How to fix AirPods Pro 3 noise issues?

Solution:

There is an older version of my comment addressing the same issue of hearing white noise on left ear.

Today i checked with an ent doc and he cleared the wax of my left ear (it was completely blocked with wax)

After that there is no white or disturbing noise from my left earbud. (So probably my left earbud was telling me that i had blockage on left ear :3)

Both are working just normal.

If anyone of you are hearing sounds like that, please do contact an ent specialist as well.

Those who are having the high pitch/feedback issue in the earbud(s) need to send it to Apple via the feedback app. This is the only way it will get to Apple techs to work the issue.

Feedback - AirPods - Apple

In settings , you can enable mode “off’ for the airpods. In that setting, it should be dead quiet, no (white) noise. Use the eartips, they are needed for fit and better sound.

I had the squealing sound people discuss here, but after cleaning, eartip ‘stretches’ the squealing sound disappeared. The only thing i hear is a low level white noise sound, might be same to yours. But such a low level, it doesn’t really bother me (only to be heard when nog music / sounds). It’s probably noise form the earpods mics, as they are always on in all modes except ‘off’. in other settings they are used to listen for siri, surrounding sounds (transparant), noise canceling etc. Imho thats fine.

I did simba’s test/trick and i also had the white noise disappearing. Only to re-appear when again changing settings (like chosing ‘transparant’ and back to ‘noise canceling’). Redoing hearing test the noise was gone again.

so it seems to work, but: i cannot test the quality of the noise canceling. What i suspect is that the airpods mics are set lower in sensitivity , so making less noise. The sensitivity normally seems really high, which might cause the white noise. I don’t really mind that, due to the way i use the airpods. With music on, the noise seems non-existent to me.

Mind you; i am one of few having no real issues at the moment, so not dismissing your experience.

so, yes, the simba hearing test ‘trick’ seems to work.

i suggest to make a genius appointment and get it replaced. My replacement had been issue free. But i am afraid to get Pro 3 for anyone at least right now. I got my Aunt a 4 with ANC instead.

It's amazing that after all the posts with complaints that no one has responded to whether or not they have tried a reset as I mention in my previous post. The firmware on my AirPods 3 was definitely updated/changed and I have no issue with screeching noise. In fact I have not heard it since. I haven't been back on an airplane where it was the worst but in general use it's not there. Getting a new pair with the same firmware as the first pair means your chances of the problem not being there is pretty low.

How to reset your AirPods and AirPods Pro - Apple Support

Try a reset and then post if it does not fix the issue or if it does. This way others will know what they should try.

APP2 same thing since apple released APP3. Seems like a firmware issue. Cleaned my ears, cleaned airpods at service center – same issue. Noise is louder in right one. Have read other topics about same issue with APP2 and APP3 – no solution. Waiting for the update

100% software issue! Them saying it’s the user is insane. Worked absolutely fine for a month. It’s clearly the adaptive noise control bugging out trying to filter noises and regurgitating horrible feedback

Let me know if at least the ‘off’ mode gives you usable airpods. Mine don’t squeal anymore; cleaned eartips, new firmware, pulled tips off, reinstalled them etc, all the tips here. But indeed: no squealing sofar (used all the modes, used them outside on a bike, inside etc).

left is the white noise sound; that comes with all the modes except ‘off’. It must be the built in mic being very sensitive. I assume it also makes the squealing sound, like a guitar in front of an amplifier . I only have problems with the right airpod, To me it seems that the mic in the left airpod is fine, and the right one is too sensitive or so. The white noise picked up by the mic could be my blood streaming. I don’t know.

it also seems to me the bad airpod sounds hollow, like a short slap reverb. I noticed this with tapping with my nail on both airpods, moving from top to bottom. The bad one has a more hollow, higher pitched sound, like it has no extra isolation or so. Can’t open them ofcourse. But that is one hardware difference i noticed between good and bad airpod.

i am not sure what to do with it, use transparent outside, cycling with wind flow. Rest of the time it’s on ‘off’. Other modes behave like transparent, so a tiny bit of audible white noise.

Weregus wrote:

😆 Please, Apple, don't use this information as a possible solution 🙏 Both cases are unfavorable.

As Apple doesn't read here for feedback or suggestions, it's unlikely that they will. You can give Apple feedback here:

Product Feedback - Apple

However, I think the better solution is to make a Genius Bar appointment if that's at all possible. The kind of problems you're describing are not how they are supposed to work.

100% not a sensitivity issue but a hardware one. The pro 3 are defective and Apple is not acknowledging it to avoid a marketing nightmare.

That said they did replace my AirPods with new ones and working now

This is what fixed it for me, too. I think it’s funny thinking about all of us perfectionists (including me) trying everything, announcing fixes that seem to work for a few (did they put their iPods back in the case?) but not for all … and then the solution turns out to be “put them back in the case for awhile.”

I read someone replaced them three times and all models had this “issue”. I myself bought another pair and they still had the white noise sound. It’s a manufacturing problem.

I noticed the same thing. I upgraded from the Pro 1 and never had this issue there.

i noticed that if you enable switch the mode to „off“ the white noise is gone. But in transparency and ANC it’s very present and very annoying when trying to listen music at a lower volume

+1 on this. Especially for the comparison with AirPods Pro 2.

AirPods Pro 2 have a white noise too, but it is barely noticeable.

AirPods Pro 3 have a very noticeable white noise in ANC/Transparency. You can clearly hear this noise appear and disappear when switching to "OFF" mode, back and forth.