Apple AirPods Lawsuit Filed Over Pro Gen 1 Headphones Plagued by Sound Issues

A proposed class action lawsuit alleges Apple has falsely advertised the supposedly superior-sounding AirPods Pro Gen 1, which suffer from known audio defects that can cause the headphones to exhibit crackling or static sounds, a loss of bass sounds or an increase in background noise.

The 51-page lawsuit against Apple says that although the tech giant touts the purportedly noise-canceling AirPods Pro Gen 1 as offering superior audio, the alleged sound defects are problematic enough that Apple has a page on its website dedicated to AirPods Pro sound issues, specifically for devices manufactured before October 2020.

On the webpage, Apple concedes that affected AirPods may experience crackling or static sounds that “increase in loud environments, with exercise or while talking on the phone” or faulty noise cancellation, including the “loss of bass sound” or an increase in background sounds, “such as street or airplane noise.”

The class action charges, however, that the apparent audio defects affect all AirPods Pro Gen 1 headphones, regardless of their manufacture date.

Though consumers began to complain about the sound problems with the AirPods Pro Gen 1 soon after their release in October 2019—and even though Apple has admitted to the audio issues itself—the company continued to sell the devices for hundreds of dollars a pair until September 2022, the case shares.

According to the class action suit, reasonable consumers would not have bought the Apple AirPods Pro Gen 1, or would have paid less for the headphones, had they known that the company’s claims as to the device’s audio functionality and quality were false and misleading and that a defect could cause crackling, static and other sound issues.

“The AirPods Pro Gen 1 were thus not worth the premium price that consumers paid for them—as they contained an Audio Defect and did not live up to Apple’s advertising, which promised quality audio and noise cancelling capabilities,” the class action lawsuit summarizes.

Superior audio quality?

Apple released the AirPods Pro Gen 1 on October 30, 2019, touting in a press release the devices’ superior noise-canceling, audio features and design, the suit relays. Apple emphasized to the public the AirPods’ “pure, incredibly clear sound” that “cuts out the noise” for a “rich, consistent listening experience” and promised, more generally, a better product than those offered by competitors, the case elaborates.

However, roughly a year later, in October 2020, Apple admitted that the first-generation AirPods Pro were hampered by “sound issues,” the filing states.

Although Apple promised to replace a consumer’s earbuds made before October 2020 if they exhibited the audio problems, the replacement sets of AirPods Pro Gen 1 contained the same issues, the lawsuit says.

“In other words, those users simply received another defective set of AirPods Pro Gen 1, with many users later experiencing the Audio Defect with the defective replacement set as well,” the case says.

According to the complaint, Apple was aware that the AirPods problems continued to pop up for users in the wake of its initial admission in 2020 that they suffered from an audio defect.

Just two weeks shy of the scheduled October 31, 2021 end date for Apple’s AirPods Pro service program announced a year prior, the company updated this timeline to cover affected AirPods for three years after the first retail sale of the unit, essentially adding another year of coverage, the case relays.

“In short, Apple extended the program because it knew it could not fix the problem,” the suit contends, alleging that Apple made no effort to notify AirPods Pro Gen 1 buyers of the support program.

With regard to manufacture date, the filing states that there exists no significant difference in first-generation AirPods Pro devices made before or after October 2020, the date specifically listed on Apple’s support page.

Accordingly, although Apple failed to acknowledge the defect in post-October 2020 devices—while continuing to sell its AirPods Pro Gen 1 at the same time, and for the same price as it was developing its second generation of AirPods Pro in an attempt to address AirPods Pro Gen 1’s inherent Audio Defect—AirPods Pro Gen 1 headphones sold after October 2020 still contained the Audio Defect.”

According to the lawsuit, “microscopic examination” confirms that the key audio components of the product—specifically, the DSP processor, rear-facing microphone and error microphone—were redesigned for the AirPods Pro Gen 2, which Apple released to replace the first-generation AirPods at issue. As the case tells it, this seemingly evidences Apple’s abandonment of the first-gen AirPods Pro and their pervasive sound issues in favor of rolling out a new generation.

Who does the Apple AirPods lawsuit cover?

The Apple AirPods class action lawsuit looks to cover all individuals and entities in the United States who purchased Apple AirPods Pro Gen 1.

How do I join the Apple AirPods lawsuit?

When a class action lawsuit is initially filed, there’s nothing you need to do to join the case. It’s usually only in the event of a class action settlement that the class members affected by a lawsuit need to act, typically by filling out and filing a claim form online or by mail.

ClassAction.org will update this page with any developments on the Apple AirPods lawsuit.

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