Apple AirPods Firmware

[vel0city]

Listening to Sign O The Times by Prince and had to post, the bass is extraordinary on the current firmware - noticeable in particular is the kick drum on Hot Thing, it's physical, powerful but sits in the mix perfectly, the whole track just feels alive and airy, percussion going off everywhere, horns swirling around your head, Prince's vocals front and centre, synth stabs and bass filling in beautifully. I've been listening to this album since it was released but it never sounded as alive and organic as this. Truly amazing listening experience. The Airpod Pros actually make me listen to music more, I just love the way they make music sound.

 

[Theryesider]

Not noticed any big difference the volume is a bit louder and for me being slightly hard of hearing is a god send.
Now I’m not a big user of the earphones, maybe one or twice a week listening to my music, my one gripe with the pros was skipping songs, it really seemed to be hit or miss I would either pause or just still play the same song even though I heard the 2 clicks.
Anyway since the update I have used them twice about an hour each time and my problem has all but disappeared.
Not really doing anything different so a thumbs up from me.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

I stood in a supermarket queue today and ANC has definitely improved. More bass as well. Very happy with the new firmware

 

[Ralfi]

my one gripe with the pros was skipping songs, it really seemed to be hit or miss I would either pause or just still play the same song even though I heard the 2 clicks.

You could try to adjust the AirPods Pro Press Speed of double clicks in the Settings > Accessibility > AirPods > Press Speed.

I didn’t change that, but I changed the Press & Hold setting to “Shorter” as I need to get things done EFFICIENTLY 😂

 

[iBreatheApple]

I stood in a supermarket queue today and ANC has definitely improved. More bass as well. Very happy with the new firmware

Can people actually notice the tweaks in bass as result of a firmware upgrade? I see comments like all the time but how much of it is psychosomatic? How can you compare the bass you heard yesterday to the bass you heard today with the same hardware? Even if noticeable with a side by side tests of the two different firmware, it's so hard for me to imagine how the change would be so different that people hear a difference when not testing them side by side.

 

[iGeneo]

Listening to Sign O The Times by Prince and had to post, the bass is extraordinary on the current firmware - noticeable in particular is the kick drum on Hot Thing, it's physical, powerful but sits in the mix perfectly, the whole track just feels alive and airy, percussion going off everywhere, horns swirling around your head, Prince's vocals front and centre, synth stabs and bass filling in beautifully. I've been listening to this album since it was released but it never sounded as alive and organic as this. Truly amazing listening experience. The Airpod Pros actually make me listen to music more, I just love the way they make music sound.

Funny, I was listening to When Doves Cry, the first 20 seconds, the sound stage is really nice, sound travels behind you much clearer

 

[Ralfi]

Bought some Blu-Tack today. Cleaned up the vents nicely. It’s just the perfect product for small vents. It was also handy in cleaning the AirPods case, iPhone speaker grills & iPad speakers/microphones.

Listening to tunes post-clean, I felt they sounded real nice. Not sure if the new firmware + placebo effect played more of a part though...

Here are before & after shots of the grills, if you can tell...

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After...


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Before...


After...

 

[vel0city]

Can people actually notice the tweaks in bass as result of a firmware upgrade? I see comments like all the time but how much of it is psychosomatic? How can you compare the bass you heard yesterday to the bass you heard today with the same hardware? Even if noticeable with a side by side tests of the two different firmware, it's so hard for me to imagine how the change would be so different that people hear a difference when not testing them side by side.

On albums that you're familiar with and listen to frequently, yes. I listen to music all day, every day, and I overplay albums, so differences will jump out at me more perhaps. I played Meliora by Ghost today, an album which I have absolutely played to death since it came out (easily 10-15 times a day some weeks), and on the new firmware what is an already exquisitely produced album sounds even heavier and more expansive. The bass intro on From The Pinnacle To The Pit sounds like it's being played live right next to you, there is far more definition and presence, it's a meatier and more threatening sound. It sounded great previously, but now it sounds like a curtain has been lifted and all this extra clarity is revealed. Listening to Kiss The Go Goat from their Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic right now and the entire track just has clearer definition, I'm hearing backing vocals that weren't there before and subtle percussive details are showing themselves.

This might also be down to the ANC being improved and focussing me completely on the music, my internal body noises are almost inaudible, I can't hear myself typing this at all, my doors are wide open onto the garden with birds, people in their gardens, lawnmowers etc and I can't hear a single thing apart from my music.

Overall it's an incredible experience. These things are one of my favourite tech purchases ever. Just amazing.
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Funny, I was listening to When Doves Cry, the first 20 seconds, the sound stage is really nice, sound travels behind you much clearer

Yes, playing that now to compare, the way Prince's voice travels around you is incredible, it's like listening in a big airy room, there's so much space and definition. I'm hearing background moans and sexy sounds that just wern't there before. Please give Hot Thing a listen and tell me about the way that kick drum thumps you in the back of the head, it's extraordinary!

 

[whsbuss]

Bought some Blu-Tack today. Cleaned up the vents nicely. It’s just the perfect product for small vents. It was also handy in cleaning the AirPods case, iPhone speaker grills & iPad speakers/microphones.

Listening to tunes post-clean, I felt they sounded real nice. Not sure if the new firmware + my imagination played more of a part though...

Here are before & after shots of the grills, if you can tell...

Before...
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After...
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After...
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After...
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Still cannot find Blu-tack at Target.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Can people actually notice the tweaks in bass as result of a firmware upgrade? I see comments like all the time but how much of it is psychosomatic? How can you compare the bass you heard yesterday to the bass you heard today with the same hardware? Even if noticeable with a side by side tests of the two different firmware, it's so hard for me to imagine how the change would be so different that people hear a difference when not testing them side by side.

Yes definitely. I noticed on one of my favourite albums that the bass was a lot deeper and the noise cancelling was better than when I used to previously play that album on an earlier firmware.
I bought my original pros in November and the sound is definitely almost as good or as good as it was back then so they have definitely done a tweak to the ANC
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Still cannot find Blu-tack at Target.

Order from eBay or Amazon. You will have it within three days

 

[Jutah]

A question for you all guys. When you mention the ANC, you mean the increase/decrease in the noise cancelling efficiency with or without music playin?

 

[japanime]

I'm hearing background moans and sexy sounds that just wern't there before.

Are you sure that's the music, and not the people in their gardens outside your home?

 

[vel0city]

A question for you all guys. When you mention the ANC, you mean the increase/decrease in the noise cancelling efficiency with or without music playin?

Both. Just inserting the Pods with ANC enabled instantly blocks out sounds like my Mac Pro's fans running at full speed when it's doing a CPU render, my AC, a tap running and most of the sound of the vacuum cleaner. In the case of the vacuum cleaner let's say at normal listening volume it would be a 10, with the Pods inserted and ANC enabled it takes it down to to a 3.

With music playing with the volume halfway on Spotify playing on an iPad Pro, I can almost hear nothing else, it's like being in complete sonic isolation with just your music audible.

I've also noticed how strong and stable the bluetooth range and connection is. Even at the bottom of my garden about 12 foot from the iPad, the Pros retain their connection and play music clearly.

 

[GBstoic]

Still cannot find Blu-tack at Target.

I am in England where Blu-tack is easy to find. It is just a brand name of what is more generically called poster putty in the USA.

 

[Minarets]

Fun Tak and Blue Stik are also some names of brands that are virtually the same thing

 

[Ralfi]

Still cannot find Blu-tack at Target.

Our supermarkets have it here, in their office supplies aisle, fyi.

 

[japanime]

Just inserting the Pods with ANC enabled instantly blocks out sounds like my Mac Pro's fans running at full speed when it's doing a CPU render, my AC, a tap running and most of the sound of the vacuum cleaner.

I really wish mine were that effective. They pass the seal test, but ANC blocks almost no noise at all. I'm testing them with ANC on (but no music), and I can clearly hear my room fan and my keyboard as I type this. It's definitely not the near-silence experience that others seem to be enjoying.

 

[iBreatheApple]

I feel like my ANC was great out of the box two months ago but I think as soon as it updated it made them worse. I don't feel much improvement with the latest but I only had them working "great" for such a short time I don't remember how they should be. Also never owned another ANC pair before. But I feel like in a quiet room with no sound I shouldn't be able to hear very soft snaps from my fingers. I feel like ANC cancels out the sound of my HVAC and that's about it.

 

[PTLove]

Are you wiping down the side which touches your skin (the inner mic area) & silicon tip every time you remove them + the surfaces in the case where the tip & inner mic make contact?

I certainly try. I’ll admit since the first fit great and then slowly lose luster it appears to be a wax issue, but I absolutely cannot fix it.

 

[zhenya]

Can people actually notice the tweaks in bass as result of a firmware upgrade? I see comments like all the time but how much of it is psychosomatic? How can you compare the bass you heard yesterday to the bass you heard today with the same hardware? Even if noticeable with a side by side tests of the two different firmware, it's so hard for me to imagine how the change would be so different that people hear a difference when not testing them side by side.

Truthfully, people are generally really bad at it. It takes practice, and in the case of reading reviews about how equipment sounds, I find it’s extremely important to have a reviewer whom you have become familiar with their preferences and perhaps found agreement with your own experience with the same equipment. Personally, having done this as a hobby for more than 20 years, I find my impressions tend to solidify over a long period of time of listening to equipment. First impressions, quickly switching between multiple devices is not that useful.

That said, I do agree that when the Pro’s have clean vents and a good seal, they have excellent bass (and excellent sound overall). I do not agree that there have been vast differences in ANC between firmware versions. When people make claims that one version completely cancelled out all voices, keyboard clicks, surrounding train and city sounds, etc. I tend to disregard their opinion on the topic because there are NO ANC devices from any manufacturer that are effective on those kinds of sounds.

 

[gwhizkids]

Truthfully, people are generally really bad at it. It takes practice, and in the case of reading reviews about how equipment sounds, I find it’s extremely important to have a reviewer whom you have become familiar with their preferences and perhaps found agreement with your own experience with the same equipment. Personally, having done this as a hobby for more than 20 years, I find my impressions tend to solidify over a long period of time of listening to equipment. First impressions, quickly switching between multiple devices is not that useful.

That said, I do agree that when the Pro’s have clean vents and a good seal, they have excellent bass (and excellent sound overall). I do not agree that there have been vast differences in ANC between firmware versions. When people make claims that one version completely cancelled out all voices, keyboard clicks, surrounding train and city sounds, etc. I tend to disregard their opinion on the topic because there are NO ANC devices from any manufacturer that are effective on those kinds of sounds.

Do you (or anyone else in the thread) have a useful diagram of all the vents that should be cleaned periodically? Where, for example, is the mike that samples what you are hearing inside the seal?

Thanks!

 

[iamasmith]

I sense this thread has now moved onto the physical aspects of ownership but man it so reminded me of the Bose QC35 threads that started when they first changed the sound profile.

In the end Bose had to add preferences to their app so you could choose the level of NC vs quality just to stop everybody getting upset because folks were arguing variously that it was better or worse before AND after about 3 tries at tuning the audio with updates.

 

[Duncan68]

Something I've noticed with the 2D15 firmware for the APP is that it seems to charge normally now on my Choetech wireless charger. Before it would seemingly overheat and stop charging, but now it keeps charging until the case and earphones reach 100%.

 

[alstrike]

I'm thinking of buying a pair of Airpods Pro. I don't have an iPhone so my question is, can the Airpods' firmware be updated on MacOS?

 

[S1004]

There is something wrong with your AirPods and/or you are not inserting them in a way such that you are getting a seal. On mine (newly replaced due to the buzzing issue) 2D15 is essentially the same as 2B588 as far as ANC goes, if anything, slightly better. There is a substantial difference between "off" and "NC".

I was hoping to get the original firmware (when AirPods Pro first released) on my new purchase, but it arrived with 2B588. It was purchased new from Apple's website. Since we don't have control over updates, I suppose the new firmware (2D15) will eventually install itself. 😅 ANC doesn't block out everything but the world does sound quieter.