AirPods Adaptive Audio is Apple’s latest take on active noise cancellation and transparency modes. The idea is that it allows in the external sounds you’re likely to want to hear, like someone speaking to you, while blocking unwanted noise (like vacuum cleaners or Coldplay albums).
But as well as improving your music listening experience when walking down the street, or sitting on a plane, Adaptive Audio could well prove the best solution when listening to live music …
Live concerts can cause permanent hearing loss
Many of us love attending live music gigs. There’s something really special about being surrounded by thousands of others there to enjoy the same music, as well as hearing a performance that is genuinely unique to that night.
But volume levels at big music concerts frequently reach levels that can cause both temporary and permanent hearing damage. Here’s what the CDC has to say:
After leaving a very loud event, such as a concert or football game, you may notice that you don’t hear as well as before. You might not hear whispers, sound might seem muffled, or you may hear ringing in your ears. Normal hearing usually returns within a few hours to a few days. This is because the hair cells, similar to blades of grass, will bend more if the sound is louder. But they will become straight again after a recovery period.
However, if loud noise damaged too many of the hair cells, some of them will die. Repeated exposures to loud noises will over time destroy many hair cells. This can gradually reduce your ability to understand speech in noisy places. Eventually, if hearing loss continues, it can become hard to understand speech even in quieter places.
In some cases, hearing loss can be temporary. However, it can become permanent when vital parts of the ear have been damaged beyond repair.
Earplugs aren’t a great solution
Some wear earplugs to concerts – especially when seated close to the stage – to reduce sound volume to a safe level. The problem with this, however, is that it muffles the sound, reducing the clarity as well as the volume.
AirPods Adaptive Audio mode could be a better option
Musicians playing on stage tend to wear noise-isolating in-ear monitors, usually ones that are custom-molded to their ears. These block most of the direct sound, while allowing them to hear the music at a comfortable level.
Using AirPods in Adaptive Audio mode could offer similar benefits.
Kate Kozuch from Tom’s Guide tried the existing Adaptive Transparency mode at a recent concert.
Once the concert started, it took my Apple Watch Ultra less than 5 minutes to buzz my wrist with a “Loud Environment” warning. Exposure to sound levels that hit or surpass 95 decibels for even just 10 minutes can cause temporary hearing loss, so I didn’t hesitate to pop my AirPods Pro 2 in.
The Apple Watch is able to reflect the noise level exposure I’m experiencing instead of the environmental noise level when connected to AirPods. So, I could see that my noise exposure lowered to the 75-to-85 decibel range thanks to Adaptive Transparency, which is safer for long-term listening.
She said there were still some 90dB spikes, but overall it was a success. A concert photographer who spoke to us a couple of months ago said that he too was seeing promising early signs.
You can noticeably tell a difference between your naked ears and wearing your AirPods. It’s quite strange because your brain is telling you it should sound incredibly loud, but you’re hearing sound that is completely bearable.
Adaptive Audio ought to be an improvement, offering the same level of protection, but likely providing greater sound clarity.
The feature is coming to AirPods Pro 2 later this year, as a free firmware update.
Photo: Tijs van Leur/Unsplash
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
Comments