The best headphones are meant to immerse you in music; but sometimes they can make you feel a bit isolated and cut off from your surroundings. A new wave of 'open' earbuds can help there, but if you still want the option of shutting out the outside world, a pair with Transparency mode is a better choice.
More and more headphones feature it – and not just expensive models – so there's plenty of choice if you are looking for a pair with the technology included.
Here we explain what Transparency mode is (as well as the other names it goes under), how it works, and which are the best headphones to feature it.
What is Transparency mode?
Headphones exist to fill your ears with music, podcasts, radio or whatever else you choose to listen to. But they can also allow in outside sounds – using a feature called Transparency mode.
Why would you want to do that? It can be useful for hearing announcements at a train station, for quick interactions in shops or on public transport, or if you're out and want to be more aware of what's around you (traffic noise maybe, so you don't get run over while out for a run).
Think of it as anti-active noise cancellation (ANC). While ANC neutralises background sounds to help you focus on the music, Transparency allows in ambient noise so you are less isolated from your environment.
The effect is similar to wearing a pair of open-backed headphones, though those with Transparency mode don't leak sound like open cans, so everyone around you won't be subjected to your hair metal playlist.
How does Transparency mode work?
Like active noise cancellation, Transparency mode uses external microphones to pick up on sounds coming from the outside world. But instead of then cancelling those sounds out out, it simply relays them to you by playing them through your headphones' drivers.
The headphones also apply some processing so that the noises sound correct.
Is it different from ambient/aware mode?
Transparency mode goes by many different names – you might hear it called Aware, Ambient, social mode and others. But they all basically mean the same thing. Transparency is Apple's chosen term for it, as used on the AirPods Pro (first- and second-gen models), AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Max.
There are some splinter modes to be aware of, too – sort of like spinoffs that are a bit more advanced than basic Transparency. Adaptive Transparency reduces any outside sounds over 85dB in order to protect your hearing. Speak to Chat (as seen on some Sony headphones) automatically detects when you are speaking and activates Ambient mode, so you can just start chatting and the headphones allow you to hear the other side of the conversation.
What headphones have Transparency mode?
Remember, Transparency is Apple's term for the mode, so technically speaking, the only headphones with Transparency are the AirPods Pro (first- and second-gen models), AirPods 4 with ANC and AirPods Max. But most high-end headphones with ANC have the mode by another name.
These include the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and Earbuds, Sony WH-1000XM5 and WF-1000XM5 and Mark Levinson No. 5909. But the useful technology is not the preserve of high-end headphones – it is also found in some cheaper models, such as the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds, Sony WF-C700N and Sony WH-CH720N.
It has even started appearing on headphones without ANC...
Is Transparency mode only available on noise-cancelling headphones?
Usually, Transparency comes arm in arm with noise cancelling, but one pair of Sony earbuds bucks that trend. The Award-winning Sony WF-C510 are some of Sony's cheapest wireless 'buds, and hence lack ANC, but they do have an Ambient mode to allow in outside sound. You can tweak this between 1 and 20, and even make it focus on voices.
Sadly, it's not fantastic. "You can hear a slight difference when there's no music playing as they attempt to subdue background noise and raise voice levels," we note in our review. "But if you're trying to use the mode while listening at modest to high volumes we don't find it hugely effective. Your music just drowns out the bulk of the outside noise."
Still, it's a positive first step, and shows that Transparency mode is becoming more and more common. We can see a time in the not too distant future when it comes as standard on all wireless headphones.
MORE:
Check out the best noise-canceling headphones
