AirPods sound quality issue

Bit of helpful information when looking at this issue.

If you hold down Option while clicking the bluetooth menu bar icon, you'll get more details about your bluetooth connection.

When the sound is terrible, it's using the codec SCO. With good audio playback, you'll find it is ACC.

The iPhone doesn't seem to drop down the codec. I'm not sure if there is a way to force ACC. I find sometimes, closing out other applications using audio clears the issue, without re-connecting the AirPods. I've also experienced this same problem with other bluetooth headphones with microphones.

I can actually confirm this...mine have 20-25% drain a day as well, sometimes more (with my initial pair of AirPods and the replacement as well). If you're interested, there is a whole thread in the Apple support forums regarding this issue: Airpods case battery drain

Sorry I made a mistake to post.

The reason why the sound of calling of Mac on AirPods is different from iPhone is that "iPhone supports HFP 1.6 (16kHz), however, Mac has NOT been compatible with HFP1.6 but only 1.5 (8kHz) , still now".

According to my examine, airpods uses HFP 1.6 with calling or Siri or some scenes that need to use microphone.

However, there was some post that says Mac doesn't support HFP1.6.

(e.g. https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4833409)

So, that is why iPhone's calling or Siri sounds better and Mac's calling or Siri sounds worse.

If AirPods needs to use HFP1.6 on Mac, it uses HFP 1.5 instead of 1.6.

That is my last conclusion.

I

hope you will find it helpful.

Best regards.

They care - as a beta tester, there are times when only one pod works after updating to the latest iOS or os release.

The solution: Go to bluetooth and select "forget this device" wait a minute or two and reconnect to the phone. Works every time. You can also try reseting by hold the button down for a few seconds.

Found an article on Gear Patrol:

AirPods Malfunctioning? Here’s How to Fix Them

1. Go to Bluetooth settings on your device. Forget your AirPods.

2. Make sure both AirPods are in their case. Open the lid so you can see the indicator light.

3. Hold the button on the back of the case until the light starts flashing amber. (Some Apple forum threads say this should take 3–5 seconds, but on my AirPods it took about 15 seconds.)

4. After the amber light blinks three times, release the button and close the lid.

5. Place your AirPods adjacent to your iPhone and hold the button on the back of the case again. A pairing screen should appear on your iPhone. Press “Connect” and you should be good, with both AirPods should work properly together again.

Hey there! Yesterday I got AirPods. Everything was excellent, but today I've experienced an issue when connected to my MBP. Sound quality becomes low (muffled and dirty) at least in these cases:

1. When I listen to a music on MBP via iTunes, and simultaneously start video playback in Simulator (I'm a developer). Quitting Simulator fixes this issue.
2. When I use AirPods as a headset for Google Hangout (via Safari). Call participants said they hear me worse than usual and my voice is muffled.
3. When I'm talking with Siri.

Hopefully it'll be fixed soon, one of the reasons why I got AirPods is a wireless headset dream.

Hi Jojost1

Just curious, as I am thinking of getting a pair of iPods. Am I right in understanding from your post that the AirPods work OK when Skype is being run from an iOS device, or have you not tested that?

As my MacOS machines don't yet have Sierra (too soon for work apparently, and my home machine now too old), it will be several months at least before I can use the AirPods with a Mac anyway

Thanks!

FaceTime Audio works well on iPhone, works like **** on the Mac. Audio quality is horrible on the Mac and on iPhone it's (very) okay.

I'd like to hear from people with replacement pairs if that fixes the issue for them, I don't think so. I think it's a limitation of the Mac.

I just talked to someone at an authorized service provider. They told me that replacement is probably not necessary and I should be waiting for an upcoming macOS update.

Any more people having the issue resolved after a replacement?

I'm experiencing the same issue, but only if I use my AirPods on my MacBook Pro. Sound quality (music playback) there is fine (as it is when using them with my iPhone), but activating Siri on macOS or using Skype, the sound is very dull. Because it works on my iPhone without any issues, I just can think of a software issue.

Side note: I already got replacement AirPods (because of battery drain), but I noticed this sound quality issue with my old and new pair of AirPods as well.

I have got my replacement and the audio-issue is still the same. Does not matter if I use my iPhone or the mac, everytime I am using Facetime/Call/Webex I have Scratches and other funny noise while somebody is speaking. Calling Apple now one more time. I don't want them anymore!!

I found a workaround for me. The issue is that when the microphone is used from the AirPods, audio quality turns super low. When you go to system preferences and set the Audio IN to the integreated microphone instead of the Airpods, the Audio quality remains good.

I guess we have to wait for a macOS update from Apple to fix it.

Thanks for the info Jason. Your post helped point me to a cool utility that you can use to force aptX for your headphone codec. It seems to be working for me. Here is a link. Good luck!

http://www.theghostbit.com/2015/03/force-mac-os-x-to-use-aptx-with-your.html

Downloading the utility and forcing the aptX codec doesn't work with the AirPods. It's AAC when only listening to audio and SCO when using the mics (so with Siri, FaceTime/Audio, Skype, ...). This seems to cause the issue, now the question is: is this a software 'bug' / oversight or a hardware limitation of the Mac's Bluetooth radio?

That is a fair point jojost1. My focus was strictly on the audio quality when listening to music on the Mac. Thanks for the reply. Hopefully Apple can get this ironed out. I really like the idea of the Airpods. I would hate to see them not be successful due to this issue.