You say blu-tack treatment got rid of the noise every time. So what do you think is causing the problem? Earwax that is stuck on the mesh? Is this the mesh that is on the plastic hardbody of the earphones, or the removable mesh that is part of the ear tip?
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Hearing the “thump” of my own walking while wearing new AirPods Pro
- Thread starter Benz63amg
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You say blu-tack treatment got rid of the noise every time. So what do you think is causing the problem? Earwax that is stuck on the mesh? Is this the mesh that is on the plastic hardbody of the earphones, or the removable mesh that is part of the ear tip?
Not the parts facing the ear canal. Not the ear tip or the speaker grill.
The black mesh on the side is what I’m talking about. Not top. Side. The one that touches the skin directly. Apparently it gathers microscopic residue from the skin as time goes by. I think I saw a microscope pic of it, before/after cleaning comparison somewhere in this forum. Maybe this very thread.
APP2 has no mesh there.
So I bought the new second gen AirPods Pro’s from the Apple Store today to test em out for myself. The thump is still there when walking etc albeit it’s less pronounced compared to the first gen Pros especially with transparency mode engaged. The thump and sensation of having your head sealed and pressurized is absolutely horrible with ANC set to “OFF” . With that being sad, I don’t like the feeling of having my ears pressurized and I might just return these back to the Apple Store and stick with my Airpods 2. The only issue I have with my original AirPods 2’s is how uncomfortable they get after using them for hours on end on a daily basis as they begin causing a small sore spot in the inner part of my ear canal otherwise I wouldn’t have even looked toward the AirPods Pros.
Comfort is the only advantage the Pro’s have over the original AirPods, they are much more comfortable in the ear. Sound quality is very comparable to the non-pro AirPods regardless of what Apple claims about the new Pro’s drivers, it’s just a marketing gimmick in my opinion as the Pro’s sound nearly identical with transparency mode engaged when compared to the original non-pro AirPods 2. All in all, the odd sensation of heaving my head pressurized and the thump which is absolutely still present in the latest generation of the Pro’s is a dealbreaker.
To summarize, the thumping while walking is still very much a symptom of this AirPods Pro design with sealing ear tips that Apple was not able to overcome with the second generation Pro’s.
Comfort is the only advantage the Pro’s have over the original AirPods, they are much more comfortable in the ear. Sound quality is very comparable to the non-pro AirPods regardless of what Apple claims about the new Pro’s drivers, it’s just a marketing gimmick in my opinion as the Pro’s sound nearly identical with transparency mode engaged when compared to the original non-pro AirPods 2. All in all, the odd sensation of heaving my head pressurized and the thump which is absolutely still present in the latest generation of the Pro’s is a dealbreaker.
To summarize, the thumping while walking is still very much a symptom of this AirPods Pro design with sealing ear tips that Apple was not able to overcome with the second generation Pro’s.
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I experimented with no eartips and the thump was gone, but podcast voices tended to wander around, which I found distracting. So I tried the XS eartips and that reduced the thumping considerably, and voices were stable. Rotating the AirPods back slightly almost eliminated the thumping, I assume that removes the tight seal but they work well enough for me that way.
The thing with hearing or feeling the thump is that some people notice it and some don’t. It’s about bone conduction and also how well the APP2’s fit in inside your ears. I’m wearing them all day long and experience zero bone conduction / walking thump. But I’m aware that other people with different shaped ears might have less positive experiences with the APP2.
It also depends on what you’re listening to, I don’t hear thumps with loud music, only podcasts.
That also varies from person to person I believe. I never hear or heard any thumping at all. I did hear it with the first gen. APP though. With the APP2, none whatsoever.
one explanation of the sound.
I wonder how Apple mitigated this in the APP2 - for me, it's noticeably better, though still not gone. Would be interesting if it was somehow applying noise cancelation to it or something. And I wonder what anatomical differences make it so some people get this and some don't.
I would assume that heavy heel strikers will hear more thumping while those who are light on their feet and do not land on their heels will either hear little to no thumping.
Try walking barefoot outdoors. It is more unlikely that when walking in such fashion that one would be a heel striker. Wearing shoes has changed the way that people walk: heel striking first, which is actually not how we could go around barefoot for extended periods.
Also, good runners never strike their heels first. It would typically be a mid-foot strike or a forefoot strike. I think the discipline of speed walking (regulation speed walking) though does require heel strike although I'm not actually well-versed in that sport and so not fully sure.
I had this problem from day 1 ( 2 or so years ago I think?) but solved it by replacing the silicone tips with memory foam tips bought on Amazon. Works well for me...
Can you link to the tips you bought? are you saying there is no pressure in the head and thump at all with the foam tips?
silicone tips I heard thumping when I walked, Comply foam tips no thumping. Comply comes with small, med, and large in a case and the foam will detoriate over time so best to get 2 packs.
How are the Comply tips compared to FoamMasters V4 tips? Are they comfortable to have in-ear for hours on end? (Such as during the day when at work)
I have the Sony XM5's and I experienced the same but after 30 seconds my brain just ignores it. If I hyper focus on it, I notice it. If I have better things to do with my time, I don't notice it at all. Bit of advice, give up focussing on it and it WILL go away.Uuuuuu...
Thank you for posting this.
This is EXACTLY what I hate about all in-ear headphones and I'd wondered if something about this design had eliminated it (venting/transparency, etc)
These will have no choice but to be a hard pass for me with this report.
I literally can not stand what you're describing.
Not for me it doesn't - and I've tried with many models of buds, trust me.
I don't just use this sort of thing for walking -- running (outside and indoors) with the "thump" can literally give me a headache in short order.
There's simply no "ignoring" this phenomenon for some of us, sadly.
i can't compare them to FoamMasters, but I've used the Comply tips for hours doing stuff around the house and they are comfortable to me.
I take your word for it, we’re all different and my non issue is someone else’s major problem and that’s normal. Might even show how poor my hearing is.
Not to advertise Comply since I don't get paid by them, they are so comfy to me that I can fall asleep with them in. I've never tried FoamMasters.