Some AirPods Pro 3 owners report hearing an annoying whistling sound from their new earbuds. The noise typically comes when they have the earbuds in, with no music playing and active noise cancellation on.
The problem doesn’t seem widespread, but enough new owners are reporting it to raise eyebrows.
That whistling noise from your AirPods Pro 3 isn’t normal
Apple unveiled AirPods Pro 3 alongside the iPhone 17 family at its “Awe Dropping” event last September. While the earbuds look similar to the second-gen model with minor design tweaks, they sport big internal improvements.
Apple proudly says AirPods Pro 3 offer the “best noise cancellation of any in-ear wireless headphones” (supposedly twice as good as in AirPods Pro 2). The third-gen earbuds also feature a heart rate sensor, enabling them to track workout sessions effectively.
While all this looks good on paper, some early AirPods Pro 3 users report an annoying problem. Reddit threads are filling up with complaints about a whistling sound, with some reporting a high-pitched noise that randomly comes and goes.
“I was loving my [AirPods Pro 3], but I am currently in a flight right now with [AirPods Pro 3] for the first time and I have this persistent high pitch whistling sound that is unbearable. Even when I chew something, I can hear this weird noise in my ears, like hitting porcelain/guitar string,” said user snuggly-Totoro in a Reddit thread.
Another user, ads3500, faced the same situation with his AirPods Pro 3, but with only one of the earbuds.
“I had the same problem but only in the right one,” ads3500 said. “I got a free replacement from Apple but the replacement had the same problem and was even louder this time. I ended up returning them and I’m gonna stick with the 2’s for now.”
Contact Apple for a replacement
AirPods subreddits are filled with complaints, mostly from users who got their AirPods Pro 3 units early. Some say Apple replaced their faulty earbuds with new units that didn’t exhibit the defect.
Similar whining and whistling problems also plagued selected batches of the first- and second-generation AirPods Pro.
If you are also hearing a high-pitched whistling sound from your AirPods Pro 3, contact Apple for a replacement.
