The LIve Buds do not seal off external noise and are only in your ear (unlike In Ears, which you put in properly and seal very well). So it's normal that you can hear your surroundings relatively well. I personally don't find it annoying, but very loud traffic can drown out the music. Make sure you use the buds correctly and, if in doubt, watch a tutorial on YouTube. In everyday use, ambient noise has never bothered me.