You know- the pro 2 did not sound so flat before the firmware update they released this week. It’s so annoying that they continuously modify the sound curve and anc.
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Apple Releases New Beta Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods 4
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I’ve still got 8A356 on mine, they haven’t been updated. Agreed though. Then there’s the adaptive EQ on top of that that fiddles with the sound depending on the fit and seal. No wonder everyone has a different perception of the sound.
I’m having this same issue, particularly with audio book, but Spotify and Apple Music aren’t much better. I was hoping to not have to switch back to app2, but it’s starting to become a possibility. I’ve tried activating Balanced mode, but Slightly isn’t enough mid and Moderate is too much mid. Haven’t found any other settings that work well either, but am happy to try any suggestions people have.
I'm not an audiofile or one who takes apart every aspect of the APP3. I've had the first-gen AirPod Pro, AAP2, and now the third gen, and I can say for my listening pleasure, the AAP3 is superior to all the others. Bass, Treble, and mids are much better. Batterlife is excellent, and they fit my ears much better.I would expect a little bit of tweaking to the soundstage, given the reaction, but it think it will be minor. Tweaking, not a radically different sound. Slightly less bass.
Rather than saying reviewers "destroyed" APP3, it think it would be far more accurate to say the reviews have been extremely mixed. Some have been negative overall, some have been positive overall. What that means to me personally is that I'd have to try them myself, as the only reviewer consensus is that the soundstage has changed, and the bass might be a little heavy, but there are not enough positive or negative reviews to base purchasing based only on those reviews.
That said, while other reviewers / YouTubers made valid criticism of the change in sound quality ( many pointing out it was a change in sound quality, which some people won't like but other people think is an improvement), Linus embarrassed himself with how he "delivered" his critique - it was painful to watch, and way too far over the line into "manbaby tantrum" territory. All the "Linus is right, Linus is wrong" slop that it generated might have been good for hits, clicks and YouTuber presence, but as a review, it was a s******w. Someone should have flagged it before it was released publcially, and it would have been a hell of a lot better if they had just reshot it, with the same criticisms, but without the , um, ... "emotion".
TLR: He embarrassed himself a bit. Or a hell of a lot. It should have been reined in by the editors.
I find it suspicious that the "review" was so melodramatic, and I wonder if that was connected to 1) LTT's viewer numbers tanking and significantly more complaints from users about their content, which wouldn't help keep the Vision Directors vision in a happy place, 2) LTT / Short Circuit gave EXTREMELY positive reviews to all the new iPhones and may have thought "We have to give Apple a kicking somehow, because we're saying too many nice things about their other releases, and we've lots of "Apple-haters" as regular viewers "and, 3) possibly most importantly "Apple don't send us free stuff but they send other YouTubers free stuff. 'Snot fair. Waaaah"
I've only owned APP1 for the last 5+ years. When I first put in the APP3, treble seemed like an issue to me. Only when it pertained to voices during a podcast. They were just noticeably more difficult for me to hear.
But now, everything sounds better to me. I absolutely love my APP3's. Podcasts, music all sound significantly better to me. I don't think anyone ever said that they were worse than APP1 and since I didn't ever jump on APP2's I don't have a comparison there, but the level up from APP1 is pretty dramatic.
But now, everything sounds better to me. I absolutely love my APP3's. Podcasts, music all sound significantly better to me. I don't think anyone ever said that they were worse than APP1 and since I didn't ever jump on APP2's I don't have a comparison there, but the level up from APP1 is pretty dramatic.
Apple will do anything to make a buck including collaborating with an authoritarian government but I doubt they would release a new pair of earphones that sound worse than the previous model.
It could be a part of it, but there are other factors:
1) users are putting them in their ears properly now - that sounds, snide, but I don’t mean it in that way - the foam infused tips are more fiddledly, and you can’t just shove them your ears in the way you could with APP2 or AP4 - there’s been some very good reporting on thus, but the title’s aren’t clickbait, so thru get mixed - but users are reporting get much better sound quality if they spend a but of time work out the proper fir and position FOR THEM. ApP3 seem to be much more sensitive to this than previous AirPods. The new shape and the foam tips are different to before.
2) connected to 1) - with the APP3 sested correctly, the Dynamic EQ is working correctly - brak nevyhing causes the dynamic eq to not work correctly is the skin sensor not properly identifying threat the ApP3 are seated.
3) psychological - now the initial “outrage bait” cycle has eased off, users are not listening to influencers telling them their APP3 have terrible sound quality, and instead they’re basing their opinion on their own ears other than what third oarted a telling them to think.
Early testing of the APP3with the new firmware show a very slight reduction of bass, but very slight, and nothing close to the changes users are reporting with the new firmware.
Being generous, an improvement of sound quality is a mix of all three, tweaks to the tuning, users getting used to the new tips and firm factor snd getting better at seating them, and psychological elements ( you are more likely to colour your judgement if people are bombarding you with their opinions).
The original tuning of the pro 3s were pretty elevated in the treble. It’s a cool parlor trick that makes things sound more detailed and holographic, but it’s unnatural and fatiguing. Kinda like vivid mode on tvs. Heard it right away and put them back in the box to return. Saw the beta firmware came out and thought I would give them one last shot and I do think they made a change. Snare drums aren’t as unnatural etc. They are still more V shaped compared to the pro 2s and I may still return them, but the tuning is more coherent.
Just updated my APP2.
Subjective feel:
Music playback
New sensation for Jay Chou's 手写的从前 (Handwritten Past), the piano and instruments in the background seems have on par volume and plane as the vocal. So for a audiophile like me I can easily follow the instruments without the emphasis on vocal.
Kessoku Band's Rock'n Roll, Morning Light Falls on You, still the same balanced feeling, but Bocchi's vocal is a bit louder than the instruments (just a tiny bit to differentiate).
Akira Senju's New Document Pacific War Main Theme Ver A, better separation of instruments, can hear the counting down (wooden) instrument in the background.
ANC
Can't say much has improved, still good on A/C humming and PC fan noises, as for high pitched random chats in public spaces, now it's 5AM so no way to test that out, will update.
Updated:
Pretty good in streets/malls. As for sudden high pitched conversation, it CANNOT lower the initial volumes, but consecutive ones are ok. Conversation damping is always what ANC is bad at I think, without an aggressive ear-pressure heavy approach.
Subjective feel:
Music playback
New sensation for Jay Chou's 手写的从前 (Handwritten Past), the piano and instruments in the background seems have on par volume and plane as the vocal. So for a audiophile like me I can easily follow the instruments without the emphasis on vocal.
Kessoku Band's Rock'n Roll, Morning Light Falls on You, still the same balanced feeling, but Bocchi's vocal is a bit louder than the instruments (just a tiny bit to differentiate).
Akira Senju's New Document Pacific War Main Theme Ver A, better separation of instruments, can hear the counting down (wooden) instrument in the background.
ANC
Can't say much has improved, still good on A/C humming and PC fan noises, as for high pitched random chats in public spaces, now it's 5AM so no way to test that out, will update.
Updated:
Pretty good in streets/malls. As for sudden high pitched conversation, it CANNOT lower the initial volumes, but consecutive ones are ok. Conversation damping is always what ANC is bad at I think, without an aggressive ear-pressure heavy approach.
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What amazes me is all the people who take the man-baby clowns on YouTube seriously. Does nobody actually trust their own ears?
I took them into the Apple Store on Friday and they are aware there is a problem with the 3's audio. There is an update firmware in beta that should be out in the next few days that should fix the issue. But there could be a random hardware issue, as I've see other reviews exclaiming about the great sound quality. Maybe we both just got some lemons. Or hopefully the update will solve the problem.
I switched from pro2 to pro3. And yes using beta. They are a ton better, i feel sound is better, and ANC is better. I don’t understand the complaints. The ANC is better, but again, it reduces the sound, does not suppress it. Example: in train i can not hear the train itself anymore, but can still understand the announcements. My only complaint is personal: since they are more protuberant, i can’t put my head on the side on my pillow to watch a movie. Otherwise it is a bit painful. I just need to use my hand to add a small distance between my head and the pillow. This is the price for a better sound overall.
