AirPods Max Condenstation Issue Cause: Is it Normal or Due to Bad Design?

Urian B., Tech Times 07 January 2021, 09:01 pm

(Photo : Screenshot From Apple YouTube) Reason Behind AirPods Max Issue: Owners Complain of Ear Cups Condensation

Ever since the AirPods Max headphones previously launched on December 15, there has been an increasing number of complaints about a condensation issue. A number of AirPods Max owners who have reportedly been wearing their own headphones for a prolonged time have started to notice condensation starting to form from inside the ear cup.

Apple AirPods Max Condensation issue

According to the report from MacRumors, this particular condensation seems to happen no matter the temperature and a lot of people have started to see it after a number of hours of its usage. However, for some, the condensation reportedly starts only after one or two hours.

A certain user has even claimed that the AirPods Max's condensation has even led to certain issues with the Active Noise Cancellation. However, this has been an isolated report and not yet echoed by the other AirPods Max owners. No one else has reportedly had the same problems that caused these condensations. The problem was also noted in an article by iMore.

Apple AirPods Max VS Sony WH1000XM3

For comparison, other AirPods Max owners have started to come out saying that this issue is quite common with headphones even coming from other brands. According to JBGoode from MacRumors forums, this is the same with the user's Sony WH1000XM3. The user reportedly has had it for quite a while and notes it isn't really a big deal as it is also shared with other head cans.

It was stated that due to the ears sweating, there is bound to be condensation that will happen and that it is quite common for this particular type of headphones. It's worth noting that the AirPods Max does not claim to be water resistant and that the users affected by condensation are actually concerned about the longevity of the particular headphones even with the water droplets starting to pool inside.

Could issue be fault of bad design?

The ear cushions are reportedly not affected and still remain dry even with condensation starting inside the ear cups. A number of AirPods Max owners have even returned the headphones while others have tried to pick up AppleCare+ just in case of future problems. Apple has yet to give an official comment with regards to this issue.

According to another user Kyle4 on the MacRumors forum, it can be seen that while reading the problem, this is actually a thing that occurs regardless of what activity or temperature the device is in or doing and could happen even after just a few hours of simply sitting at a desk. The hypothesis made is that the actual design is trapping the heat and causing condensation noting that the ear pads themselves are not actually wet. This means that it has nothing really to do with the sweating but would rather be due to the AirPods Max's faulty design. As of the moment, Apple has yet to clarify what the condensation really is and if it is a design flaw or something that users should experience as normal.