With Apple’s influx of new products, come the new AirPods Pro. This new Bluetooth device is quite pricey, selling at $250 USD. With the hefty price tag also comes new features and a remodeled design, including noise cancellation, transparency, a touch sensor, and better battery life. On the other hand, the Airpods  also pose new dangers regarding noise cancellation and the effects the Airpods can have on people. Both generations of AirPods have caused controversy, as people believe their sound can be dangerous for ears and also the long term effects of the product. 

The new headphones come with the feature of noise cancellation. With it activated, the surrounding sound of the user is gone, and all one can hear is the sound escaping the Airpods. This feature rises questions about how it works, and how sound-cancelling may even work too well. Along with active noise cancellation, there is a noise transparency mode which does the opposite, enhancing all sound around you. This feature uses additional microphones to direct the audio into the ear of the wearer. Although this feature may seem extraordinary and long-awaited with a company such as Apple, many disapprove of the feature since it can be dangerous in some scenarios due to wearers lacking their sense of hearing.

“It’s good, but it cancels too much sound sometimes when I’m trying to talk to others with it on, it makes it difficult to hear what people are saying at times, especially if they’re not talking loud enough,” said sophomore Dehnu Senthil.

Along with the controversial noise-cancelling feature, serious health issue regarding the headphones come into play., Scientists believe that the AirPods, along with other Bluetooth headphones, can lead to cancer in people who use them often. While listening to music, Bluetooth devices emit radio waves,  and long term exposure can lead to weakened health. Additionally, uses listening to music too loud can acquire acoustic neuroma tumors that can cause hearing loss, according to Science Daily.

“It is possible because people tend to play their music too loud and over time it can damage your ears. Additionally, walking through campus with noise-cancelling headphones can be dangerous especially when you can’t hear any emergencies,” said senior Jahnae Edwards. Also, I feel like using AirPods for an extended amount of time can cause brain damage, since you’re constantly feeding audio into your ears.”

As a new product on the market, many concerns continue to arise as more consumers experience the product. While they are still new, many may not know the complications that may come from prolonged use of the AirPods. Although the dangers may not be known yet, caution is still advised because of the unknown complications of the headphones.