--- title: "Sony Noise Canceling and Ambient Sound on a Mac" description: "Switch Sony noise canceling and ambient sound from your Mac's menu bar or keyboard, with the ambient level and Focus on Voice. WH-1000XM4, XM5, XM6 and more." url: https://opensoundconnect.app/features/noise-cancelling language: en --- # Noise canceling, from your Mac Sony's phone app isn't on the Mac. Open Sound Connect puts your headphones' noise control in the menu bar, with the ambient level, Focus on Voice and a shortcut for each mode. Applies to: [MDR-1000X](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/mdr-1000x), [WH-1000XM2](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm2), [WH-1000XM3](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm3), [WH-1000XM4](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm4), [WH-1000XM5](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm5), [WH-1000XM6](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm6), [WH-1000XX](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xx) · Updated 2026-11-03 ## Short answer With Open Sound Connect, your Sony headphones' noise control is one click away on your Mac: - **Menu bar:** click the headphones icon and choose **Noise Canceling**, **Ambient Sound** or **Off** (and **Wind Reduction** on models that report it). - **Keyboard:** ⌥⌘N noise canceling, ⌥⌘A ambient sound, ⌥⌘O off, ⌥⌘W wind reduction; ⌥⌘V turns Focus on Voice on or off. - **Ambient level:** in Ambient Sound, drag the **Ambient level** slider and turn **Focus on Voice** on or off. The setting changes in the headphones themselves, exactly as it does from Sony's phone app. ## The modes The headphones decide which modes they have, and the app shows only the ones they report: | Mode | What it does | | --- | --- | | **Noise Canceling** | Cuts outside noise, such as engines, air conditioning and office chatter. | | **Wind Reduction** | Noise canceling tuned to reduce wind noise. Only on older models that report it, such as the WH-1000XM4. | | **Ambient Sound** | Lets the outside in through the microphones, so you hear announcements, traffic and people. | | **Off** | Neither: the headphones play your audio as they are. | On My Device (⌘1), the **Ambient Sound Control** card has a button for each mode. The menu bar panel has the same buttons. ## Ambient level and Focus on Voice When you choose **Ambient Sound**, two more controls appear: - **Ambient level** sets how much of the outside you hear. On the WH-1000XM4 and older models it runs from 1 up to 20 (or the highest level your model reports); on the WH-1000XM5 and newer it runs from 0 to 20. Use the arrow keys to move it one step at a time. - **Focus on Voice** lets voices through more clearly than other sounds, which helps for a quick chat or an announcement. Press ⌥⌘V to switch it. The app remembers the last ambient level you used and returns to it whenever you switch to Ambient Sound. ## Switch from the menu bar or the keyboard The menu bar panel is the quickest way: click the headphones icon, choose a mode, and adjust the level if you're in Ambient Sound. You don't need to open the window. When Open Sound Connect is the active app, the **Headphones** menu has a shortcut for each mode: | Keys | Mode | | --- | --- | | ⌥⌘N | Noise Canceling | | ⌥⌘W | Wind Reduction (if your model has it) | | ⌥⌘A | Ambient Sound | | ⌥⌘O | Off | | ⌥⌘V | Focus on Voice on or off (in Ambient Sound) | [Keyboard shortcuts](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-keyboard-shortcuts) lists the rest, including ⌃⌘1 to ⌃⌘9 for scenes. ## What each model has | Model | Modes in the app | Ambient level | Also | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [MDR-1000X](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/mdr-1000x) | Noise Canceling, Ambient Sound, Off | As the headphones report it | — | | [WH-1000XM2](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm2), [WH-1000XM3](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm3) | Noise Canceling, Ambient Sound, Off; Wind Reduction if reported | From 1, up to the model's maximum | NC Optimizer, if reported | | [WH-1000XM4](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm4) | Noise Canceling, Wind Reduction, Ambient Sound, Off | 1–20 | NC Optimizer | | [WH-1000XM5](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm5) | Noise Canceling, Ambient Sound, Off | 0–20 | — | | [WH-1000XM6](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xm6), [WH-1000XX](https://opensoundconnect.app/headphones/wh-1000xx) | Noise Canceling, Ambient Sound, Off | 0–20 | Listening modes | ### NC Optimizer (WH-1000XM4 and older) On the WH-1000XM4 and older models that report it, the **Sound** page (⌘2) has an **NC Optimizer** card. It tunes noise canceling to how the headphones fit you; some models also measure the air pressure, which changes on a plane. Put the headphones on, choose **Start** and confirm; the headphones play test tones for about 15 seconds, then the card shows **Optimized**. ### Listening modes (WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XX) The WH-1000XM6 and WH-1000XX add a **Listening Mode** on My Device, with the options your headphones report: Standard, Background Music (with a room such as My Room, Living Room or Café) and Cinema. While Background Music is on, the headphones may make the equalizer unavailable, and the app says so. ## Let scenes switch it for you A [scene](https://opensoundconnect.app/features/scenes) saves a noise mode with the ambient level and Focus on Voice, and can apply it by itself. The app starts you off with three: - **Deep Focus:** noise canceling, with Speak-to-Chat off. - **Out & About:** ambient sound at level 12. - **Conversation:** ambient sound at level 18 with Focus on Voice. Give one an **On connect** trigger for noise canceling at your desk, or an **App** trigger to switch to ambient sound when your meeting app opens; [Sony headphones for meetings](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-meetings-mac) has a full example. To have your music pause when you start talking, see [Speak-to-Chat](https://opensoundconnect.app/features/speak-to-chat). ## Common questions ### Does changing noise canceling on the Mac change it on my phone too? Yes. The mode is a setting in the headphones, not on the Mac, so it stays as you left it when you switch to your phone or press the headphones' own button. ### Why is there no Wind Reduction button? Only some older models report Wind Reduction, the WH-1000XM4 among them. The WH-1000XM5 and newer don't have it as a separate mode, so the app doesn't show it. ### Why don't I see the ambient level slider? It appears only in **Ambient Sound**. Switch to Ambient Sound (⌥⌘A) and the slider and **Focus on Voice** show up in the window and the menu bar. ### Do the keyboard shortcuts work when the app is in the background? No. ⌥⌘N, ⌥⌘A and the others are menu shortcuts, so they work while Open Sound Connect is the active app. From anywhere else, use the menu bar panel. ## Where to next - [Scenes and automation](https://opensoundconnect.app/features/scenes): Save your settings as scenes and apply them with a click, a shortcut, on connect, on a schedule or by app. - [Speak-to-Chat](https://opensoundconnect.app/features/speak-to-chat): Turn Speak-to-Chat off or tune it from your Mac, on the headphones or in Sony's app, and why it comes back on. - [Meetings: Zoom, Teams, Meet, Discord](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-meetings-mac): Speaker and microphone settings for Zoom, Teams, Meet and Discord, plus a scene that sets up your headphones for calls. - [Keyboard shortcuts](https://opensoundconnect.app/guides/sony-headphones-keyboard-shortcuts): Every shortcut for noise control, scenes and pages in Open Sound Connect, and how the menu bar panel fits in. --- Open Sound Connect is independent software. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Sony. Sony, DSEE, DSEE Extreme and LDAC are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sony Group Corporation or its affiliates. Apple, Mac, macOS, Finder, Safari, Xcode and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. The Bluetooth® word mark is owned by Bluetooth SIG, Inc. Other names are trademarks of their respective owners.