12 ms·

AirPods Pro Service Program for Sound Issues

97 points by drclau 4y ago

yabqk 4y ago
I’ve had my AirPods Pro for two years now and I’ve had to have both (left and right) replaced twice because of this. Unfortunately they are now out of warranty. I hope 2nd gen doesn’t suffer from something like this.
- quenix 4y ago
  I believe this repair can be done out-of-warranty for free.
  - rrdharan 4y ago
    Yep, mine were totally out of warranty, I noticed some clicking mostly only when running, and they replaced them in-store for free. I was worried they would blame my third-party tips (https://www.complyfoam.com/collections/comply-foam-tips-compatible-with-airpods-pro/products/comply-foam-tips-compatible-with-apple-airpods-pro https://www.complyfoam.com/collections/comply-foam-tips-comp...) but as mentioned by the other poster, they remove the tips before testing.
  - nsbk 4y ago
    This is in line with my experience, I got both AirPods Pro replaced out of warranty a couple weeks ago, even if only one of them was presenting issues. Apparently, the machine they use to check said both were affected. I got them replaced in Spain while the original purchase took place in Germany.
- gog 4y ago
  You can still replace them, even if they are out of warranty.
- cleemens 4y ago
  I have done this succesfully as well, even in another country than which I bought them in initialy. Nearly 2 years out of warranty at the time of replacement, replacement itself was not a problem.
- Starmina 4y ago
  Got them replaced both for free in an Apple store, I thought only one was bugging out but their test machine said both were "broke". It was out of warranty since well over a year.
- _fzslm 4y ago
  i bet the rolling out of this program so close to the 2nd gen release is a subtle acknowledgment from apple that this issue is endemic to the 1st gen, and it's fixed now.
  - phlyingpenguin 4y ago
    "Information as of 2021-10-01" - this isn't a new program
    - _fzslm 4y ago
      whoops! thx for the correction :)
criddell 4y ago
My AirPods Pro are great except the left one drains it's battery about twice as fast as the right one. Has anybody here experienced something similar? Will Apple do anything about it?
- varjag 4y ago
  Probably it wouldn't. It could well have sustained an unfortunate fall, left in the sun to overheat etc. Batteries are somewhat delicate and there's often no way to tell the cause.
- dewey 4y ago
  Are you using it a lot in calls? I think it could depend on which microphone is actively used.
  - criddell 4y ago
    I don't think I've ever used it in a call. I also rarely use noise cancelling or transparency modes. I do use "hey siri" sometimes though. Right now, my left ear bud is good for 2 hours of music at the most and the right one is good for about 4 hours.
- astrange 4y ago
  That’s expected, the left side does more work than the right in normal usage.
andsoitis 4y ago
My experience of the Service Program has been very poor. One of my AirPods Pro has an annoying tick. It's like a metronome (regular) and orthogonal to the music I'm listening to. I've taken it to the Apple Store, but instead of the service rep putting it in their ear to confirm the issue, they use some machine that checks and, in my case, "computer says no!" to my complaint. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n_Ty_72Qds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n_Ty_72Qds The rubber around the ear insert is changeable, so it wouldn't be unhygienic for them to listen directly. Their refusal at an exchange has caused me to eschew trusting them for the new AirPods, and instead I've moved on to another brand.
- dagmx 4y ago
  For what it’s worth, with AirPods you can just contact their online support and they’re much quicker to send you a replacement after verifying just a few basics
- weberer 4y ago
  Does the machine touch the silicone? That would still be pretty unhygenic.
  - andsoitis 4y ago
    I don't know because they take the headphones to a room in the back for the test.
  - low_key 4y ago
    No, they ask you to remove the silicon before giving them they airpods
- tinus_hn 4y ago
  Without commenting on the rest of your story I do not fault the representative for refusing to put customers’ AirPods in their ear.
- low_key 4y ago
  Mine too. I took a pair in that had symptoms exactly as described in the service program description. Both the left and right earbud failed in their test machine, but Apple said my Airpods did not qualify because they were not part of the program (manufactured a few months after the end date). I suspect the issues weren't actually resolved by the date they claim. Also, more annoyingly, they offered replacement refurbished left and right pods for $89 each. I can go to Costco and buy a new pair with a new charging case for only $2 more. Moral of the story: Airpods are unreliable, if you buy them then also buy the extended warranty from Apple.
paultopia 4y ago
the most annoying thing about the airpods pro for me is that a good percentage of the time (maybe 15%, give or take), only one of the actual airpods will connect when I stick them in my ears. I got a buzzing a few months ago and swapped them out under the service program, hoping it would also fix the only-one-airpod-connecting issue, but, well, it didn't. (A large percentage of the time I realize that this is because something went wrong on the case side and the one that won't connect never got charged even though the other one did.) Despite that, I'm still upgrading to round 2 this morning. Hoping the new version of the chip plus the new case makes this connection/charging issue go away. Sigh. Apple does manage to always get my money, doesn't it. Though, I guess, to be fair, apart from those issues my first gen's have served me well for like 3 years and they're the only headphones I actually use 90% of the time. (Also, even more noise cancelling on the already good noise cancelling sounds good...maybe these can become my long-plane-trip headphones and let me retire the big sonys.)
- FabHK 4y ago
  Indeed. Both of my original AirPods Pro developed the buzzing/crackling issue, had them both exchanged under the program, and now one of them is creaking again. Also found the 1st gen noise cancellation not quite as good as with Bose (in ear as well as over ear). And now I'm here pressing reload in the browser so I can buy the 2nd gen...
  - paultopia 4y ago
    Hah, glad I'm not alone in this. Proud of myself for not immediately buying the new ginormous watch tho
    - disantlor 4y ago
      i believe this happens when a stray hair gets into the driver
    - klinquist 4y ago
      I wish I could be proud of myself. So glad they finally make a watch for my mountaineering & diving lifestyle. Narrator: "He has never been diving our mountaineering."
chollida1 4y ago
Can any other runners comment on the new airpods for durability. I've killed 3 pairs due to sweat from running seemingly shorting them out and then they never seem to recover. the sound is great but I can't really tell much a difference between them and the $50 pair I tend to buy from amazon. That could be due to my 40 year old ears though. They do connect really well and allow me to connect to both my phone and laptop which I love but durability seems to be a big problem for them.
- TurboHaskal 4y ago
  Well that's because they literally sound like $50 ones. When it comes to sweat I believe balanced armature drivers tend to last much longer than dynamic drivers.
- gizmo 4y ago
  I also ruined a pair of Airpod pros that way. Got them replaced on warranty, but I'm still annoyed because Apple has ads where people run with Airpods but if you do they'll break.
- eludwig 4y ago
  Just anecdata, but I have been running with non-pro AirPods for years with no problems like one you describe. I tend to sweat a lot, so by the end of the run they are pretty wet. No shorting or other electrical issues. The only problem I've had was ear wax buildup (yeah, gross, I know) with the first/second AirPods generation (the ones with the long stem). I was able to use alcohol & hydrogen peroxide to clean them up a bit, but eventually the sound is muffled pretty bad. I have recently switched to a pair of the latest version, AirPods 3 (with the shorter stems) and they seem to be made better in general. No sound problems and they seem to stay cleaner with minimal regular cleaning. I use a toothpick to gently remove any buildup as needed. The fit of the 3s is significantly different that the older version and did require some getting used to. They are a bit larger in the ear.
  - reaperducer 4y ago
    The only problem I've had was ear wax buildup Fun-tac is your friend.
steve_adams_86 4y ago
I had my air pods pro replaced under warranty about 2 weeks before my warranty expired. I was so relieved. It has been two months and the new ones are already experiencing major issues. One doesn’t charge sometimes, even if the case seems to indicate that it’s connected. I thought it was the case, but the same thing happens in another case. The weird shifting noise cancellation the first ones did where both ears cancel noise differently has started happening. The pop, pop, pop, squelch as I walk has started happening. I was sure I was breaking them somehow until I found out this experience is not that uncommon. It’s such a shame because when they work well, they really are game changers. I’m hesitant to upgrade, though. These were expensive and only lasted two years (with replacements). Apart from the money, I also find the waste upsetting. I was optimistic to get more liken 5 years out of them.
- samatman 4y ago
  I get the money argument better than the waste one. An AirPod is less embodied energy than one of those birthday cards with a built-in speaker that plays happy birthday. Is this really moving the needle? You could buy three pounds less of off-season fruit from another continent, if you really feel bad about it.
  - steve_adams_86 4y ago
    It's not the single set of AirPods that bothers me so much as knowing that, on a larger scale, a lot of AirPods are breaking on a similar time scale and it's a greater trend that causes damage. I don't think there's much as an individual I can do to make a difference, it's just disheartening to see massive multinational companies dumping out electronics that become non-functional so quickly – even when they're a high enough quality otherwise that they wouldn't really become obsolete for a very long time.
dewey 4y ago
I have used this program a few times now (Documented it here: https://annoying.technology/posts/abea6876cf4f2e13/ https://annoying.technology/posts/abea6876cf4f2e13/) and they were always very friendly about it and exchanged them without any issues. I hope the new generation is more durable, as it really does feel like a giant waste of resources. The sad part is that they are really good when they work so I keep getting them.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]
- t0mas88 4y ago
  I've used it twice now, while they claimed it only affected airpods produced before a certain date. What's also annoying is that you have to wait two weeks each time until the new ones arrive, because they want to diagnose the problem first. I think there is a limit on how long after you bought the airpods they fall under this program. Which basically means I'm going to buy the new ones after these break. Doesn't feel like the right way of voting with my wallet :-) but I use them literally every day.
LetsGetTechnicl 4y ago
Buying AirPods Pro when I lost my original AirPods was probably one of the worst purchases I've made recently. They keep falling out no matter what I do, until I got these silicon "shark tip" covers that mimic the kind of eartips a lot of sports headphones have. It's so annoying.
- suction 4y ago
- Bluecobra 4y ago
  What brand/model tip did you end buying? My favorite ear tips for the longest time have been the triple flange ones from Etymotic but they are a little behind the curve and still only sell wired earphones.
  - LetsGetTechnicl 4y ago
    I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QCF2729 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QCF2729 They're like silicon sleeves for the AirPod Pros that give them shark tips that make them more secure in the ear.
Renaud 4y ago
I have the distinct feeling that the current generation of AirPod Pros suffer from a lot of reliability issues. I had to replace them 3 times in a year. I don’t use them for sports, I’m careful not to wet them, keep them clean, and they developed noise cancellation issues on one side, or noise. My guess is that there is a non negligible portion that gets returned. I sincerely hope the new version is more robust, the return experience was not great, I have doubts about the capacity of their automated tests to detect some of the actual issues that users experience.
- MobiusHorizons 4y ago
  I’m surprised to hear all the complaints of early failures, since my experience has basically been the opposite. I bought used AirPods Pro on backmarket and accidentally sent them through the wash a few months in. But they still work flawlessly over a year later, and I even use them for running.
wodenokoto 4y ago
> Information as of 2021-10-01 Needs a (2021) in the title.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
mortenjorck 4y ago
My experience with Airpods Pro has been excellent for what I originally bought them for, listening to music. However, I later (after the warranty period, naturally) started trying to use them for calls, and noticed something I’m not sure is covered by this program: Occasional, random “blips” where there’s some kind of discontinuity in the sound for ~200ms, with a ~100ms offset between the left and right channels. It’s annoying enough that I take them out before a call or meeting. I had a tough enough time describing it just now (it’s the sort of problem that is inherently un-Googleable), but has anyone else experienced this, and have you had any luck with the service program?
- dewey 4y ago
  This does sound a lot like Bluetooth issues which are of course almost impossible to debug. At this point the only Bluetooth device I use is my mouse and AirPods. The rest I switched back to wires because of how unreliable it is especially in a residential building with lots of wifi access points.
  - dylan604 4y ago
    Is there a known correlation of interference between WiFi and Bluetooth?
    - dewey 4y ago
      Yes: https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/466798/does-bluetooth-interfere-with-wifi https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/466798/does-...
      - dylan604 4y ago
        makes sense. i rarely use bluetooth devices, so I had just never looked into this.
- jabo 4y ago
  Yes! I have this exact same problem on my AirPods Pro, and only during phone calls and meetings as well. I’ve also had a tough time describing it, so couldn’t Google for it. I’ve also held off on taking it to the apple store to get it looked at, just because I didn’t know how to describe it well. May be I’ll just use your description now. Just yesterday two people told me that they hear echos when I use my AirPods on two different meetings, so I had to switch to using wired headphones. Adding that to my list of problems. I wish I could just return the product now.
robertlagrant 4y ago
I just love how Shakespearian "Airpods Pro" is. Hubble bubble.
s__s 4y ago
What happens when the battery no longer holds a charge? Are they able to replace them or do you have to toss them in the trash? I’ve been avoiding these because they seem like wasteful fast fashion. I imagine having to throw them out in ~2-3 years, where as my over ear Beyers will likely last the rest of my life.
- vrutberg 4y ago
  I contacted Apple about this issue with my 1st gen AirPods (non-pro) in mind. They were basically unusable since the batteries would only hold a charge lasting a few minutes. I was offered to send them in for a battery replacement IIRC, but that would’ve set me back as much as the cost of a new pair, so I ended up just buying a new pair instead. I agree, it does feel quite wasteful.
- oreilles 4y ago
  Airpods Pro battery can be replaced by Apple for $49: https://support.apple.com/airpods/repair https://support.apple.com/airpods/repair
  - Wingman4l7 4y ago
    As I've said before, it's very highly likely they are not actually repairing the unit by replacing the battery -- IMO that's false advertising to make them look "green". The plastic halves of the earbud casings are ultrasonically sealed together; you have to break them apart to get at the guts (and IIRC the battery is also soldered in). Just look up the iFixit teardown; they're completely unrepairable. My bet is, they are just swapping them out with refurbs or new units and writing off the loss against their AppleCare earnings.
    - CharlesW 4y ago
      > As I've said before, it's very highly likely they are not actually repairing the unit by replacing the battery -- IMO that's false advertising to make them look "green". I'm sure you're right about the first bit, and that calling it "battery replacement" is a sin of omission and/or over-simplification. As an engineer you're offended, but for average consumers, the result is what matters. It's a stretch to call it greenwashing, though. Apple has supported AirPods recycling since its introduction. In the case of AirPods specifically, Apple pays recyclers for the manual labor required to recover materials, even though it significantly exceeds the value of the materials being recovered.
dayedh 4y ago
Had four or five pairs replaced due to this issue. The most recent repair seems to have fixed the issue, but the noise cancellation is noticably worse than the launch set. On the bright side, it was nice getting a pair with refreshed batteries back each time.
drclau 4y ago
I am at the 5th and 4th replacements (left and right, or might be the reverse). I do hope these issues were fixed in 2nd gen. At one time, I have found a YouTube video describing how to fix the noise cancelling issue by literally sucking on the external microphone grille of the malfunctioning AirPod. Oddly enough, it did fix the problem temporarily. I think there may be a valve that is used to equalize the pressure between the sealed ear and the outside, and if that gets stuck opened or closed the noise cancelling fails. In my case, low frequency sounds were passing through. Very annoying. Worth noting, I had the clicking noise issue with Sony WH-1000XM3, too. The behavior was exactly the same as with the AirPods Pro. Whenever a change in pressure occurred (door/window closed or opened), and during walks or even just moving the head in certain ways, the clicking noise started. This only happened when ANC was active, both for AirPods Pro and for the Sonys. With Apple, I never had any problems getting a replacement, and it was in two countries that do not have official Apple Stores. However, with the Sony it was a completely different story. I had them fixed in warranty, just to find out they were not actually fixed. They replaced the headband that had really nothing to do with the problem. Eventually, after lots of emails and calls, the store I bought them from just gave me back my money.
- ricardobayes 4y ago
  I'm thinking my WH-1000XM3's were faulty, the ANC didn't work very well unless music or brown noise was played at relatively high volume. Also the sound quality was really 'muddy', very muffled and very bass-dominant. I returned them. Neither of these issues were present on a no-name chinese 60 euro ANC headphone.
jjuel 4y ago
I am glad I came across this post. I was thinking I was going to need to buy some new ones. My right one has a static issue and the left one has a weird clicking.
themensch 4y ago
I've had this exact problem and I've had to replace one or both airpods not once, not twice, but thrice. But, to Apple's credit, they have handled it gracefully each time. The first time it did take a bit of convincing as there weren't many documented cases on the subject. Now, it's rote. The root cause, as I understand it, is that the microphones that act for transparency mode or for noise-cancelling mode can be blocked by particulate matter. A quick test to see if this has happened is to disable both transparency and noise cancellation to see if the audio artifacts disappear - it is not always enough to inspect them under a microscope; this has been the case for me each time but I confess my environment is extremely dusty at times and I wear these airpods for extended periods in all manner of adverse conditions and they have always performed admirably.
- spaghettiToy 4y ago
  >I've had to replace one or both airpods not once, not twice, but thrice. But, to Apple's credit, they have handled it gracefully each time. The first time it did take a bit of convincing as there weren't many documented cases on the subject. Wow that sounds awful. How did they "handle it gracefully"? You don't seem upset, but I got second hand customer service frustration reading this. The closest thing I had to this was an xbox360 red ring of death 3 times. I excused it because I wanted to play Xbox games and that was the cost of playing.
  - themensch 4y ago
    An excellent question, let me elaborate. - On the first instance I contacted apple via their customer support chat. It took about 30 minutes to get replacements shipped to me. - On the second instance, the problem was well-established, so they just shipped me new ones. - On the third instance, they asked me to go in to a local Apple Store, and that did take a bit longer. In fact, I'm due for round 4 here soon. There's no stopping the dusty environment. I'm pretty demanding of headphones - 2 pairs of jaybirds died horribly under the same circumstances and the company would only replace the first set. A cheap set of Aukey buds fared considerably better and they still have life left in them. The tight integration of the airpods with my other apple devices and the perks, plus the overall sound quality and excellent noise cancellation around loud equipment more than make up for the hassle of a free replacement rigamarole every year. I've been pleased with them since I received them as a gift in December of 2019, and I'm absolutely not upset in the slightest that there have been problems. Fortune has smiled upon me with regard to my experiences with Apple products.
rumblestrut 4y ago
I had this happen, and Apple replaced my AirPods free of charge. Now my replacement pair is doing a similar, although different sounding issue. I need to take those in. Annoying. But clearly a First World Problem that I'm glad Apple is taking steps to fix.
LUmBULtERA 4y ago
My airpod pros had this issue and were manufactured mid October 2020 and two months out of warranty. Apple refused to replace them.
mmastrac 4y ago
As someone who sits on video calls often, please, please do not use your AirPods for conference microphones. I cannot understand about 25% of what people are saying, especially those people w/deep voices.
- Clueed 4y ago
  I don't get why nobody is talking about this. I'm starting to suspect it only effects a subset of all AirPods Pro and is covered by this replacement program even though it's not really tasted clearly. AirPods Pro even compared to the the non-Pros have awful microphones. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250813242 https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250813242
acqbu 4y ago
Isn't it odd that it's always the high end models that seem to have all sorts of issues? I got a cheap $25 pair of earbuds from Amazon a year ago and they work flawlessly.
remir 4y ago
I'm on my third pair now. IMO the Airpods Pro are poorly designed. You really gotta be careful when you handle them as the little "air vents" that prevent ear pressure can easily "clogs" and this create a rattle sound when ANC is active.
alexalx666 4y ago
Here is a 50 dollar alternative with isolation that lets you enjoy your music on the plane just fine - Marshall Mode. Once you realize you dont have to have BT audio you can get pro in-ears for the price of AirPods.
SpikeDad 4y ago
I used it to replace one of mine. I told them it was staticy when I put it in my ear. They said so sorry and they would process a replacement. The process took minutes over Apple Support chat and I had a new one in 3 days with a postage free box to return mine. If you have problems get it replaced. What's the drama?

97 points by drclau 4y ago

I’ve had my AirPods Pro for two years now and I’ve had to have both (left and right) replaced twice because of this. Unfortunately they are now out of warranty. I hope 2nd gen doesn’t suffer from something like this.

quenix 4y ago
I believe this repair can be done out-of-warranty for free.
- rrdharan 4y ago
  Yep, mine were totally out of warranty, I noticed some clicking mostly only when running, and they replaced them in-store for free. I was worried they would blame my third-party tips (https://www.complyfoam.com/collections/comply-foam-tips-compatible-with-airpods-pro/products/comply-foam-tips-compatible-with-apple-airpods-pro https://www.complyfoam.com/collections/comply-foam-tips-comp...) but as mentioned by the other poster, they remove the tips before testing.
- nsbk 4y ago
  This is in line with my experience, I got both AirPods Pro replaced out of warranty a couple weeks ago, even if only one of them was presenting issues. Apparently, the machine they use to check said both were affected. I got them replaced in Spain while the original purchase took place in Germany.
gog 4y ago
You can still replace them, even if they are out of warranty.
cleemens 4y ago
I have done this succesfully as well, even in another country than which I bought them in initialy. Nearly 2 years out of warranty at the time of replacement, replacement itself was not a problem.
Starmina 4y ago
Got them replaced both for free in an Apple store, I thought only one was bugging out but their test machine said both were "broke". It was out of warranty since well over a year.
_fzslm 4y ago
i bet the rolling out of this program so close to the 2nd gen release is a subtle acknowledgment from apple that this issue is endemic to the 1st gen, and it's fixed now.
- phlyingpenguin 4y ago
  "Information as of 2021-10-01" - this isn't a new program
  - _fzslm 4y ago
    whoops! thx for the correction :)

criddell 4y ago

My AirPods Pro are great except the left one drains it's battery about twice as fast as the right one. Has anybody here experienced something similar? Will Apple do anything about it?

varjag 4y ago
Probably it wouldn't. It could well have sustained an unfortunate fall, left in the sun to overheat etc. Batteries are somewhat delicate and there's often no way to tell the cause.
dewey 4y ago
Are you using it a lot in calls? I think it could depend on which microphone is actively used.
- criddell 4y ago
  I don't think I've ever used it in a call. I also rarely use noise cancelling or transparency modes. I do use "hey siri" sometimes though. Right now, my left ear bud is good for 2 hours of music at the most and the right one is good for about 4 hours.
astrange 4y ago
That’s expected, the left side does more work than the right in normal usage.

andsoitis 4y ago

My experience of the Service Program has been very poor. One of my AirPods Pro has an annoying tick. It's like a metronome (regular) and orthogonal to the music I'm listening to. I've taken it to the Apple Store, but instead of the service rep putting it in their ear to confirm the issue, they use some machine that checks and, in my case, "computer says no!" to my complaint. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n_Ty_72Qds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0n_Ty_72Qds The rubber around the ear insert is changeable, so it wouldn't be unhygienic for them to listen directly. Their refusal at an exchange has caused me to eschew trusting them for the new AirPods, and instead I've moved on to another brand.

dagmx 4y ago
For what it’s worth, with AirPods you can just contact their online support and they’re much quicker to send you a replacement after verifying just a few basics
weberer 4y ago
Does the machine touch the silicone? That would still be pretty unhygenic.
- andsoitis 4y ago
  I don't know because they take the headphones to a room in the back for the test.
- low_key 4y ago
  No, they ask you to remove the silicon before giving them they airpods
tinus_hn 4y ago
Without commenting on the rest of your story I do not fault the representative for refusing to put customers’ AirPods in their ear.
low_key 4y ago
Mine too. I took a pair in that had symptoms exactly as described in the service program description. Both the left and right earbud failed in their test machine, but Apple said my Airpods did not qualify because they were not part of the program (manufactured a few months after the end date). I suspect the issues weren't actually resolved by the date they claim. Also, more annoyingly, they offered replacement refurbished left and right pods for $89 each. I can go to Costco and buy a new pair with a new charging case for only $2 more. Moral of the story: Airpods are unreliable, if you buy them then also buy the extended warranty from Apple.

paultopia 4y ago

the most annoying thing about the airpods pro for me is that a good percentage of the time (maybe 15%, give or take), only one of the actual airpods will connect when I stick them in my ears. I got a buzzing a few months ago and swapped them out under the service program, hoping it would also fix the only-one-airpod-connecting issue, but, well, it didn't. (A large percentage of the time I realize that this is because something went wrong on the case side and the one that won't connect never got charged even though the other one did.) Despite that, I'm still upgrading to round 2 this morning. Hoping the new version of the chip plus the new case makes this connection/charging issue go away. Sigh. Apple does manage to always get my money, doesn't it. Though, I guess, to be fair, apart from those issues my first gen's have served me well for like 3 years and they're the only headphones I actually use 90% of the time. (Also, even more noise cancelling on the already good noise cancelling sounds good...maybe these can become my long-plane-trip headphones and let me retire the big sonys.)

FabHK 4y ago
Indeed. Both of my original AirPods Pro developed the buzzing/crackling issue, had them both exchanged under the program, and now one of them is creaking again. Also found the 1st gen noise cancellation not quite as good as with Bose (in ear as well as over ear). And now I'm here pressing reload in the browser so I can buy the 2nd gen...
- paultopia 4y ago
  Hah, glad I'm not alone in this. Proud of myself for not immediately buying the new ginormous watch tho
  - disantlor 4y ago
    i believe this happens when a stray hair gets into the driver
  - klinquist 4y ago
    I wish I could be proud of myself. So glad they finally make a watch for my mountaineering & diving lifestyle. Narrator: "He has never been diving our mountaineering."

chollida1 4y ago

Can any other runners comment on the new airpods for durability. I've killed 3 pairs due to sweat from running seemingly shorting them out and then they never seem to recover. the sound is great but I can't really tell much a difference between them and the $50 pair I tend to buy from amazon. That could be due to my 40 year old ears though. They do connect really well and allow me to connect to both my phone and laptop which I love but durability seems to be a big problem for them.

TurboHaskal 4y ago
Well that's because they literally sound like $50 ones. When it comes to sweat I believe balanced armature drivers tend to last much longer than dynamic drivers.
gizmo 4y ago
I also ruined a pair of Airpod pros that way. Got them replaced on warranty, but I'm still annoyed because Apple has ads where people run with Airpods but if you do they'll break.
eludwig 4y ago
Just anecdata, but I have been running with non-pro AirPods for years with no problems like one you describe. I tend to sweat a lot, so by the end of the run they are pretty wet. No shorting or other electrical issues. The only problem I've had was ear wax buildup (yeah, gross, I know) with the first/second AirPods generation (the ones with the long stem). I was able to use alcohol & hydrogen peroxide to clean them up a bit, but eventually the sound is muffled pretty bad. I have recently switched to a pair of the latest version, AirPods 3 (with the shorter stems) and they seem to be made better in general. No sound problems and they seem to stay cleaner with minimal regular cleaning. I use a toothpick to gently remove any buildup as needed. The fit of the 3s is significantly different that the older version and did require some getting used to. They are a bit larger in the ear.
- reaperducer 4y ago
  The only problem I've had was ear wax buildup Fun-tac is your friend.

steve_adams_86 4y ago

I had my air pods pro replaced under warranty about 2 weeks before my warranty expired. I was so relieved. It has been two months and the new ones are already experiencing major issues. One doesn’t charge sometimes, even if the case seems to indicate that it’s connected. I thought it was the case, but the same thing happens in another case. The weird shifting noise cancellation the first ones did where both ears cancel noise differently has started happening. The pop, pop, pop, squelch as I walk has started happening. I was sure I was breaking them somehow until I found out this experience is not that uncommon. It’s such a shame because when they work well, they really are game changers. I’m hesitant to upgrade, though. These were expensive and only lasted two years (with replacements). Apart from the money, I also find the waste upsetting. I was optimistic to get more liken 5 years out of them.

samatman 4y ago
I get the money argument better than the waste one. An AirPod is less embodied energy than one of those birthday cards with a built-in speaker that plays happy birthday. Is this really moving the needle? You could buy three pounds less of off-season fruit from another continent, if you really feel bad about it.
- steve_adams_86 4y ago
  It's not the single set of AirPods that bothers me so much as knowing that, on a larger scale, a lot of AirPods are breaking on a similar time scale and it's a greater trend that causes damage. I don't think there's much as an individual I can do to make a difference, it's just disheartening to see massive multinational companies dumping out electronics that become non-functional so quickly – even when they're a high enough quality otherwise that they wouldn't really become obsolete for a very long time.

dewey 4y ago

I have used this program a few times now (Documented it here: https://annoying.technology/posts/abea6876cf4f2e13/ https://annoying.technology/posts/abea6876cf4f2e13/) and they were always very friendly about it and exchanged them without any issues. I hope the new generation is more durable, as it really does feel like a giant waste of resources. The sad part is that they are really good when they work so I keep getting them.

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t0mas88 4y ago
I've used it twice now, while they claimed it only affected airpods produced before a certain date. What's also annoying is that you have to wait two weeks each time until the new ones arrive, because they want to diagnose the problem first. I think there is a limit on how long after you bought the airpods they fall under this program. Which basically means I'm going to buy the new ones after these break. Doesn't feel like the right way of voting with my wallet :-) but I use them literally every day.

LetsGetTechnicl 4y ago

Buying AirPods Pro when I lost my original AirPods was probably one of the worst purchases I've made recently. They keep falling out no matter what I do, until I got these silicon "shark tip" covers that mimic the kind of eartips a lot of sports headphones have. It's so annoying.

suction 4y ago
Bluecobra 4y ago
What brand/model tip did you end buying? My favorite ear tips for the longest time have been the triple flange ones from Etymotic but they are a little behind the curve and still only sell wired earphones.
- LetsGetTechnicl 4y ago
  I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QCF2729 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QCF2729 They're like silicon sleeves for the AirPod Pros that give them shark tips that make them more secure in the ear.

Renaud 4y ago

I have the distinct feeling that the current generation of AirPod Pros suffer from a lot of reliability issues. I had to replace them 3 times in a year. I don’t use them for sports, I’m careful not to wet them, keep them clean, and they developed noise cancellation issues on one side, or noise. My guess is that there is a non negligible portion that gets returned. I sincerely hope the new version is more robust, the return experience was not great, I have doubts about the capacity of their automated tests to detect some of the actual issues that users experience.

MobiusHorizons 4y ago
I’m surprised to hear all the complaints of early failures, since my experience has basically been the opposite. I bought used AirPods Pro on backmarket and accidentally sent them through the wash a few months in. But they still work flawlessly over a year later, and I even use them for running.

wodenokoto 4y ago

> Information as of 2021-10-01 Needs a (2021) in the title.

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mortenjorck 4y ago

My experience with Airpods Pro has been excellent for what I originally bought them for, listening to music. However, I later (after the warranty period, naturally) started trying to use them for calls, and noticed something I’m not sure is covered by this program: Occasional, random “blips” where there’s some kind of discontinuity in the sound for ~200ms, with a ~100ms offset between the left and right channels. It’s annoying enough that I take them out before a call or meeting. I had a tough enough time describing it just now (it’s the sort of problem that is inherently un-Googleable), but has anyone else experienced this, and have you had any luck with the service program?

dewey 4y ago
This does sound a lot like Bluetooth issues which are of course almost impossible to debug. At this point the only Bluetooth device I use is my mouse and AirPods. The rest I switched back to wires because of how unreliable it is especially in a residential building with lots of wifi access points.
- dylan604 4y ago
  Is there a known correlation of interference between WiFi and Bluetooth?
  - dewey 4y ago
    Yes: https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/466798/does-bluetooth-interfere-with-wifi https://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/466798/does-...
    - dylan604 4y ago
      makes sense. i rarely use bluetooth devices, so I had just never looked into this.
jabo 4y ago
Yes! I have this exact same problem on my AirPods Pro, and only during phone calls and meetings as well. I’ve also had a tough time describing it, so couldn’t Google for it. I’ve also held off on taking it to the apple store to get it looked at, just because I didn’t know how to describe it well. May be I’ll just use your description now. Just yesterday two people told me that they hear echos when I use my AirPods on two different meetings, so I had to switch to using wired headphones. Adding that to my list of problems. I wish I could just return the product now.

robertlagrant 4y ago

I just love how Shakespearian "Airpods Pro" is. Hubble bubble.

s__s 4y ago

What happens when the battery no longer holds a charge? Are they able to replace them or do you have to toss them in the trash? I’ve been avoiding these because they seem like wasteful fast fashion. I imagine having to throw them out in ~2-3 years, where as my over ear Beyers will likely last the rest of my life.

vrutberg 4y ago
I contacted Apple about this issue with my 1st gen AirPods (non-pro) in mind. They were basically unusable since the batteries would only hold a charge lasting a few minutes. I was offered to send them in for a battery replacement IIRC, but that would’ve set me back as much as the cost of a new pair, so I ended up just buying a new pair instead. I agree, it does feel quite wasteful.
oreilles 4y ago
Airpods Pro battery can be replaced by Apple for $49: https://support.apple.com/airpods/repair https://support.apple.com/airpods/repair
- Wingman4l7 4y ago
  As I've said before, it's very highly likely they are not actually repairing the unit by replacing the battery -- IMO that's false advertising to make them look "green". The plastic halves of the earbud casings are ultrasonically sealed together; you have to break them apart to get at the guts (and IIRC the battery is also soldered in). Just look up the iFixit teardown; they're completely unrepairable. My bet is, they are just swapping them out with refurbs or new units and writing off the loss against their AppleCare earnings.
  - CharlesW 4y ago
    > As I've said before, it's very highly likely they are not actually repairing the unit by replacing the battery -- IMO that's false advertising to make them look "green". I'm sure you're right about the first bit, and that calling it "battery replacement" is a sin of omission and/or over-simplification. As an engineer you're offended, but for average consumers, the result is what matters. It's a stretch to call it greenwashing, though. Apple has supported AirPods recycling since its introduction. In the case of AirPods specifically, Apple pays recyclers for the manual labor required to recover materials, even though it significantly exceeds the value of the materials being recovered.

dayedh 4y ago

Had four or five pairs replaced due to this issue. The most recent repair seems to have fixed the issue, but the noise cancellation is noticably worse than the launch set. On the bright side, it was nice getting a pair with refreshed batteries back each time.

drclau 4y ago

I am at the 5th and 4th replacements (left and right, or might be the reverse). I do hope these issues were fixed in 2nd gen. At one time, I have found a YouTube video describing how to fix the noise cancelling issue by literally sucking on the external microphone grille of the malfunctioning AirPod. Oddly enough, it did fix the problem temporarily. I think there may be a valve that is used to equalize the pressure between the sealed ear and the outside, and if that gets stuck opened or closed the noise cancelling fails. In my case, low frequency sounds were passing through. Very annoying. Worth noting, I had the clicking noise issue with Sony WH-1000XM3, too. The behavior was exactly the same as with the AirPods Pro. Whenever a change in pressure occurred (door/window closed or opened), and during walks or even just moving the head in certain ways, the clicking noise started. This only happened when ANC was active, both for AirPods Pro and for the Sonys. With Apple, I never had any problems getting a replacement, and it was in two countries that do not have official Apple Stores. However, with the Sony it was a completely different story. I had them fixed in warranty, just to find out they were not actually fixed. They replaced the headband that had really nothing to do with the problem. Eventually, after lots of emails and calls, the store I bought them from just gave me back my money.

ricardobayes 4y ago
I'm thinking my WH-1000XM3's were faulty, the ANC didn't work very well unless music or brown noise was played at relatively high volume. Also the sound quality was really 'muddy', very muffled and very bass-dominant. I returned them. Neither of these issues were present on a no-name chinese 60 euro ANC headphone.

jjuel 4y ago

I am glad I came across this post. I was thinking I was going to need to buy some new ones. My right one has a static issue and the left one has a weird clicking.

themensch 4y ago

I've had this exact problem and I've had to replace one or both airpods not once, not twice, but thrice. But, to Apple's credit, they have handled it gracefully each time. The first time it did take a bit of convincing as there weren't many documented cases on the subject. Now, it's rote. The root cause, as I understand it, is that the microphones that act for transparency mode or for noise-cancelling mode can be blocked by particulate matter. A quick test to see if this has happened is to disable both transparency and noise cancellation to see if the audio artifacts disappear - it is not always enough to inspect them under a microscope; this has been the case for me each time but I confess my environment is extremely dusty at times and I wear these airpods for extended periods in all manner of adverse conditions and they have always performed admirably.

spaghettiToy 4y ago
>I've had to replace one or both airpods not once, not twice, but thrice. But, to Apple's credit, they have handled it gracefully each time. The first time it did take a bit of convincing as there weren't many documented cases on the subject. Wow that sounds awful. How did they "handle it gracefully"? You don't seem upset, but I got second hand customer service frustration reading this. The closest thing I had to this was an xbox360 red ring of death 3 times. I excused it because I wanted to play Xbox games and that was the cost of playing.
- themensch 4y ago
  An excellent question, let me elaborate. - On the first instance I contacted apple via their customer support chat. It took about 30 minutes to get replacements shipped to me. - On the second instance, the problem was well-established, so they just shipped me new ones. - On the third instance, they asked me to go in to a local Apple Store, and that did take a bit longer. In fact, I'm due for round 4 here soon. There's no stopping the dusty environment. I'm pretty demanding of headphones - 2 pairs of jaybirds died horribly under the same circumstances and the company would only replace the first set. A cheap set of Aukey buds fared considerably better and they still have life left in them. The tight integration of the airpods with my other apple devices and the perks, plus the overall sound quality and excellent noise cancellation around loud equipment more than make up for the hassle of a free replacement rigamarole every year. I've been pleased with them since I received them as a gift in December of 2019, and I'm absolutely not upset in the slightest that there have been problems. Fortune has smiled upon me with regard to my experiences with Apple products.

rumblestrut 4y ago

I had this happen, and Apple replaced my AirPods free of charge. Now my replacement pair is doing a similar, although different sounding issue. I need to take those in. Annoying. But clearly a First World Problem that I'm glad Apple is taking steps to fix.

LUmBULtERA 4y ago

My airpod pros had this issue and were manufactured mid October 2020 and two months out of warranty. Apple refused to replace them.

mmastrac 4y ago

As someone who sits on video calls often, please, please do not use your AirPods for conference microphones. I cannot understand about 25% of what people are saying, especially those people w/deep voices.

Clueed 4y ago
I don't get why nobody is talking about this. I'm starting to suspect it only effects a subset of all AirPods Pro and is covered by this replacement program even though it's not really tasted clearly. AirPods Pro even compared to the the non-Pros have awful microphones. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250813242 https://discussions.apple.com/thread/250813242

acqbu 4y ago

Isn't it odd that it's always the high end models that seem to have all sorts of issues? I got a cheap $25 pair of earbuds from Amazon a year ago and they work flawlessly.

remir 4y ago

I'm on my third pair now. IMO the Airpods Pro are poorly designed. You really gotta be careful when you handle them as the little "air vents" that prevent ear pressure can easily "clogs" and this create a rattle sound when ANC is active.

alexalx666 4y ago

Here is a 50 dollar alternative with isolation that lets you enjoy your music on the plane just fine - Marshall Mode. Once you realize you dont have to have BT audio you can get pro in-ears for the price of AirPods.

SpikeDad 4y ago

I used it to replace one of mine. I told them it was staticy when I put it in my ear. They said so sorry and they would process a replacement. The process took minutes over Apple Support chat and I had a new one in 3 days with a postage free box to return mine. If you have problems get it replaced. What's the drama?