With the launch ofiOS 18.1imminent , Apple is about to officially recognize theAirPods Pro ’s hearing protection capabilities . And all I can say is this : What took so long ?

For seven twelvemonth , I rode a Harley - Davidson touring bicycle with aftermarket pipes and a high - flow zephyr inhalation — qualifying that made it a lot louder than when it twine off the assembly line . On most motorcycles it ’s fart disturbance and not the strait of your cycle that set the corking risk to your audience . Not so with my Harley .

I never measured its level in decibels , but it was loud enough that on the days I did n’t use earplug , I experienced some residuary ringing after just 30 instant of riding .

Then one day , I adjudicate using my AirPods Pro or else ofearplugs . I ’d been wowed by their telling fighting noise cancellation in other scenario , so I figure why not ?

In truth , I was motivated by the ability to listen to music while I rode . The bicycle had its own stereo system — but why add yet another layer of meretricious strait outside my helmet when I could get way good speech sound from inside ?

I was utterly out by how well the AirPods Pro domesticate the Harley ’s exhaust and engine sound . It ’s not an exaggeration to say that it felt like it slim the disturbance by half — maybe more . They offer a gravid reduction of noise than any of the earplug I had used until that distributor point .

At the time I questioned if I was simply trade auditory modality price I was aware of for damage that was being caused inaudibly . However , an audiologist I talk to when I was researchingnoise - induced hearing expiration ( NIHL)reassured me that the purgative of anti - noise ( the act of delete an incoming sound wave with one that is its total opposite ) does indeed concentrate the decibels our ears are exposed to .

Historically , Apple has n’t issue any stats to back up what my ears were tell me . It bank instead on generalized selling linguistic process , for instance , AirPods Pro 2 : “ Up to 2x more Active Noise Cancellation equate with AirPods Pro ( first generation ) . ”

However , whenThe Wirecutterput the AirPods Pro ( and several leading hearing protection alternative ) to the test in 2023 , they notice that ANC mode on Apple ’s buds can reduce 105dB sounds by 23dB. That ’s enough to get these otherwise dangerously high levels down to 82dB. To put that into view , it ’s the deviation between being able to safely mind for less than 5 minutes and being able to do so for up to 40 hours .

With iOS 18 , Apple is now willing to bring out some concrete number for the AirPods Pro 2 ’s ANC capability , and The Verge has a release a greatpreview of what to expect .

My Harley is give way . I traded it in at the end of the 2024 time of year for a much quieter Honda . But I ’ll remain using my AirPods Pro when I ride . Some thing are deserving keeping — like my audition .