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Some AirPods Pro 3 Owners Complain About Static Noise
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I think it has to do with hearing loss with age. Like I have minimal hearing loss and I can hear it. Can you share your hearing test results?
I think its a good point about the variability of experience perhaps being as much down to hearing differences as it is to device heterogeneity. I know that as I approach 60 my hearing response rolls off at around 8.5kHz, so if this is a 12kHz whistle then I simply won't hear it. Might be interesting if MacRumors did a survey of the ages of people who do hear the hissing and don't, to see if there's a marked skew towards younger age groups.
Better buy it fresh from Apple after Christmas, if they revised the hardware version or whatnot, I don't think this is something a software update can address.
Maybe the H3 chip wasn’t available yet and will be next year when Apple fixes this issue with the release of the APP4 next year. I also read online only a few hours ago that some APP3 owners are complaining that their AirPods Pro 3 are causing bleeding in their eardrums from pressure caused by the heart rate sensor. I was thinking about getting the APP3, but now I’m worried and may be better off sticking with my lightning APP2 until Apple fixes these issues on the APP4.
Bleeding? Can't be true.. the shape is nearly identical to the last pair... The foam makes ANC work better for sure, which they easily could back port to the older models with a new tips design. Maybe someone in the aftermarket will make replacement tips with the foam in them.
This type of noise was experienced in the first gen model for a certain batch.. I just missed the cutoff for having them repaired back then.. So I hope we aren't looking at something similar, which affects a batch of them.
It doesn’t sound like an issue a software update could fix. A lot of people use these things when they fly and not being able to use them comfortably on a flight is a definite dealbreaker. I also wonder how widespread the issue is with people experiencing bleeding from the heart rate sensor applying constant pressure inside the eardrums. Maybe disabling it would help?
There was discussion on reddit about it, and people are claiming CLEANING THEIR EARS fixes the issue
The AirPods Pro 3 Flight Problem — Basic Apple Guy
Testing Apple’s latest noise-cancelling earbuds at 39,000 feet reveals a potential flaw most users won’t notice, until they fly.basicappleguy.com
To save a click, I'll just c+p the main part:
My trouble came at 39,000 feet when I first noticed a high-pitched whine coming from my left AirPod. The issue was that the AirPod’s ear seal kept loosening, leading to a noise-cancellation feedback loop and a painfully loud piercing screech from the AirPod. Attempts to readjust worsened the feedback, especially if I accidentally covered the external microphone with my finger. This happened multiple times, making the experience so unpleasant that I eventually switched to my spare EarPods for the remainder of the flight. While disappointed, I wasn’t ready to condemn the headphones yet; perhaps the medium seal worked fine on terra firma, but on flights, I might need a different size for a better seal.
After landing, I tested the tips and switched from a Medium to Extra Small (Apple offers XXS, XS, S, M, or L tips for AirPods Pro 3). Both XS and M tips sealed well and were comfortable for long wear. For weeks, I couldn’t reproduce the whistling feedback, and I forgot about it until my next flight earlier this week.
Once again, it was only a few minutes after takeoff that the painful screech returned. Careful adjustments or yawning would fix the issue, but only for a couple of minutes at most. I figured that the new foam tips were trapping more heat, reducing airflow and ventilation, and less flexible, and that somehow all that was playing a role in loosening the seal. And when paired with the aircraft’s loud, steady hum, a feedback loop was created. But day to day, this is a non-issue because I never encounter the same types of pressure changes and noises that would reproduce this issue.
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Really concerning issue that seems to impact some people when up in the sky... I'm perfectly fine with my APP2's (lightning model no less, I mostly just use them for travel) and Airpods 4 with ANC for everything but if I were tempted, this would be something I'd have to be certain I wouldn't experience cause it sounds like a total deal breaker, changes to the fit aside (that I would also have to try out, since its a ymmv thing depending on your ear shape and size).
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Well that's the point that the sound it plays is the ambient sound but phase inverted so the sound waves cancel each other out and you'll hear nothing. But if something goes wrong with it, you'll hear it - e.g. the crackling noise in the APP1 that was probably caused by dirty microphones which made them unable to produce the correct "anti"-noise.
Google it. There are multiple articles as well as pictures that owners posted with blood on their APP3. It could be a manufacturing issue isolated to some units? Maybe touching the heart rate sensor before inserting the APP3 will reveal the manufacturing defect if it feels sharp?
I notice the ANC hiss on my Beats Studio 3 headphones but not on the AirPods Max or AirPods Pro 2. Guessing they have change the algorithm or its just the need for a better seal that's causing the issue.
This is really interesting.
The moment I put my new AP3's in my ears I noticed that the 'noise cancellation' was 'worse' than my AP2's.
I was expecting to be blown away with a 2x better experience than I had on the 2's but in fact it sounded both less 'cancelling' than the 2's but also there was this noticeable hiss as described in the article.
I haven't yet gone back to Apple because Im assuming there is some firmware or tuning issue that will be resolved in an update but its been quite a few weeks and theres no change yet so will keep my eye on the story and seek a replacement if it turns out to be hardware related.
The moment I put my new AP3's in my ears I noticed that the 'noise cancellation' was 'worse' than my AP2's.
I was expecting to be blown away with a 2x better experience than I had on the 2's but in fact it sounded both less 'cancelling' than the 2's but also there was this noticeable hiss as described in the article.
I haven't yet gone back to Apple because Im assuming there is some firmware or tuning issue that will be resolved in an update but its been quite a few weeks and theres no change yet so will keep my eye on the story and seek a replacement if it turns out to be hardware related.
Something that has "noise cancellation" in its name probably shouldn't produce noise.
I mean, it'd be like when Ricky Gervais claims he's cancelled and that actually produces more Ricky Gervais, it's just wrong.
This is my take on this:
I've tried three pairs of PRO3. All of them exhibited exactly the same white noise / hiss when ANC's turned on.
I think that the reason why all the PRO3 have a louder hiss is partly due to /thanks to the better ANC (= it's quieter therefore you can hear the hiss better) and also the better seal of the earbuds.
I do not think there are PRO3s (out there) there are dead silent as some say in this forum. Lucky you, if you can't hear it!
I've tried three pairs of PRO3. All of them exhibited exactly the same white noise / hiss when ANC's turned on.
I think that the reason why all the PRO3 have a louder hiss is partly due to /thanks to the better ANC (= it's quieter therefore you can hear the hiss better) and also the better seal of the earbuds.
I do not think there are PRO3s (out there) there are dead silent as some say in this forum. Lucky you, if you can't hear it!