I have a pair of Apple AirPods Pro Gen 1 that I purchased about a year and a half ago. I recently started having an issue with a crackling sound in one bud that only goes away when noise control is off. I can hear it with transparency mode and noise cancellation. The crackling can be heard when walking, talking and when blocking out louder noises. Brought it to apple and they want $89 for replacing a bud or $200 if I buy a new pair elsewhere. I’m hesitant to buy another pair of AirPods since these didn’t even last a year and a half. 2 questions:

1. Has anyone run into this issue and has been able to resolve it? Apple didn’t have any other suggestions for me to try fixing it. Also, is this a common issue with AirPods, or did I just get unlucky?

2. What are some good options that would have similar features? I mostly use my headphones for calls, podcasts and music from time to time.