Why Do Airpods Sound Bad on a Mac?

Nothing is more annoying than attempting to listen to music or a podcast on your headphones only to have the quality turn out to be terrible.

AirPods aren’t inexpensive, which makes it even more perplexing why the quality is so poor when linked to your Mac.

Fortunately, you can apply various troubleshooting options to repair the sound on your AirPods, and most of them just take a few seconds or minutes to complete.

What Can Affect AirPods Sound Quality?

There are a few reasons why your AirPods may be generating low-quality audio, other than normal wear and tear and age.

Dirty AirPods

Given that your AirPods are always in your ears or your case, you might be wondering how much dirt can get into them. However, debris and ear wax might prevent clear music from reaching your ear.

The Problem

Dirt, debris, or ear wax are impeding the sound, which is one of the reasons your AirPods sound so bad or muffled.

If you haven’t cleaned your AirPods, dirt might be preventing music from traveling from the speaker to your ears.

If you have the earlier versions of AirPods, things like perspiration and water might also cause poor audio. Although not all AirPods are waterproof, some, like the new AirPods Pro, are.

So, if you have those, it’s unlikely that poor sound quality is attributable to perspiration or water.

Because the issue is caused by clogged Airpods, it is straightforward to resolve and just takes a few minutes.

The Alternative

You should clean your AirPods to remove any debris that is blocking the music from reaching your ear properly.

There are several ways to clean your AirPods, all of which are effective, so it’s a matter of personal choice.

Here are a few options for cleaning out your AirPods:

  • Q-tips moistened in water are used to clean them.
  • If you have silicone tips, clean them with soap and warm water.
  • Scrape the wax and grime out of your earbuds with an earphone cleaning tool.
  • Using a moist, gentle cloth, wipe your charging case.

When cleaning out your AirPods, make sure you do it gently, not rubbing the Q-tip or cloth into the AirPods (which can smush the dirt farther in).

Bluetooth Connection Issues

Whether it’s your WiFi, TV, mobile phone service, or, in this case, your Bluetooth connection, you’ll occasionally have a terrible connection.

The Problem

The Bluetooth connection on your Mac is weak, broken, or not working.

Because AirPods rely on Bluetooth connectivity to work, a Mac that isn’t up to date or connected incorrectly might degrade the sound quality of your AirPods.

Problems connecting to your Mac may potentially be to blame for the poor quality of your AirPods since you are most likely not correctly set them up.

The Solution 

You’ll need to reconnect your AirPods to your Mac and check that your Bluetooth is operating correctly, which you can accomplish in several different ways.

Resetting your Bluetooth connection is one option. Go to System Preferences, choose Bluetooth, and disable it. Wait a few minutes before turning it back on.

Your Mac Is Out-of-Date

This is one of the more straightforward issues to resolve. Your Mac, like your phone, needs an update to fix any faults or flaws that prevent a proper Bluetooth connection.]

The Problem

An out-of-date Mac can result in a variety of issues, including a poor connection and poor sound quality.

Any viruses or bugs on our Mac might be interfering with the Bluetooth connection between our Mac and your AirPods.

You’ll want to check if your Mac’s IOS settings are up to date.

The Solution

Updating your Mac is simple and does not take much thought or work on your side.

To upgrade your Mac, simply follow these simple steps:

  1. Select System Preferences from the drop-down menu (located in the corner of the screen)
  2. Select Software Update from the drop-down menu.
  3. Select the option to Update Now or Upgrade Now.

See? It’s a quick and painless approach to bringing your AirPods’ audio quality back on track.

Incorrect Mic Usage 

AirPods are distinguished by their built-in microphones, which allow users to take calls or talk into them. This is an excellent function, however, it does have some drawbacks.

The Problem 

When connected to a Mac, some AirPod customers are experiencing low-quality sound from their earphones. Users complain about poor quality when using apps like FaceTime.

When using apps that need a microphone, the AirPods are likely to swap back and forth between in and out audio (i.e., FaceTime, WhatsApp, or Siri).

Because there are two modes, the poor sound quality might be due to the mode in which the AirPods provide both sound and microphone usage.

The Solution

Apple has revealed that the Bluetooth connection between Macs and AirPods isn’t ideal, particularly with older Macs and AirPods. However, they have provided a few fixes to any audio problems.

Apple advises shutting any apps that use the built-in microphone on your AirPods since doing so might cause the AirPods to become confused and flip between mic modes.

you’ll need to utilize the audio-only option, which doesn’t require a microphone.

Let’s Recap 

The sound quality of earphones as pricey as AirPods should be excellent. However, this isn’t always the case, and consumers may have issues with them.

Dirty AirPods, a weak Bluetooth connection, an old Mac, or inappropriate microphone usage can all cause audio troubles.

Fortunately, there are some simple fixes for those who are experiencing similar issues.

Cotton swabs or a moist cloth may be used to clean your AirPods and case.

Disconnecting and reconnecting your AirPods will also reset your Bluetooth settings.

Check to ensure that all of your settings are up to date to fix an out-of-date Mac. If not, go to System Preferences and make the necessary changes!

Make sure you’re not utilizing your AirPods’ audio and microphone at the same time. When both are used, the quality and volume will suffer.

If all else fails, your AirPods may be defective and can be replaced or repaired. Look for them in your local Apple shop, take them with you, or send them in.

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