AirPods Pro 3 Sound Imbalance is Driving Me Crazy

I want to share my experience with the AirPods Pro 3 to find possible solutions or let others know they’re not alone.


I used the AirPods Pro 2 for years without any problems. I bought the AirPods Pro 3 on release day. At first, they felt great. But after a while, I noticed the sound was louder in the left ear in certain situations. Sometimes, it would go back to normal depending on where I was (or how active I am). Because of this, I had to keep adjusting the sound balance under Accessibility settings.


I took them to the Apple Store for repair, but they sent them back saying there was no problem. I thought maybe the issue was with my ears. I cleaned them with ear drops. I also thought the eartip size could be the problem. I was using medium tips, then switched to large. The issue stayed the same. I tried small tips too, but nothing changed.


I keep adjusting the sound balance in Accessibility, but even a small change in position brings the imbalance back. If I switch from noise canceling to transparency mode while music is playing, the imbalance happens again. Then I have to go back to Accessibility settings to fix it.


This is driving me crazy, and I don’t understand what’s wrong. I switched back to my AirPods Pro 2 and everything sounds fine. So the issue is with the AirPods Pro 3. I think they don’t fit my ears properly, and the noise canceling system gets confused.


The worst part is, the return period is over, and I’m stuck with them.


Does anyone have any suggestions?

Posted on Nov 5, 2025 9:48 AM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 5, 2025 8:14 PM

Re: "AirPods Pro 3 Sound Imbalance is Driving Me Crazy"

"At first, they felt great. But after a while, I noticed the sound was louder in the left ear in certain situations. Sometimes, it would go back to normal depending on where I was (or how active I am). Because of this, I had to keep adjusting the sound balance under Accessibility settings."


Wondering whether cleaning the meshes on the AirPods may help ?

Eg: a tiny speck of debris (dirt, ear wax etc,) could be blocking the audio on one AirPod at times, or temps.

More info. on what to do: If your left or right AirPod isn't working - Apple Support


Cleaning tips:

(1) Click the link to view Apple Support's video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi694wPx5Rg

or

(2) browse the online article: See: How to clean your AirPods - Apple Support

_________________________________________

Re: "I think they don’t fit my ears properly, and the noise canceling system gets confused".


If you haven't already : Wondering whether using the Acoustic Seal Test for AirPods Pro 3 can help at all

Apple Support's online article (link below) explains:

Choose your AirPods Pro ear tips - Apple Support

Eg: says:

"To ensure you have the best fit, test the seal of your ear tips

You can use the Ear Tip Fit Test for AirPods Pro 1 and AirPods Pro 2,

or the Acoustic Seal Test for AirPods Pro 3

if you’re not sure you’re getting the best possible sound quality and noise cancellation.

Choose a comfortable fit with a good seal.

  1. With your AirPods Pro in your ears and connected to your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
  2. Tap the More Info button next to your AirPods in the list of devices.
  3. If you have AirPods Pro 1 or AirPods Pro 2, tap Ear Tip Fit Test.

If you have AirPods Pro 3 and iOS or iPadOS 26 or later, tap Acoustic Seal Test.

If you can’t see the Ear Tip Fit Test or the Acoustic Seal Test, make sure you are running iOS or iPadOS 13.2 or later.

  1. Tap Continue, then tap the Play button.

If the test suggests adjusting or trying a different ear tip, try adjusting your AirPods Pro and testing again.

Then try a different size. You might need different sizes for your left and right ears."

_______________________________________________

Re: "I keep adjusting the sound balance in Accessibility, but even a small change in position brings the imbalance back".

You might want to check the volume level on the AirPods themselves:

Pause, skip, and adjust volume with your AirPods and AirPods Pro - Apple Support


If needed: You could add controls to Control Centr for quick access:

If you wish: See how ro: Use and customize Control Center on iPhone - Apple Support

______________________________________

An option: You may want to see if you can customize the settings to suit you, and check whether that helps.

See: Set headphone accommodations for AirPods - Apple Support

_________

Resource:

AirPods User Guide - Apple Support

__________________________

More support . info. if needed:

AirPods Support Website:: Find all the topics, resources, and contact options you need for your AirPods....

AirPods Support - Official Apple Support

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 5, 2025 8:14 PM in response to utku1337

Re: "AirPods Pro 3 Sound Imbalance is Driving Me Crazy"

"At first, they felt great. But after a while, I noticed the sound was louder in the left ear in certain situations. Sometimes, it would go back to normal depending on where I was (or how active I am). Because of this, I had to keep adjusting the sound balance under Accessibility settings."


Wondering whether cleaning the meshes on the AirPods may help ?

Eg: a tiny speck of debris (dirt, ear wax etc,) could be blocking the audio on one AirPod at times, or temps.

More info. on what to do: If your left or right AirPod isn't working - Apple Support


Cleaning tips:

(1) Click the link to view Apple Support's video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xi694wPx5Rg

or

(2) browse the online article: See: How to clean your AirPods - Apple Support

_________________________________________

Re: "I think they don’t fit my ears properly, and the noise canceling system gets confused".


If you haven't already : Wondering whether using the Acoustic Seal Test for AirPods Pro 3 can help at all

Apple Support's online article (link below) explains:

Choose your AirPods Pro ear tips - Apple Support

Eg: says:

"To ensure you have the best fit, test the seal of your ear tips

You can use the Ear Tip Fit Test for AirPods Pro 1 and AirPods Pro 2,

or the Acoustic Seal Test for AirPods Pro 3

if you’re not sure you’re getting the best possible sound quality and noise cancellation.

Choose a comfortable fit with a good seal.

  1. With your AirPods Pro in your ears and connected to your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > Bluetooth.
  2. Tap the More Info button next to your AirPods in the list of devices.
  3. If you have AirPods Pro 1 or AirPods Pro 2, tap Ear Tip Fit Test.

If you have AirPods Pro 3 and iOS or iPadOS 26 or later, tap Acoustic Seal Test.

If you can’t see the Ear Tip Fit Test or the Acoustic Seal Test, make sure you are running iOS or iPadOS 13.2 or later.

  1. Tap Continue, then tap the Play button.

If the test suggests adjusting or trying a different ear tip, try adjusting your AirPods Pro and testing again.

Then try a different size. You might need different sizes for your left and right ears."

_______________________________________________

Re: "I keep adjusting the sound balance in Accessibility, but even a small change in position brings the imbalance back".

You might want to check the volume level on the AirPods themselves:

Pause, skip, and adjust volume with your AirPods and AirPods Pro - Apple Support


If needed: You could add controls to Control Centr for quick access:

If you wish: See how ro: Use and customize Control Center on iPhone - Apple Support

______________________________________

An option: You may want to see if you can customize the settings to suit you, and check whether that helps.

See: Set headphone accommodations for AirPods - Apple Support

_________

Resource:

AirPods User Guide - Apple Support

__________________________

More support . info. if needed:

AirPods Support Website:: Find all the topics, resources, and contact options you need for your AirPods....

AirPods Support - Official Apple Support

Nov 6, 2025 12:49 PM in response to utku1337

Bought my pair a couple of days ago. When I use the touch control on one of the earpiece (raising or lowering the volume, play, pause etc.) the sound gets imbalanced with higher volume in the opposite earpiece. If I then use the touch control on the opposite earpiece, the balance are pushed back almost to the middle, but not quite.


If I pause the audio that is playing and then resume (using my phone), the imbalance is corrected.


After a factory reset of the Airpods the issue disappeared…for a while. The next day it was back.


Maybe not the exact same issue if your Airpods are changing the balance also without any input?

AirPods Pro 3 Sound Imbalance is Driving Me Crazy

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