Your AirPods Aren't Actually Broken
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- čas přidán 26. 04. 2024
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People don’t talk about this, but AirPods do attract and trap ear wax. The headphones are disposable enough, so we try to see if we can figure out a way to clean them out and give them new life.
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Chapters:
0:00 Introduction
0:41 Health Implications?
1:30 Apple's Solution
2:06 Thanks Wondershare!
2:40 PodSwap's Solution
5:03 What's behind the mesh?
6:34 It's a design issue
6:59 Cleaning with the EarBuds Washing Machine
8:03 The manual way
9:00 Sarah tests the results
10:50 Conclusion - Věda a technologie
When you said a earbuds washer, I was expecting more sonic cleaner than overengineard electric toothbrush.
honestly i thought it was gonna be a portable sonicator lol
Yeah that thing was ridiculous
No kidding! I can’t believe 5,000 people looked at that and couldn’t see the difference between it and some fine brushes. I wonder what the tumbling even does
Also the brush was rotating much too slowly.
Wait. Electric toothbrush?! I guess you MIGHT be onto something!
@@lapin-rouge the fine brushes are probably pushing wax inside the pods.
PodSwap must be insanely happy with this result lol
I mean.. he could’ve tried using a thin nozzle on a vacuum cleaner. I cleaned out my old AirPods and they worked like brand new. Luckily I have the Pros now so I don’t need to worry about this anymore lol
@@MrDSimba is it really better with the pros? Thinking of getting them.
I spray the airpods with break cleaner. It works very well
@@ExperienceCN Break clean? Do you use them on the silicone only? I would imagine using it on any regular airpods would completely distroy them.
I'm sorry but if you see a video about how disgusting these things are and then decide to buy a "refurbished" pair you're just vile.
One thing that helps a lot with headphones cleaning is to have music playing at max volume while you wipe them down with rubbing alcohol. The music will vibrate the wax making it break up easier, and help push it out of the mesh.
I just clean them regularly. Every other week i use some nail polish remover on a Q-tip. I try to hold them with the mesh pointing down, that nothing drips into the airpods. This works very well and the short intervall prevents the ear wax from penetrating into the pod.
this is probably the nastiest LMG video ever, at least in my memory
the one where they left the pcs running for a year collecting dust was also nasty
@@nathan-qx2ep the pc's weren't filled with earwax though
It's pretty much up there but I'll never be able to forget the "Alphagetti Spelling Bee" on Channel Super Fun, yuck!
@@thibaultmol true true but the sheer amount of dust was also repulsive
@@thibaultmol time for ear wax "water" cooling!
I've been cleaning out my AirPods for years, no need to get expensive tech to clean it. Just get some tooth picks, tissues and moldable glue. Scrape off the earwax with the tooth picks and afterwards press the glue into the grills then pull it back out, brings all the earwax with it, they look and sound like new each time I've done it this way.
Make yt vids or shorts doing it easy money people will watch
Rubbing alcohol works too… and it disinfects. Doesn’t take much either.
@@TonyisToking right and works even better on the pro ones because you can pop the ear piece out. I wonder if an electronic cleaning spray would help
Yeah been rocking Gen 1’s for 3 years now. Just occasionally use a paper clip and scrape the wax out.
Yep the important part is to pull the wax out. By scrubbing and puttung liquid solvent on the device you are huat pushing the wac into tye airpod. Vaacum or moldable glue ia the best option
Jonathan is such a great host, and the shooting/editing for this episode is really top notch. Really all of the Mac Adress videos have been next level. LTT really has a great group of presenters.
The old apple in ears had replaceable grills, and they included a pair or two, so on that aspect they were better designed. Except that in the two pairs that I had I never needed to replace them because the cable died before wax became an issue.
Looks like these airpods trained well on the "Wax on" part, but not the "Wax off" part.
minecraft at it's finest...
Haha so funny, bc he made a Minecraft joke lmao
ah yes funny ha ha minecraft and definetly not a movie thing
Why are people calling this a minecraft joke? Can someone explain?
@@CatsMeow_ the new 1.17 update brings 2 new advancements: wax on (to apply wax to copper) and wax off (to remove wax from copper).
As a life-long hearing aid user, I can tell you that without regular maintenance, the hearing aids can easily become clogged and unusable. Brush those air pods once a week with an old toothbrush and you'll be able to hear out of 'em until the battery dies completely.
this^
thank you for the tip! It works wonderfully!
Yes! So weird to see people coming up with over-engineered solutions to an issue I’ve dealt with for 30 years.
@@Cameront9 this whole video is straight up bizzare.
Fr tho its really not that hard to just routinely clean them
I haven’t had my AirPods long enough for this to be a big issue yet (got them with the 12 Pro last year) but I’ve been cleaning out the exterior with a small soft bristle nail brush whenever I notice any buildup.
Has been working so far at least.
I will note that I never really had this issue with the EarPods before.
I love the touches with the music muffling when Sarah put the Airpods in... it's little things like that which make us film techs smile!
I could have gone the rest of my life without seeing that zoomed in airpod picture.
You still get a like. But you are on notice! *shakes fist*
Try it while eating
I couldn't tbh. Nice experience.
Yep. Gross. But it served a purpose for this video.
Wait, you guys don't clean your earbuds? I've always cleaned them around once a month at least
Same, I do slightly more frequently cause I don’t want to take any chances
I was looking for a comment like this. People tend to think to clean items such as cloths, bedding, items used for eating and food storage, floors, etc. But rarely think to clean computers, phones/tablets/portable media players/etc and their peripherals.
I have been using IEMs for years and it's a necessity to clean them (I clean after each use), as you stick them into your ear canal (good IEMs even come with cleaning tools like little brushes). I never knew that regular earbuds can get this dirty, since they just sit outside the "danger zone"... is what I thought. I don't want to know how dirty your ears have to be for them to look this bad. lol
I clean them everyday
same, is it that hard??
For better results with the hearing aid kit, use it a couple of times a month as soon as you get your airpods. I don't have airpods but I do have hearing aids. The cleaning is way less effective if you let it get really bad before cleaning.
Instead of using a brush to push the debris in, try using something like a solder sucker to pull it out. One with a silicone tip should be able to make enough contact to gently pull from a small area. It might also help clear out some of the fluid that is probably dampening the sound after cleaning.
Maaannnnn they really just outed Sarah like that. Hahaha
Literally just cleaned my airpods, opened CZcams, and this popped up. Thanks. I get the hint.
CZcams was listening to you clean the airpods through the airpods
@@noobmaster-dm7tu the algorithm is on point.
Same
I’ve had this issue a few times, and I’ve found I have to be tenacious with the cleaning, not only scraping the wax and brushing with alcohol, but then (the critical step) suctioning to pull wax from behind the mesh, sometimes with a repeat if unsuccessful. I also often need to clean the ports on the side too (full regimen).
Sticky Tack (mounting putty) works wonders. Been using it for years to clean mine out. Just be careful and don’t press too hard or you’ll get sticky tack stuck in the speaker grill. Press gently and you’ll be amazed at how clean it gets.
Jonathan: I've failed, haven't I?
Sarah: Yeeeah!
I really can't express how well thought out each video is. Deciding how to perform certain cuts goes beyond the standard thought process for creating videos on CZcams
Do every dissolving process upside down, let that wax drip out the mesh instead from mesh to the inside. Includes heating and wax solvent, probably even prying. I usually pick the wax with a needle, heat with hairdryer and would likely buy, just as you did, hearing aid cleaner.
Honestly one of the best reasons to get the pros. I haven't had any earwax issues in the 2 years ive had them
This explains so much! I always got comments from my family on how often I broke in ear headphones, suposedly not being careful enough... My suspition was already on erawax, as I purpousfully used one pair of headphones with EXTREME care and they still started having audio issues
Im amazed at how much effort goes into these videos. keep it up!
I got my Podswap order in. Had no idea they were a thing! Thanks!!
i used sticky gum thats normally used for hanging up posters. it worked perfectly
Thanks for giving me another reason, why I prefer my on- and over-ear-headphones instead of in-ears! ^^
It's not as bad as seen if you take preventative care.
Over ears are the penultimate listening medium tbh
@@Amplifimusic I know they are, but *good* ones are generally priced pretty highly, and aren't as portable.
@@computernerdinside I mean, yeah the good ones are priced quite high, but this applies to headphones of all form factors including inears?
@@staubig Which brings me to the decision, if I'm shelling out big money for sound, I'll probably go for the convenient and portable method. In this case, I got Amazon refurb AirPods Pro, and they do pretty good enough at staying clean and sounding good.
The geniuses at the Apple store just recommended to use blue tack - it works not bad
Genius.
screenshotting this
Omg , this just worked so well on mine
Blue Tack?
@@computernerdinside think it's like a putty substance, you just stick it on the airpods off and on and it sticks to the dirt, earwax, grease etc.
I love Sarah on LMG's videos, but this was tough to watch
I clean my buds pro eartips every two days to avoid this, but sometimes I forget and I have to clean the case itself with some cotton swab.
Anyway, I guess regular maintenance is the key.
I think this may have been the cause of the death of my first pair of AirPods, the left ear started getting a lot quieter than the right. Luckily I was under warranty and Apple replaced them for me in store. I really liked the grill that were added to the rubber tips on the AirPods Pro, it helps keep wax out more than nothing.
One cleaning option I would be interested in seeing as a part 2 to this video - using an ultrasonic cleaning machine to break down and clear out the wax both inside and out.
Obviously you'd need to spend a while waiting for the pods to dry out from the cleaning solution, but it might be a worthwhile investment for cleaning other things too.
Qtip and clothespin combo works like a charm. Also remember to clean the other end where the microphone holes are
I love watching these vids bc it’s soo satisfying. And my air pods get soooooo messy and dirty.
This was a really intersting vid.
Working as a customer service rep for another company with wireless earbuds, we had this same issue. The only issue is that it manifest in a worse manner; Because we had active noise cancellation, the earwax would clog a microphone in the tip of the buds, and cause them to squeal.
We've actually been telling our customers to wash the tip with hydrogen peroxide for the past 2 years (dab the tips, let them sit nozzle-facing-down for a few minutes, then brush them with a toothbrush soaked in hydrogen peroxide), to recover sound quality and stop the squealing.
AirPods suffer from sound volume degradation which in some cases can be fixed by sucking on the ear tips (after cleaning hopefully). No idea why but it does help in many cases
Earwax building through the mesh can warp or collapse the speaker diaphragm is why. Clean real good, then sucking reforms the diaphragm sometimes.
What a great video, constantly impressed by the channel. Great writing, the directing, storytelling and visuals are incredible. I am a huge fan already. Way to go Jonathan and LTT team.
Got to love this video's production quality.
Never used airpods, but used to use the earpods for quite a few years when they first came out. I always just cleaned them out with a toothpick when any wax build up was visible and they all lasted till wire failures.
Am I missing the part where you clean your airpods as you go, giving them a quick rub everytime you take 'em off ?
Turning on “Headphone Accommodations” in the audio/visual setting of the accessibility menu, after calibrating with an audiogram, helped me to be able to hear my earpods better
Thanks for the suggestion.
Just went over my pros with several q-tips. Thanks for the maintenance reminder.
sound quality is amazing
This video was just the inspiration I needed! I ended up heating up my AirPods enough to release the glue seal and then I just removed the mesh pieces. Now I’ll have to be extra careful to clean regularly, but these AirPods have been dead for 3 or 4 years now because of earwax issues and now they are finally fixed!
I'm regretting myself clicking on this video while I'm eating.
I rip that filter out on my apple earbuds and AirPods and just clean regularly, doing it since middle school and I highly recommend
I use a thumbtack the scrape out the surface earwax but for the wax that was pushed through the mesh, I made an attachment to my vacuum that attaches around the front and it works pretty well
I actually found a insanely stupid solution online that actually works. After you cleaned your AirPods with a pick and brush you kinda have to „suck“ on them. I know it sounds ridiculous but it actually works! It might have to do with a collapsed diaphragm behind the mesh but it increased my AirPods volume back to the level to when they were knew! 😅😅
This. I sanitize them first, then do this, gently, so as not to trash the diaphragm.
It does!
Edit: It does work, I tend to use something like a Q-tip afterwards!
Bless your soul, I’ve been having to use the volume balance accessibility setting to get them to equal volume, and the bass would be wack. I genuinely can’t thank you enough.
This works with toes as well.
@@raracool6531 Try some rubbing alcohol after, that just light clean them better too. Qtip and alcohol/electronics cleaner spray. Then suck.
This channel is still going up in production quality… well done people, very well done.
i found that blutack really helps getting earwax out of airpods and earpods. you just push it up against the mesh and it clings on to the earwax and pulls it out. works really well if a bit disgusting
the only channel that giving really detailed information that is useful
The referb ones might sound louder because of a battery limit (same way apple nerfs iphone soc frequency when battery ages) and then it has nothing to do with the wash itself.
So the takeaway should be clean frequently~ish and when they don't sound so good get referb/battery swaps
Air Pods pro dont suffer from this cz they have the "mesh" on the removable tip. But thanks for the video, i was waiting for some good channel to talk about the topic. I actually had to replace my aipods for a new pair of airpods pro just beacusa of this problem.
I'm using a little cleaning tool I got with my Shure IEMs which works fine and I do clear them regularly to avoid buildups.
The silicone earpieces on the AirPods Pro helps with this problem a lot. Because they have their own mesh separate from the ones on the actual headphones themselves, all it takes is some rubbing alcohol to get them clean as new. Probably won't work after years of use though.
I’m still surprised that this is an ltt channel 😂😂 but loving the videos and don’t change 🥰🥰
It's kind of weird that it pretends only apple products exist. Like maybe compare the design to other brands? Help inform about alternatives rather than just how to cope with flaws? I don't know just an idea.
I like Pro’s removable ear tips, you can easily clean them and replace them when they get too loose and they cost like $7 for 3 pairs of tips or something like that? I’ve had mines for almost two years now and I’ve replaced tips once and still have a couple of extra tips lying around.
Ohhh this explains so much why the "tips" have this fine mesh! I have never thought about this! Any other standard in ear headphone doesn't have this kind of mesh and it really sucks if earwax gets in there!
Jonathan - great writing and presentation. I have never owned any apple products and I probably never will; however, I will continue to watch your stellar videos that enjoyable to get the non-PC perspective.
I genuinely have not almost threw up watching a yt vid in a while.
This is the main reason I love the airpods pro so much. Having replaceable mesh ear tips is should be standard. If apple switches the iphone and airpods pro to usb-c I'd buy them in an instant. Until then I'll be stick to my galaxy buds+.
I also actually use a vacuum, when at work. It actually works really well on most in ear headphones
I know nobody will probably see this but what i personally like to use for cleaning my airpods are que-tips cut in half diagonally, the sharper end is good for scooping out earwax and such and then you can use the cotton to clean up any residue and the airpod itself as well as the case (tho I normally use a separate normal one for that)
🙏
Earwax: the mortal enemy of a hearing aid engineer.
The mesh is right where it's supposed to be - there to protect the driver against the earwax and as you can see from the disassembled earpod, quite effective
It's just a cheap mesh, other brands and 3rd generations improved it a lot.
For anyone experiencing one (or two) AirPods sometimes NOT CHARGING:
I gently cleaned the inside of the case with a q-tip, right around the bottom where the metal charging bits are.
Apparently it gets dirty down there. At least now both my AirPods Pro charge!
Had this problem with my airpods pro just yesterday, this method helped. I also used medical-grade rubbing alcohol to moisten the q-tip
I just ripped the mesh out and they worked perfectly
im getting Connan vibes from this guy! LOVE IT!!! keep it up bro!!
That’s why I love my AirPods Pro… you can just take off the tip, put it under hot water and your good to go
This is actually why I switched to bone conduction headphones, and they have the added bonus of being waterproof and not falling out of my ears and getting lost. And I don't lose spatial awareness, and can just toss in a pair of disposable earplugs when I WANT to isolate myself. Way cleaner solution imo.
Bone conduction headphones are terrible
@@sam_9228 Some are, but the latest generation of the tech has improved a lot. Still missing out on bass some, but that's true with earbuds too.
Thanks for the good commercial for podswap. Btw, using vacum or other means for sucking out has helped me.
I genuinely adore this channel. I was sad that the video didn't get a tad longer free you said that you wanted to try until you get it. But oh well, that's still a superb video.
When cleaning particularly blocked up ears as a kid, my mom would always have me use Hydrogen Peroxide.
I've never tried it on a set of earbuds, but I wonder if submerging them in Hydrogen Peroxide solution could dissolve the earwax enough that you could vacuum it out and achieve a decent result.
I’m not sure. I know that isopropyl alcohol is good for cleaning electronics (because it’s relatively non conductive). I’m not sure about peroxide though. Even if it is though, you shouldn’t use *any* liquid on a device that’s receiving power, even 0% still has a bit. And non conductive liquids can collect conductive materials like metals or sodium and turn them into a conductive liquid. But I’ve dumped many broken electronics in bowls of isopropyl including iPod nanos (which you can’t remove the battery from easily). And they worked fine afterwards. So proceed with caution?
TL;DR probably not a great idea, but if they’re old and not worth much to you anymore, then I guess it should work?
@@jornthree8881 I agree with being concerned about about hydrogen peroxide would do to electronics. But electronics cleaner would probably do a pretty good job
When I see wax start to build up on my AirPods, I just give my ears a quick cleaning and I don’t have any issues for weeks. Just take care of your ears and you won’t have this issue.
PSA: don’t use q-tips to clean you ears!!! Q-tips can compact earwax deep into your ear and leave fibers in your ear from the q-tip, causing ear infections. There are many tools out there meant for ear cleaning, I personally use a metal ear cleaning kit.
Very nice video, just want to point one thing out. There's a possible issue with the testing right VS left AirPod like that. Some people might perceive sounds more clearly with one of their ears. Not only because of earwax build-up, but also because of hearing loss, or just genetically.
Wooden toothpick for build up earwax and Blu Tack for everything else. Works like a charm and is cheap AF. You can also use Blu Tack for the case itself and the speaker grills on your phone. Do it once a month.
so does the genius bar clean them??
I'd assume they just replace it
Sarah should make ear candles in her spare time
dammmmmmn Ms. Butt
Brrrrrrruh
I clean mine once a week with Sanitized wipes and cotton buds. Got the Pro though, so the tips do prevent it from getting to the mesh a bit.. as long the tips themselves are cleaned regularly, the mesh doesn't seem to be that effected (I check the mesh once a month)
you could also remove the ear meshes if with a sharp tweezer. they wont go back on but they will sound brand new
4:35 That scene looks a bit rude. I don't know why, that goodbye scene feels so rushed 😂😅
Dont worry "its fake" meanung they probably talked outside of the camera and then recorded that transition for the video to change topics quickly
@@rjuez00 I know, I meant it feels rude though I know that this was staged for the video. It doesn't even matter, just noticed it and wanted to share :)
I just hope they release “custom in ear monitor” AirPods one day, as any ear buds speaker just fall out when I use them. Even prepared to pay a premium for them
AirPods Pro?
AirPods Pro, even come with 3 different sizes of tips and a testing feature. Worth it.
This guy is prob saying "custom" meaning earmolded
@@CouZer, correct, costum molded earpiece with the same technoligy as Airpos/Airpods Pro. Don't like the Airpod Max style, just something decent in the ear that won't fall out every time I move my head.
@@tienenaar2295 Have you tried the AirPods Pro? You can get custom fit tips for them.
so cool that you got podswap on here!!
ive lost multiple pairs of ear pods because of sound being completely gone because of a clogged mesh but then i just started popping the mesh out and they worked perfectly
I'm 2 minutes in and I've had so many urges to wretch.
My father is an ENT (otorhinolaryngologist) and watching this reminded me so much of him and the gross things he has pulled out of people’s ears, and why I could’ve never been a doctor myself, lmao.
_fucking gross_
I came across the same issue I cleaned them out perfectly where they looked brand-new out of the store but when I went to put the on to play something they were still very low. So one day I decided just to put my mouth to where the screens are in all three places at separate times and blew in them and sucked at the same time. After I did this a couple of times to each area of the screen the volume was extremely loud back to its original sound level. I hope this helps.
Changing the battery sounds like a requirements
this screams to me apple reducing volume output to maintain quoted battery life
It doesn’t help if you already have a pair of the original type but I have ones that are ear buds and since the wax has to travel all the way down the silicone nibs its allows you to clean the nibs before it gets on the mesh.
As a waxy individual I have used blue-tack to ‘extract’ the wax from the mesh. Just lay it on there, press it in and pull away. Seems to do the job but YMMV.
SOLUTION. STOP YOUR FACTORY LEVEL AIRPODS KR PROS FROM UPDATING. Low volume level is an issue due to Apple.
I got my AirPods Pro in March of 2020 with the initial factory loaded firmware. (I forget the version code but I have nicknamed it the “reviewer firmware” ). Like everyone says to weeks later it updated beyond my control. Months passed and the right earbuds noise cancelation and transparency mode stopped working. At this point it had been updated a few times and the volume and sound quality had sucked since when I first got them. But one was broken. Took it into the Apple store for a Apple genius to take a look at. She couldn’t diagnose it due to the pandemic she barely touched the earbuds only did a battery test with them in the case but she offered to switch the broken one both but not also the case. I said sure let’s do that. While she was processing the individual swap for both earbuds and swapping serial numbers to the case I was not switching she told me to “Not use them first take them home put them in the charger and plug it in next to the phone to make sure they initialized correctly”. TO HELL EITH THAT I had an hour bus ride home and they charged to 100% before I even got on a bus. They SOUNDED GREAT as good as day one. Better than most wired headphone I have had that cost almost as much.
I checked the firmware code and noticed it was at the “reviewer firmware”. I tried for days to keep them from updating but sadly they did while charging on my wireless pad while my phone was 20 meters away. They now suck again and I use them less. Basically there should be a lawsuit with Apple releasing this product with great sounding firmware then later nerfing the sound quality. Sound level have even gone down in the last update and no my AirPods Pro are well cleaned after and before every use without the use of wet whips for those who want to accuse me of damaging them while cleaning.
Whoops. Spelling error. Forgot to check the first line. Factory level AirPods OR pros from updating.
It’s not just Apple. Bose does the same thing w/ their QC line of headphones. It’s why I’m still on the firmware from 2016. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.
Does Sarah have volume limit on or something? That pod Jonathan cleaned looks pretty mint
After comparing with the pod swapped AirPods, it seems pretty definitive that the wax inside is just messing it up
Wax could still be inside the pods itself and block speakers from the inside.
7:50 I found the airpod spinning to be a little funny 😂
Wonder if the improvements from pod swap have more to do with the battery replacement than the cleaning they do?
It´s sad that this podswap company exists. A) Apple should design it better B) People should just maintain their stuff.
A) earwax is pretty unavoidable for something going in your ear, B) that’s unrealistic, especially for something like this.
And this is from someone who’s never really had issues with earwax in my earbuds
A) they have changed the design in the new version
B) they should but many dont care
Wow, those were some disgusting close ups.
If you really want to clean those, maybe try a ultrasonic cleaner and some isopropyl. Could still be cheaper than the service options, especially outside of the US.
plus the iso will dissolve the earwax. just submerge the tip far enough to be past the mesh, but not the whole thing, and let it work. look up what debrox is.
What liquid did you use in the manual solution?
i produce a lot of earwax and went through several (i lost count) pairs of earpods. my ears also arent shaped appropriately for earpods so i'm always pushing them back in. in december i finally got fed up with it and got a pair of actual in ear monitors and a set of comply eartips and i'm much happier. still sound just as good
A bit disgusting of a thumbnail
Ew