Unfortunately nobody has the answer. Maybe take some Tums/Pepto Bismol and try them out?
Haha that's one option! Imma need a lot to get me through all the hours of listening though!
It's the active noise canceling, lots of people experience some nausea when they try it. How long did you have your XM3s? I know some people who still occasionally get sick from them, but only briefly. I briefly did when I first got my AirPods, but it went away after a day or so.
Interesting! I gave them about a week, but mostly listened when walking. I'm annoyingly sensitive to motion sickness so maybe the movement + pressure played a part. Like you say it may just take some time for the brain to adjust to the change in pressure and movement
Rest assured you are definitely not the only one in the exact same situation. I actually came here looking for this exact answer.
I have had the original AirPods Pro’s since shortly after launch, but the noise cancellation has always made me nauseous/given me a headache as well, so I have only ever used them in “off” and transparency modes. I have an on-ear headset at work that has ANC and I have no problem with it, so I have been hoping that the open back/lack of tips in the new AirPods 4’s might be useable for me.
I will keep my eye on this thread to see if anyone reports in who has had similar experiences, but I will probably grab a pair to try out myself at some point in the next few weeks, so I will let you know if no one else ever does.
Thank you for replying! Good to know others and wondering the same thing. I had assumed the on-ear XM3's would be worse due to bigger drivers and the clamping pressure, but that doesn't stack up with your experience.
Be great to hear how you get on if you do pick up a pair, I'll report back also if I do the same. From what I'm seeing there's no hard rules here - on-ear, in-ear, manufacturer or generation of product.
That nausea effect is definitely annoying, I had it with my Sony XM5s too, but it has reduced now, somehow it seems you can get used to it a little (probably varies a lot for everyone)?
Going from the reviews so far, I'd expect the Airpods 4 to have quite a strong effect, several reviewers have noted this. Could be due to them having to go even harder on the anti-wave sound because they lack a seal.
Best bet is to just try them out and return if you don't like it.
Thanks for sharing your experience too! Think I'm trying to understand and learn how the ANC works, to understand what causes the issue - is it the clamp pressure from over/on-ear, the pressure caused from in-ear etc. And therefore would a non-sealed AirPods 4 ANC not cause the sickness. But like you say - if Apple are overcompensating the lack of seal with more intense cancelling, I definitely agree they could be worse than all other options if its the frequencies being pumped into your ears that cause the issue.
A few more data points for you. I used to get the nausea effect with Bose QC2s, but strangely not with QC35s. I also don't get the nausea effect with Airpod Pro 1s. I'll update you on the Airpod 4s when I receive them.
Interesting! Sounds like it's quite unique to individuals, and what may cause sickness for one won't do for another.
Be great to see how you get on with the 4's - please do report back! Cheers
