HOW IT WORKS
Adaptive Audio and ANC
AirPods do a brilliant job of removing unwanted noise. Here’s how they do it
iOS 17’s clever Adaptive Audio feature is only available in the AirPods Pro 2; earlier AirPods don’t have the necessary processor.
YOU WILL LEARN
How ANC and Adaptive Audio can silence the outside world
ANC is a double win: it delivers better audio, and it helps protect your hearing too
Key fact
Anything you put in your ears offers passive noise cancellation by blocking some of the sounds around you – it’s like closing a door or sticking your head under water. But this kind of noise cancellation isn’t very effective and reduces the volume of everything, including sounds you might still want to hear.
Without a doubt, our favourite feature on the AirPods and AirPods Max is the ability to turn down noise coming from the outside world. Whether it’s the chatter of a busy cafe, the thrum of a plane engine or the rumble (and grumble) of a train full of rush-hour commuters, AirPods, AirPods Pro and AirPods Max make it easier for you to listen to what you want by getting rid of what you don’t want.