My coworker called the new noise-cancelling earbuds 'too quiet' and it clicked for me

I always thought total silence was the goal for noise cancelling, but he said it made him feel weird and disconnected on his commute. I tried my pair again and realized I actually prefer the 'aware' mode that lets in some background sound. Anyone else find full noise cancellation a bit unsettling?

3 comments

3 Comments

caseywalker21d ago

Wait, isn't total silence kind of dangerous though? I mean, you need to hear some stuff for safety, like a car horn or someone yelling. I think the goal is to block the annoying constant noise, not every single sound. That weird feeling is probably your brain missing the normal cues it uses to know what's around you.

wadejenkins20d ago

You're right about needing to hear safety sounds. I used to chase total quiet too, but then I tried a pair of headphones that let in outside noise when you want. It was a game changer, because I could still hear my coffee machine beep or someone at the door without taking them off.

grant41321d ago

Disagree, I actually love that total quiet feeling. It feels like a reset for my brain after dealing with noise all day. You get used to the lack of sound and start noticing your own thoughts instead.