Can you fully turn off active noise cancelling/transparency in AZ80? Other recommendations?

I'd like quality in ear bluetooth earbuds that let me turn off all active noise manipulation - ANC, transparency/aware, etc. I just want the buds to play music, and noise to be mitigated strictly through the fit of the earbud.

Can the AZ80 do this? Or do you have any recommendations of buds that can?

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u/urdogthinksurcute — 1 day ago
▲ 0 r/bose

Turning off all ANC/aware with Quietcomfort Earbuds Gen 2?

I ordered these earbuds because I read there was a firmware update that allowed us to disable ANC. However, as far as I can tell I can only create a default "mode" that lets me use aware mode. I do not want earbuds to cancel noise or use microphones to record and transmit ambient noise. I literally just want it turned off, I want bluetooth headphones that don't do anything else to the sound.

Is this not actually possible with Bose? Does anyone know if any earbuds of comparable quality allow this?

I also bought the Ultra Open earbuds to try, since they were my first option. However, there is too much sound bleed at low volumes for them to be workable for me.

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u/urdogthinksurcute — 1 day ago

HVAC return whistling with even a basic static filter

The townhouse we rent has two returns. On the ground floor, a 12x12 grill, and on the third floor 14x14. When we moved in our landlord provided us with some basic fiber filters, but we have allergies and want better filtration.

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We have been able to go as high as merv 10 or so on the third floor. I just replaced it with a merv 8 and it's fine.

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The ground floor whistles loud with any one we have tried other than the basic fiber ones, which have huge holes/no filtration and fit very loosely.

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Any filtrete 12x12 we try fit very snugly - i have to basically force them into the return. Nevertheless, they dont appear to buckle, and when the blower is running it sucks the filter material in creating a convex shape. So i believe air is running through the filter and not around the edges.

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Is there something about the actual ductwork and blower strength that means we could never run something in there with meaningful filtration? Would going smaller be good, or just cause the air to flow around the edges? The 14x14 doesn't fit very snug at all, but it definitely filters as evidenced by all the dust discoloration that accumulates by the time we change it.

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So should I try a 12x12 from a different brand, seek out 11.5/11.5 if it exists, or do I just need to use the basic fiberglass ones?

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u/urdogthinksurcute — 19 days ago

Earbud suggestions for exercise that let me turn off all noise cancelling

At the gym I use cheap wired in-ear earbuds. I have limited experience with ANC, and I hated it. It made my head feel like it was full of pressure and my eardrums felt like they were being pummeled. This was with Bose headphones and earbuds (I returned both).

I am now doing some activities, particularly cardio like rowing, that make wired headphones impractical. I purchased Shokz Openfit 2 earbuds, but unfortunately I have a large head that seems to also have large ears. The speaker sits far above my ear canal and the sound is being transmitted to my cartilage, so everything sounds muffled on them.

My other option might be the Bose open earbuds, but I really do like in-ear earbuds. I just have found mixed information on which ones allow you to fully deactivate ANC and aware modes (i.e. they simply play the music or video you select, and nothing else). It seems like Bose at one time did not allow it, but they might allow it now?

I would be interested in quality earbuds that don't fall out when exercising, have good battery life, and allow you to fully deactivate ANC and aware modes. It would be nice if they had good outgoing audio quality for phone calls as well. If anyone has contrasting experiences with in ear vs the Bose open earbuds (or other open ones, though from what I can tell Shokz and Bose are the top two), I'd appreciate it!

Edit: I will add that I once bought a budget pair of earbuds with no ANC (I think Jlab). Unfortunately they had a constant whine when they were in use, so I'm kind of scared off the budget brands now despite not wanting ANC. Interested in mid to premium earbuds unless there is a really good budget option I should try.

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u/urdogthinksurcute — 2 months ago

I'm looking to get a rower for home, and even after accounting for a lot of the reviews appearing sponsored/affiliated, the conclusion I've drawn from what I've read is the Merach is at least in the immediate terms about comparable in rowing feel to a Concept2. A lot of the negativity I've seen has to do with the monitor and measurement of output. However, Merach now has a "Pro" version with an improved monitor.

I've also read some people had issues connecting the first R50 with the Peloton app, but maybe the Pro version will work better, or the issue has since been resolved. It's hard to find definitive, recent information on this.

I am not specifically buying a rower to do Peloton classes with, usually I do quick tabata sessions on the rower as an alternative to cycling. But it would be nice to have the option, since I already have a Peloton membership. I'm not sure if being unable to do so would convince me to splurge on the Concept2, but just looking to get all the relevant information before making a big purchase.

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u/urdogthinksurcute — 2 months ago