Apple's popular line of Beats wireless headphones is the subject of a filing for a potential class-action lawsuit alleging that the devices don't work as advertised for voice calls. The suit, filed in August in California, says that headphones under Apple's Beats umbrella, including the Beats Fit Pro, Beats Solo Pro and Beats, suffer from poor-quality audio when used for videoconference apps such as Teams or Zoom.

The plaintiff's team is seeking a class-action certification in the case, which would open up the suit to others who also purchased Beats products.

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A representative for Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The plaintiff in the lawsuit, Kimberly Feeney, purchased a set of Beats headphones in 2024. She said people she communicated with while using the headphones on Teams and Zoom couldn't hear her on calls. Her problems persisted despite numerous visits to the Apple Genius Bar.

If certified, the class-action lawsuit would include customers who purchased Beats Fit Pro, Beats Solo Pro or other Beats headphones after July 9, 2021. 

Do class actions against companies like Apple work?

Whether the suit is granted certification and moves forward to trial or grants anyone in the future restitution for headphones depends on a number of factors, including Apple's resources and ability to fight off litigation like this.

But while Apple may have an advantage over less established companies in fighting class-action suits, it's still possible there could be a resolution on this one, said Jameson Pasek, director of litigation practice at Caldwell Law.

"The class-action mechanism, to a certain extent, levels the field by aggregating consumer claims," Pasek said. While about 60% to 70% of motions for class-action certification are granted, only a fraction go to trial or yield big wins for plaintiffs.

"Most class actions end in settlements, which defendants often view as pragmatic, while plaintiffs may see them as partial victories," Pasek said.

In addition to any money plaintiffs might receive, class actions can influence changes or improvements to products.

"Even without admitting fault, firms like Apple frequently adjust products or disclosures to mitigate future liability," Pasek said. "Class actions often cause companies to re-evaluate product design, quality control and marketing claims because the litigation exposes potential systemic flaws and reputational risks."

Apple Beats quality

CNET's review of the company's Beats Solo Pro headphones cited high-quality calls as one of the selling points for the $350 version of the headphones.

"I was impressed with the voice-calling performance. The headset has six microphones for noise canceling and voice calling, and the noise reduction during calls is very good," wrote David Carnoy.  

However, some owners have complained on Reddit about poor call quality when using Beats.

Apple has a web page offering solutions for fixing poor sound quality or distortion on its headphones.