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Comment by thebean11 | Hacker News Reader

Yeah, no active noise cancellation or "transparency mode" equivalent is just a massive bummer. It's hard to compete with the AirPods when you're missing the two most impressive features.

They sure look cool though.

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They have a vented design which is very similar to transparency mode.

I wouldn't say a generation behind compared to AirPods, but they're definitely a class below AirPod Pros.

Oh I missed that detail, what does the vented design achieve on the pixel buds? Can you control how much sound gets in?

My read is that they're fundamentally like "open backed" headphones. It's not controllable, it's just that they don't actively block the air, so they let outside sounds in.

From a social-acceptance perspective I'm not a fan of "transparency mode". When I see people walking around with earbuds in all the time, even when they're not actually using them, I have a -- probably unfair -- visceral negative reaction.

Why? I just assume they wouldn't hear me.

Apple Airpod Pro includes active noise cancellation at a $250 price tag. The Apple Airpod with Wireless Case is the 'equivalent' Apple product at $200. The Google Pixel Buds include passive noise cancellation (silicon sleeves) which the Apple Airpods lack.

Yeah that's fair, I just wish Google (or anybody else really) had a real competitor to the Pros with smart features that actually work on Android.

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