AirPods Pro firmware 2B588 reduce the noise cancelling capability

Do you hear a lack of bass when you're running the Ear tip fit test? In the right earbud which gives you yellow? What about bass with music when turning ANC OFF?

I've had 2 set of replacements because of this. Bass weakened noticably, especially with ANC OFF, and fit test yellow. When I got my first originals, I got "good seal" (green) for some time. That also happened with my 1st replacements. Green all the time for a while (1-2 months), then just yellow... Now I'm on my 2nd replacements, and it's still green with the amount of bass that they are supposed to give. Hopefully it will last this time. No difference when updating to 2D27 for me.

There were no changes that were noticeable between 2B588 and 2C54. 2C54 just retained the same ANC configurations that 2B588 had (which causes this issue). So if someone went from an older firmware (2B584, etc.) straight to 2C54, they would have the same issue as 2C54 and 2B588 seem to have nearly exactly the same configurations for ANC -- I can't read the code myself but the issue has not changed between the two. It's just whatever code they wrote for 2B588 need to be fixed and patched for a new update. Why the code was written in the first place is beyond me but they have too many unhappy customers now.

@Cerlini,

I imagine you reset already but can you try this and if you do get them connected, let us know the firmware ver.

Try a full re-pair, reset, and try again.

Settings > Bluetooth > Airpods > Forget this device. Confirm it. (I guess you can skip this if they never connected to begin with but un-pair the old ones too maybe?)

Put both Airpods in their case, charge them via Lightning until the case is 100%. Unplug them. Open the case and hold the button on the back of the case for 15+ seconds or until the light flashes white. Hold them near your iPhone and see if the pairing screen comes up and pair them. If not, repeat until it does. But if you can't see the screen pop up, then manually pair within Bluetooth.

@kellyNYC, Maybe we can do a little test. For example, I have a pretty ordinary fan in my bathroom (in the ceiling like most bathrooms have). Before 2B588, with that fan on and the door OPEN, even about 2 feet away from the fan, the sound of the fan was entirely eliminated. It was a feeling like I was in space -- like in a vacuum. No sound. Nothing. Literally no background noises of any kind.

Now on 2B588 and 2C54, if that bathroom fan is on, even if I CLOSE the bathroom door, I can still hear the humming of the fan... and that's how I noticed this issue to begin with.

Also my typing now, I am wearing the AirPods with ANC on and I can hear my typing as if the ANC was OFF. Before this, the sound of typing sounded more like it was in the faint distance (or in another room) if that makes sense.

Sounds of people talking were like muffled like as if I were underwater before 2B588... Turned on Transparency Mode and then I could hear them perfectly. Now, voices are pretty normal.

Subways and busses -- sounds were almost 100% gone... No engine sounds. No tires. No brakes... Almost 0 sound. Now all of these are clearly audible.

The sound of my OWN voice talking or singing, before, I could literally sing along to a song and it would eliminate my voice (I was shocked by this). Now, there is no such thing. It just turns the volume of my voice down about 20%.

When I would turn on ANC, it would really feel like I was in a space vacuum. Total silence. It was almost eerie... I've never experienced silence like that. Now it's just... meh.

Maybe this might help you kind of imagine it. Also, the first time I turned on ANC was in the LOUD Apple Store itself with about 200 customers in there and a Keynote presentation going on. When it turned on... I was speechless... Of course it didn't eliminate EVERYTHING but it was ridiculously loud in there... But it eliminated it so well that when I put on music on a low-medium volume, even the loud Apple Store was entirely silenced to me. That's not so anymore :(

Maybe you can let me know how some of these sound to you (like a bathroom fan or car traffic)...

That reminds me.. Before the update, walking down the street... there was almost no sounds of cars... now it's barely different between ANC and Off... Again maybe a 20-25% difference in the sounds of traffic. Before it was really crazy good.

But the only people on this forum saying they have acceptable ANC are people who never experienced the ANC from the previous firmware. Their product shipped with 2B588... There is no way to compare it. Maybe it’s good enough for them but for everyone else it seems to be the same consensus. Take a look at this thread in the list of threads for iPhone Accessories. It is by far the largest thread by both number of views, number of replies, and number of people confirming they have the same issue. It’s only been a few weeks and within that time period many have purchased the device and will never know there was a better ANC. Only the early adopters will have noticed a difference. Apple is collecting units from all over the globe (I’m originally from US but I’m in Seoul now and they are trying to collect from me if possible as well)...

And if they collect from me, they’ll give me another pair that does the same thing.

But I’ll keep an open mind and I want to see what your findings are. But clearly these devices have more than their fair share of bugs. But this ANC bug alone did not manifest for ANY of us until 2B588 was installed and one other commenter said it manifested when he updated to 2C54.

I called with Apple Netherlands yesterday (call-back appointment) and explained the situation with the badly functioning NC. The employee asked me a lot of questions about the situation and whether I had already used the different ear tips and whether I had already reset etc. He finally came to the conclusion that it had to be the air pods themselves and he sent me a new pair. I will receive them tomorrow.

I really don’t understand what’s going on with Apple, why some people think that this is a hardware problem and why some of you are getting answers that this is a perception issue only.

Today I contact the Brazilian support for the second time and I got the same answer about Apple knowing this issue and that I can be sure that they’re analyzing it to get a correction as soon as possible. The guy who supported me clearly told that the recommendation is to wait for a correction and then update the APP when it’s available. Translating his words, he told me “Soon it’ll be like magic and you’ll wake up with your AirPods pro updated and your problem fixed.”

They never asked me to send my APP back and probably ‘cause they know that this isn’t a hardware issue.

Rtings has updated their testing notes!

My guess is we will see a new update here soon from Apple, hopefully they will put an ANC Slider in (Or) Beef it back up.

This is definitive now- (Personally, I also believe that everyone obviously hears better/worse.. different frequencies, sensitivities etc... So that would explain why some people experience 0 noticeable difference vs. people who do and up to 20-30% reduction in ANC)

https://www.rtings.com/headphones/reviews/apple/airpods-pro-truly-wireless

Personally, I have been following their post and they originally stated that there wasn't a noticeable difference between 2B584 and 2B588 that they could tell off the bat and would get back to testing after the holidays... However, when they came back to test they were on 2C54... (I don't believe they truly were ever able to legitmally test going from 2B584 to 2B588 but were finally able to test... 2B584 to 2C54

2B588 and 2C54 which I ran both on two sets were practically identical in terms of ANC (Both dumbed down)

We just want 2B584 back!!! Its awful cause now they are shipping with 2B588 and lousy as soon as you unbox without pairing and put them in your ears (They default to ANC Mode) and you can hear so much = (

Lucky_st's post is exact confirmation of the issue with both a control and an experimental group (two pairs of AirPods, one that was connected to an iPhone which updated to 2B588 causing the ANC issue and then subsequently to 2C54 which kept the issue; and a control AirPods Pro which was only ever connected to Android and is still running 2B576 and does not exhibit the issue at all).

Seeing both together proves that the changes included in the 2B588 firmware (as well as 2C54) indeed is the problem. Devices running 2B584 or 2B576 are not and were not affected.

I will be forwarding this message along with Lucky_st's post to my rep as well.

Hi Guys,

I've received my replacement today and my unit has HW: 1.0.0 FW: 2B588 and manufacturing date Jan 2020 and as I predicted, the new unit has same degree of ANC reduction as old one so it clearly indicates that it is solely firmware update which did this change. As the issue is getting widespread I am really hoping for the prompt Apple's reaction where they will give us ability to adjust ANC strength to at least the level of initial power it has on previous firmwares.

Streetspy wrote:

Hi Guys,

I've received my replacement today and my unit has HW: 1.0.0 FW: 2B588 and manufacturing date Jan 2020 and as I predicted, the new unit has same degree of ANC reduction as old one so it clearly indicates that it is solely firmware update which did this change. As the issue is getting widespread I am really hoping for the prompt Apple's reaction where they will give us ability to adjust ANC strength to at least the level of initial power it has on previous firmwares.

hi, I'm not sure what you are saying. You received a brand new unit with the same HW e FW version of the most of the people here. But are you saying that the ANC is great as the "old one", so very first unit with the strongest anc?

I received mine a week ago, same exactly configuration, no changes in ANC (good/decent, not even close to "great").

Moreover: how can I check my manufacturing date? via serial code?

I had to read the comment twice.

Person meant that new AirPods are just as bad as his older ones in terms of how the ANC works.

i.e. It's firmware. 2B588 broke it. 2C54 caused more issues and was pulled (confirmed).

Time for Apple to make a 2DXX firmware that restores ANC to 2B584 levels and contains the previous bugfixes as well without catastrophically breaking anything else. Perhaps figuring out the wireless charging overheating issue could be a good idea for 2DXX firmware as well.

rgergergerg wrote:

My appointment with a seller at the Apple Store in Germany did not change anything. In fact, he never heard of this issue before, checked his iPad for internal Information from Apple and found a note in which was stated, that it is a known issue and that Apple is working on a fix., no information on when a new firmware Update will happen.

This is very important. At least they are aware that the decrease in ANC is actually an issue.

BigZ12,

Open a new case about the ANC problem. Cite this forum. They will likely swap your set out for a new pair w/ 2B588. Yes, the ANC problem will likely remain but the other issues (bass, whatever) will be gone. But cite the ANC issue as the main issue and let them "troubleshoot" it and they can swap it out and "collect" your device like they did to me. Then you can follow up saying the ANC issue remains if it does (which it will I assume).