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

[Jefe's MacAir]

Received mine for Christmas. Was extremely happy. Then one day taking a phone call while in ANC I heard clipping or feedback in the left AirPod if I spoke sharply. Then started hearing it either AirPod when I spoke loudly or sharply. Then I checked the Tip Fit Test and all sizes continuously failed where as when I first received them I could get ll sizes to pass with large being the most consistent.

Chatted w/ Apple Support on Sunday and they kept me on for over 1.5 hrs. and two reps who basically asked me the same three questions over and over. Thought for sure I'd get them to send me a call tag and a new pair. Nope. Wanted phone tech to call me back. I told them Monday would be fine but ended up deciding in the interim that I was just going to return them as I'm within the return window.

Now I see this thread and know why they seemed to degrade over time. I would hazard a guess I had the previous os and they updated to the new os and now suck. They were so very good.

 

[Steve686]

2C54 has also made my APPs a little quirky when removing them from the case and putting them into my ear.

A couple of times the APPs have failed to activate ANC because the pods think I don’t have both inserted in my ears. I put them back in the case, reinsert in my ears, and all is fine.

 

[canyonblue737]

Received mine for Christmas. Was extremely happy. Then one day taking a phone call while in ANC I heard clipping or feedback in the left AirPod if I spoke sharply. Then started hearing it either AirPod when I spoke loudly or sharply. Then I checked the Tip Fit Test and all sizes continuously failed where as when I first received them I could get ll sizes to pass with large being the most consistent.

Chatted w/ Apple Support on Sunday and they kept me on for over 1.5 hrs. and two reps who basically asked me the same three questions over and over. Thought for sure I'd get them to send me a call tag and a new pair. Nope. Wanted phone tech to call me back. I told them Monday would be fine but ended up deciding in the interim that I was just going to return them as I'm within the return window.

Now I see this thread and know why they seemed to degrade over time. I would hazard a guess I had the previous os and they updated to the new os and now suck. They were so very good.

actually the "fails all fit tests suddenly" issue is well documented elsewhere in a different thread. it actually is a HARDWARE defect where a seal inside the AirPods behind the mesh slot that lets air in gets stuck... you can 100% fix the issue, at least temporarily, by get this... sucking hard with your mouth on the vent of the AirPods Pro. with a ton of pressure it resets the seal and then your fit tests will work again at least for a period of time till they get stuck again. details again in the other thread about "fit test doesn't work" or something like that. crazy.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Is this for real? what did i miss out on

https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/c4tvkw

 

[Herrpod]

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.

Good news, the way they worked before this update was that the audio sounds much better with noise canceling turned off. Sounds like all they really accomplished here was making the ANC awful, which only improves the audio with ANC turned on.

 

[coolsean20]

I just got AirPods Pro on Saturday so I haven’t noticed any issues. Obviously because I didn’t get the new firmware update

 

[wigby]

The way Apple handles updates in general is so anit-consumer

No, they're pro-consumer until they are anti-consumer to you. Your devices have all been updated dozens/hundreds of times and you never complained because you did not notice or were not affected negatively. Not all updates are going to work perfectly for everyone at the same time but doing it without having too manage is actually pro-consumer and one of the things that makes Apple better than most.

 

[goobot]

No, they're pro-consumer until they are anti-consumer to you. Your devices have all been updated dozens/hundreds of times and you never complained because you did not notice or were not affected negatively. Not all updates are going to work perfectly for everyone at the same time but doing it without having too manage is actually pro-consumer and one of the things that makes Apple better than most.

Yea but when they make it impossible to downgrade when there is an issue that isn’t good or convenient for anyone.

 

[gadgetgirl85]

I got 2B588 with my replacement pair. the ANC has been terrible for so long now.

 

[maj88]

actually the "fails all fit tests suddenly" issue is well documented elsewhere in a different thread. it actually is a HARDWARE defect where a seal inside the AirPods behind the mesh slot that lets air in gets stuck... you can 100% fix the issue, at least temporarily, by get this... sucking hard with your mouth on the vent of the AirPods Pro. with a ton of pressure it resets the seal and then your fit tests will work again at least for a period of time till they get stuck again. details again in the other thread about "fit test doesn't work" or something like that. crazy.

I have just tested it. You are 100% correct.
Suddenly the fit test stopped working. When I "sucked" the vent, the test passed well.
Nevertheless, the ANC is working worse after the update.

 

[mxrider88]

I just got AirPods Pro on Saturday so I haven’t noticed any issues. Obviously because I didn’t get the new firmware update

😂

 

[whsbuss]

Yep, Apple seem to be incapable of writing release notes these days. They’ve just dropped a load of dev betas and no release notes for any of them. You have to guess the fixes and guess what they’ve changed. It’s bizarre.

Apple has never given release notes on any AirPods firmware updates

 

[Will Tisdale 🎗]

Apple has never given release notes on any AirPods firmware updates

And? I didn’t say they had. They don’t give proper release notes on anything. Hence the problem.

 

[michaelant]

Has anyone on 2C54 tried the fittings/seal quality test? Before I would constantly get 'Good Seal'. After 2C54 I no longer do

Getting the same thing here. I never thought to try the test again because I got mine early (first firmware I assume), the nc was awesome and I did the test many times initially, out of curiosity. Got a good result every time. Which made sense because they always sealed well. They still feel the same, still feel like they’re sealing the same, but like everyone else the nc is much worse, and has been since the firmware changed.

But certainly strange now to have that test fail every time. Well, once when I really jammed them in one side passed, but it failed next time I tried it 45 seconds later.

 

[macsimcon]

I can forgive Apple for not anticipating the massive demand for AirPods Pro, but what is going on with their software QC lately? It seems like nearly every OS they make has bugs these days, and it seems to be getting worse, not better.

 

[tivoboy]

Oddly, i had noticed something like this in my latest trips, and chalked it up to me just having gotten used to the APP... and ANC on them and nothing is as good as it seems first. but, the last time I travelled on a flight it would have had the prior FW, and now sure enough its on the 2C54. Please update apple.

 

[Bandaman]

I haven't gotten this update yet. It's odd that it just arbitrarily updates. Wish we could force update the AirPods or choose not to install an update.

 

[Squuiid]

I haven't gotten this update yet. It's odd that it just arbitrarily updates. Wish we could force update the AirPods or choose not to install an update.

You do not want this update. Seriously.
Apple pulled it for good reason.

 

[Bandaman]

You do not want this update. Seriously.
Apple pulled it for good reason.

Oh I definitely don’t want this update. I just wish we had an option to manually install or ignore an update entirely.

 

[Digital Dude]

Another Apple 'Post n' Pray' update released without testing.

 

[Plett]

Yeah, Bose has really screwed us QC35 owners - try googling 'qc35 anc'

Very helpful, I wouldn't think to update firmware on them anyway, but if I had noticed it I may have. Thanks for this.

 

[DeepIn2U]

So what’s the remedy for those of us with poor performance? I noticed how different the noise cancellation was immediately.

I have as well! Since that and the still not fixed issue of having to place back the right ear is into the case for 15 seconds then pull out again ritual each time I needed to use the AirPod Pros ... just took away ANY convenience Apple created with the H2 chip (?) for iCloud sync.

I went back to the XM3’s ... Sony has further improved call quality frequency range across music playback and ANC along with now added Volume control something Apple could actually do as well.

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.

I sort of feel the reason for the “downgrade” especially for lower frequencies like car road noise is for Joggers and runners and cyclists for safety while being mobile.

 

[jbryant705]

The AirPods Pro have actually got worse at ANC with each new firmware

The Fit Test now regularly fails when it passed on the original firmware

as for battery performance, somehow the left AirPod drains faster

Apple need to address this asap , otherwise people

See my previous comment. The fit test issue has nothing to do with the firmware. It’s hardware. 100%. Temporary fix is to suck on the inner mesh grill and clean it with sticky tack, as weird as it sounds.

 

[DeepIn2U]

Another Apple 'Post n' Pray' update released without testing.

Yeah Apple really dropped the ball on thes “Pro’s” by doing updates with the amateur hour.

sad because I love the size of these. Again I’m loathing the singular only colour. Apple has to stop using people as an ad - that’s Googles job! Give APP in Black please Apple.

also the voice quality for notes in apps or in iMessage reply when in a noisy gym with music banging out (where the AirPods v1/2 work flawlessly) I was very annoyed.

I may wait until summer or v2’s before I try again.

 

[DeepIn2U]

No, they're pro-consumer until they are anti-consumer to you. Your devices have all been updated dozens/hundreds of times and you never complained because you did not notice or were not affected negatively. Not all updates are going to work perfectly for everyone at the same time but doing it without having too manage is actually pro-consumer and one of the things that makes Apple better than most.

mom this field Apple is an amateur compared to all the competition. This isn’t an opinion it’s years of experience by the competition. Let’s just hope Apple becomes transparent in these updates like the competition going forward. Quality control not posting what each update is for, is like a lazy employee trying to protect their job from a performance review!