging case, better battery time and better range (still limited). Better buttons for handling. For long calls the wearing comfort was not the same (over the ear).
The Airpods have the best call quality. Outdoors they pick up less wind and by using both Airpods I can understand better. People on the other end (especially my spouse) confirm that they can hear me better than with other headsets in the past.
With the compact carry/charging case and that for phone calls you can wear one, while the other one is charging is the best of all above. The charging time is extremely fast.
Range: I can use them anywhere in my two story house without carrying my phone with me without losing connection (not possible with the BT2 or Voyager Legend).
Since they are so light, they provide the best wearing comfort for me.
They have no buttons e.g. for mute. But since I have an Apple Watch and iPhone it's a small disadvantage. What I really miss is that they are not connected to two phones at the same time. Switching between personal phone and company phone is not as seamless.

In addition to the pure phone headsets, I got with the Airpods the Music listening function and this the second part of my early post regarding Jaybirds and Bose. Call quality certainly better than QC-35. But the QC-35 are the ones for noisy environments (airplanes).

I use as well a dedicated Plantronics Savi 745 in the office (DECT from the base to headset, Bluetooth to the phone), for desk phone, Computer and work Cell Phone. It provides a long range (better than Airpods), great call quality, but not the same wearing comfort. When I receive a cell phone call I need to leave my cell phone at desk when I walk to a co-worker, since the cell phone has bluetooth connection with the base (short range), while the base has DECT connection to the headset (long range).

My personal summary, others may feel differently:
Nr. 1: Airpods for calls and music in most circumstances
Nr. 2: Plantronics Savi 745 in the office for calls (computer, desk phone and work cell phone)
Nr. 3: Bose QC-35 for noisy environments

All others are basically retired (including the Jaybirds which I used before for listening to music).

 

[windyrower]

I've had my AirPods approximately one month. My experience is very similar to yours. Phone calls are the most noticeable, during which I often (maybe every 20 mins or so) get the digitized garble for a good 20 seconds. Then it is back to nearly perfect.

This does not happen to music or video replay. I've been to the local Apple Store, only to have them tell me I am not the only reporting this issue — and nothing is wrong with my AirPods. (I / they also confirmed I'm on the latest firmware.)

I do hope for improvements, as these buds otherwise rock.

Well I guess that I'll just give it some time and see if other users experience the same thing. I'm really not sure if this is just how they are, or if there's a problem with mine.

For phone calls, the standard wired Apple EarPods definitely don't have this background static/hiss.

 

[givmedew]

I got replacement AirPods from the Apple Store but it's still happening. The genius guy said that there is no way it should be hissing like that, but even the new ones do it, so I'm lost :/ Maybe I'm just a fussy person.

This is the typical and unsurprising outcome to most people who come across issues like this.

Let me give you an example that I think bares some weight. It's the 90s I'm in a classroom with 4 computers and there is a crazy annoying sound. No one else hears it. I experience this throughout my entire life. Jump forward to 2008 LG has a phone called the VX10000 there are a very very small amount of customers complaining of a high pitch whine. The customers are further annoyed that they can not under any circumstance get this whine to happen in front of a technician. Those who get a replacement sometimes end up experiencing the same issue and again can't show it to anyone else.

Why? The noise is above the hearing threshold of most humans. Had a customer come in with one that was doing it and I heard it immediately anytime the inside CFL lit screen would come on. I can also hear CFLs in my custom computer and I can hear coil whine in motherboards and video cards. Drives me crazy (a much higher percentage of people can hear coil whine but for me it's very loud to my wife it's barely audible)

What I'm getting at is this

You may be noticing something that others are not. Because it may be above the hearing. No one described what the sound is like besides being a hiss. Are we talking a hiss like if a person or cat hissed? Or are we talking a barely audible high frequency hiss?

I have used hundreds of BT headphones as Jawbone, Motorola, Jabra, Plantronics and other used to send me every model that Verizon would end up selling. I was even included in some blackberry BT engineering sample testing (still have one).

I've heard annoying noise and I've heard noise above the typical threshold.

I've also tested the ear pods... Heard nothing like that. I personally use LG Tones Platinum because the around the neck thing is the only way I've been able to discipline myself to have them with me at all times plus although where I work now can order airpods we don't stock them in our stores so I don't like using stuff we don't stock. I find myself in the stores often so I don't want to be that guy with the case or headset that we don't carry.

Anyways

I'd like to know if your still having this issue because... It seems like something Apple would have tested for and if they didn't I'd think they would utilize a DSP that they could use a low pass filter to block super high frequencies out.

 

[dai-leung]

This is the typical and unsurprising outcome to most people who come across issues like this.

Why? The noise is above the hearing threshold of most humans. Had a customer come in with one that was doing it and I heard it immediately anytime the inside CFL lit screen would come on. I can also hear CFLs in my custom computer and I can hear coil whine in motherboards and video cards. Drives me crazy (a much higher percentage of people can hear coil whine but for me it's very loud to my wife it's barely audible)

It seems like something Apple would have tested for and if they didn't I'd think they would utilize a DSP that they could use a low pass filter to block super high frequencies out.

I am thinking of buying the airpods and concerned about the hiss reported by several users in this thread until I saw this explanation.

This is a very good explanation of why some people hear hiss while a majority of others don't because the former have excellent hearing, which I hope it is a blessing not a curse. My wife can hear up to 20KHz and can hear fain high frequency sounds (drive her crazy as well) that I have no idea they existed. Yes, a LPF will block the high freq noise.

Thank you for the explanation.

 

[matteuk]

I want to use these as a headset for my pc, Apple please try to improve bidirectional sound quality
[doublepost=1510528904][/doublepost]By the way guys, for those of you who are saying that they dont notice a drop in quality when making calls your iphone will sometimes use the built in microphone and keep the higher bitrate i think depending on certain circumstances

 

[mackie8]

how's the quality on facebook messenger calls?

 

[TheBrokenBee]

I have the exact same issue. Slight static hiss that surrounds the voice of the persons voice.

Music is perfect.

 

[JBStark]

Hi all,

I received my AirPods yesterday. I tested them out on my iPhone 6s (on AT&T), the sound quality is great while listening to music. However, when using them on phone calls, there seems to be some noticeable static in the background. Certainly nothing that makes them unusable, but the faint static/hiss is definitely there. Again, this only happen on phone calls. On music, they sound crystal clear.

Has anyone else noticed this? I'm just wondering if this is just the nature of calls over Bluetooth, or if there is an issue with my AirPods.

Thanks!

Yes, and sometimes audio in calls is in slow motion