Nova Zhang
Ambient sound is a feature on some earbuds that allows you to hear surrounding noise while wearing headphones or earbuds. This feature is particularly useful when you are jogging, at the office, or in a busy area and need to be aware of your surroundings. The purpose of ambient sound is to ensure situational awareness while listening to music or a podcast. While some earbuds have a dedicated ambient mode, others allow you to adjust the level of ambient noise to suit your preference.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To ensure the user is aware of their surroundings while listening to music or a podcast. |
| Functionality | Lets in surrounding sounds, such as traffic, rain, birds, and bees, and conversations. |
| Use cases | Jogging, working, flying, being in the office, etc. |
| Control | Can be turned on and off, and volume can be adjusted. |
| Compatibility | Available on Samsung Galaxy Earbuds, Sony Walkman, Cleer Audio, Skullcandy, and Panasonic. |
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What You'll Learn
Ambient sound and noise-cancelling technology
Ambient sound mode allows you to hear background noise from your surroundings while wearing earbuds or headphones. This feature is particularly useful when you need to stay alert to potential dangers, such as passing cars while jogging or announcements in airports or train stations. It helps you remain mindful of your surroundings without forcing you to remove your earbuds or pause your music. The ambient sound feature can usually be activated through a mobile app or a specific button on the audio device.
However, it's important to note that ambient sound mode does not enable you to hear all sounds around you. The effectiveness of this mode can vary depending on factors such as the surrounding environment, the type of music being played, and the volume level. In some noisy environments, ambient sound mode may not be as useful, and users might prefer to switch to noise-cancelling mode.
Noise-cancelling technology, often referred to as Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), employs microphones that "listen" to the sounds outside and inside the earphone. It then uses an ANC chipset to invert or neutralise sound waves, thereby reducing unwanted background noise. This feature is advantageous when you want to focus on a task without distractions, such as during a flight or while working from home. However, prolonged use of noise-cancelling earbuds or headphones can make you unaware of important ambient sounds, creating potential risks and hassles.
Leading audio brands like Sony, Panasonic, Samsung, and Cleer Audio offer devices with both ambient sound and noise-cancelling capabilities. When purchasing earbuds or headphones, it is recommended to look for options that provide both features, giving you the flexibility to choose between blocking out or letting in the surrounding noise.
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Ambient sound on Samsung Galaxy Earbuds
Ambient sound mode on earbuds lets in some surrounding sounds so that you can remain mindful of your surroundings. This is particularly useful when you are jogging or crossing a road, for example, and need to be aware of passing cars.
Samsung's Galaxy Buds have an ambient sound mode that can be activated through the Galaxy Wearable app. This is available on Android devices, while iOS does not support the ambient mode. To activate the feature, open the Galaxy Wearable app, tap Ambient sound, and then choose your desired volume level by adjusting the slider. You can also turn the feature off by tapping 'Off'.
The ambient sound mode on the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offers five volume levels, allowing you to customise the level of environmental sound you hear. You can also adjust the volume for each ear independently. The 'adapt ambient sound' feature allows for even more clarity, helping users hear the world around them better. The latest update to the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro's ambient sound mode has added two additional levels of passthrough amplification, giving users more control over how much outside audio they want to hear.
The Voice detect feature will allow you to hear nearby conversations. Your earbuds' volume will automatically decrease if you're listening to music, so you can hear what is being said to you. To turn this on, tap the switch next to Voice detect.
The Galaxy Buds Live do not have a traditional ambient sound mode like other Samsung earbuds. Instead, they have Active Noise Cancelling. When this feature is turned off, you may feel some stiffness or compression while listening to music. To prevent this, you can turn on the 'Relieve pressure with ambient sound' option.
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Ambient sound and situational awareness
The concept of ambient sound or ambient mode is to ensure situational awareness even when you are listening to music or other sounds through earbuds. Ambient sound is the wide variety of noises present in your surroundings. It lets in some of the surrounding sounds so that you can remain mindful of your environment. This is particularly useful when you are out jogging and need to be aware of passing cars, for example.
Ambient sound mode does not enable you to hear all sounds around you. It may not function properly if your earbuds do not fit your ears correctly, or if the surrounding environment is too noisy. In such cases, you can adjust the fit of your earbuds, or turn the ambient sound setting off and use noise-cancelling technology instead.
You can also adjust the volume of the ambient sound, and on some devices, you can amplify sounds with high or extra-high volume options to hear additional surrounding noises. Some earbuds also offer a voice detect feature, which will automatically decrease the volume of your music when someone is speaking to you.
Ambient sound is available on many earbuds, such as Samsung Galaxy Buds and Sony Walkman, and can usually be activated through a mobile app.
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How to activate ambient sound mode
Ambient sound mode allows you to hear ambient sound even while wearing headphones or earbuds. This mode does not enable you to hear all sounds around you, and ambient sound may not be heard well depending on the surrounding environment, the type of music being played, or the volume level.
If you have Samsung Galaxy earbuds, you can activate ambient sound mode by first inserting both earbuds into your ears. Then, open the Galaxy Wearable app, and tap 'Ambient sound'. You can turn off ambient sound by tapping 'Off'. You can also adjust the volume level of the ambient sound by adjusting a slider. Ambient sound may cause howling or whistling when your ear tips do not fit correctly, when you’re adjusting the volume, or when you're touching the microphone. In this case, you can try adjusting your earbuds for a more comfortable fit or changing the level of the ambient sound.
If you are using Sony headphones, you can turn on Ambient Sound Mode by pressing the NC/Ambient or NC button. The location and name of the button may vary with the model of your headphones. Check the manual for model-specific information. For WH-H900N, WH-1000XM2, and WH-1000XM3 headphones, you can adjust the ambient sound level using the Headphones Connect app.
If you are using Sony earbuds, you can press the button on the left side of your Walkman to turn on Ambient Sound Mode. When you turn on Ambient Sound Mode, the lamp on the right side of your Walkman will flash twice in green. To turn off Ambient Sound Mode, press the button again.
You can also use mobile apps from leading manufacturers such as Sony and Panasonic to tweak the Ambient Sound feature on your audio device. The mobile device and the audio device communicate via Bluetooth. Using the app, you can select the sounds to be drowned, sounds to be allowed, make volume settings, etc.
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Ambient sound and safety considerations
Ambient sound is a feature available on some earbuds and headphones that allows you to hear ambient or surrounding noise while wearing them. This feature is particularly useful for safety when you are in a busy environment, such as jogging near roads with passing cars, or when you want to stay aware of your surroundings while enjoying a podcast or music.
It is important to note that ambient sound technology does not enable you to hear all sounds around you. The effectiveness of ambient sound may vary depending on the surrounding environment, the type of music being played, and the volume level. For example, when using earbuds with active noise-cancelling technology, you may experience some stiffness or compression when the ambient sound feature is turned off. To prevent this, some earbuds offer a relieve pressure with ambient sound option.
When using ambient sound, feedback or howling may occur if the ear tips do not fit correctly, when adjusting the volume, or when touching the microphone. To address this, ensure that your earbuds fit comfortably and snugly, and avoid touching the microphone while wearing them.
Additionally, be mindful of your surroundings and use ambient sound with caution in places where an inability to hear ambient noise could be dangerous, such as near traffic. In such cases, consider using headphones or earbuds that provide a more obvious "do not disturb" sign, or utilise hands-free options like Alexa-enabled glasses that offer spatial awareness and allow you to access audio hands-free.
Overall, ambient sound technology in earbuds and headphones offers benefits for safety and comfort, allowing you to stay connected to your surroundings while enjoying your audio content.
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Frequently asked questions
Ambient sound is a feature on earbuds that allows you to hear surrounding noises while wearing headphones. It is also known as Ambient Sound Awareness (ASA) and Ambient Sound Mode.
Ambient sound is useful when you need to be aware of your surroundings, such as when jogging and cars are passing by. It is also helpful when you want to hear announcements or conversations without removing your earbuds.
To turn on ambient sound, you need to connect your earbuds to the corresponding app, such as the Galaxy Wearable app for Samsung Galaxy Earbuds. Once connected, open the app and tap on "Ambient Sound" or Ambient Sound Mode. You can then adjust the volume using a slider.
