A division - action cause filed this calendar month accuses Apple of misdirect AirPods Pro customers and failing adequately to address an audio defect reported shortly after the ware ’s launch in 2019 .
The suit ( viaClassAction.org ) focalise on two seemingly widespread problems with the 1st - gen AirPods Pro : unwanted crackling sounds , and the unsuccessful person of Active Noise Cancellation to work correctly . These issues were advertise within month of release , but it took Apple almost a class to address them with aservice programoffering to supersede units made before October 2020 , liberal of charge .
Apple ’s ownsupport documentacknowledges that affected unit could exhibit “ crackling or electrostatic sounds that increment in garish environments , with example or while talk on the telephone set ” and “ Active Noise Cancellation not working as expected , such as a red ink of bass sound , or an step-up in backdrop sounds , such as street or aeroplane noise . ”
A happy conclusion , then ? Not quite . The possibility was that AirPods Pro made after October 2020 would not be affected by the audio defect because Apple ’s engineers had solved the problem , which is why such units were not eligible for a free replacement . But concord to the lawsuit , they had not solved it at all .
“ … The replacement set of AirPods Pro Gen 1 check the same Audio Defect , ” claims thelawsuit . “ In other words , those drug user only get another defective lot of AirPods Pro Gen 1 , with many users afterwards see the Audio Defect with the defective successor set as well . ”
It adds that microscopic examination of AirPods Pro units sold before and after October 2020 “ uncover that there are no pregnant component part deviation . ” Although Apple reportedly experimented with different mike in 2020 , this did not impact the shortcoming and was subsequently return .
Apple ’s own actions at the fourth dimension are equivocal , but may to some extent corroborate the plaintiffs ’ claim . First , while it never poke out the service curriculum to cover AirPods Pro made after October 2020 , it did give consumersan extra yearto make claims , paint a picture it was cognisant that complaint were continuing . ( The lawsuit unconditionally insist that Apple “ extend the program because it knew it could not limit the problem . ” However , the filename extension only give consumers more clock time to claim on the pre - October 2020 unit that would not in any case have been regard by Apple ’s assay fixes , successful or not . )
what is more , Apple changed the audio intent for the 2nd - gen AirPods Pro found in September 2022 , a decision the complainant interpret as a game show that the company knew the 1st - gen model was fatally blemished and involve to be overhauled . “ In special , ” the suit claim , “ Apple appears to have attempted to solve the AirPods Pro Gen 1 ’s Audio Defect in the redesign of AirPods Pro Gen 2 by ( i ) increasing the processing upper of the DSP central processing unit ( creditworthy for disturbance canceling or decreasing background ambient randomness ) , and by ( ii ) redesigning the speakers to bring angular banding along its periphery to improve low-down frequency ( base tone ) response . ”
It ’s a long and complicated saga , but the lawsuit ’s argument roil down to four central allegation :
At this spot , the course - action lawsuit is at the filing point . But at some full point in the future , if the suit of clothes is successful , referee who owned a set of 1st - gen AirPods Pro may be ennoble to compensation .
