AirPods is one of the best-selling wireless earbuds out there. This little thing has its own share of the fanbase.
Both Android and Apple users use AirPods. Prior reasons being its build and sound quality. AirPods delivers a good quality of sound with a decent battery backup.
But even these perfect earbuds have their own issues. One of them being the muffled noise issue. I personally have experienced these issues. And to me, a while to fix the issue on my own.
But you don’t have to as an AirPods user; I will help you out and describe some methods so that you can easily fix your AirPods.
So keep reading till the end to get your desired fix.
Why is my AirPods audio muffled?
AirPods do have one of the best sound quality when it comes to the wireless audio earbuds out there. Even though they are not the best, they can still be considered as one of the best audio systems for your ear.
If you have full sound activated, AirPods can produce up to 100-110 decibels, which is pretty impressive for earbuds. However, it differs from generation to generation.
I have noticed my first generation of AirPods is not that loud in terms of my AirPods pro or the third generation of AirPods. That doesn’t mean the first generation of AirPods produces a bad sound quality.
Whatever AirPods you have barred the generation, you should expect a good quality of Sound. But lately, I have seen so many complaints from the AirPods users that they are getting a muffled sound or bad quality music from their AirPods.
Here are the reasons why you are getting a muffled sound from your AirPods:
Water Damage
You will right away notice the muffled sound when your AirPods have been through a water damage issue.
You are lucky enough that your AirPods are still alive even after the water damage. But when the water enters the speaker of the AirPods, it will block the mesh grill. And if the water is somewhat sticky like milk, juice, or soft drinks, the mesh grill will be fully covered by the substance.
Water damage will result in muffled sounds or crackling sounds. You have to take the water out of your AirPods and clean the mesh grill to fix the issue.
Check out our recent article on can you wear AirPods in the shower.
Low Charge
You might be hearing muffled sounds because of the low charge from your AirPods. You might be thinking that you have enough charge in them because they are connected, but in reality, there is not enough charge on them.
Even if your AirPods are connected, that doesn’t mean there is enough charge in them to function properly. AirPods don’t offer much Battery life. The third generation of AirPods can go up to 5-6 hours in one single charge. On the other hand, the first generation of AirPods can push up to 2-3 hours in one single charge. (custom image)
So charge your earbuds if you are experiencing muffled sound on your AirPods. At least charge your AirPods for 1 hour before connecting your AirPods with your smartphone.
Bad connection
A bad connection between your AirPods and your mobile phone can lead to muffled noise. Not all devices support the sound system of your AirPods.
If you are using AirPods with your iPhone, then you will get the best sound quality. Even if you are using an iPhone, you still need the latest update on your phone to get the best out of your AirPods. For iPhone users, you should update your System software to iOS 15 to get the most out of your AirPods.
If you are using an android device, make sure your device at least supports Bluetooth connectivity of 4.0. Though 5.0 is suitable for your AirPods.
Dust in the speaker grill
If there is any dust or ear wax in the speaker grill, it can lead your AirPods to have muffled noise coming out of it.
Over time when we use our AirPods, dust and grime take place inside it. And it will clog your AirPods in no time. Also, ear wax can easily clog your speaker grill. As most of us aren’t aware of daily hygiene so don’t be shocked if your AirPods are full of ear wax and hair.
You should clean your AirPods daily. But if you cannot do it daily, at least clean it after one week of usage. On top of it, you should clean your ear before using the AirPods. That way, you don’t have to worry about ear wax.
Also, check out our separate post on can you use AirPods on a plane.
Wrong Sound equalizer preset
A wrong equalizer mix can lead to your AirPods sound being muffled. Many people use custom equalizer mix with their AirPods, which is certainly not the issue, but you have to be really picky about it.
If you don’t know how to mix an equalizer, then a bad treble or bass preset can make your AirPods sound distort and break. At times you will hear very unusual sounds. I have had the experience myself where I wanted to try something new but ended up with bad sound quality.
My suggestion would be to try the built-in preset in the sound mixer settings; if you really want to try out your own custom preset, then at least learn something before applying the preset.
How to fix AirPods muffled audio
Muffled audio coming from AirPods is a very common issue. Luckily you can fix the issue in no time if you follow some easy steps.
I have already described the reason behind this issue. And I don’t want to take more time of yours so let’s dive into the troubleshooting methods.
Follow the steps to fix AirPods muffled audio:
1. Dry your AirPods
You will hear muffled noise if there is any water clogged inside the AirPods. You have to dry out the AirPods to clear the muffled noise.
Follow the steps to dry your AirPods:
- Take out your AirPods from the case.
- Clean the outer body.
- Put the AirPods in a ziplock bag along with some desiccants.
- Wait for 16 hours.
After 16 hours, your AirPods should be dried out completely. Now follow the next step to clean your AirPods.
2. Clean your AirPods
AirPods might be clogged with ear wax and dust, which results in muffled noise. You have to clean the speaker grill to fix the issue.
Follow the steps to clean your AirPods:
- Wipe the speaker mesh using light, fresh Q-tip. If it doesn’t work, first use a dry brush with a soft bristle to loosen the grime. Avoid using moisture or other substances to clean the mesh of your speakers.
- Clean the exterior and smart case of your AirPods using a soft cotton cloth wet with 70percentage alcohol solution or water.
- Leave the AirPods to completely dry before putting them to use.
After cleaning your AirPods, follow the next step, and your AirPods will work like a charm.
Read more on AirPods not working with Apple Music.
3. Reconnect your AirPods
After drying out and cleaning your AirPods, reconnecting your AirPods with your smartphone should fix the problem for good.
Follow the steps to reconnect your AirPods:
- Go to your Bluetooth settings.
- Select and forget your AirPods.
- Put your AirPods in pairing mode.
- Connect your AirPods with your smartphone.
Now play a music track, and your AirPods will no longer produce any muffled noise.
Follow our guide to fix AirPods Pro make crackling or static sounds.
Final Thoughts
Even though AirPods is one of Apple’s finest products, it can still run into problems. Lucky for you, you have stumbled upon the perfect place to fix this issue.
Cleaning and taking the water out of your AirPods will pretty much solve the issue.
Hopefully, this guideline will help you to fix the issue. And for more future queries, do reach us out!
