The sound quality of Airpods is undeniable. However, they can cause distress if you discover that others can hear what you’re listening to and find it annoying.
The fact is that all models of Airpods leak some music due to many reasons. Apple Airpods and other similarly wireless earphones do not provide complete noise isolation. They will allow some sounds to “leak” outside into the atmosphere.
To keep you aware of your surroundings, Airpods have a built-in design to let in a minimal amount of ambient noise to keep you aware of your surroundings. Depending on your needs, you can toggle “transparency mode” on or off in your iPhone’s preferences.
If the Airpods don’t sit securely in your ear, the sound will leak even if transparency mode is disabled. It’s essential to ensure that your earbuds fit snugly in your ear canal; otherwise, music will leak out and be audible to those around you.
Newer models of Airpods reduce the likelihood that your listening will be overheard. They have begun implementing cutting-edge technological solutions to this issue.
The noise-canceling technology of the Airpods Pro minimizes the possibility that other people around you can hear your music. The regular Apple Airpods will leak more sound, but the actual audibility of your music to others will depend on the overall volume and the ambient noise levels.
Why Can People Hear Airpods From outside?
There are several scenarios and reasons why the people around you can hear from your Airpods. Those around you can listen to your Airpods if the volume is too high or if Airpods don’t fit your ears properly. Not only that, it depends on the environment and how well the Airpods fit in the ear canal.
Besides that, the following are a few of the other compelling explanations for this phenomenon.
- Built-in Design
Apple intentionally made the Airpods’ design slightly porous so that some ambient sounds could still filter in. This layout is also backward-functional. The exact path that allows the sound to enter also will enable it to exit. When worn, Airpods don’t seal off the ear canal entirely so that outside noise can seep in and people can hear what you are listening to.
- Clogged Airpods
A buildup of dust and earwax in the Airpods will silence the main (front) speakers. In contrast, the side and back speakers remain unaffected, leading to higher volume on the outside speakers. It can also happen if dirt prevents air from passing through the vents above the main speakers.
- Lack Of Proper Fitting in Ears
Problems with a snug fit can arise if you buy a pair of Airpods without first trying them out. When you buy a new one, it will come with earpieces in various sizes to ensure a comfortable fit. Few people try it.
- Excessive Loud Volume
You may like to have the volume high whenever you become aware of ambient noise. But people in their vicinity can pick up your audio. Possible side effects may result, including tinnitus and even total deafness.
- Space issues in crowded areas
You may not be able to choose how close the person sitting next to you is on a bus or airplane, but you can be sure they will be. Even if you think the volume is down, they can still hear the sound from your ears.
- Incompatible or Old Device Software
When your Airpods stop working or leaks excessive sound, it may be because your software has become outdated. The latest iOS version is essential for your iPhone or iPad.
- Discordant Volume Adjustment
If you move the slider away from its center, your airpods will be louder outside. The sound may be leaking from your Airpods because of this.
Tips To Avoid The Airpods Audio Leakage
If your Airpods are leaking audio, you can attempt the following solutions;
Clean The Airpods
You may experience a leaky audio experience if you last cleaned your Airpods a while ago. Cleaning the Airpods can resolve a significant amount of sound leakage issues. However, extreme caution is required when cleaning Airpods due to their fragility. Before doing, anything else, remove the silicon ear tips and inspect them for debris.
For gently cleaning the silicon ends, try using a damp microfiber cloth. Now wipe the Airpods down with a dry cloth. To remove stubborn bits of dust, you can use a toothpick.
After cleaning, remove any remaining moisture from your Airpods using a dry, lint-free cloth and keep the Airpods’ internals dry at all times.
Lower the Volume
To compensate for background noise, increasing the Airpod volume can make your listening more noticeable to the outside.
Turning the volume down to less than 75% is the only way to eliminate the issue. The sweet spot of loudness at which others won’t be able to hear your Airpods will vary from song to song and device to device.
Experiment with the loudness by playing a few songs through your Airpods in different settings. Now, see if your pals can pick up any sounds. So, you can discover the optimal listening position, where you can hear clearly, but those around you can’t.
Improve Fit By Replacing Silicon Ear Tip
Please make sure the Airpods are a comfortable fit for your ears by trying them in there first to avoid sound leakage. To begin, try a size smaller than what you’re currently using. Let’s say you’re experiencing hearing leakage when using the Medium ear tips; switching to the S (Small) ear tip may help.
You can get replacement ear tips for your Apple Airpods, and ear hooks are also available for use with your headphones. Because of the innovative ear hooks, your Airpods will always stay securely in your ears.
Each pair of Apple Airpods comes with various ear tips and silicon ear hooks so you can choose the perfect fit for your ears.
Substitute Foam Earbuds For Your Airpods
Foam earbuds are comparable to silicon ear tips, except they fit more comfortably and prevent outsiders from hearing your music.
Foambuds is compatible with many different types of TWS, including Apple Airpods. Airpods models vary in whether or not they come with custom-fit foam earbuds.
Typically, three sizes of foam buds are for sale: small, medium, and large. Foambuds’ primary benefit is their ability to conform to the contour of the user’s ears and fit snugly. It will fit snugly over your ears and exclude any outside noise from entering.
Turn On Active Noise Cancellation
This method only works for Airpods Pro and Airpods Max. Follow these instructions to activate ‘Active Noise Cancellation‘ on your Airpods Pro:
- Accessed via the “Settings” menu.
- Choose “Bluetooth” from the list of options.
- To activate noise cancellation, select the toggle and slide it to the on position to activate noise cancellation.
- The primary benefit of this setting is that it muffles all incoming sounds. Your sense of hearing will diminish, and you will need help understanding speech. If you’re doing this outside (especially in traffic), you should probably use “Transparency” mode.
When you switch to “Transparency Mode” instead of the default “Noise Cancellation Mode,” more ambient noise will enter your headphones so you can better hear what’s happening around you. It can reduce the rate of sound leakage.
Reset Your Airpods
If you’ve already tried the solutions above and your Airpods still are not working well, doing a reset may be the only thing left to do.
When you reset your Airpods, they will stop communicating with any paired devices and return to their original settings. Choosing to reset will delete all of your settings, including personalized settings.
Read on for a rundown on how to restart your Airpods.
- Simply insert Airpods into the charging case and snap the top shut.
- Get the charging case open.
- You’ll need to access the Bluetooth settings to connect your iPhone to a Bluetooth device (Settings > Bluetooth).
- Try looking for your Airpods in the list of gadgets and hit the button to unpair them.
- Select “Yes” when prompted.
- Open the Airpods case after unpairing them from your iPhone, and then press and hold the setup button for 15 to 20 seconds. (Depending on the model, the setup button may be located in a different spot)
- White LED flashes are expected to begin shortly.
Congratulations, you have just restored your Airpods to their original settings from the factory. Re-establish the pairing with your device, and you should be all set.
Why Is It Crucial To Minimize Airpods Sound Leakage?
Minimizing the Airpods sound leakage can be very critical. It can annoy those around you if your music leaks out of your headphones. And no one would also want anyone else to hear what they are listening to. Besides that, it can be your private info, calls, or audio that only you would want to hear.
Conclusion
When you put in your Airpods, it’s immediately evident that the people around you can hear from your Airpods outside. Airpods leak the beat of your music. However, the issue is manageable if you take the right precautions.
The sound isolation qualities of Airpods can vary substantially depending on the fit, the volume level, and the ambient noise in the surrounding area.
Furthermore, the Airpods Pro’s sophisticated noise-cancellation technology offers even better sound isolation than the standard Airpods, making it even less probable that listeners can hear audio from the earphones from the outside. Hearing audio through Airpods is feasible, but it is rare and is unlikely to be an issue in most settings.
Integraudio is an audio blog made specifically for musicians and those seeking audio knowledge.