AirPods Pro 3 stereo image shifts left

Hi. I’m experiencing a persistent issue with my AirPods Pro 3 where the stereo image shifts to the left. When I take the AirPods out of the case and put them in, the sound is consistently off-center, as if the left channel is slightly louder than the right.

Occasionally, the sound corrects itself after a few seconds and the stereo image becomes centered, but the issue returns as soon as I take them out and put them back in. This doesn’t seem like a fit issue, but rather something happening during the initialization when they connect.

I’ve already tried the following without any improvement: resetting, re-pairing, updating the firmware, cleaning them, and checking the audio balance and accessibility settings. The nature of the problem makes me suspect either a firmware bug or a defective unit.

I’d like to hear what options I have for further troubleshooting or a possible repair/replacement.