Apple AirPods Firmware

[Bazooka-joe]

Based on what I am reading makes me wonder if the H1 processor or any other component in the airpods pro have been released although the factory that produces them may have issues.
Since the ANC not working properly seems to be affecting random people at random firmwares, I am starting to suspect a HW issue - some inconsistency on the electronics part.

If Apple released FW which behave erratically in terms of results on the same products, it means the products are not the same.

I cannot believe that Apple would not release a FW that bad without testing. And how come they missed such a big change in the ANC?

They must have pulled it back and ran tests on other ones as well and since there is such a long time since they pulled it without comments, I am being plagued by these "conspiracy theories" I tell myself sometimes 🙂)

There have been some stories floating around the Apple had some QC issues and stopped production for a short while so maybe the factory fresh products will be more consistent

 

[kissmo]

There have been some stories floating around the Apple had some QC issues and stopped production for a short while so maybe the factory fresh products will be more consistent

You see... now you're just fueling my mind 🙂)

If that is true then it blows because I purchased mine in a BestBuy store in NY (the only place I found them there were only 5 on stock, all aStores were depleted, 5th Avenue including)
Now I am back in Europe and unfortunately I have to live temporarily in Hungary where Apple Stores don't exist and service experience is a bad joke when it comes to returning products....

 

[Ralfi]

You see... now you're just fueling my mind 🙂)

If that is true then it blows because I purchased mine in a BestBuy store in NY (the only place I found them there were only 5 on stock, all aStores were depleted, 5th Avenue including)
Now I am back in Europe and unfortunately I have to live temporarily in Hungary where Apple Stores don't exist and service experience is a bad joke when it comes to returning products....

If Apple admit to what you suspect, you’ll be sent a replacement set no matter where you are.

Hope that cheers you up 😏 🤞

 

[bwinter88]

I cannot believe that Apple would not release a FW that bad without testing. And how come they missed such a big change in the ANC?

They must have pulled it back and ran tests on other ones as well and since there is such a long time since they pulled it without comments, I am being plagued by these "conspiracy theories" I tell myself sometimes 🙂)

I won't say how I know, but long story short, they didn't, and I promise you there's no change in ANC between firmware versions. These ANC issues are due to dirty Airpods. Either the earcups got dirty and aren't making a good seal, or the microholes at the base of the earcup are dirty and occluded. I would put good money on a better ear fit fixing 99% of ANC issues people are describing. But, conspiracies are more fun...

There have been some stories floating around the Apple had some QC issues and stopped production for a short while so maybe the factory fresh products will be more consistent

When stories "float around" it's because they aren't grounded in reality. I especially love the one about Apple crippling the ANC because it was "too effective" and giving people headaches.

Amazes me when people act like Apple is a company that's never produced a hardware product before. If there are issues with a batch of product they release, they issue a recall, and replace with fixed hardware. That's it. Their reputation and bottom line depends on it. No conspiracy, just business.

I would love to see this thread come back to Earth with actual evidence, but, then it wouldn't be as fun would it?

 

[kissmo]

If Apple admit to what you suspect, you’ll be sent a replacement set no matter where you are.

Hope that cheers you up 😏 🤞

I won't say how I know, but long story short, the didn't, and I promise you there's no change in ANC betwen firmware versions. These ANC issues are due to dirty Airpods. Either the earcups got dirty and aren't making a good seal, or the microholes at the base of the earcup are dirty and occluded. I would put good money on a better ear fit fixing 99% of ANC issues people are describing. But, people will tell themselves whatever story shifts the blame...
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Where? What stories? Any evidence? No? Then why propagate silly conspiracy stuff like this?

In both cases one thing I cann say I am OK with my APP. I mean, I have no reference since I never owned an ANC headset, I have only the factory FW that xxx588 so again missing other comparison point.

Either way if there will be a new FW that improves sounds - well looking forward to it. I love the ANC on planes and bus-es though I do feel they impact the sound quality however they are useful.

Cheers to everyone and let's hope for the best! 😉
Thanks for the heads-up!

 

[supergt]

I won't say how I know, but long story short, they didn't, and I promise you there's no change in ANC between firmware versions. These ANC issues are due to dirty Airpods. Either the earcups got dirty and aren't making a good seal, or the microholes at the base of the earcup are dirty and occluded. I would put good money on a better ear fit fixing 99% of ANC issues people are describing. But, conspiracies are more fun...

This just isn't factually accurate and falls in line with the crazy idea that sucking on the vents restores ANC.

The RTIGNS.com re-test of 2C54 showed a 4 decibel reduction in noise cancellation of the bass range. As sound is not linear, this a pretty significant drop. Some people notice it, some don't. But the science shows it happened.

 

[GigabitEthernet]

I do wonder if some of the issues with NC are actually due to the tips which we know now get worse at sealing the more they are exposed to the oils in your ear, which seems like a design flaw.

 

[Ralfi]

Either the earcups got dirty and aren't making a good seal, or the microholes at the base of the earcup are dirty and occluded.

I was looking closely on the inner microphone grille holes the other day & many of them do seem to be blocked - the ones on an outer edge looked clear, but the other 90% of them weren't as deep.

I don't have the NC issue others are experiencing though.

If I can get a good photo of the grille i'll upload it...
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I do wonder if some of the issues with NC are actually due to the tips which we know now get worse at sealing the more they are exposed to the oils in your ear, which seems like a design flaw.

I've gotten into a habit of wiping the tips after & before every use as those oils don't help - I found when listening to a humorous podcast & smiling throughout, the Airpods would feel like they're loosening...I figure it was the combination of the oils allowing the silicone tips to move together with my jaw movement whilst smiling...It got pretty bad with the Small tips as sometimes they'd just hang there by a thread. I was surprised they never fell out...

But since changing to the Medium tips & getting into that habit of wiping the tips, they've had a much better seal & stayed put...

 

[japanime]

I won't say how I know, but long story short, they didn't, and I promise you there's no change in ANC between firmware versions. These ANC issues are due to dirty Airpods. Either the earcups got dirty and aren't making a good seal, or the microholes at the base of the earcup are dirty and occluded.

Then how do we explain the reduced efficacy of ANC on the replacement pairs so many of us have received? Were we shipped brand-new APPs that were "dirty" out of the box?

 

[Glideslope]

I was looking closely on the inner microphone grille holes the other day & many of them do seem to be blocked - the ones on an outer edge looked clear, but the other 90% of them weren't as deep.

I don't have the NC issue others are experiencing though.

If I can get a good photo of the grille i'll upload it...
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I've gotten into a habit of wiping the tips after & before every use as those oils don't help - I found when listening to a humorous podcast & smiling throughout, the Airpods would feel like they're loosening...I figure it was the combination of the oils allowing the silicone tips to move together with my jaw movement whilst smiling...It got pretty bad with the Small tips as sometimes they'd just hang there by a thread. I was surprised they never fell out...

But since changing to the Medium tips & getting into that habit of wiping the tips, they've had a much better seal & stayed put...

The Inner Microphone Grills are the issue IMO. Looking for the Hardware version once the 30 day offset begins to close.😉

 

[bwinter88]

This just isn't factually accurate and falls in line with the crazy idea that sucking on the vents restores ANC.

The RTIGNS.com re-test of 2C54 showed a 4 decibel reduction in noise cancellation of the bass range. As sound is not linear, this a pretty significant drop. Some people notice it, some don't. But the science shows it happened.

What science? RTING's methodology has major flaws. ANC relies on a tight fit with the ear. They tested one firmware, updated to another version, then re-inserted them in a different physical position sometime later. They even admit there are inconsistencies in their testing: "After updating to Firmware 2C54, we retested the headphones and our results showed a very slight reduction in mid accuracy, though it's quite minor and could simply be due to testing. This review reflects these changes." So an inconsistency in sound quality is due to testing methodology, but an inconsistency in noise cancelling is magically due to firmware? Clearly this is suspect. They admit their testing is inconsistent. Even a small fit difference can translate to a big difference in ANC effectiveness. In the soundproofing business, if a door seal is 1% open, it lets in 50% of the sound. Imagine that math applied to the Airpods in your ears. There's little margin for error when wedging Airpods into the hard plastic of a dummy head. They mention in their methodology that they do 5 re-seats of position in the ear during testing. Then what? Are they averaging the results? A single bad positioning would explain any size difference then.

Then how do we explain the reduced efficacy of ANC on the replacement pairs so many of us have received? Were we shipped brand-new APPs that were "dirty" out of the box?

Like I said, it is 99% a fit issue. There's an even greater number of people who have noticed no drop in performance at all. These are people for whom the Airpods fit well in their ear shape. For those of you who don't have ears that fit the Airpods well, your reality is more complicated. If you're trying to use the same size earcups, or pushing them in your ear the same way, why would you expect a different result?

 

[gwhizkids]

What science? RTING's methodology has major flaws. ANC relies on a tight fit with the ear. They tested one firmware, physically removed the buds, then re-inserted them in a different physical position sometime later. They even admit there are inconsistencies in their testing: "After updating to Firmware 2C54, we retested the headphones and our results showed a very slight reduction in mid accuracy, though it's quite minor and could simply be due to testing. This review reflects these changes." So an inconsistency in sound quality is due to testing methodology, but an inconsistency in noise cancelling is magically due to firmware? Clearly this is suspect. They admit their testing is inconsistent and not reproducible. Even a small fit difference can translate to a big difference in ANC effectiveness. In the soundproofing business, if a door seal is 1% open, it lets in 50% of the sound. Imagine that math applied to the Airpods in your ears. There's little margin for error when wedging Airpods into the hard plastic of a dummy head.

And for the love of god, don't suck on your Airpods.


Like I said, it is 99% a fit issue. There's an even greater number of people who have noticed no drop in performance at all. These are people for whom the Airpods fit well in their ear shape. For those of you who don't have ears that fit the Airpods well, your reality is more complicated. If you're trying to use the same size earcups, or pushing them in your ear the same way, why would you expect a different result?

This line of thinking actually jibes quite well with the other hot topic re APP: the mod that has shown up on social media (e.g., Federico Viticci, Macrumors, Reddit) of placing a memory foam insert between the earcup and stem to create a better fit/seal. If there is an issue,I suspect it may that the adhesion power of the tips degrades after several weeks' use leading to the seal not staying put. I know that has definitely occurred for me. I am constantly having to push the APP back into my ear (frequently leading to hanging up on people I’m on the phone with).

 

[japanime]

Like I said, it is 99% a fit issue. There's an even greater number of people who have noticed no drop in performance at all. These are people for whom the Airpods fit well in their ear shape. For those of you who don't have ears that fit the Airpods well, your reality is more complicated. If you're trying to use the same size earcups, or pushing them in your ear the same way, why would you expect a different result?

But you also said, "these ANC issues are due to dirty Airpods."

So I guess what you're trying to say is that it is "99% a fit issue" and "1% an issue due to dirty AirPods." 🤣

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Ok guys so I am back in business.
New AirPods arrived. Same firmware 2B588. Same hardware number 1.0.0.
Passed seal test first time with no problems. Noise cancelling seems ok. In fact, it seems a little better than my last pair but that’s probably just my imagination. Will monitor closely over the next few days but unless I have a significant hardware failure, I shall stick with them and hope for a firmware update in the next few weeks that keeps us all happy

 

[Ralfi]

Ok guys so I am back in business.
New AirPods arrived. Same firmware 2B588. Same hardware number 1.0.0.
Passed seal test first time with no problems. Noise cancelling seems ok. In fact, it seems a little better than my last pair but that’s probably just my imagination. Will monitor closely over the next few days but unless I have a significant hardware failure, I shall stick with them and hope for a firmware update in the next few weeks that keeps us all happy

Sorry, but what was the reason for returning them, Bazooka?

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Sorry, but what was the reason for returning them, Bazooka?

I have returned several sets with volume issues, charging problems and constant whistling sound from right pod. Every set also adopted ANC issues after a few days. As long as I don’t get a hardware failure with this set then I shall live with the ANC issues until we get a firmware update that hopefully will resolve that

 

[Mw0103]

This just isn't factually accurate and falls in line with the crazy idea that sucking on the vents restores ANC.

The RTIGNS.com re-test of 2C54 showed a 4 decibel reduction in noise cancellation of the bass range. As sound is not linear, this a pretty significant drop. Some people notice it, some don't. But the science shows it happened.

RTINGS “science” also showed that there was no significant difference between 2B588 and the prior version, but you don’t believe that. So clearly there is still some legitimate question as to root cause. You’ve chosen to believe one. But it’s not necessarily the right one.

 

[Pushpaw]

Received my replacement pair and am happy again. Issues I'd had was that the left side developed a scratchy, static-ey noise with any movement (walking, vibrations in the bus, chewing, any movement). It started off as just a little, but over time worsened until noise cancelling was entirely unusable. Also had the effect of making transparency mode sound severely over-amplified, also unusable. In either mode it would make a squealing feedback sound if I was talking at all. By the end it was just starting to show up even in Off mode (which I think may still be using NC but just barely, but I have no idea really.) My wife's pair were doing the same thing but hadn't degraded to the same degree mine had. We bought both pairs on release day, and based on serials I suspect they came from the same manufacturing batch, so I am hoping it was just a fluke. The timing of the issues we were having coincided with the 2C54 firmware, so I held out for a bit thinking it may have been the cause. Since they haven't pushed out another since then, for all I know it may have been a factor but I suspect a hardware fault with the microphone that is used for NC or some part of that system.

Now that I have a replacement pair I realize that the sound quality may have also been compromised, as these seem to sound better as well. No scratchy or squealing sounds, NC seems good enough although I agree with some that it feels lighter than when they first came out, transparency mode sounds close to normal hearing and not over-amplified. I really hope these ones last.

 

[Bazooka-joe]

Received my replacement pair and am happy again. Issues I'd had was that the left side developed a scratchy, static-ey noise with any movement (walking, vibrations in the bus, chewing, any movement). It started off as just a little, but over time worsened until noise cancelling was entirely unusable. Also had the effect of making transparency mode sound severely over-amplified, also unusable. In either mode it would make a squealing feedback sound if I was talking at all. By the end it was just starting to show up even in Off mode (which I think may still be using NC but just barely, but I have no idea really.) My wife's pair were doing the same thing but hadn't degraded to the same degree mine had. We bought both pairs on release day, and based on serials I suspect they came from the same manufacturing batch, so I am hoping it was just a fluke. The timing of the issues we were having coincided with the 2C54 firmware, so I held out for a bit thinking it may have been the cause. Since they haven't pushed out another since then, for all I know it may have been a factor but I suspect a hardware fault with the microphone that is used for NC or some part of that system.

Now that I have a replacement pair I realize that the sound quality may have also been compromised, as these seem to sound better as well. No scratchy or squealing sounds, NC seems good enough although I agree with some that it feels lighter than when they first came out, transparency mode sounds close to normal hearing and not over-amplified. I really hope these ones last.

Yeah i am with you on this one. I am happy with my replacement pair even thought the NC isnt as good as it was. Just hoping that I get no further hardware issues and that any QC issues with preduction have been ironed out now.

 

[Henrik H]

I won't say how I know, but long story short, they didn't, and I promise you there's no change in ANC between firmware versions. These ANC issues are due to dirty Airpods. Either the earcups got dirty and aren't making a good seal, or the microholes at the base of the earcup are dirty and occluded. I would put good money on a better ear fit fixing 99% of ANC issues people are describing. But, conspiracies are more fun...

..

I would love to see this thread come back to Earth with actual evidence, but, then it wouldn't be as fun would it?

Your attitude is silly. I can’t record what my ears heard before and after the update. Just magically mine, my wife’s, and many internet users AirPods became dirty and badly fitting at the same time as Apple released the firmware. And that is not evidence. Right.

You sound like a flat-earther with your arguments.

P.S. I guess me and the wife are in the 1% for whom the ear-fit test does not fix it.. just a coincidence, for sure?

 

[GigabitEthernet]

Honestly I’m happy enough with the eBay UK tips with the foam tips. They stay in my ears now and have done day after day for the last few days. I will probably still end up purchasing the Comply tips when they come out but I would recommend these tips for most people. Only negative is no mesh on the tips but I modded them to add it.

 

[bwinter88]

Your attitude is silly. I can’t record what my ears heard before and after the update. Just magically mine, my wife’s, and many internet users AirPods became dirty and badly fitting at the same time as Apple released the firmware.

You sound like a flat-earther with your arguments.

My attitude? Flat earther? My good sir, you are the one making correlations without any evidence of causation. Why wouldn't earcups get dirty at approximately the same rate? The time between Airpods release and the suspect firmware was barely four weeks.

My Airpods updated to 2C54 same as yours and they sound just as good as they did as when I bought them back in November. And I'm really not just saying that: I walk a busy street in LA every day and the street noise is almost entirely drowned out. It's that same "suction cup effect" I experienced day 1 when I tried them out. It's nowhere close to the "crippled" performance these affected users are complaining about. If it was a firmware issue, it would be consistent and obvious to everyone. Instead, you get plenty of people on both sides saying it has/hasn't changed.

I do occasionally get the reduced ANC performance that you refer to. Then I realize they are loose, I give them a push back into my ears and voila...they work great again.

P.S. I guess me and the wife are in the 1% for whom the ear-fit test does not fix it.. just a coincidence, for sure?

Let's say the Airpods provide an effective fit for 9 out of 10 people, it can't be that unbelievable that both you and your wife are in that 10%...I have two other friends with Airpods and neither of them have an issue, but I'm not drawing conclusions from that, the sample size is too small.

 

[KayneGiordano]

My attitude? Flat earther? My good sir, you are the one making correlations without any evidence of causation. Why wouldn't earcups get dirty at approximately the same rate? The time between Airpods release and the suspect firmware was barely four weeks. Doesn't leave much wiggle room.

My Airpods updated to 2C54 same as yours and they sound just as good as they did as when I bought them back in November. And I'm really not just saying that: I walk a busy street in LA every day and the street noise is almost entirely drowned out. It's that same "suction cup effect" I experienced day 1 when I tried them out. It's nowhere close to the "crippled" performance these affected users are complaining about. If it was a firmware issue, it would be consistent and obvious to everyone. Instead, you get plenty of people on both sides saying it has/hasn't changed.

I do occasionally get the reduced ANC performance that you refer to. Then I realize they are loose, I give them a push back into my ears and voila...they work great again.


Yes! Why is that so hard to believe?!

Hi, I have no doubt that some people do not have this problem and you are very lucky. Personally I have two concerns:

I have "warble" with the original tips in the high and low frequencies which remain unbearable to use and we are really very few to have this concern but who, believe me, is very real. I managed to mitigate its impact or even make it disappear by fiddling my tips myself, with an adapter + Apple tip filter and memory foam stuck on the base of the apple tip and That's it. So I suspect that these are the official tips of Apple which (and it's personal) are far too flexible for my ears.

As for noise reduction, I no longer have this suction effect from the start (normal or not I don't know) and when you get better noise reduction with headphones like the Jabra 75T which have passive noise reduction is that there is indeed a problem. If some can test with the Sony wf-1000 xm3 to compare because they are their direct competitors, that would be cool.

 

[bwinter88]

As for noise reduction, I no longer have this suction effect from the start (normal or not I don't know) and when you get better noise reduction with headphones like the Jabra 75T which have passive noise reduction is that there is indeed a problem. If some can test with the Sony wf-1000 xm3 to compare because they are their direct competitors, that would be cool.

Funny enough, people are complaining that a firmware update is crippling the noise reduction on the Sony WF-1000XM3s too.

 

[japanime]

Funny enough, people are complaining that a firmware update is crippling the noise reduction on the Sony WF-1000XM3s too.

There's no denying that Sony's WF-1000XM3 earbuds are a direct competitor to the AirPods Pro.

But that year-old Reddit thread to which you link has nothing to do with WF-1000XM3s (which didn't even go on sale until seven months after that thread was written). 😳