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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Super Bowl Sundays were measurably noisier across the United States—but the Apple Hearing Study did not prove that stadium fans were exposed to dangerous sound. Researchers found average environmental noise was about 1.5 to 3 decibels higher on the 2021–2024 Super Bowl Sundays than during the equivalent period on the following Sundays.
The increase began roughly three hours before kickoff and continued for about three hours afterward. That is a meaningful rise in sound energy, but it is not the same as saying the event sounded twice as loud or that every fan experienced hearing damage.
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What the Apple Hearing Study measured
The study is a collaboration between Apple and the University of Michigan School of Public Health. It collects hearing, headphone-audio and environmental-sound information through Apple devices and the Apple Research app. The Super Bowl analysis used environmental-noise measurements from the Apple Watch Noise app.
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Researchers analyzed data from 115,049 Apple Hearing Study participants who had Apple Watch devices and agreed to share noise measurements. They examined the four Super Bowls played in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, comparing a six-hour period around each game with the same period on the following Sunday.
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- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
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This was an observational, population-level analysis. The watch estimated the environmental sound around each participant; it did not measure sound at a particular stadium seat, identify whether someone was attending the game, or record the peak level of an individual cheer, horn or firework.
How much louder were Super Bowl Sundays?
Average environmental noise was approximately 1.5 to 3 dB higher nationwide on the Super Bowl Sundays studied. The increase appeared approximately three hours before the game and lasted for about three hours after it ended.
Participants in states associated with the game—the host state and the home states of the competing teams—also had higher readings than participants in other states. The pattern is consistent with a nationwide event effect, but the study did not isolate one particular source of the sound.
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- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
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- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
A 3 dB increase is not “twice as loud”
Decibels require careful interpretation. A 3 dB increase represents approximately twice the sound energy, while the perceived increase in loudness is much smaller—described by the study as barely noticeable. A 10 dB increase is generally associated with sound perceived as about twice as loud.
| Increase | Approximate sound energy | Approximate perceived loudness |
|---|---|---|
| 3 dB | 2× | Barely noticeable |
| 5–6 dB | 4× | Noticeable |
| 10 dB | 10× | About twice as loud |
That distinction matters for hearing safety: exposure can rise substantially even when the change does not sound dramatic.
Does the study prove that Super Bowl parties damage hearing?
No. The analysis found an association between Super Bowl Sundays and higher measured environmental noise. It did not measure permanent hearing loss, tinnitus caused by the event, or the personal risk faced by any individual participant.
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The likely contributors include parties, bars, restaurants, television audio, shouting, music, traffic and activity around venues. Those are reasonable explanations, not causes directly separated and tested by the analysis. “Sports fans get really loud” is therefore useful headline shorthand, not a precise description of every sound measured.
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- Keep television and soundbar volume comfortable rather than raising it to compete with a noisy room.
- Move away from speakers and take quiet breaks during long gatherings.
- At a stadium or sports bar, consider properly fitted foam earplugs or high-fidelity musician’s earplugs.
- Avoid standing directly beside loudspeakers, horns or fireworks.
- Give children appropriate hearing protection; do not assume they will recognize excessive sound themselves.
- Use a smartwatch noise reading as an estimate, not as a complete safety assessment.
Persistent ringing, muffled hearing, ear pain, dizziness, distorted hearing or unusual sound sensitivity after an event warrants medical advice.
Can AirPods Pro help?
Apple says Hearing Protection is available on AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3, subject to compatible hardware, software and regional availability. Apple describes the feature as suitable for loud settings including live sporting events.
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- A GREAT FITNESS TRACKER—SE 3 can track your workouts in a healthy number of ways—from running and strength training to simply achieving your 10K steps a day. With real-time metrics and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone,* you’ll hit your goals like never before.
- KEEP HELP CLOSE AT HAND—SE 3 is a smartwatch that can detect a hard fall or severe car crash and automatically help connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- WOMEN’S HEALTH INSIGHTS—SE 3 has advanced sensors that track your wrist temperature while you sleep. With this smartwatch, you can log your periods and symptoms, get period predictions, and get notified of cycle deviations.*
- GREAT BATTERY LIFE AND FASTER CHARGING—Enjoy a smartwatch with all-day, 18-hour battery life* from sunup to sundown. Then charge up to twice as fast as SE 2* and get up to 8 hours of battery in just 15 minutes.*
For a live game, Apple identifies Transparency mode as useful for maintaining awareness, Adaptive mode for changing noise and Noise Cancellation for a more consistent amount of reduction. These are Apple’s product claims, not proof that AirPods make unlimited exposure safe.
Before relying on AirPods Pro
- Charge the AirPods.
- Confirm that they are AirPods Pro 2 or AirPods Pro 3.
- Install the required updates and use a compatible Apple device.
- Select the best-fitting ear tips.
- Run the Ear Tip Fit Test on AirPods Pro 2 or the Acoustic Seal Test on AirPods Pro 3.
- Check that Loud Sound Reduction has not been disabled and that listening mode is not set to Off.
A poor seal, debris, damaged hardware or a whistling sound can reduce protection. Apple also says Hearing Protection is not intended for extremely loud impulse sounds such as gunfire, fireworks or jackhammers, or for sustained sound above 110 dBA. Passive, certified hearing protection is the safer choice for those environments.
Apple says its protection estimates use World Health Organization recommendations and that total-attenuation estimates derive from ANSI/ASA S12.68-2007. Its example explains that 100 dBA reduced by 20 dB of attenuation produces an estimated 80 dBA exposure; actual results depend on fit, the sound itself, device condition and other factors. See Apple’s support guidance for the current compatibility and limitation details.
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- A FULL-FEATURED HEALTH TRACKER—Apple Watch Series 11 gives you invaluable insights about your body, right from your wrist. Take an ECG anytime* and get alerts for a high and low heart rate or an irregular rhythm*—so you can stay closer to your heart. You can also view your overnight health tracking metrics with the Vitals app* and be notified of possible sleep apnea.*
- KNOW YOUR SLEEP SCORE—With advanced sleep tracking, Series 11 gives you a daily sleep score. It’s an easy way to help measure and understand the quality of your sleep, so you can make it more restorative.
- GET HYPERTENSION NOTIFICATIONS—Did you know that Series 11 can spot signs of chronic high blood pressure? By analyzing how your blood vessels respond to beats of the heart, it can notify you of possible hypertension.*
- SAFETY FEATURES—A smartwatch that puts your safety first. Series 11 can detect a hard fall or severe car crash, automatically help connect you with emergency services, and notify your emergency contacts.* Check In can automatically notify a loved one when you’ve arrived at your destination.
- A POWERFUL FITNESS TRACKER—With advanced metrics and motivating features like Pacer, Heart Rate Zones, training load, and Workout Buddy powered by Apple Intelligence from your nearby iPhone*—Series 11 is made to help everyone stay active, from runners and hikers to strength-training enthusiasts.
Which protection makes sense?
| Option | Best for | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| AirPods Pro Hearing Protection | Apple users wanting protection, music, calls and listening modes together | Costs more, requires power and depends heavily on fit and settings |
| Foam earplugs | Low-cost, occasional or backup protection | Can muffle speech and music; insertion must be correct |
| High-fidelity earplugs | Regular concerts and games where natural sound matters | More expensive than foam plugs and not designed for every hazard |
| Over-ear protection | Very loud work or machinery | Bulky and less practical for social viewing |
The accurate takeaway
The University of Michigan–Apple analysis found a repeatable, nationwide rise in environmental noise on the four Super Bowl Sundays it studied. The strongest increase occurred in states connected to the game, and the effect lasted for several hours around kickoff.
But the study did not measure stadium seating, prove that fans caused every sound, or establish hearing damage. It is best understood as a population-level warning that event-related noise exposure rises—not as evidence that every Super Bowl viewer experienced hazardous sound.
For ordinary home viewing, sensible volume and quiet breaks may be enough. For stadiums, bars or parties, properly fitted passive earplugs or compatible AirPods Pro Hearing Protection can reduce exposure, while extreme impulse noise requires specialized protection.
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