AirPods Pro 2C54 Firmware: Worse Noise Canceling, Improved Frequency Response and Bass Accuracy

[Schranke]

As one who is looking to get a pair, WHEN apple restore the ANC, would you recommend them?
They will usually be used in relation to fitness and transport so ANC is pretty important to me.

 

[Jaybrwn]

Oooooo that’s why I could never get the update. Interesting... welp I’m looking forward to the new update that will “IMPROVE ANC”

 

[deerheadcx]

It’s weird. I had the original firmware and from day 1 I was quite disappointed with the bass clipping / distortion. Especially on tracks with a lot of sub bass. Then over Christmas I didn’t hear the clipping any more and thought they sounded great. I thought I had ‘broken them in’. Didn’t notice the difference in noise cancellation (and I travel on the tube!)

 

[randomgeeza]

Yay, just checked mine and even though I bought them in December... They are 2B588.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Pretty much this. They wanted to release them in time for christmas

Yes exactly. If you look at the manufacturer notes for AirPods on the apple website, Apple say they tested the Airpods in October. That's just one month of testing for a key product!!

 

[Morgenland]

Apple claim on their website for the Pro’s that

“Active Noise Cancelling silences the world to keep you fully tuned in to your music, podcasts and calls”.

I am sure that can now be disproved and possibly conceived as inaccurate and false marketing.

Fortunately, nobody is that stupid, because everybody knows that Apple will fix this bug as soon as possible.

 

[whsbuss]

Where the hell is their quality control? Seriously this is ticking me off now. So my Airpods took the December 16th update without my knowledge and ever since I started experiencing Popping/crackling sound from the right airpod, took it to Apple store and their “Genius” started blaming me that this could be a water damage, but luckily their manager was nice and replaced that Airpod under warranty. Now again today AirPods took this update without my approval and off course we are back to step 1 again.

The piping and cracking scares the hell out of me when it happens

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Fortunately, nobody is that stupid, because everybody knows that Apple will fix this bug as soon as possible.

Well we hope they do. One or two users have reporting that Apple are working on a fix but would be nice to hear from the horses mouth.

 

[Ma2k5]

I was wondering why my airpods appeared to not cancel out noise as much as before (making me sometimes think they are off). I can see I am on this pulled release version...

 

[kemal]

Good programmers no longer want to work for
Apple. I have no proof, of course. But there have been a few software problems as of late.

 

[robjulo]

At the price point, there should be both great sound quality and excellent noise cancelling.

I don't own a pair yet, but I'd still take better sound quality vs better noise cancelling. In most situations I need to hear some background noise anyway plus they are earbuds and probably already seel off a decent amount of noise. But hopefully the next firmware gives us the best of both worlds.

 

[chrono1081]

I knew it sounded worse! That being said I did what everyone should have done and went to https://www.apple.com/feedback and reported it there instead of coming to the forums and claiming the end of Apple was near.

 

[Morgenland]

Good programmers no longer want to work for
Apple. I have no proof, of course. But there have been a few software problems as of late.

you have no proof

 

[chrono1081]

As one who is looking to get a pair, WHEN apple restore the ANC, would you recommend them?
They will usually be used in relation to fitness and transport so ANC is pretty important to me.

I recommend them. They took me about a week to get used to as they are heavier than the original AirPods. I still think the originals are more comfy but the ANC (when working correctly) is worth the trade off. I work in a hellishly noisy office and these are a godsend.

 

[SAIRUS]

This is now a management issue with Apple. With pressures to deliver to show progress, corners get cut. Getting to production is the goal, not delivering a sound product that is properly created with testing and proper flow of information.

 

[chfilm]

Actually yea I was a bit underwhelmed by the NC recently and now found that I also have this update installed...

 

[mrantonyc]

I knew it sounded worse! That being said I did what everyone should have done and went to https://www.apple.com/feedback and reported it there instead of coming to the forums and claiming the end of Apple was near.

THIS! thank you! I did the same

 

[Patriks7]

And here I thought I was going crazy that the noise cancelling got worse on mine recently.

 

[Tech198]

We have to wait.

I don't like that reason.

 

[MrMacintoshIII]

This is getting to be too many things happening right out the gate with Apple’s products. At least in the past problems took a while to happen.

We only got to experience the bliss of the old ANC for like a month, now the world is loud again and it’s pissing me off. Why Apple? Why? At least push out another update that is higher version number but is essentially the old firmware until you fix this.

WE ALL BOUGHT THESE THINGS FOR THE ANC AND IT TOTALLY PALES NOW IN COMPARISON TO WHAT IT WAS!!

 

[Glideslope]

No surprises in this article.

 

[Gix1k]

I have 2B588 and my battery life is crap. I was listening to talk radio yesterday starting at 7:30 at and by 12:15 my one pod was dead.

 

[Ma2k5]

I have 2B588 and my battery life is crap. I was listening to talk radio yesterday starting at 7:30 at and by 12:15 my one pod was dead.

4 hours 45 minutes isn't exactly crap now is it.

 

[seinman]

I have 2B588 and my battery life is crap. I was listening to talk radio yesterday starting at 7:30 at and by 12:15 my one pod was dead.

Ummmm.....

• Up to 4.5 hours of listening time with a single charge (up to 5 hours with Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency off)

This is from Apple's website.

 

[aeropix]

What really irks me is that they slightly boosted to volume in "transparency mode" to try and "trick" you into thinking the ANC works really good if you do a comparison. The extra loud "transparency mode" makes the now diluted ANC mode "seems" so quiet, because they made the transparency mode so darn loud! Try "off" compared to transparency mode or simply take it out of your ear in transparency mode for a more accurate comparison.

Just bring back the "good" ANC and turn down the transparency volume a bit, please Apple.