Synchronization of instability mitigation in audio devices

A method of controlling an Active Noise Reduction (ANR) audio system, comprising:

• detecting an audio instability condition in a first headphone, wherein the audio instability condition is related to audio feedback;
• and
• generating one or more control signals to adjust one or more ANR parameters of the first headphone to change the first headphone from a first ANR state to a second ANR state to mitigate the detected audio instability condition;
• generating one or more control signals to adjust one or more ANR parameters of a second headphone to match at least one of the adjusted one or more ANR parameters of the first headphone;
• and
• generating one or more control signals to adjust one or more ANR parameters of the first or second headphone to change the first or second headphone from the second ANR state after a predetermined amount of time, wherein the predetermined amount of time depends on a number of times the first and second headphones are switched from the first ANR state.

An Active Noise Reduction (ANR) audio system, comprising:

• a first headphone comprising a first controller arranged to:
• detect a first audio instability condition in the first headphone, wherein the first audio instability condition is related to audio feedback;
• and
• generate one or more control signals to adjust one or more ANR parameters of the first headphone to change the first headphone from a first ANR state to a second ANR state to mitigate the detected first audio instability condition;
• and
• the ANR audio system further comprising a second headphone comprising a second controller arranged to generate one or more control signals to adjust one or more ANR parameters of the second headphone to match at least one of the adjusted one or more ANR parameters of the first headphone;
• wherein the first controller or the second controller is arranged to generate one or more control signals to adjust one or more ANR parameters of the first or second headphone to change it from the second ANR state after a predetermined amount of time, the predetermined amount of time depending on a number of times the first and second headphones are switched from the first ANR state.