Apple AirPods Firmware

[kissmo]

Many people who bought the APP are new to NC, so it’s understandable Apple didn’t introduce a NC Slider.

Also, many wouldn’t find it useful anyway. For those of us who aren’t having NC issues, the simple on/off option works very well.

I agree. And I am in the situation of being new to NC.

I also believe that a slider is not something they should put in - but a setting such as
Intensity: low, medium and high
would probably be easier to grasp and might add some value.

The concern here is the strength of NC impacting the sound quality - and I think here Apple might have struggles with delivering consistent sound quality across all devices and all NC presets. This might hold them back because then you have more users complaining:
High intensity: Sound is not good, NC is good
Low intensity: Sound is great, NC is aweful

Just imagine the spectrum of whining

 

[Ralfi]

I also believe that a slider is not something they should put in - but a setting such as
Intensity: low, medium and high

I was thinking the exact same thing - It’d be an Apple thing to have presets.

Similar to their choice of silicone tips - this customisation was a surprise, but being limited to 3 sizes makes selecting the right one easy for a newbie to in-ear buds.

 

[Dino F]

I'm currently looking to buy the AirPods Pros (U.K. user) but reading through the last few pages on here, seems like they are messed up?!?

Is it worth me waiting a little longer until these issues (?) are sorted or should I just go for the AirPods 2?

 

[VineRider]

I'm currently looking to buy the AirPods Pros (U.K. user) but reading through the last few pages on here, seems like they are messed up?!?

Is it worth me waiting a little longer until these issues (?) are sorted or should I just go for the AirPods 2?

I just bought a pair. Mine are fine. Granted they are my first pair of AirPods, so I don't have anything to compare them to, but I really like them.

I've been following this thread, and mine have the older firmware so maybe that's why they are good.

 

[chillip]

Always had AirPods and now have pros. I’m also in the UK and have no issues at all with latest firmware. Buy and enjoy.

 

[anthony13]

My second pair of air pod pro's just started having connection issues. both left and right are not syncing. i have to reinsert it into the case multiple times to get it to connect. le sigh...

 

[Bazooka-joe]

I'm currently looking to buy the AirPods Pros (U.K. user) but reading through the last few pages on here, seems like they are messed up?!?

Is it worth me waiting a little longer until these issues (?) are sorted or should I just go for the AirPods 2?

Mine are now exactly 2 weeks old and they have been perfect in every way except for the noise canceling which aS frequently discussed is not as good as it was with the original firmware. I’ve had multiple sets of Apple pros and this pair seems to be a far better built set quality wise so go ahead and order

 

[purpleparrotuk]

I'm currently looking to buy the AirPods Pros (U.K. user) but reading through the last few pages on here, seems like they are messed up?!?

Is it worth me waiting a little longer until these issues (?) are sorted or should I just go for the AirPods 2?

Hi Dino. I’ve had mine for a month and in the Uk. I love mine and the nc is not a problem. I have had various wireless earbuds and these are by far the best.

 

[MrLoL]

Just ended a call with Apple support, after running bluetooth diagnostics a few days ago the lady now told me that the engineers are already aware of this issue, and they're working on the next firmware to fix it, she obviously had no idea when it would be released but I guess this is giving us a bit of hope?

 

[mrjohnnyglass]

Two questions for when I buy my APP next week.

1) What is the original/best firmware for them?
2) When I buy them in the Apple Store, can I open them up there and check the firmware and if not swap them out?

 

[ttforever]

Unfortunately they'll get forced to the latest available firmware anyway as they auto update and there's no way of stopping it, so whatever you buy you'll end up on the latest released firmware

 

[strikereg]

Tell me exactly how ANC is supposed to block sound conducted through your body rather from outside your ears? It needs to sample the sound coming into your ears to generate a contra-signal to negate it. Sound coming via your bones by definition can’t be sampled and thus cannot be negated.

These things are good, but they are not magical. Just go get your money back, as you’re never going to be satisfied with these.

Actually, it does. And extremely well.

It’s possible because it has the microphone sampling the sound inside the ear. That sound is a mix of ambient noise, body sounds and, of course, the sound coming off the speakers, that is probably filtered/equalized to match the expected sound taking into account just the audio that is being read and played.

If you’ve used in-ear monitors before, it’s clear there is a MAJOR reduction in body sounds: talking,chewing, walking, etc.

 

[Duncan68]

Actually, it does. And extremely well.

It’s possible because it has the microphone sampling the sound inside the ear. That sound is a mix of ambient noise, body sounds and, of course, the sound coming off the speakers, that is probably filtered/equalized to match the expected sound taking into account just the audio that is being read and played.

If you’ve used in-ear monitors before, it’s clear there is a MAJOR reduction in body sounds: talking,chewing, walking, etc.

There is even a reduction in the sounds of brushing one's teeth!

 

[supergt]

Two questions for when I buy my APP next week.

1) What is the original/best firmware for them?
2) When I buy them in the Apple Store, can I open them up there and check the firmware and if not swap them out?

The best firmware imo is 2B584 which came almost simultaneous with the product launch. ANC was amazing and sound profile seemed pretty good. All new airpods pro are coming with 2B588 now. You will almost certainly not have the original firmware as that stock is long gone (probably since around mid November).

The only hope is to await a firmware fix. It has been over 2 months since 2C54 (now pulled).

 

[bwinter88]

Two questions for when I buy my APP next week.

1) What is the original/best firmware for them?
2) When I buy them in the Apple Store, can I open them up there and check the firmware and if not swap them out?

Take all the "firmware made ANC worse" stuff with a grain of salt. There are lots of users, like myself, who find absolutely no difference in ANC performance. The evidence is questionable at best. You'll get all kinds of descriptions of the problem from "slight reduction in performance" to "ANC barely does anything anymore" which obviously isn't true. You'll mostly get naysayers on this forum because this is where the squeaky wheels congregate. The majority of people find no difference and don't even think to log on to complain. They're great earbuds, I recommend you enjoy them and don't fuss too much about firmware.

 

[vinegarshots]

Actually, it does. And extremely well.

It’s possible because it has the microphone sampling the sound inside the ear. That sound is a mix of ambient noise, body sounds and, of course, the sound coming off the speakers, that is probably filtered/equalized to match the expected sound taking into account just the audio that is being read and played.

If you’ve used in-ear monitors before, it’s clear there is a MAJOR reduction in body sounds: talking,chewing, walking, etc.

You can't noise cancel bone-conductive sounds. Venting systems are put in place to try to reduce that effect.

 

[gwhizkids]

Actually, it does. And extremely well.

It’s possible because it has the microphone sampling the sound inside the ear. That sound is a mix of ambient noise, body sounds and, of course, the sound coming off the speakers, that is probably filtered/equalized to match the expected sound taking into account just the audio that is being read and played.

If you’ve used in-ear monitors before, it’s clear there is a MAJOR reduction in body sounds: talking,chewing, walking, etc.

Well, I am not too proud to say I stand corrected on this. But I will maintain still that expectations remain too high and a lot of people here are jumping on the bandwagon because "some else said the AirPods Pro were better right after they were released".

 

[strikereg]

You can't noise cancel bone-conductive sounds. Venting systems are put in place to try to reduce that effect.

Do you have them? Just try them with ANC on and with ANC and ambient mode off, and then tell me if you still believe the vents to be responsible for the decrease in body sounds.

They aren’t. With ANC off, there are obvious body sounds like in any other IEM, and the vents are still there

 

[Ralfi]

Just ended a call with Apple support, after running bluetooth diagnostics a few days ago the lady now told me that the engineers are already aware of this issue, and they're working on the next firmware to fix it, she obviously had no idea when it would be released but I guess this is giving us a bit of hope?

Which issue are you talking about???

 

[MrLoL]

Which issue are you talking about???

I think if you read the topic this is pretty obvious.

 

[Ralfi]

I think if you read the topic this is pretty obvious.

This thread mentions many topics.

You never stated which particular issue you’re referring to.

& still haven’t...

 

[MrLoL]

This thread mentions many topics.

You never stated which particular issue you’re referring to.

& still haven’t...

The issue of weak NC with 2C54 firmware.

 

[BalutFX]

Take all the "firmware made ANC worse" stuff with a grain of salt. There are lots of users, like myself, who find absolutely no difference in ANC performance. The evidence is questionable at best. You'll get all kinds of descriptions of the problem from "slight reduction in performance" to "ANC barely does anything anymore" which obviously isn't true. You'll mostly get naysayers on this forum because this is where the squeaky wheels congregate. The majority of people find no difference and don't even think to log on to complain. They're great earbuds, I recommend you enjoy them and don't fuss too much about firmware.

I have no doubt you feel that your AirPods have no difference in ANC performance. I can only speak for myself. Mine have experienced a dramatic decrease in performance after the firmware update. I don’t need any evidence Other than my experience to comfortably state my opinion. For you to assume the majority of AirPods users share your opinion because this is where naysayers congregate is at best your opinion. You have no evidence.

 

[bwinter88]

I have no doubt you feel that your AirPods have no difference in ANC performance. I can only speak for myself. Mine have experienced a dramatic decrease in performance after the firmware update. I don’t need any evidence Other than my experience to comfortably state my opinion. For you to assume the majority of AirPods users share your opinion because this is where naysayers congregate is at best your opinion. You have no evidence.

1. How many AirPods Pro have Apple sold? Millions? How many people posted on this thread to complain? A dozen maybe? Two dozen? It's not an issue. For you maybe, and the other squeaky wheels here, but it's not an issue with the firmware. It just isn't. Even 1% of the product user base complaining would be tens of thousands of people. Where's that crowd? Where's the twitter posts @TimCook with thousands of likes begging to fix the "dramatically decreased" ANC?

Apple's wearables department (Airpods, Watch, etc) generates more revenue than Netflix. Do you honestly think they accidentally or unknowingly crippled a blockbuster feature on their flagship product, and moreover, have refused to fix it for months? 🧐

2. "Experienced a dramatic decrease" Except, that's not what everyone is describing. I've seen it described as "not quite as good," "slightly worse," Even the RTINGS test describes only a modest decrease in the low-end of 4 dB, hardly "dramatic." Take a look at this reddit post. The top comment with 310 upvotes:

"I’ve noticed maybe a slight difference."

If firmware was to blame, at least among the people affected, it would be the same effect. But it's not. Apple would issue a recall, a statement, or simply a new firmware with a Command + Z on whatever they did to the ANC, same as when their keyboards, antennas, and iPhone batteries came up short and people complained. But they haven't.

You know what does affect ANC in differing quantities depending on the person though? Poor ear fit. Sometimes I think my ANC is worse or even non-existent, and then I push them back into my ear firmly and voila, ANC is working great, same as day 1 when I bought them. These are in-ear earbuds that support their own weight solely by the fit inside the ear. Of course there will be fit issues, and given that even a slightly loose fit causes a huge decrease in ANC, it's a lot likelier root of this problem than some phantom firmware.

3. This "firmware killed the ANC" conspiracy is nothing new. It"s cropped up on Sony and Bose noise-cancelling headphones, the Bose QC35, and the Sony WH-1000XM3. Bose even went so far as to dispatch engineers to customers' homes around Boston to diagnose the issue. No change in ANC performance was found. Like it or not, audio is subjective, and the effectiveness of active noise-cancelling seems to be a frequent target of people's generally unfounded ire. To an outsider looking in at this problem, there's reason to be seriously skeptical that it even exists.

Look, I get it, no one wants to be told they're imagining things. And for you, maybe the ANC really has decreased.

But it's not the firmware.
No really, I promise you, it's REALLY not the firmware.

When you got your replacement pair from Apple, did you use the new earcups, or the ones from your old pair? You did contact Apple and get your Airpods replaced, right?

 

[BalutFX]

1. How many AirPods Pro have Apple sold? Millions? How many people posted on this thread to complain? A dozen maybe? Two dozen? It's not an issue. For you maybe, and the other squeaky wheels here, but it's not an issue with the firmware. It just isn't. Even 1% of the product user base complaining would be tens of thousands of people. Where's that crowd? Where's the twitter posts @TimCook with thousands of likes begging to fix the "dramatically decreased" ANC?

Apple's wearables department (Airpods, Watch, etc) generates more revenue than Netflix. Do you honestly think they accidentally or unknowingly crippled a blockbuster feature on their flagship product, and moreover, have refused to fix it for months? 🧐

2. "Experienced a dramatic decrease" Except, that's not what everyone is describing. I've seen it described as "not quite as good," "slightly worse," Even the RTINGS test describes only a modest decrease in the low-end of 4 dB, hardly "dramatic." Take a look at this reddit post. The top comment with 310 upvotes:
Emphasis mine. How can a firmware problem be so subjective?

If firmware was to blame, at least among the people affected, it would be the same effect. But it's not. Apple would issue a recall, a statement, or simply a new firmware with a Command + Z on whatever they did to the ANC, same as when their keyboards, antennas, and iPhone batteries came up short and people complained. But they haven't.

You know what does affect ANC in differing quantities depending on the person though? Poor ear fit. Sometimes I think my ANC is worse or even non-existent, and then I push them back into my ear firmly and voila, ANC is working great, same as day 1 when I bought them. These are in-ear earbuds that support their own weight solely by the fit inside the ear. Of course there will be fit issues, and given that even a slightly loose fit causes a huge decrease in ANC, it's a lot likelier root of this problem than some phantom firmware.

3. This "firmware killed the ANC" conspiracy is nothing new. It"s cropped up on Sony and Bose noise-cancelling headphones, the Bose QC35, and the Sony WH-1000XM3. Bose even went so far as to dispatch engineers to customers' homes around Boston to diagnose the issue. No change in ANC performance was found. Like it or not, audio is subjective, and the effectiveness of active noise-cancelling seems to be a frequent target of people's generally unfounded ire. To an outsider looking in at this problem, there's reason to be seriously skeptical that it even exists.

Look, I get it, no one wants to be told they're imagining things. And for you, maybe the ANC really has decreased.

But it's not the firmware.
No really, I promise you, it's REALLY not the firmware.

When you got your replacement pair from Apple, did you use the new earcups, or the ones from your old pair? You did contact Apple and get a replacement pair, right?

Well I appreciate your long answer, but I disagree with your assessment that it isn’t the firmware. Yes I used the new tips included with the replacements.