Open-ear audio products like our Harmonix SonaVue smart glasses and TravelerAI open-ear earbuds are designed to let you stay connected with your environment while enjoying translation, directions, and calls.
But as ambient noise levels rise, it’s important to understand how background sound can influence your listening experience — especially important where the sound passed between the speaker and your ear canal.
Benchmark Ambient Noise Levels
Below are real-world examples of typical ambient noise levels and how they compare with Harmonix open-ear devices circa 78 dB output (measured from the speaker on the device). These numbers are drawn from acoustic measurement studies and practical field data across home, office, transport and urban environments.
- Quiet home / suburb: ~50 dB — clear and comfortable listening
- Quiet office / library: ~55 dB — excellent clarity
- Open-plan office: ~60 dB — slight masking, still clear
- Café / casual restaurant: ~70 dB — moderate masking
- Busy street / train station: ~80 dB — audio feels quieter
- Inside aircraft (cruise): ~85 dB — difficult to distinguish speech
- Construction site: ~90 dB — environmental noise overwhelms open-ear audio
Consumer Awareness
In quiet environments (50–60 dB), the audio from SonaVue and TravelerAI will sound clear and natural.
In moderate to loud conditions (70–85 dB), environmental sound may mask parts of the signal.
This is normal for open-ear designs, which prioritize awareness and safety rather than isolation.
Consumers should understand that in very noisy locations, increasing the volume may help, but full isolation isn’t intended. The design intent is situational awareness — not blocking out the world around you.
Why Open-Ear Audio Is a Conscious Choice
Our open-ear design philosophy is built around the idea that the world shouldn’t be shut out.
SonaVue and TravelerAI use high-quality directional speakers tuned for speech and environmental balance, not immersion. There are times when full ANC earbuds are clearly a more appropriate option.
Harmonix allows you to hear conversations, translation, or navigation prompts while staying alert to your surroundings — traffic, colleagues, family members, or airport announcements.
It’s safer, smarter, and better for real-world interaction.
Design Philosophy
Harmonix open-ear products are built to balance awareness, comfort, and clarity.
The 78 dB output level was chosen to provide optimal performance in typical environments (50–65 dB) while maintaining situational awareness — a key safety and lifestyle feature for travel (on the street rather than inside an aeroplane), commuting, and daily wear.
Unlike traditional sealed headphones that isolate you from your surroundings, our approach keeps you engaged with the world around you — enhancing safety, conversation, and experience.
Final Thoughts
If you’re using your Harmonix SonaVue or TravelerAI in a busy environment and the audio seems quieter than expected, that’s not a fault — it’s physics.
Your ears are sharing space with the real world, and that’s the essence of open-ear design.
Move to a slightly quieter location or increase the volume moderately, and you’ll rediscover the clarity of Harmonix audio — balanced, open, and attuned to life’s real soundscape.
Because hearing the world around you is just as important as hearing what’s within it.