Why Do My Powerbeats Pro Sound Bad?
You pop your beloved Powerbeats Pro into your ears and turn on your favorite tune. But – oh dear me – the sound quality is all muffled.
Speaking from experience here, I know that this could quite literally ruin your entire day.
Why is your earbuds’ sound quality suddenly so bad?
You’re probably wondering to yourself, “How do I fix my Powerbeats Pro sound without going to Apple for help?” As it happens, you are far from being the only Powerbeats Pro user who has experienced poor sound quality.
Just check out what other users are reporting in Apple’s discussion forums and on Reddit.
And, let me tell you, these are far from being the only complaints I’ve heard about Powerbeats Pro having randomly sub par sound or voice quality.
Do Powerbeats Pro have good sound? Well, usually, yes.
But there are instances of users either getting defective products with poor sound quality from the get-go or issues that occur over time that cause the Powerbeats Pro to lose their normally superb sound quality.
While the former issue will require you to get a replacement from Apple, the latter can potentially be fixed.
Never fear, dear reader – I’ve got you covered.
Having experienced some of these issues myself, I’ve learned a few troubleshooting techniques that can help improve the sound quality of your Powerbeats Pro.
Let’s take a closer look at why your Powerbeats Pro might sound muffled, tinny, or staticky and what you can do about it before you contact Apple Support for help.
Why Do My Powerbeats Pro Sound Bad?
When Powerbeats Pro have too much debris in the speakers, sustain liquid damage, are connected to a lackluster audio source, or have weak Bluetooth connections, they can sound distant and muffled. In rare cases, a hardware defect is the culprit from the get-go. In most cases, you can remedy this situation from home using a simple troubleshooting method.
How can you fix the sound on your Powerbeats Pro?
Is your iPhone or Android device the source of this issue?
What can you do if there is debris cluttering the earbuds or accidental water damage?
Read on to learn how you can deal with poor sound quality on your Powerbeats Pro earbuds.
Why do my Powerbeats sound muffled?
There are quite a few possible reasons for your Powerbeats Pro earbuds sounding muffled.
Any type of debris that makes its way in through the teeny, tiny earbud holes can obstruct sound.
Whether it is a few flecks of sand or some earwax transfer, this type of gunk can really muffle your sound.
What I recommend doing is cleaning your earbuds out using a small needle or safety pin.
Gently go into each hole and remove any debris that might be clogging it up.
Then, wipe the surfaces of the earbuds off with a lint-free microfiber cloth.
If you suspect water damage, grab some 91% isopropyl alcohol, a clean and lint-free cloth, and a bowl of unused rice.
Dab some alcohol onto the cloth, then wipe it around the areas where you have moisture.
After that, submerge your Powerbeats Pro in the bowl of rice and let it sit there for 48 hours.
(Trust me, 24 hours isn’t going to cut it, as the rice needs time to draw out excess moisture.) Once they are dry, try using them again.
Why do my Beats Pro sound static?
Static can result from solid or moisture damage or might be the product of faulty wiring.
You will want to clean your earbuds out first to see if they were simply dirty or had some moisture seep in.
You might also want to check over the wiring, looking for any disruptions in the protective external material that encases the wires.
How to Troubleshoot
Perhaps your earbuds are already clean and free from water damage.
So, how else can you troubleshoot bad sound from your Powerbeats Pro? Let’s go over a few different methods.
Check Your Audio Source
First things first – check your audio source.
There will be instances in which audio files simply do not survive compression and file transfer protocol, so they end up sounding kind of crummy.
Try playing another song.
If that doesn’t work, try switching to a different listening device and see if the sound quality improves.
A Faulty Bluetooth Connection
A weak Bluetooth connection could cause the sound on your Powerbeats Pro to sound muffled or too low.
Start by checking for driver updates.
There are some Bluetooth headphones that offer software updates via an application or directly from their website, so be sure to check both.
You might also need to reset your Bluetooth connection by forcing your device to forget the Powerbeats Pro and re-pairing them.
Here is how you can do that:
Forget and Re-pair With Your Device
Start by un-pairing (or “forgetting”) your earbuds from your device.
If you’re on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you will need to:
- Launch your Settings app from your device.
- Tap on Bluetooth.
- Go into the Devices list. Tap on the “i” icon next to your Powerbeats Pro.
- Tap on Forget This Device.
- Tap on Forget Device in the pop-up message to confirm that you want to un-pair.
Now, you can re-pair your devices. You can do this by following these steps:
- Ensure that your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch has Bluetooth enabled. If it doesn’t, toggle it to ‘ON’.
- Place your Powerbeats Pro earbuds inside of the case, keeping the lid open.
- Hold your Powerbeats Pro within 2 inches of the unlocked iOS device.
- When prompts show up on your iOS device, follow those instructions to finish the pairing process.
Check For Firmware Updates
When your Powerbeats Pro need a firmware update, they could experience different types of problems, including poor sound quality.
You will need to have the Beats Updater app installed to check and install any firmware for your earbuds.
It is free to download and easy to use.
Once you have the app installed, open it up and look for any updates that need to be installed for your Powerbeats Pro.
Go ahead and install them.
With any amount of luck, this will clear up the problem.
Closing Thoughts
Your Powerbeats Pro should exhibit quality sound – that is what they are built to do.
But, as we all know, there can be issues that arise, causing your sound to seem muffled or filled with static.
If the above troubleshooting methods do not help you, contact Apple Support to speak with a technician.
You can use the online chat, make a phone call to Apple Support, or see a tech in-person at your closest Apple Store.