Ah, AirPods. Those sleek white buds that revolutionized wireless listening.

But amidst the convenience, and coolness, a silent nemesis lurks: ambient noise. The chatter of the coffee shop crowd, vehicle noise, the insistent sounds of construction work, or your favorite four legged friend – all conspiring to drown out your calls and intrude on your focus, and productivity.

Noise in the workplace is not only annoying, but it negatively affects productivity, and can actually be detrimental to your health. Here’s an article that talks about noise, and its negative health impacts on your body. And when you’re using many of the models of Airpod earbuds, noise can be a problem because they're not the best at handling noise. So when it comes to your personal well-being, and productivity, noise in the workplace isn’t something that should be ignored.

But what can you do when you’re using your favorite pair of Airpods knowing that they may not be the best at dampening those annoying sounds? Are you getting distracted? Are your callers hearing everything going on around you? And the thought of using a traditional pair of headphones just doesn’t cut it.

Fear not because there’s hope on the horizon. This blog post is your quick guide to conquering noise on your AirPods allowing you to reclaim serenity, and that beautiful sound of silence for you and your callers.

Airpods have been a fan favorite for a very long time, and for a lot of good reasons. They’re small, lightweight, they sound great, and they’re an Apple product, so what’s not to like about that? And if you own Airpods Pro, or Airpods Max, you have the added advantage of Active Noise Cancellation, and Transparency features. So if noise is your problem, and you’re using one of these Apple products, then there may be some hope for you to dampen the noise around you, and have better, more productive calls. And even if you’re using a different Airpods model, you won’t be left out, because there’s a solution for you too.

Below are some ideas to consider if you’re using the Apple Airpods Pro, or Max.

  • Optimize ANC and Transparency Modes:
    • ANC: Ensure ANC is active and experiment with the different ANC strength options available on your iPhone or through the Control Center. Adjust the strength based on the specific office noise (low rumble vs. high-pitched chatter).
    • Transparency Mode: If you need occasional situational awareness, consider using Transparency Mode, which blends ambient noise with your audio. You can choose between "Off," "On," and "Adaptive" Transparency depending on your preference and how much awareness you need. This feature is generally found on high-end business headsets, and less common on earbuds. And being able to keep the earbuds in place and not having to remove them everytime you want to have a coworker conversation, or hear what’s going on around you is a nice feature to have.
  • Optimize Audio:
    • Play background noise: Use white noise or nature sounds through Apple Music or a dedicated soundscape app. Masking noise can effectively drown out lower-frequency disruptions like hums and air conditioning. This gives you something more pleasing to listen to, and draws your attention away from more distracting, or annoying sounds.
    • Focus on the bass: Choose bass-heavy music or audio tracks. Deeper frequencies can naturally mask higher-pitched office noises like keyboard clicks and conversations. Anything you can do to not get distracted will pay dividends in your frame of mind, and your ability to get things done.
  • Physical Adjustments:
    • Fit check: Ensure your AirPods Pro fit snugly in your ears. A loose fit allows more noise to creep in, reducing the effectiveness of ANC. Consider using different ear tip sizes for a better seal. We all have different sizes of ears, and ear openings. Don’t settle for close enough. Instead, find the ear tip that best fits your ears, and stick with those.
    • Minimize noise leaks: If possible, find a quieter corner in your office or wear additional ear protection over your AirPods for extra noise blocking.

BONUS TIP: Affordable Noise Canceling Software

If you’ve tried all of these things, and noise is still getting in your way, then here’s a suggestion that’s guaranteed to give you a noise free voice or video call when using your Apple earbuds, or headphones.

neep AI noise canceling software

neep software is affordable for anyone, and it flat out works. It’s chocked full of features that guarantee you’ll have a noise free, stress free, high quality call no matter what microphone and speaker you’re using. Whether that’s an Apple device, a traditional headset, or even a hands free conference phone, neep will work with all of them which means there’s no need to invest in costly hardware to take advantage of neep’s amazing features.

Not only will you sound great to your callers without the distraction of background noise, but your voice will be isolated from other voices, and enhanced. And if that weren’t enough, the noise in your caller’s background will be removed as well, which is pretty awesome. So no matter where the noise is coming from, neep takes care of it, while at the same time, making you sound great.

And if you’re a Gamer with a sense of humor, the voice changer feature will likely appeal to you. So if you want to sound robotic for example, just select that voice profile and you’re good to go.

neep can also give you enhanced audio for any of your voice or video projects. Working on a Podcast or Youtube video? Let neep sharpen things up so you have stellar audio.

Give it a try for free, and when you do, I’m confident you’ll be impressed by how well it removes the noise when using Airpods, or any other audio device. So if you use Airpods for business, and you've been looking for a noise cancelling solution, I'd say you just found it.

Follow these simple tips to escape the noise and enjoy clear communication and better focus and productivity. Remember, AirPods are powerful tools for enjoying music and staying connected, and by following this advice, combined with using neep software, you can truly unlock their full potential.

Have questions, or need some help?

Headset Advisor has been helping customers for the past 30 years. Our aim is, and has always been, to help you find the right technology solution so that you’re as productive, and comfortable as possible, with service that’s second to none. Our Advisors are available to answer your questions, so don’t hesitate to contact us if we can help you in any way.