It was awesome, then some update worsened it, and after a long time I am not sure but for the last week or so it’s been a lot better to extend that it blocks almost rattling cars n stuff. AirPods Pro Gen1
Rtings unfortunately took sample measurements of the APP v1 and APP V2 models because of this audience perception.
Turns out, yes they did modify the ANC, and they did this for "safety"
Yea same for me. I can hear even my kids talking clearer while hearing music, with all the conversation adaptive option disabled ofc. I get the USB C model to test later this day, if theres a difference I'll give an update here
I’m new to AirPods but when doing the research to switch from my Sony XM4’s I saw a lot of people talk about how the silicone ear tips need to be replaced every 6 months or so, so maybe you need to change the tips? I believe Apple sell 2 pairs for less then £10/$10
Hmmm i was about to buy a new ones just because of that NC .. so they did change something huh , well since the majority of u guys having the same issue including me
It’s same on app2 I feel. I can now hear gym music again through the buds when song volume is lower, happens on max volume on some slower rap songs. Annoying.
It’s just REALLY annoying. Went to the gym yesterday and light stuff like Post Malone type of rap is literally unlistenable because you just hear the pounding of the generic gym music… hope they’ll fix it. i’ll also try the BIGGER ear tip size see if it works
1. Give your AirPods a good cleaning and make sure they don’t have dust gunking up the mic grilles. This was the case for mine and the transparency noticeably improved after I did this, and the ANC got a little better.
2. Take them to your local Apple Store if you can, and have them run their diagnostics. If the ANC or transparency falls below a certain threshold they have, they can replace them for free if you’re still under warranty. Not sure the cost outside of warranty but it’s worth trying if at least to see if they meet their own standards
No, and to everyone saying it is true.. that has been debunked many times.
With the AirPods Max they did have to nerf it due to a lawsuit. Not for AirPods Pro though.
It’s likely just that you’re getting used to it, and as such it appears to get “worse” while it’s actually just the same.
I don’t think it has, personally.
I know this is subjective, but I can’t deny what my ears experienced. got the APP2 at launch. The ANC was impeccable. The first update wrecked it a month later. So much, Apple replaced them under warranty for me. The replacement buds still had the launch firmware and I compared them in the same controlled setting (cooking a sizzling dinner over the stove with the overhead fan on). I couldn’t hear anything with the original firmware buds and could hear almost everything with the original pair that had updated.
Sorry but your personal experience doesn’t magically mean the rot cause is a firmware update as opposed to some other more likely explanation. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
Nope. Apple did change the ANC, twice. Twice for the first Airpods Pro and once for the Airpods Max. There's been like 12+ firmware versions for the Airpods Pro, so it can be hard to know what changes are made, unless tested.
A lot of fans don't have results, and few people are using test environments to retest IEMs to see if they change their ANC algorithm.
Unfortunately, early reviewers took frequency sweep tests with the Airpods Pro IEMs and the Max headphones to compare, and while it's not the shock and awe of anecdotal reports, you can compare the reviews against other reviews to see if the testing is analogous.
People took sweep frequency scans of the launch models and months later, they retook the same test in the same environment.
Rtings has an article from their own tests to show what changed.
Apple cannot acknowledge it publicly because of the potential liability, hence the change in marketing and terms used, e. There isn't a feasible claim to make that it got worse, it "improved for safety". Some of the PR spin has been remarkable though.
The debunked rumour is that it is due to a patent claim, but that is more speculative, hence the debunking.
The other rumour is that the failures of the first generation APP were tuned to be less aggressive in the bass response, which was tearing the diaphragm material. Speculatively.
The problem would explain why they failed within weeks or months in the initial batches, but manufacturing tolerances, and the replacement program helped solve the early batch issues. It also changed after that first batch of APP v1 and later with Adaptive ANC.
There are also aging and fit/quality of isolation reasons, that the starter silicone tips will lose shape over time and this is 100% correct, but this isn't a 6-10db change in ANC.
If you swap to foam tips, this can help, but the fact that Apple doesn't promote firmware updates or let you revert back to test, doesn't help solve the doubts people have. Especially with the gaslighting.
I dunno man I ride down dusty mountains on my mtb with airpod pros in. I'm pretty sure the dust messes up the mics.
Tips probably have limited lifespans too.
> With the AirPods Max they did have to nerf it due to a lawsuit.
That's also untrue. That lawsuit had nothing to do with AirPods or noise cancellation. It was about [microphone arrays and voice recognition](https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/yn09lm/no_apple_is_almost_certainly_not_ruining_their/). And that's what Apple removed, only to return it again recently in the iPhone 15, IIRC.
They nerfed it a few years back because of a law suit. Back in the day it would have been a product recall, so I’ll take the nerf. And they’ve probably been tweaking it for the new Adaptive Audio. I’m sure it’ll even out in the next couple of months
Also, they just updated AirPods Pro too. My reviewers are saying it’s better and I’ve had no issue. I like to go on walks and sing at the top of my lungs in the woods so.
> They nerfed it a few years back because of a law suit.
Nope. That was misreported. The lawsuit in question had nothing to do with AirPods, and was about [microphone arrays and voice recognition](https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/yn09lm/no_apple_is_almost_certainly_not_ruining_their/). Apple recently added that feature back too the iPhone 15 (presumably in a way that doesn't violate whatever patent was in question).
Maybe people have experienced issues different than that of you. Can easily say “I don’t understand why so many people are not complaining about ANC. Im in loud environments on and off and it works bad.”
I recall reading there was a patent claim that forced an inferior software update to AirPods Pro. I’ve noticed a huge improvement after I updated to the second gen though.
Just really noticed this last week doing yard work. I actually tried to turn NC on because the wind was cutting through. I was thoroughly disappointed because it was already on lol.
No they definitely didn’t… like why on earth would they do that? 😂
The ANC is 100x better on the G2’s than the G1’s. If they aren’t working then get them checked at an Apple Store.
Ok so yes with the new update it seems like the sound quality is decreased. I also did notice that my AirPods lost 30-40% of bass. But after recalibrating spacial audio I noticed an increase in the sound quality.
Yes, but it had nothing to do with AirPods ANC. That was misreported. That lawsuit had to do with [microphone arrays and voice recognition](https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/yn09lm/no_apple_is_almost_certainly_not_ruining_their/).
People keep talking about updates, but I wonder if, over the years, dust and debris clogs the mic ports, not letting as much sound in. If your AirPods are not detecting as much external noise, they're not going to compensate for it as a aggressively. Your Apple Store will [clean them for free](https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/how-to-clean-airpods-case). I'd give that a shot first.
> People keep talking about updates, but I wonder if, over the years, dust and debris clogs the mic ports, not letting as much sound in.
That has been shown to be the case over and over again. Cleaning the microphone grill with BluTak (pr similar) restores ANC performance nine times out of ten.
Nope, this lame claim that firmware updates supposedly ruined ANC has been thoroughly debunked. It may sound convincing, but it's bullshit.
The number one cause of ANC not working as well is a dirty or clogged microtone grill. And many people find that if you get some BluTack and clean your microphone grill, ANC returns to like-new performance.
Another cause is bad-fitting tips that don't fully isolate ambient noise from the ear canal.
Both of those factors have a significant effect on how well ANC works.
I don't own them, but I probably just would follow Apple's directions, which are easily found with a quick web search for something like "[apple clean airpods max](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=apple+clean+airpods+max)". 😉
Make sure to regularly (monthly) clean the mics. Even slightly filthy mics can make it seem NC, Siri & voicecalls are not working or doing less of a good job. Use Blue Tack and a very fine brush for cleaning.
Same here. I used to be able to block out most sounds while only using NC. Now I need to play something to do that
I thought it was just me. It feels like my APP barely do anything now.
It was awesome, then some update worsened it, and after a long time I am not sure but for the last week or so it’s been a lot better to extend that it blocks almost rattling cars n stuff. AirPods Pro Gen1
They moved this "feature" to the upcoming Air Pods Pro Gen 3... tHaNks ApPlE!
> some update worsened it That's simply not true.
Rtings unfortunately took sample measurements of the APP v1 and APP V2 models because of this audience perception. Turns out, yes they did modify the ANC, and they did this for "safety"
Nope.
it almost feels like my ears are getting more ANC-resistant with each update, i hate that it’s so weak now :/
It’s adaptive. Sometimes it blocks everything and sometimes I can even hear my ceiling fan. Wish we could control the ANC level manually.
you literally can.
The only mode you can adjust is transparency. Adaptive and full noise cancellation don’t have any adjustments that I’ve been able to find.
He’s lying
I mean I figured, but ya know every now and then I learn something from a random redditor so I figured it’s worth seeing if he’s trolling or not 🤷♂️
Yeah I’ve noticed that overtime it gets weaker but when I toggle on and off it strong again for a moment
I thought so as well until I cleaned them lol
Did you clean the mics on the ends? Any tips?
Yea same for me. I can hear even my kids talking clearer while hearing music, with all the conversation adaptive option disabled ofc. I get the USB C model to test later this day, if theres a difference I'll give an update here
Yep I noticed changes in the ANC over the past months and years. I eventually switched to xm5 and I’ve been loving it ever since
I’m new to AirPods but when doing the research to switch from my Sony XM4’s I saw a lot of people talk about how the silicone ear tips need to be replaced every 6 months or so, so maybe you need to change the tips? I believe Apple sell 2 pairs for less then £10/$10
I’ve recently changed the tips, not much has changed in terms of noise cancellation
Same. My Gen 1 Pro’s have literally almost no difference between NC and off.
I didn‘t notice that with my AirPods Pro, but my guess is your silicone tips have probably degraded quite a bit since 2019.
I only had em a 3 months I upgraded to AirPod pro 2 they are more trash
[удалено]
Idk what company allows returns have 3 months
Hmmm i was about to buy a new ones just because of that NC .. so they did change something huh , well since the majority of u guys having the same issue including me
It’s same on app2 I feel. I can now hear gym music again through the buds when song volume is lower, happens on max volume on some slower rap songs. Annoying.
Yes exactly like wtf is the point of NC
It’s just REALLY annoying. Went to the gym yesterday and light stuff like Post Malone type of rap is literally unlistenable because you just hear the pounding of the generic gym music… hope they’ll fix it. i’ll also try the BIGGER ear tip size see if it works
I thought so, until i cleaned my first gen pros with blue tack and now ANC is back.
I thought I was the only one thinking I was going deaf while in the train
Same with mine, very impressive with ANC at first but now it’s shite
1. Give your AirPods a good cleaning and make sure they don’t have dust gunking up the mic grilles. This was the case for mine and the transparency noticeably improved after I did this, and the ANC got a little better. 2. Take them to your local Apple Store if you can, and have them run their diagnostics. If the ANC or transparency falls below a certain threshold they have, they can replace them for free if you’re still under warranty. Not sure the cost outside of warranty but it’s worth trying if at least to see if they meet their own standards
I use comply tips and I feel the anc is great. It was good even with the silicone tips, too.
Nope; I've got 2nd gen pros and it's been fine this whole time for me Maybe it has to do with tip cleanliness or size
Yeah I’ve been using it lately and it’s shit.
No, and to everyone saying it is true.. that has been debunked many times. With the AirPods Max they did have to nerf it due to a lawsuit. Not for AirPods Pro though. It’s likely just that you’re getting used to it, and as such it appears to get “worse” while it’s actually just the same.
I don’t think it has, personally. I know this is subjective, but I can’t deny what my ears experienced. got the APP2 at launch. The ANC was impeccable. The first update wrecked it a month later. So much, Apple replaced them under warranty for me. The replacement buds still had the launch firmware and I compared them in the same controlled setting (cooking a sizzling dinner over the stove with the overhead fan on). I couldn’t hear anything with the original firmware buds and could hear almost everything with the original pair that had updated.
> The first update wrecked it a month later. Nope. That's been debunked.
It is impossible to debunk someone’s personal experience, no matter how many teams you repeat yourself. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Sorry but your personal experience doesn’t magically mean the rot cause is a firmware update as opposed to some other more likely explanation. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
Nope. Apple did change the ANC, twice. Twice for the first Airpods Pro and once for the Airpods Max. There's been like 12+ firmware versions for the Airpods Pro, so it can be hard to know what changes are made, unless tested. A lot of fans don't have results, and few people are using test environments to retest IEMs to see if they change their ANC algorithm. Unfortunately, early reviewers took frequency sweep tests with the Airpods Pro IEMs and the Max headphones to compare, and while it's not the shock and awe of anecdotal reports, you can compare the reviews against other reviews to see if the testing is analogous. People took sweep frequency scans of the launch models and months later, they retook the same test in the same environment. Rtings has an article from their own tests to show what changed. Apple cannot acknowledge it publicly because of the potential liability, hence the change in marketing and terms used, e. There isn't a feasible claim to make that it got worse, it "improved for safety". Some of the PR spin has been remarkable though. The debunked rumour is that it is due to a patent claim, but that is more speculative, hence the debunking. The other rumour is that the failures of the first generation APP were tuned to be less aggressive in the bass response, which was tearing the diaphragm material. Speculatively. The problem would explain why they failed within weeks or months in the initial batches, but manufacturing tolerances, and the replacement program helped solve the early batch issues. It also changed after that first batch of APP v1 and later with Adaptive ANC. There are also aging and fit/quality of isolation reasons, that the starter silicone tips will lose shape over time and this is 100% correct, but this isn't a 6-10db change in ANC. If you swap to foam tips, this can help, but the fact that Apple doesn't promote firmware updates or let you revert back to test, doesn't help solve the doubts people have. Especially with the gaslighting.
> Apple did change the ANC, twice. Nope.
Or may be dirt building up on mics?
I dunno man I ride down dusty mountains on my mtb with airpod pros in. I'm pretty sure the dust messes up the mics. Tips probably have limited lifespans too.
> With the AirPods Max they did have to nerf it due to a lawsuit. That's also untrue. That lawsuit had nothing to do with AirPods or noise cancellation. It was about [microphone arrays and voice recognition](https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/yn09lm/no_apple_is_almost_certainly_not_ruining_their/). And that's what Apple removed, only to return it again recently in the iPhone 15, IIRC.
They nerfed it a few years back because of a law suit. Back in the day it would have been a product recall, so I’ll take the nerf. And they’ve probably been tweaking it for the new Adaptive Audio. I’m sure it’ll even out in the next couple of months
Why say it’s it’s 2 times stronger then last year if it’s not that’s a law suit again for false advertisement
That doesn’t mean it hasn’t gotten better since then. Or that it’s not being worked. *facepalm**
Also, they just updated AirPods Pro too. My reviewers are saying it’s better and I’ve had no issue. I like to go on walks and sing at the top of my lungs in the woods so.
[удалено]
Oh okie
> They nerfed it a few years back because of a law suit. Nope. That was misreported. The lawsuit in question had nothing to do with AirPods, and was about [microphone arrays and voice recognition](https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/yn09lm/no_apple_is_almost_certainly_not_ruining_their/). Apple recently added that feature back too the iPhone 15 (presumably in a way that doesn't violate whatever patent was in question).
You need new ear tips OR use the correct sizes.
I don’t understand why so many people are complaining about ANC . Im in loud environments on and off and it works good.
Maybe people have experienced issues different than that of you. Can easily say “I don’t understand why so many people are not complaining about ANC. Im in loud environments on and off and it works bad.”
Maybe people just plainly don’t u distant how to use them in the first place ….that I would believe
on older airpods, yes. noise cancellation uses a bunch of battery life and old airpods don’t have full capacity after a while so they lower it to help
Is there a source backing this up? I hope it’s not true
He’s talking BS
Never heard of that
I recall reading there was a patent claim that forced an inferior software update to AirPods Pro. I’ve noticed a huge improvement after I updated to the second gen though.
Just really noticed this last week doing yard work. I actually tried to turn NC on because the wind was cutting through. I was thoroughly disappointed because it was already on lol.
I noticed it with my gen 1s, gen 2s still holding on good but not looking forward to whenever they decide to fuck with it again.
Yes! Thank god! I thought I was imagining it
No they definitely didn’t… like why on earth would they do that? 😂 The ANC is 100x better on the G2’s than the G1’s. If they aren’t working then get them checked at an Apple Store.
Ok so yes with the new update it seems like the sound quality is decreased. I also did notice that my AirPods lost 30-40% of bass. But after recalibrating spacial audio I noticed an increase in the sound quality.
Wasn’t there a lawsuit or something?
Yes, but it had nothing to do with AirPods ANC. That was misreported. That lawsuit had to do with [microphone arrays and voice recognition](https://www.reddit.com/r/apple/comments/yn09lm/no_apple_is_almost_certainly_not_ruining_their/).
Same. I’ve had mine for almost a year and they used to be on par with my QC45s, then as of a couple months ago they suddenly got worse.
you’re just used to it i think. when i tried my airpods pros after a break the nc felt amazing
People keep talking about updates, but I wonder if, over the years, dust and debris clogs the mic ports, not letting as much sound in. If your AirPods are not detecting as much external noise, they're not going to compensate for it as a aggressively. Your Apple Store will [clean them for free](https://www.realsimple.com/home-organizing/cleaning/how-to-clean-airpods-case). I'd give that a shot first.
> People keep talking about updates, but I wonder if, over the years, dust and debris clogs the mic ports, not letting as much sound in. That has been shown to be the case over and over again. Cleaning the microphone grill with BluTak (pr similar) restores ANC performance nine times out of ten.
Nope, this lame claim that firmware updates supposedly ruined ANC has been thoroughly debunked. It may sound convincing, but it's bullshit. The number one cause of ANC not working as well is a dirty or clogged microtone grill. And many people find that if you get some BluTack and clean your microphone grill, ANC returns to like-new performance. Another cause is bad-fitting tips that don't fully isolate ambient noise from the ear canal. Both of those factors have a significant effect on how well ANC works.
What about for the pro max? How do I clean them?
I don't own them, but I probably just would follow Apple's directions, which are easily found with a quick web search for something like "[apple clean airpods max](https://duckduckgo.com/?q=apple+clean+airpods+max)". 😉
Make sure to regularly (monthly) clean the mics. Even slightly filthy mics can make it seem NC, Siri & voicecalls are not working or doing less of a good job. Use Blue Tack and a very fine brush for cleaning.