AirPods Pro firmware 2B588 reduce the noise cancelling capability

Today I will receive a replacement so I can test A/B the old and new units with proper white and pink noise.

If they run the same firmware revision and the new ones do ANC correctly, then this whole discussion will have to be archived.

Good example. Thanks for this.

Currently, in this situation, what Apple has done is take a flagship product that matched or beat its competitors in many ways (subject to opinion of course) and then totally dumbed it down to where Bose and Sony easily beat it... I can't imagine why they would do it so I have to hope it was a bug or a mistake.

UPDATE 2: I'm not able yet to use the replacements and probably I will have to get a replacement for the replacements...

BUT I've tried the new Medium tips on my old AirPods Pro and nope, no change in ANC, so tips wear and tear can be definitely excluded as a cause. Fit test went better though with just the right AirPod yellow and the left one consistently green.

@rust1

Okay you have me concerned now... That would be a massive issue if that was true...

You are 100% sure that they came with 2B588 and didn't perhaps update overnight when you first charged them to 2B588? Or maybe they were on a previous version (which is very close to the same numbers as 2B588... It's 2B584 I think like we both wrote??? Even I can't remember now).... And perhaps the ANC was good and then the next time they were plugged in, they went up to 2B588 without noticing (as it really wouldn't be something to check)... I had no change between 2B588 and 2C54.

I guess I could ask, what prompted you to check the firmware version the first time you checked and then what you to find this forum?

That might help us piece it together a bit.

If the firmware is damaging the hardware... then we are all... yeah... SOL.

You're right, I can't say with 100% certainty that my initial firmware version was 2B588. I can only say that the production month of my headphones is "11/2019" and the release date of firmware 2B588 was November 14. But I can definitely say that the ANC level on 2B588 firmware in my case was excellent and was huge degradated after 2C54 update.

Oh man. They won't connect to any device? Just curious. When you hold down that round button, does the LED ever change color to white or it just stays amber?

I'd think it was a charge issue... If you replace tmr, maybe just leave them charging overnight to see if it stops?

I had mine replaced on 12/07 and they came with the old firmware. (I was already using the Pros with the old firmware for about a week and a half before swapping them for a new set on 12/07).

They didn't update to 2B588 for about a week after that so mid December.

2C54 came out a few days after mine updated to 2B588 and they didn't update to 2C54 for about 2-3 days.

The swap out was because I can't (and still can't) get the Pros to charge wirelessly properly... I'm over that issue though. It's also known and there isn't anything to be done about it... Only a few select chargers seem to work (and the Belkin and mophie chargers that Apple sells both DON'T work properly w/ the Pros)... but they were swapped out and of course it made no difference since they just don't work w/ any of the Pros except for a few certain chargers.

Ok. Nailed the issue down tho the left replacement. If I only insert the right one, the case pairs, as soon as I insert the left one, back to flashing Amber. I’m so unlucky with AirPods.

BTW firmware revision on the working right AirPod is 2B588.

Ah, did they only give you replacement AirPods themselves? I got an entire brand new set when I swapped out the first time but they actually had me "return" and repurchase my AirPods because of issues with stock and demand at the time.

Yeah that’s a big fear for us early adopters - those of you who just got them aren’t gonna understand how much better the ANC was with the first few firmwares and this complaint will get ultimately ignored because the reduced ANC is the new normal.

@TabsAZ, Yeah... I just wrote a pretty long explanation of how the ANC was for me before the update. Maybe it will help the newer owners imagine and compare... I guess that's really all we can do. But there were SO many people that used these before the update that Apple kind of can't ignore it? I hope.

@shanesnh, I’m actually on a bus right now and it’s insane how little of the road and tire noise is getting cancelled - there’s almost no difference between ANC and off. I have to crank the music way up to get over the noise, which goes 100% against Apple’s recent focus on noise level in the OS with showing you the dB level you’re getting exposed to etc. It’s supposed to be a major selling point of the Pros to not have to blast the volume to get over the noise while traveling.

Perhaps the 2B588 firmware didn't have the same effect for everyone. On my AirPods Pro the difference in ANC being on vs off is enormous. I live in NYC and ride the subway daily and I hear virtually nothing with ANC activated. In any event, I hope the next update fixes your problem.

So now my question is this. Does new/updated firmware addressing the ANC concerns people are having get released before the holiday return period ends on January 8th?

I may return on that date because no guarantee when or if it will be addressed. Once mine updated to 2B588 the ANC has not been the same.