Although they didn’t invent noise-canceling headphone technology, Apple was the first to create noise-canceling wireless earbuds. The AirPods Pro is a dramatic upgrade from the earlier versions of the AirPod, and that’s largely due to the noise-canceling tech.
There are three noise-canceling modes on your pair of AirPods Pros. You can choose from:
- ActiveNoise cancellation (the most noticeable and effective version of noise-canceling)
- Transparency Mode (for when you need to hear the world around you, such as people talking)
- Off (when you don’t want noise canceling at all)
It’s no surprise that Apple has gone all-out with the development of its noise-canceling technology. One of the biggest complaints about the older generation AirPods is that they simply let in too much ambient noise. The only way to drown out the world around you was to crank up the volume.
Now, with AirPods Pros, you have more control than ever over what you can hear and what you can’t.
Reinventing noise
AirPods Pros use the Apple-designed custom active noise canceling technology. It’s a simple concept, despite being as bleeding-edge as noise technology can get. As well as the AirPods Pro case and accessories that you get when you buy your first set, your AirPods Pros each come with a set of two microphones. One faces inward and the other face outward into the world.
It’s the outward-facing microphone that’s doing a lot of the work. It listens to any external sounds, analyses those sounds, and then creates a sound that will cancel out those ambient noises. It’s all very technical and is based on something called anti-noise waveform.
That waveform effectively cancels out the ambient sound before you hear it. It’s a technology that has seen a lot of applications. Perhaps one of the most ambitious was the noise-canceling windows intended for workplaces!
It’s not just the waveform technology that helps to cut down on external sounds either. The software used for the AirPods Pro can adjust noise reception at around 200 times per second. That’s thanks to the Ambient EQ feature, which uses the internal-facing mic and optimizes the sound it emits according to the shape of the user’s ear.
It’s all very clever, even if there’s no real way of knowing that Ambient EQ really does make that many adjustments per second. The fact is that if you turn off the noise-canceling mode on your AirPods Pro the difference is immediately noticeable.
Older AirPods, most obviously the Powerbeats Pro set, were early attempts at noise management. These used noise isolation, as opposed to noise cancellation, and the difference is incredible if you’re considering an upgrade. If you’re still looking at classic Apple AirPods and comparing them to AirPods Pros, then it’s the noise-canceling tech that truly differentiates them.
How effective is noise canceling on AirPods Pros?
The quick answer is, very. Despite being earbuds, they perform magnificently when it comes to getting rid of the sounds of the world around you. They won’t be able to cut out everything, and you’ll still get a low background hum if you’re strolling through a busy city.
An unusual feature of the AirPods Pro noise cancellation tech is that you don’t need both earbuds in for it to be noticeable. Since each earbud works completely independently, you can keep one ear listening to your soundtrack of choice while having one ear open to the environment you’re in.
What is transparency mode?
There are times when you want your noise-canceling AirPods to sound as great as possible while still being able to hear what’s happening in the world around you. Switching the noise-canceling settings to Transparency Mode, you’ll first hear a chiming sound to confirm activation.
Once activated, you’ll still be able to hear your music, but you can also hear what’s going on around you. The addition of a vent system on the AirPods Pro is also very useful, in that it means you can easily talk to people while still having your earbuds in. You won’t sound weird, because you’ll be able to hear your voice.
Transparency Mode exists as a safety feature. It’s ideal for the following scenario examples:
- Runners who want to hear cars and other vehicles.
- Anyone walking alone wants to be able to hear other people.
- Travelers who want to hear their sounds but also want to be able to hear announcements.
Despite not blocking and drowning out all ambient sounds, Transparency Mode is highly valued, and probably gets used as much as ActiveNoiseCancellation for AirPods Pro owners.
Final thoughts
AirPods Pros are as close to bleeding-edge sound technology as exists on the market. The noise-canceling hardware and software in the design are second to none, whichever mode you’re in. They can be pricey, but when it comes to getting the best sound possible from your earbuds, the AirBuds pros are something truly exceptional.
