Apple AirPods Firmware

[Glideslope]

This line of thinking actually jibes quite well with the other hot topic re APP: the mod that has shown up on social media (e.g., Federico Viticci, Macrumors, Reddit) of placing a memory foam insert between the earcup and stem to create a better fit/seal. If there is an issue,I suspect it may that the adhesion power of the tips degrades after several weeks' use leading to the seal not staying put. I know that has definitely occurred for me. I am constantly having to push the APP back into my ear (frequently leading to hanging up on people I’m on the phone with).

Worth noting with this line of though that APP owners with Apple Care+ are now receiving replacement tips at no cost.

Seems fairly obvious now there is some type of compositional issue with the silicon. I see the connector is slightly out of round, Im curious if this creates some issue as the tip is compressed in the ear for a week or two? I'm not an engineer but there is definitely a sealing issue at the foundation of all of theses complaints with ANC.

I'm still of the opinion the screen over the inner microphone needs a redesign.

 

[gwhizkids]

Worth noting with this line of though that APP owners with Apple Care+ are now receiving replacement tips at no cost.

Seems fairly obvious now there is some type of compositional issue with the silicon. I see the connector is slightly out of round, Im curious if this creates some issue as the tip is compressed in the ear for a week or two? I'm not an engineer but there is definitely a sealing issue at the foundation of all of theses complaints with ANC.

I'm still of the opinion the screen over the inner microphone needs a redesign.

Good to know as I have AC+ on mine. Will seek out replacements!

 

[xxBlack]

i tried the hack with the Memory foam and honestly I don’t hear much different. ANC is not that much better

 

[bwinter88]

There's no denying that Sony's WF-1000XM3 earbuds are a direct competitor to the AirPods Pro.

But that year-old Reddit thread to which you link has nothing to do with WF-1000XM3s (which didn't even go on sale until seven months after that thread was written).

Thanks for the correction. I meant to link to this.

The firmware conspiracy seems to happen with all kinds ANC headphones, across all brands.

 

[KayneGiordano]

Thanks for the correction. I meant to link to this.

What is a conspiracy in this case? It has a noise suppression concern only during calls, not the rest.

 

[sbuntin]

I agree. This is from a transcript of a support chat I had last year:



Note how the support rep misspelled "you're" as "your." A common error, but still embarrassing.

Asking me if I was having a "super day" seemed silly, but fair enough. Asking me if I felt like an "All Star," though, was juvenile.

I'd bet that was some manager deciding it was a good idea.
The typo is doubly surprising, though. They tend to use canned phrases instead of typing them out every time, so quite possibly every customer that agent worked with got "your".

 

[c14nhl]

I clean the tips frequently and recently noticed the mesh, in the middle, was a mess. My attempt to clean it resulted in me breaking the mesh.

I contacted Apple to purchase new ones, but was told they’re covered under warranty and sent me 2 sets free of charge.

Even with me cleaning them often, I’ve noticed a big difference grip wise having the new tips.

They feel as they did when I first purchased them. I had thought the ANC was reducing over time.

I’m keeping my eye out for a firmware update but definitely try out new tips.

 

[hesoba]

So, when is ANC fixed? Its getting embarrassing ....

 

[Duncan68]

So, when is ANC fixed? Its getting embarrassing ....

Next Tuesday at 3:02PM.

 

[Ralfi]

Next Tuesday at 3:02PM.

Dammit. Gonna have to cancel my Kidney transplant...

 

[japanime]

Dammit. Gonna have to cancel my Kidney transplant...

I was wondering who was getting my kidney. Let me know when you reschedule so I'll be ready.

 

[kissmo]

Since there’s a pretty long time wait, the new FW better be magic.
I feel like waiting for the FW is similar to waiting for Patrick Rothfuss to release his third book from his trilogy... (for those who know what I am talking about.... it’s an eternity)

I realized today that when I used the airpods in NYC (only for a couple of hours) they isolated a lot better the sound on the street. As I came back to Europe, they don’t do the same.
Now I cleaned nicely the rubber tips and I tried both small and medium in US, both giving me the same level or quietness.
In EU, from day 1 the sound was different and no FW update happened.

I am assuming the car noise is different in EU from US because here I can hear the highs of the noise better than in US. As crazy as it may sound, it could be since US cars do use lower quality fuel and bigger engine, they do sound more “bass-ish“.
So I hope a new FW update comes back so when I am walking around I can only hear the void in my head....

 

[vinegarshots]

Since there’s a pretty long time wait, the new FW better be magic.
I feel like waiting for the FW is similar to waiting for Patrick Rothfuss to release his third book from his trilogy... (for those who know what I am talking about.... it’s an eternity)

I realized today that when I used the airpods in NYC (only for a couple of hours) they isolated a lot better the sound on the street. As I came back to Europe, they don’t do the same.
Now I cleaned nicely the rubber tips and I tried both small and medium in US, both giving me the same level or quietness.
In EU, from day 1 the sound was different and no FW update happened.

I am assuming the car noise is different in EU from US because here I can hear the highs of the noise better than in US. As crazy as it may sound, it could be since US cars do use lower quality fuel and bigger engine, they do sound more “bass-ish“.
So I hope a new FW update comes back so when I am walking around I can only hear the void in my head....

The automotive noise is much lower frequency in Manhattan, and more "boomy" because of all of the tall buildings jammed so closely together. It reverberates much more than a typical city landscape.

 

[strikereg]

I had a diminished ANC performance on the left AirPod for the past weeks. Even called Apple support. But reading this thread I decided to clean every vent, though they looked perfectly clean, and to my surprise it solved the issue.

 

[Ralfi]

I had a diminished ANC performance on the left AirPod for the past weeks. Even called Apple support. But reading this thread I decided to clean every vent, though they looked perfectly clean, and to my surprise it solved the issue.

Good work.

How did you clean them?

 

[strikereg]

Good work.

How did you clean them?

A bit of Blu-tack (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blu_Tack), that's been my go to cleaning method for in-ear phones grills for ages. Gets inside and molds aroud small crevices, is slightly adhesive, ans comes back in one piece with the lint/dirt/whatever attached

 

[gwhizkids]

I had a diminished ANC performance on the left AirPod for the past weeks. Even called Apple support. But reading this thread I decided to clean every vent, though they looked perfectly clean, and to my surprise it solved the issue.

That’s a great solution! To be clear (haha!), did you clean the vents on the tips (the small rectangular cutouts) or on the stem of the hardware?

 

[strikereg]

That’s a great solution! To be clear (haha!), did you clean the vents on the tips (the small rectangular cutouts) or on the stem of the hardware?

All of them!

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Yes Blu-Tack works really well as does a little bit of rubbing alcohol too

 

[Pushpaw]

Yes Blu-Tack works really well as does a little bit of rubbing alcohol too

The official cleaning instructions say to use a bit of isopropyl alcohol on the case, but for the headphones themselves the instructions are different. Although they don't specifically say don't, it feels implied. I am curious if alcohol may damage some coating or something. For the silicone tips they specifically say don't use soap or other household cleaners (which would include isopropyl alcohol).

Info here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208729

 

[Bazooka-joe]

The official cleaning instructions say to use a bit of isopropyl alcohol on the case, but for the headphones themselves the instructions are different. Although they don't specifically say don't, it feels implied. I am curious if alcohol may damage some coating or something. For the silicone tips they specifically say don't use soap or other household cleaners (which would include isopropyl alcohol).

Info here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT208729

That’s interesting as a few people on here posted success in restoring ANC using rubbing alcohol

 

[anthony13]

I would think they have to be cautious about recommending any substance for cleaning the actual headphones, as the liability for such things get tricky.

 

[Ralfi]

Alcohol may cause discolouration & may seep in & impact adhesive seals etc, so I’d be careful.

 

[Toratek]

When I like an IEM or truly wireless solution, I always buy two units. Example, Shure SE846, Sony WF-1000MX3, and Sony WF1000 before the current generation Sonys.

I only have one set of APP. Not good enough. Disappointing. But so much potential!

Hope the next generation solves all the many problems with SNC and SQ, because the utility and convenience is outstanding.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Well I am on day 8 of my Pro’s. Previous sets developed issues after 5 or 6 days but these are fine. The difference between these and my previous sets is night and day.
I may be tempting fate but I get a perfect seal every time and the bass and lows are better. Yes with 2B588, the ANC still leaves a lot to be desired but there is a huge difference with this set between ANC and transparency mode.
i can’t put my finger on it but they definitely seem better built all round with even battery usage and zero connectivity or charging issues. Microphone works well too. People can actually hear me now. These are a January build and I swear Apple has tweaked something. There were rumours that Apple had some QC issues and stopped production to address those problems.
if they improve the NC with a firmware update, these would be perfect.