So why not just remove an earbud? That's certainly an option, but often isn't necessary. The AirPods Max (left) next to the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4. noise-isolating headphones: What's the difference? It uses the same microphones to monitor the sound, but that sound is then just passed through the headphone, just like any other audio. Noise-canceling headphones work by using microphones on the outside of the headphone to listen to the noise around you, then creating an inverse wave to reduce the volume of the incoming sound. This is great for concentrating on your music or phone call, but there are countless situations where some ambient awareness is important. At the other end of the range are most noise-canceling earbuds, which are designed to have a secure fit to block out as much ambient noise as possible. At one end of the range is the standard AirPods design, which hangs off your ear but doesn't go into your ear canal. Most earbuds are designed to have a certain amount of passive noise isolation. There's more to this mode than meets the, uh, ear. And how does it work and how should you use it? Glad you asked. How it's implemented varies a bit depending on the headphone, but how it works is basically the same regardless of brand. Read more: Best Black Friday deals on headphones and wireless earbuds
It lets you hear as if you don't have earbuds in or headphones on, without actually taking them off. Transparency mode might be useful for letting you hear the traffic around you, ordering a coffee from a barista, or just wanting to check if you really did hear someone knocking on your door (how dare they!). It's designed for the moments when being fully absorbed in music, podcasts or a phone call isn't ideal. Each manufacturer might call it something slightly different, but at its core transparency mode is a clever way to help keep you aware of the surroundings. Transparency mode is a useful feature found on many new noise-canceling headphones, like the Apple AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds and Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, the Sony WH-1000XM4 and Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2.