In various user communities, such as Reddit or Apple’s official forum, reports have been increasing since October stating that the AirPods Pro 3 can cause unpleasant noise in rare cases. This is said to occur, among other things, when pressure changes occur—for example, on an airplane—and, interestingly, primarily when no music is playing. Users speak of a kind of static that occurs abruptly. It remained unclear how widespread the problem was; a device in the Mac & i editorial office was not affected.
Heart rate s…
In various user communities, such as Reddit or Apple’s official forum, reports have been increasing since October stating that the AirPods Pro 3 can cause unpleasant noise in rare cases. This is said to occur, among other things, when pressure changes occur—for example, on an airplane—and, interestingly, primarily when no music is playing. Users speak of a kind of static that occurs abruptly. It remained unclear how widespread the problem was; a device in the Mac & i editorial office was not affected.
Heart rate sensors cause hardware redesign
Apple presented its AirPods Pro 3 in September along with new iPhones and Apple Watch models. Among other things, the earbuds are the first to feature integrated tracking of heart rate via integrated sensors and are IP57-certified by Apple for protection against dust, sweat, and water. Apple has also worked on the sound profile, which is said to be more bass-heavy now. The shape of the AirPods Pro 3 has been slightly adjusted for this purpose.
It was already known that the new ANC earbuds can cause difficulties with some ear shapes, as they can exert more pressure on the ear canal and the surrounding cartilage, depending on the anatomy—in isolated cases, this has even led to injuries. Apple has also adjusted the sizes of the ear tips; many users had to switch them to ensure that the seal of the in-ears was still correct.
Static noise impairs music enjoyment
The disturbing noises that affected users are now reporting are said to occur not only when active noise cancellation is activated but also when it is deactivated or the transparency mode is active. Sometimes the noise is perceived as very light static, as if there were a “small fan in the room,” as it was described. In some cases, the static also impairs audio playback; it was further reported – the dissonance then covers the music.
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Apple is currently being accommodating—affected devices are being exchanged under warranty. However, the problem sometimes reappears. Affected users should first check if the ear tips actually fit them—iOS offers a test function, the so-called Fit Test. One user even reports that the issue was not with his AirPods Pro 3, but with ear contamination. These can lead to the seal not working correctly.
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This article was originally published in German. It was translated with technical assistance and editorially reviewed before publication.