If you’ve looked at the AirPods Max and have a child, you may have wondered if the combo of the noise cancellation and transparency mode would be helpful for enjoying some tunes while caring for your baby.
Would the transparency mode allow you to hear them when they cry?
If they’re inconsolable when you’ve tried everything and they’re still crying while you rock them for awhile, would ANC help save your ears?
AirPods Max Transparency Mode for Taking Care of a Baby
I tried the transparency mode in a controlled setting with my wife nearby while the baby was sleeping, curious to see if I’d hear him when he woke up and got fussy.
I started Adele’s new album, 30, and played around on my laptop doing some work for a bit. All I can say about this is, good thing my wife was nearby.
While the transparency mode does a good job when there’s no music on, if you’re listening even at a medium volume the outside noise doesn’t come through loudly enough to really hear in a pinch.
In other words, I didn’t hear my son start to cry until my wife got my attention.
This is exactly why I tested them in this manner and not when I really needed to hear. If I’d been alone, who knows how long I would’ve been oblivious to his cries.
That’s a shame, because if you’re a music lover hoping to take a break for yourself while you have a sleeping baby nearby, the idea of headphones makes a lot of sense. Headphones that brag they can pass along outside noise seem like the perfect solution here.
I share this post for exactly this reason — that if any other parent was wondering about this, you can know not to rely on this feature.
I’ll report more as I consider it.