"Maybe you've got ANC headphones for your commute and you've found just the right soundproofing materials to finally stop the inter-apartment wars with your neighbors. In that case, don't read on. We're sure you won't be interested in earbuds that can tune out arguments and tune in nature, or thin, affordable, sound-absorbing wallpaper. Not to mention the work that's being done to help people who are hard of hearing, and what's coming next in soundproofing."
"But when we think about noise cancellation, what's our baseline? If you want to block out all sound and go total cocoon, you can pick up a pair of Sony or Bose cans and get pretty close to that. But considering their ubiquity and cultural impact on how we engage with the outside world, let's turn instead to Apple's AirPods for an idea of more useful, fine-tuned features that could point to where the field is headed."
Next-generation noise reduction combines active noise canceling, adaptive audio, and health-focused features to customize listening environments and protect hearing. Consumer products already include ANC, Transparency Mode, Adaptive Audio, and automatic Hearing Protection that reduces dangerously loud sounds. Features such as Conversation Boost focus microphones on a nearby speaker while reducing ambient noise, and Live Listen uses a phone microphone to amplify a chosen voice or the user's own speech. Research aims to extend noise control into materials and room treatments, including thin, affordable, sound-absorbing wallpaper and earbuds tuned to suppress specific sounds while accentuating desirable ones. Accessibility and everyday soundproofing will be major drivers.
Read at WIRED
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