How to Turn Off Adaptive Sound Control: A Quick Guide

Are you tired of your headphones automatically adjusting to your surroundings? Do you want to take control of your listening experience? If so, you may want to turn off your device’s adaptive sound control feature.
Adaptive sound control is a feature that automatically adjusts the noise canceling or ambient sound settings based on your environment or actions. While this feature can be helpful in some situations, it can also be frustrating when it doesn’t work as expected. Fortunately, turning off adaptive sound control is a simple process that can be done through your device’s settings or app.
Understanding Adaptive Sound Control
Adaptive Sound Control is a feature found on many modern headphones that automatically adjusts the noise-canceling or ambient sound mode based on your surroundings. It uses sensors to detect your actions and location, and then adjusts the sound settings accordingly.
This feature is designed to provide a more personalized listening experience, but it may not always work as intended. For example, it may change modes unexpectedly or reduce the effectiveness of noise canceling. If you’re experiencing issues with Adaptive Sound Control, you may want to turn it off.
To turn off Adaptive Sound Control, you can follow these steps:
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Open the Sony | Headphones Connect app or the Google Pixel Buds app, depending on your headphones.
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Find the Adaptive Sound Control setting in the app. On Sony headphones, it’s located in the Dashboard. On Google Pixel Buds, it’s located under Sound settings.
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Toggle the Adaptive Sound Control setting to “Off.”
Once you turn off Adaptive Sound Control, you can manually adjust the noise-canceling or ambient sound mode to your liking. Keep in mind that turning off this feature may reduce the overall convenience of your headphones, but it can also help you get the sound experience you want.
Adaptive Sound Control is a useful feature that can enhance your listening experience, but it may not always work as intended. If you’re experiencing issues with this feature, you can turn it off and manually adjust your sound settings.
How to Access Sound Settings
To turn off adaptive sound control, you need to access the sound settings on your device. Here’s how to do it on Android and iOS:
On Android
- Open the Google Pixel Buds app on your Android device.
- Tap on the “Sound” option.
- Toggle off the “Adaptive Sound” option.
Note: If you have a Pixel phone with Android 10 or later, you can also access the sound settings through the phone’s settings menu. Go to “Settings” > “Connected devices” > “Pixel Buds’ settings” > “Sound” and toggle off “Adaptive Sound.”
On iOS
- Open the “Settings” app on your iOS device.
- Tap on “Bluetooth.”
- Find your Pixel Buds in the list of connected devices and tap on the “i” icon next to them.
- Tap on “Noise Control.”
- Toggle off “Adaptive Sound.”
Note: If you have an iPhone or iPad running iOS 14 or later, you can also access the sound settings through the Control Center. Swipe down from the top right corner of the screen to open the Control Center, press and hold the volume slider, and tap on the “Noise Control” button. Then toggle off “Adaptive Sound.”
Turning Off Adaptive Sound Control
Adaptive Sound Control is a feature that allows your headphones to automatically adjust the noise-canceling and ambient sound settings based on your surroundings. However, if you prefer to manually adjust these settings, you can turn off the Adaptive Sound Control feature. Here’s how to do it on Android and iOS devices.
On Android
- Open the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app on your Android device.
- Tap the “Status” tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the right arrow next to “Adaptive Sound Control” to expand the menu.
- Toggle the switch next to “Adaptive Sound Control” to turn it off.
On iOS
- Open the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app on your iOS device.
- Tap the “Settings” tab at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap “Adaptive Sound Control” to open the menu.
- Toggle the switch next to “Adaptive Sound Control” to turn it off.
Once you turn off Adaptive Sound Control, you can manually adjust the noise-canceling and ambient sound settings using the controls on your headphones or within the “Sony | Headphones Connect” app.
Keep in mind that turning off Adaptive Sound Control may affect your overall listening experience. If you frequently move between different environments, you may want to keep Adaptive Sound Control turned on to ensure optimal sound quality.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
If you’re having trouble with your noise canceling headphones, here are a few common issues and how to troubleshoot them:
Adaptive Sound Control not turning off
If you’re having trouble turning off Adaptive Sound Control, try these steps:
- Open the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
- Select “Ambient Sound Control” or “Noise Canceling” depending on which mode you want to adjust.
- Turn off the “Adaptive Sound Control” function.
Noise canceling not working
If you’re having trouble with the noise canceling function, try these steps:
- Turn off Adaptive Sound Control.
- Turn on the noise canceling function manually when you need it.
- Check the setting of “Ambient Sound Control” with the Sony | Headphones Connect app. If it’s set to “Ambient Sound,” the effect of noise canceling may be reduced.
- Check your cables, plugs, jacks, volume, speaker, and headphone connections.
- Verify that all Windows updates are installed.
- Restart Audio Services on your computer.
Ambient Sound Mode changes unexpectedly
If the Ambient Sound Mode or Noise Canceling function is changing unexpectedly, try these steps:
- Open the Sony | Headphones Connect app.
- Turn off the Adaptive Sound Control function.
- Adjust the Noise Canceling or Ambient Sound Control manually.
- Use Noise Canceling or change the Ambient Sound Control level.
By following these simple steps, you can troubleshoot common issues with your noise canceling headphones and get back to enjoying your music without any interruptions.
Additional Resources
If you’re still having trouble turning off the Adaptive Sound Control feature on your headphones, there are several resources available that can help you troubleshoot the issue. Here are a few options to consider:
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Sony Support: Sony offers a comprehensive support website that includes troubleshooting guides, user manuals, and frequently asked questions about their headphones. You can access this resource by visiting https://www.sony.com/electronics/support/headphones-headband-style-headphones/mdr-1000x/articles/00202529.
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Online Forums: There are several online forums dedicated to headphones and audio equipment where you can ask questions and get advice from other users. Some popular options include Head-Fi (https://www.head-fi.org/) and Reddit’s r/headphones community (https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/).
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YouTube Tutorials: If you’re a visual learner, YouTube can be a great resource for learning how to turn off Adaptive Sound Control on your headphones. There are several channels dedicated to audio equipment and tutorials, such as Z Reviews (https://www.youtube.com/user/ZeosReviews) and DMS3 TV (https://www.youtube.com/user/dms3tv).
Remember, if you’re still having trouble turning off Adaptive Sound Control on your headphones, don’t hesitate to reach out to the manufacturer’s customer support team for additional assistance. They can help you troubleshoot the issue and ensure that you’re getting the best possible sound quality from your headphones.






