If one AirPod is louder than the other

Sucking on the muted right AirPod was the only thing that worked.

FWIW, the right AirPod became muted AFTER I cleaned it with a toothpick and tissue, wiped it with alcohol pads, and dried it. My assumption as to why sucking may have worked is that the cleaning process (specifically the alcohol wipes) may have forced some wax on the other side of the mesh.

I know, Crazy, but sucking worked...

-I tried cleaning the wax with a toothpick and a cotton swab and it made it worse (I think this is actually pushing more wax inside the tiny openings)

-I tried sucking and worked partially; I noted some more equal volume between the left and right.

-tried with compressed gas duster, and this worked great: it not only equaled the left and right, also the volume increased in both left and right, and the sound is like new. Point the nozzle at a shallow angle to the screen. Do not point directly inside the screen which might damage the internal parts.

I thought it’s absolutely gross but it’s not so bad because you just suck but just a little bit comes out so it’s not so disgusting. BUT IT WORKED. TRUST ME JUST CLEAN IT A BIT AND SUCK AT IT FOR A MIN OR SO AND THEN IT’S SOLVED💯💯💯

Hi,

I thought my airpods were broken for good. I tried cleaning, sucking even water and it did not work. However, the last thing I’ve tried was compressed air and it totally fixed my AirPods. It left my AirPods like if there were new, so if everything else does not work definitely tried compressed air it completely fixed mines. I’m actually really surprise how resistant AirPods.

Weird solution but hear me out: if you have an electric toothbrush, get a replacement brush-head, keep it dry, and when this happens, use the electric toothbrush and make small little sweeps along the speakers of your AirPods. The little bristles will go into the little holes and pull out any gunk without damaging the AirPods. Done it multiple times and mine still work like brand new!

Exactly what it says , suck the mesh part of the ear phone that isn’t so loud with your mouth , yes it won’t taste great however it is likely to solve your problem as it has for me and a few others on here - hope that’s ok

That is exactly what’s happening with my AirPods after cleaning with Q-tips and alcohol gently, facing downward so not to enter. There was not much earwax to begin with, but once there was so much I thought they were broken until I looked with a magnifying glass, and screen completely covered with wax-grossness!. Gently scraping with a Q-tip, damp with alcohol, completely removed, making sure AirPod screen downward. Worked perfectly, and like brand new afterwords, letting air dry upside down. Now, the right is louder than the left, or the left is not as loud as the right! Looked to see if there was a volume or balance control - No 👎. I would think this would be an important option, as peoples’ ears vary, and not bilaterally symmetric. One may fit differently and cause a drastic difference in volume. Hope someone here has a fix. Best, Seth

Been reading the different replies to one airpod louder than another, or one not as loud as the other, in this instance there seems to be more left AirPods with reduced volume to the right. Yes, in accessibility in settings you can adjust the balance, but that doesn’t fix the problem. That merely lowers the volume of the right side. Then I read a number of posts about sucking the affected lower volume AirPod. To my amazement the left side was difficult to get any air to pass through, initially. I tried the right, and completely free flowing air. I kept at the left side and finally air started to flow. Kept at it for a while until they were almost equal, but still a slight resistance on that left AirPod. However I connected them and listened and they were now almost equal in Volume. Something, probably dried earwax, was/is blocking a port, probably a bass reflects port, which would keep the small diaphragm of moving as easily.

Try the lower volume AirPod and compare it to the other side when sucking on it and you will immediately notice a difference if it’s the same problem. Best, Seth

Ok so I had to blow in the other slot on the side for this to work. These are my daughters AirPods and needles to say , after I saw the amount of was I had to blow out because sucking through the big slot wouldn’t work, we had a serious conversation about her hygiene!! But sounds good as new so….

That makes perfect sense, I said since it should accomplish the same thing but perhaps even better stay positive pressure. In addition, the sucking in part was a bit of a concern.

Let me ask you, are you talking about the tiny hole on the side, or the oval slot on the top?

I tested both and it appears to be the tiny hole on the side, yes? Best, Seth

You described as an amount of material that exited, and assume dried earwax exiting the speaker screen cover, yes? I did not experience or see anything come out, yet the loudness returned to near normal or normal; and, no longer required using the balance control, which only diminished the volume on the right, and creating a sound of lesser quality, it seemed. Perhaps just A lower volume, yet, by increasing the volume it did not seem quite as clear. However, it now functions nicely. Seth

My right earbud got replaced by apple on july and warranty got expired the same month. And soon after 1 month my left earbud was showing the same problem ie. low sound and i cleaned the same with earbuds but thatd dint work. and now i saw someone saying about the sucking thing . hahaa maaan it worked thank you so much. i just sucked for like 3:4 secs and the difference was so much. thank you

This probably sounds a bit funky, but does anyone have any experience of sucking or blowing too hard and damaging the little speaker diaphragm(or it’s equivalent), Or does the plumbing between the two orifices go around, not affecting the sensitive components? My concern was blowing too hard in the side oval hole 🕳. Does anyone have a diagram of what’s going on inside the first and second GEN AirPods? The design clearly did not take into account earwax being shoved over and through the screen. This was circumvented with the AirPods Pro, which I also have, and it is offset by a small rubber covering, with three sizes. The comfort and sound is dramatically increased in quality and comfort. This small offset and no direct contact with the AirPod precludes this problem. There’s a sale going on right now at Costco for $169, $50 off their regular price, and highly recommend picking up a set if you are able. The earwax problem is no longer an issue with the AirPods Pro. Apple should provide folks here with what’s going on with the first and second GEN AirPods, that this problem is affecting so many, and the solution so bizarre. Surely this Is an embarrassment with the initial design. Someone mentioning scolding a daughter about hygiene, but that is not the problem, it is with the design of the first and second GEN AirPods. I cringe when I see someone using a Q-tip and inserting it in their ear canal. There’s only a 1 to 2 cell layer lining over the osseous canal, and easily damaged. This can cause serious infections which lead directly to the mastoid process and then to Brain tissue. You do not want Cerebritis. Do not insert a Q-tip in the ear canal. It’s states this prominently on each Q-tip package, put people don’t read the warnings, apparently, or ignore them thanking that years use means it’s OK. One mistakes is all it takes. Best, Seth

Using the balance control merely reduces the volume of the AirPod side that is louder. It does not fix the problem with the screen or port of the inner canal clogged with dry earwax. I have used Q-tips soaked in alcohol, and this worked the first time, clearing visible earwax over the screen. Be sure to have the port dependent, facing downward so the alcohol and wax do not get into the AirPod behind the screen. If we had a diagram of what the plumbing is this would be most helpful to understand what’s going on. Subsequently, months later I got the one side louder issue and this did not work, as there was no visible earwax this time. Somewhere inside the tiny canals get clogged and prevent the free flow of air. Please view the solutions of what to do with the two orifices to clear the ports of a bass reflex design being interrupted by wax, and must be cleared. There’s no access to do this directly. Good luck, and be careful. Adjusting the balance will not fix the issue but reduce the quality of sound by reducing the volume of the side that is functioning more normally.

I thank you for that information. I was sucking and puffing only a tad. I was fearful of damaging not knowing the structure or plumbing of the airways or components within. So I can suck & puff with a vengeance and do no damage. What fun! Ja ja ja!!!