Crackling noise on Airpods pro gen 1

That is an absurd analogy. Apple hasn't said what the specific underlying cause was, or how exactly it was rectified in October of 2020. They just said very quietly (the program's page is buried) that they had a problem and arbitrarily drew a dateline in the sand to minimize the cost of making it right. Since there's no way for you to know the manufacturing date without just taking Apple's word for it, we're just at the mercy of a company that would be more than happy to have us say "oh well" and throw another $250 at a high margin, short-life product. Gross.

I took my defective Airpods in today and had the worst experience I've ever had with Apple. They took them in the back, tested them and agreed that yes, these are defective for all the reasons covered in the program, but they were "manufactured in November of 2020", one month to the day before they were purchased. So I was basically told that the only remedy was to double down and pay $180 for replacement buds which would immediately be out of warranty since the serial number is tied to the case, not the buds. Absolutely ridiculous. There is however a second remedy, which is to never buy Airpods again.

This company has changed. I've easily spent well over $20k on Apple products over the years and never had an issue getting help for issues with much more expensive and lower margin products, especially when the company had acknowledged manufacturing defects. I was more than happy to pay a premium for these products because the value of the customer service and support that had historically been unmatched. Apple is sadly just a money vacuum now.

I just tried to replace mine for the same defect at the apple store but was told my sn was not covered. I think it's because of the 3-year issue as mine was purchased before Oct2020. I think they should replace the ones that have the same manufacturing defect regardless of the purchase date.

I don't think I will be buying another airpods pro or apple products for a while as the brand seems to have gone down. I had purchased because I trusted in their design quality and their commitment to making products that work properly. Sadly, this and other products I have recently purchased have not lived up to standards.

Just chiming in to say, I had this exact experience this morning.

I went to they Genius Bar, and they informed me my model WAS covered by the program, but because it ended, they couldn't help.

They then sent me to phone support to see if I could get an expception, but they just talked in circles for half an hour about how they couldn't support this repair or help me in any way. According to them, it was the store's decision, and I should go back there...and start all this all over, I guess?

It was really frustrating and weird all around.

Crazy right? Airpods cost about $60 to make four years ago (according to an manufacturing analyst at Fortune), Pros not not more if any. Undoubtedly they cost far less to make now. They could have replaced every 1st generation pair sold and still made money, all while preserving or likely bolstering customer confidence, even though they admitted to making a shoddy short-life product that would suggest otherwise. I feel like they actually would have done this 10 years ago at a time when they had far less competition than they do now. But now there are far less expensive, equally good or better alternatives out there from companies that are still hungry for customers.

I completely agree with @Oneprcnt 's comment. I took mine last week to the Apple store, they were manufactured before October 2020 (Identify your AirPods - Apple Support (SG) check here with the buds' serial number), and follow every single condition to be replaced by the airpods' program, but...they said "THE SERIAL NUMBER THO IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM", and btw they checked it on the case... WHY? "The AirPods Pro case is not affected and will not be replaced." as you can read on: AirPods Pro Service Program for Sound Issues - Apple Support.

Are you trying to sell me a new pair of AirPods after this? NO THANK YOU. I'm going to the Bose store now...

So with all this technology and social media, Apple couldn't notify customers about the crackling problem before they decided to add a random date of expiration for repair. Who wants to pay all that money for Apple care? That just tells you that they (Apple) don't have much trust in their products. They could have recalled all the faulty Air Pods Pro, and gained a more loyal following of customers. Like someone said in the comments, I spent easily over $10,000 on Apple products over the years, and now I don't feel like I am going to ever buy another Apple product.

I'm in the same boat, but the closest Apple store is a 4 hour drive so I've been going over the phone. Our set has all the symptoms and were manufactured before October 2020, but all they would say is that it's "not covered by the program"? Why I could not get a straight answer. My wife hasn't used them in about 4 months, then this popped up out of the blue and now they go in the garbage. I've generally had great support from Apple on product issues (mainly AppleTVs freaking out), but this does seem different and odd. We're a heavy Apple house, especially for my work. Easily $30k+ over the years, so you'd think I'd at least hear why it's not exactly what's listed on the bulletin. ¯\(ツ)/¯

I experienced the same thing. My Airpods Pro Gen 1 have a horrible crackling sound, went to the apple store and got them check out, they said both speakers were giving out. That my AirPods weren't covered under the program because they were manufactured in Jan 2021. That I could pay 180 for replacements but they wouldn't carry any warranty or $250 for a new pair.

This is ridiculous, I have a ton of Apple hardware and sadly now see that the quality of the products is no longer what it use to be. If they know that they manufactured low quality products they should at the very least replace them. I sold a pair of Bose in ear headphones when I switched to the Airpods, the now owner of those is still very happy with them and I had purchased 1 year before the AirPods Pro Gen 1 and my AirPods no longer work.

Very upset at apple for doing this.

Same story that’s going around for everyone with a faulty Apple AirPods Pro (1stgen). Apple is refusing to admit that it has a batch of faulty high-priced product. I had bought 3 units at the same time, for my kids and myself, out of which two were “repaired” one time under Apple Care program. But just two months after the warranty ended all three units are having the same issue which their sound replacement program mentions. The GENIUS bar representative confirmed it as well but 🤷‍♂️ none were accepted for replacement. So much so for Apple Customer Care. 😡 Hugely disappointed.

• been an apple user since 1989!

I did it today. The technician at the Apple Service provider diagnosed that both sides are damaged, and it costs €230 to replace them.

A new gen of AirPod Pro costs at the same place €299 with 2 years warranty.

I´ve been connected to the online Support, and they confirmed that the Program has expired, so I have to pay for the "repair".

I have the exact same issue but since they are not part of “that batch” I need to pay for a “repair” (replaced buds). They are just over 2 years and it’s a known problem. Just like you I have spent x amount on Apple products and have been happy with the products and the service. However, after my last chat with them I have a bitter taste in my mouth. I’m not going to pay for that “repair” and my next buds will not be from Apple unless they change their mind which I don’t think will happen. Disappointed ☹️

I am also having the exact same issue and I called Apple and said sorry we can’t replace them because they were manufactured 9 months after the defective units. Seems to me like they missed a few batches because many forums online have people saying they were told they do not qualify although they have this issue. So far 3 of my Apple devices have been involved in class action lawsuits so maybe they’ll take on the AirPod issue as well.

Very frustrating. I was able to replace my buds under the exchange program that acknowledged the crackling issue. That was in 2022. Now it's 2024 and the exact same issue started again! Brought them to the Apple Store and ran diagnostics both buds came up failing with sound transparency and noise cancellation. The same issue! The store said my only option was repair at $180 without tax, or get new ones. I called customer care to see if there were any other options and they said they wouldn't cover the issue anymore. In effect telling me that the buds have a 2 year lifespan and that many other things could contribute to the crackling. Either way, way overpriced product of they need to be replaced every 2 years. Lame. Not what I would have expected from Apple, but I guess many of us have had the same experience.