[someonehere]

Maybe litigation about the earbuds being too quiet might happen if someone doesn’t hear something behind them like a car horn or oncoming something. I used to wear noise cancelling headphones while walking to work in downtown SF. It was too much cancellation that bothered me because I couldn’t hear anything approaching me from behind. I can easily see the opposite happen if someone was killed with the OG firmware. “Are AirPods too quiet? Do they put you at risk?”

[novok]

Wouldn't that also apply to earplugs?

[someonehere]

I don’t know. I’m not Apple’s lawyers.

I would assume wearing earplugs you have the intent of reducing the sound coming in. AirPods you are blocking external sound and replacing it with audio of some sort.

With earplugs you could still hear things but at a reduced level. AirPods you’re covering up and external sound that could come through.