So if I'm understanding this correctly, you had the device set to let in ambient sound, but a motor vehicle slamming on the brakes was filtered out, and you consider this to be a good thing? Sounds dangerous to me.
Re:AirPods don't “just work”
by kristjansson on Wednesday January 26, 2022 @12:35PM
(#30088667)
It was still audible, but filtered from 'damagingly painful' to 'perceptible', and only on the side that was directly exposed. I don't find a lot of navigational value in listening to someone's poorly maintained brakes while I'm walking around.
One hidden feature: I was walking around my city listening to something on AirPods Pro. A truck in the lane adjacent to the sidewalk braked hard, making painfully loud squeal. Except I didn't hear it. The AirPod on the street side entered noise canceling mode quickly enough to silence almost all of the sound, and stayed there for a few seconds afterward before reverting to ambient sounds. I'm not sure if that was a purposeful feature, or just a volume limiter for the ambient-noise mode kicking in. Regardless, it was one of the most delightful experiences I've ever had with a product. The thing just quietly, casually making my day a little bit better, then getting out of the way again.