AirPods Pro 3 suddenly sound “weird / off” on firmware 9A314b (still on beta)
Hi everyone,
I’m having a strange issue with my AirPods Pro 3 and wanted to see if anyone else is experiencing something similar.
• Device: AirPods Pro 3
• Firmware: 9A314b (still on a beta firmware, have never left beta)
• iPhone: 16 pro iOS 27.0
• Issue started: suddenly, about 1 week ago, with no changes to settings on my side
Problem:
The sound quality suddenly became “off” in a way that’s hard to describe. It’s not simply muffled or quiet; it’s more like the overall tonal balance is wrong. Everything sounds a bit strange and unnatural compared to how they sounded before.
• It happens on all audio (music, YouTube, podcasts), not just calls.
• It’s the same with ANC off, Transparency off, and all listening modes.
• I did not change any EQ, Headphone Accommodations, or spatial audio settings; they were working fine before with the same config.
• I’m still on the same beta firmware track as before; the problem just appeared out of nowhere about a week ago.
What I’ve tried so far:
• Turned ANC / Transparency off and on
• Disabled Headphone Accommodations and custom audio setup
• Turned off EQ and spatial audio / head tracking
• Forgotten and re‑paired the AirPods
• Full factory reset (amber → white) and re‑paired
• Checked firmware: currently on 9A314b
The sound is still noticeably “wrong” compared to before, but I can’t pinpoint it as just bass/treble/EQ; it’s more like the whole presentation is off.
Has anyone else on 9A314b (or other recent beta firmwares) noticed this? Is this a known firmware issue, or is it more likely a hardware defect that Apple would replace? Any suggested next steps before going to an Apple Store?