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AirPods sound quality

D

DeanPuwananuwat

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Jun 14, 2011
11
2
Auckland, NZ
EDIT: I did try to plug in my wired earphones into the jack (never doing it again!) and it also produced hollow audio. I'm just trying to think whether this is a software issue on 11.0.1 for 6S Plus? I know a few people who have 6S Plus but still running on 11.0 so will get back to you whether it is an isolated issue or not.

It seems like the audio quality of my AirPods has suddenly gone worse when it’s running on my iPhone (11.0.1). I can tell the difference as the audio is far more hollow.

If I pair AirPods to my Mac the audio is fine and crisp, as it was meant to be. I’ve yet to test my AirPods on someone else’s phone running an earlier version than my iPhone (in case if it is an isolated problem).

I’m 100% confident there is a substantial difference in the audio quality on my phone and my Mac right now. The audio would be comparable to $5 earphones you can find near the checkout.

I can’t recall exactly when the AirPods began playing hollow audio on my phone but it clearly started last week.

I will try to plug in regular earphones which will narrow down my issue. However the port is rather stuffed as I dropped the phone a few months back which has affected the circular shape of the jack (see EDIT at the top).

Any suggestions?

— Also note that EQ is off on both iPhone and Mac.
 
Last edited:
DeanPuwananuwat said:
EDIT: I did try to plug in my wired earphones into the jack (never doing it again!) and it also produced hollow audio. I'm just trying to think whether this is a software issue on 11.0.1 for 6S Plus? I know a few people who have 6S Plus but still running on 11.0 so will get back to you whether it is an isolated issue or not.

It seems like the audio quality of my AirPods has suddenly gone worse when it’s running on my iPhone (11.0.1). I can tell the difference as the audio is far more hollow.

If I pair AirPods to my Mac the audio is fine and crisp, as it was meant to be. I’ve yet to test my AirPods on someone else’s phone running an earlier version than my iPhone (in case if it is an isolated problem).

I’m 100% confident there is a substantial difference in the audio quality on my phone and my Mac right now. The audio would be comparable to $5 earphones you can find near the checkout.

I can’t recall exactly when the AirPods began playing hollow audio on my phone but it clearly started last week.

I will try to plug in regular earphones which will narrow down my issue. However the port is rather stuffed as I dropped the phone a few months back which has affected the circular shape of the jack (see EDIT at the top).

Any suggestions?

— Also note that EQ is off on both iPhone and Mac.
Click to expand...

Try the “Late Night” EQ setting in IOS. It’s actually a multi-band compressor. For me, it makes everything fuller, bigger and with more detail. Give it a try.
 
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immigrantsong said:
Try the “Late Night” EQ setting in IOS. It’s actually a multi-band compressor. For me, it makes everything fuller, bigger and with more detail. Give it a try.
Click to expand...
Hi,

Thanks for the reply.

I usually listen with bass booster on. However for the purposes of finding the solution, I turned off EQ.

I used the late night EQ you suggested, however, the audio still sounds rather hollow to me.

I will be downgrading the phone to 11.0 and see if the issue still persists. I haven't been able to test AirPods on an older version.
 
I wasn't able to downgrade since Apple stopped signing 11.0.

Fortunately, I remembered my Apple Watch having music playback functionality so I am using that for the time being. I'm quite happy with this despite the obvious lack of EQ settings, it certainly topples hollow music.

I definitely think it is a software-related issue specifically for iOS 11. I will be leaving feedback for Apple but I doubt they would respond considering the magnitude of this issue.

Thanks for the help gents.
 
This seems like an issue because there’re other people reporting the same thing reddit iPhone
 
immigrantsong said:
Try the “Late Night” EQ setting in IOS. It’s actually a multi-band compressor. For me, it makes everything fuller, bigger and with more detail. Give it a try.
Click to expand...

Not sure whether I completely forgot about the EQ setting or never knew about it. Your suggestion to try Late Nite EQ setting really made a difference on a set of BeatsX I was almost ready to return. The combination of this setting change and Comply ear tips has made a significant improvement in sound quality. Just as you described MUCH fuller and an improved soundstage. Thanks for that. Got a sale on them and will use them for air travel. AirPods on the way for casual use when I don't need noise isolation.
 
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