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Why do my AirPods sound muffled?

I recently bought a pair of AirPods and noticed that the sound coming out of them was muffled. I was frustrated and decided to do some research to try and figure out why this was happening. After some experimenting, I was able to successfully solve the issue and wanted to share my experience, as well as the other solutions that I discovered, with others who might be facing the same problem. In this blog post, I will explain why my AirPods sound muffled and how to fix it.

Key Takeaways
AirPods can sound muffled due to dirty speakers, weak signal, or damage.
Cleaning your AirPods, resetting the connection, and checking your settings can help fix the issue.
Be aware of your surroundings, as background noise, wind, and weather can also cause muffled sound.
Adjusting the balance, volume limits, and headphone security may also help.
For muffled sound on calls, try using noise cancellation or increasing the amplification gain of your microphone.

Why do my AirPods sound muffled? 

When your AirPods sound is muffled, there could be several reasons. In most cases, your AirPods may sound muffled because of dirty speakers.

How do your AirPods get dirty? It’s simple. When you gently place the EarPods into your ear canal, it’s likely that your ears aren’t completely clean and clear. It’s likely that you have at least some debris and earwax in your ear canal. Dirty AirPods can affect the quality of the sound.  

It could also be the case that there is a weak signal between your AirPods and the device you are using. This would be more likely if your AirPods only sound muffled when you are a long way away from the device. It would help to try resetting and reconnecting your AirPods to your device.

To reconnect your AirPods do the following:

  1. Forget them from your device
  2. Put them in the case
  3. Open the lid
  4. Hold the power button until the light flashes white then orange
  5. Reconnect your AirPods to your device

Another possible cause is that your AirPods have become damaged. This would be more likely if your AirPods have started sounding muffled after getting wet or after being dropped. It would also be more likely if your AirPods have become muffled very suddenly.

Read more: Why has my AirPod’s name changed?

Why do my AirPods pro sound muffled? 

Your AirPods could sound muffled because of a poor Bluetooth connection. It could be that you need to move into an area where the signal is stronger. You may get a better, less muffled connection by just letting your AirPods “rest” for a bit or turning everything off and then turning it back on.  

Read more: how to change the volume of AirPods on Windows?

AirPods Pro

How to get my AirPods to sound clearer? 

Since the most common reason for the muffled sound on your AirPods is dirty speakers, the first thing you might want to clean them.

You should be cleaning your earbuds at least once every three months to maintain good sound quality. You should take special care when you clean your AirPods, without using harsh chemicals. Use water to scrub your earbuds thoroughly but carefully to avoid damaging them.  

Why do one of my AirPods sound muffled? 

Even after you’ve wiped down your AirPods and cleaned them thoroughly, one of them may still sound muffled.

You can use a microfiber cloth to carefully clean your earbuds before and after every use. You could also consider how your surroundings. It could be that other environmental factors like background noise, wind, and the weather could cause your AirPods to be muffled, quiet, or distorted.  

Why do my AirPods sound muffled on mac? 

If your AirPods sound muffled on your Mac, you can try adjusting your settings. You can check the balance, the volume limits, and your headphone security. Sometimes, something as simple as resetting your AirPods can help.  

Why do my AirPods sound muffled on pc? 

When you connect your AirPods to your Windows PC, and the sound is muffled, the simplest reason could be the Bluetooth drivers.

So, first, try updating your drivers to see if that works. Your next approach can be to adjust the equalizer with Realtek or your preferred program. You may experience muffled sound when you select “Headphone” while your microphone is active. It’s a known issue, so there may not be an easy and consistent solution. You can still work with your settings to get the best possible sound.   

Why do my AirPods sound muffled on calls? 

If you answer a phone call and the sound is muffled over your AirPods, it’s possible that you’re getting background noise from your side or the other end of the line.

Or you may not be getting enough amplification gain out of your inbuilt microphone. While AirPods are a popular earbud solution, the amplified gain means that background noises can be an issue.

You can use AirPods’ noise cancellation capabilities in the more recent releases. Still, you won’t be able to remove or block out all the external background noises altogether.