<p>Traffic noise remains a persistent environmental challenge, particularly in urban corridors where tire-pavement interaction dominates total noise emissions at medium and high speeds. In this context, open-graded asphalt mixtures have emerged as one of the most effective surface-level strategies for mitigating roadway noise. However, their performance is strongly conditioned by microstructural, mechanical, and environmental factors. This review synthesizes current knowledge on the acoustics of porous and open-graded asphalt mixtures by integrating three complementary perspectives: the physical mechanisms that govern noise generation and dissipation, the mechanical and sustainability-related performance of low-noise surfaces, and the technological barriers that continue to limit long-term acoustic durability. The analysis shows that noise attenuation in open-graded asphalt mixtures is primarily controlled by pore connectivity, tortuosity, flow resistivity, and surface texture, whereas conventional design indicators, such as total air-void content, capture these effects only partially. Evidence from laboratory characterization, multi-layer modelling, and long-term field monitoring illustrates that the acoustic benefits of porous asphalt are significant but inherently transient, with performance losses driven by clogging, binder aging, raveling, moisture exposure, and texture evolution. Mechanical trade-offs (notably reduced stiffness, rutting resistance, and fatigue performance) underscore the need for binders and aggregate structures that can balance acoustic and structural demands. Sustainability assessments highlight that open-graded asphalt mixtures offer notable social and hydrological benefits, although environmental and economic outcomes vary considerably across materials, traffic levels, and maintenance regimes. Lastly, the review identifies key scientific and practical gaps, including the lack of acoustically informed mix-design methods, limited integration of multiscale modelling, inconsistent measurement protocols, and the absence of durability-oriented acoustic specifications. These insights outline a clear pathway for advancing predictive, durable, and environmentally aligned low-noise pavements.</p>