Does AirPods ANC Cause Hearing Loss? Let’s Talk!

General
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Have you ever wondered if the Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) feature on AirPods can actually harm your hearing?

Here’s a real situation: A girl shared on Instagram that after using AirPods with ANC for a long time, she experienced a 10-20% drop in her hearing along with some ear discomfort. While this is worrying, experts say AirPods Pro 2’s ANC is designed to reduce background noise by about 27 dB, which usually helps people listen at lower volumes and protects hearing.
That said, wearing any earbuds too long — especially at high volumes — can damage your hearing over time. ANC might add some ear pressure sensation but isn’t proven to directly cause hearing loss for most users.

What do you think?

  1. Have you noticed any ear discomfort or hearing changes when using AirPods or other ANC earbuds?
  2. How long do you usually use your ANC earbuds daily?

Let’s share experiences and tips to enjoy music safely while protecting our hearing!

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Here is a question for you - how do you or anyone detect hearing loss ? You mention 10-20% drop in hearing. How was that identified and quantified ? Perhaps it would be better to share ways to do that first. Moreover there is this topic -