Do you hear crackling noise on this song?

[BasilFawlty]

I just bought my Air Pod Pros a couple days ago. On most songs they sound great, but on some "Spatial audio" songs I get a very distinct crackling noise. For example, if you do a search for "Spatial Audio" in the Music app, then, click on "Rock in Spatial Audio", scroll down until you find "Mt Sweet Lord" by George Harrison. It's the version that is on All Things Must Pass - 50th anniversary edition.

Now, with your Air Pod Pros connected, listed to that song and tell me if you hear any sort of crackling almost as soon as the song starts - maybe 2 seconds in?

 

[mikedis]

I just bought my Air Pod Pros a couple days ago. On most songs they sound great, but on some "Spatial audio" songs I get a very distinct crackling noise. For example, if you do a search for "Spatial Audio" in the Music app, then, click on "Rock in Spatial Audio", scroll down until you find "Mt Sweet Lord" by George Harrison. It's the version that is on All Things Must Pass - 50th anniversary edition.

Now, with your Air Pod Pros connected, listed to that song and tell me if you hear any sort of crackling almost as soon as the song starts - maybe 2 seconds in?

I've tried this with mine and don't hear any crackling. Maybe try listening to the song in spacialized stereo?

 

[OW22]

I've tried this with mine and don't hear any crackling. Maybe try listening to the song in spacialized stereo?

I just tried this with the Air Pods Max and no crackling. I have it on Spatial Audio 'Head Tracked' mode.

It's a very busy track at the start with Spatial audio, the guitars are coming in at depth, are you sure it's a crackle?

For example a few songs up from that, try 'Hook' by Blues Traveller and you'll hear what sounds like crackle at the start.

 

[BasilFawlty]

are you sure it's a crackle?

Yep, definitely.

 

[mikedis]

For example a few songs up from that, try 'Hook' by Blues Traveller and you'll hear what sounds like crackle at the start.

What firmware are your Pros on? I'm not experiencing this. 4E71 for me.

 

[OW22]

What firmware are your Pros on? I'm not experiencing this. 4E71 for me.

The crackle is more like the start of an album record playing, where the needle is picking up a bit of dust. I'm using Air Pods Max with head tracking spatial audio on. It's very slight.

 

[BasilFawlty]

UPDATE: Took my AitPods to the local Apple store (genius appointment) and they put them on a tester and they failed two tests: Frequency response and noise. They gave me a new pair. However, I discovered that a given song, such as My Sweet Lord in lossless, sounded great on my iPhone, I still heard a distinct crackling noise when listening through my M1 iMac. So, I listened thought my speakers on the M1 iMac, without the AirPods, and could still hear the crackling. This led me to look at the Music App preferences. I found that under the Playback tab, there is a checkbox for "lossless" audio that was not checked (surprising). So, I checked that box and, like magic, the crackling noise went away!

 

[OW22]

UPDATE: Took my AitPods to the local Apple store (genius appointment) and they put them on a tester and they failed two tests: Frequency response and noise. They gave me a new pair. However, I discovered that a given song, such as My Sweet Lord in lossless, sounded great on my iPhone, I still heard a distinct crackling noise when listening through my M1 iMac. So, I listened thought my speakers on the M1 iMac, without the AirPods, and could still hear the crackling. This led me to look at the Music App preferences. I found that under the Playback tab, there is a checkbox for "lossless" audio that was not checked (surprising). So, I checked that box and, like magic, the crackling noise went away!

Lossless will make no difference with Bluetooth connection headphones as BT cannot process lossless audio. It can be done to a very small degree with the Air Pods Max using the lighting to headphone jack cable. But to experience lossless fully, you need a wired set of headphones and DAC.

 

[BasilFawlty]

Lossless will make no difference with Bluetooth connection headphones as BT cannot process lossless audio. It can be done to a very small degree with the Air Pods Max using the lighting to headphone jack cable. But to experience lossless fully, you need a wired set of headphones and DAC.

I know what you mean. I have a FiiO high def DAC with an add-on headphone Amp with High-end Sennheiser headphones. Nevertheless, checking that box made the crackling noise go away.

 

[mikedis]

The crackle is more like the start of an album record playing, where the needle is picking up a bit of dust. I'm using Air Pods Max with head tracking spatial audio on. It's very slight.

Yeah I'm not sure what the difference is, but I'm not hearing anything.

 

[Apleeseed84]

Yeah I'm not sure what the difference is, but I'm not hearing anything.

When I had Applecare for the airpods, I got them swapped out with new ones no questions asked plenty of times, the crakle as the OP mentioned is a hardware defect, It happens a lot like when you re adjust the airpods while they are playing audio.

You'll know it when you hear the crackle, it's similar to scratches on a CD back in the day.

 

[mikedis]

It happens a lot like when you re adjust the airpods while they are playing audio.

Only issue I've had with that is a squeak on airplanes.

 

[BasilFawlty]

I found that under the Playback tab, there is a checkbox for "lossless" audio that was not checked (surprising). So, I checked that box and, like magic, the crackling noise went away!

Update - I spoke too soon! The crackling is back. But it's not just with the AirPod Pros - it's audible throughout the iMac speakers as well. I have an appointment in a week - going to take my computer to the Apple store too see if something is wrong with the sound circuitry in my iMac.

 

[mikedis]

Update - I spoke too soon! The crackling is back. But it's not just with the AirPod Pros - it's audible throughout the iMac speakers as well. I have an appointment in a week - going to take my computer to the Apple store too see if something is wrong with the sound circuitry in my iMac.

same song?

 

[NastyMatt]

I tried this on my BFP (from a MBA M1) and no crackling - with or without Lossless selected.

If it is ok from your iPhone through the same APP but not from your iMac and your iMac does it through the speakers (ruling out bluetooth) defo sounds like something faulty in the iMac.

A crackle will send you insane tho.. once heard it cannot be unheard! Good luck with getting it fixed.

 

[BasilFawlty]

same song?

Yes

 

[BasilFawlty]

If it is ok from your iPhone through the same APP but not from your iMac and your iMac does it through the speakers (ruling out bluetooth) defo sounds like something faulty in the iMac.

Unfortunately that's what I'm thinking. Something in the sound circuitry on this new iMac is flawed. I have an appointment at the Apple Store in a couple days. Plan to take the computer in and see if they can figure it out. With my luck, I'll take it in and won't be able to recreate the problem!

 

[Fatyank]

It could actually be the song. Artist do some strange things sometimes when they are recording especially if they are established artist and have some flexibility in the studio. I listen to BB Chun King and the Buddaheads. They do a song called “Long Way Down” and the first couple seconds is the sound of a needle on an old vinyl album. Just a thought!

 

[GlenK]

Well it's strange but I got the 3.5mm jack I ordered and used it on my Studio and no static on my APM. But then I went back to BT and there was no static there anymore either. Maybe they updated the firmware or something but it's working perfectly fine now. I like problems solved when I did nothing!!

 

[mjs916]

I just bought my Air Pod Pros a couple days ago. On most songs they sound great, but on some "Spatial audio" songs I get a very distinct crackling noise. For example, if you do a search for "Spatial Audio" in the Music app, then, click on "Rock in Spatial Audio", scroll down until you find "Mt Sweet Lord" by George Harrison. It's the version that is on All Things Must Pass - 50th anniversary edition.

Now, with your Air Pod Pros connected, listed to that song and tell me if you hear any sort of crackling almost as soon as the song starts - maybe 2 seconds in?

On my iPhone, with fixed spatial audio on I heard at exactly 4 seconds a sudden volume increase in the track, not my device, but no crackle. Changing to head-tracked, the anomaly went away.

Back to fixed spatial audio and the issue is gone for all spatial audio states (off/fixed/head-tracked).

 

[BasilFawlty]

I heard at exactly 4 seconds a sudden volume increase in the track,

I sometimes get that sudden, weird increase in volume too.