How Noise Cancelling Headphones Can Improve Your Listening Experience

Noise cancelling headphones utilize microphones to listen for ambient sounds and create an anti-noise sound that counteracts unwanted sounds. They're great for blocking out rumbles and chatter from planes and trains, in ear though they don't do much to cut screeching brakes or your seatmate's animated conversations.

Active noise cancellation requires a good seal whether it's earbuds, over-ear headphones or padding around the ears. We've tested their ability to can block lower-frequency sounds such as train and traffic also.

What is noise cancelling?

Noise cancellation is a feature which allows listeners to concentrate on their music or audiobook without being distracted by distracting background noises. Noise cancelling headphones come with built-in microphones that actively block external sounds before they get to your ears, effectively silencing the outside world so that you can enjoy your tunes or audiobook with peace.

Active noise cancellation (ANC) is one of the most common headphone features that are available. It is available on many different brands of headphones with a variety of colors and sizes, and even on some models that are budget-friendly. The technology behind them is simple: the ear cups or in ear earbuds are equipped with tiny microphones that "listen" to ambient sound frequencies, and then play back equal, but opposite anti-noise waves to cancel them out before they get to your ears.

This is referred to as destructive interfering. The crests and valleys of the waves cancel each other out, leaving only the music you're listening to. This works great on monotonous, continuous sounds like the drone of an airplane engine, or your colleague Bob who can't seem to shut up. However, it's less effective on high-frequency or sudden sounds that are more difficult to discern and filter out like the click of a keyboard or the alarm ringing from your phone.

Another form of noise isolation is passive, which blocks sound by creating an ear-to-ear seal with the padding of the ear cups. This is a good option for those who do not want to rely solely on batteries for ANC functionality, but still require a peaceful working environment or at home.

All headphones require power to function, regardless of whether it's an audio processor or battery. While ANC can reduce most external noises, they are unable to create a cone-shaped silence around your ears. If the ambient sounds are loud enough, they will simply bead into your ears. This is the reason it's essential to wear the headphones in a snug way enough that they don't have any gaps in the fit so you can get the maximum benefit from ANC.

How do you make it work?

The technology behind noise cancellation headphones is based on miniature microphones inside the earcups, or earbuds, that listen to the sounds around you. The sounds are then processed in the headphones to create a sound wave which cancels them out and blocks them from reaching your ears.

Sound waves, whether they're coming from the outside or through your music are made up of oscillating air molecules. This means that sound waves have a size or amplitude. It's measured by the distance between peaks of an undulating graph. Sound waves with higher amplitudes are taller, while those with smaller amplitudes are smaller. ANC headphones employ this technique to create the opposite sound of the sounds you hear around you.

ANC headsets have several features that help in blocking out ambient sounds, including feedback microphones and an ANC chipset. These chips make use of algorithms to invert sound signals and then emit an opposing signal. This is similar to launching anti-ballistic missiles to shoot down the warheads coming in (again, think of the military-grade countermeasures seen in war movies).

The ANC drivers inside each ear cup produce these opposite signals. When you activate ANC by pressing a button in your headset, the sounds of the environment are reduced or eliminated.

Although the technology behind ANC is impressive, it does come with some tradeoffs. The extra electronics required to enable this technology can add weight and size to your headphones, making them heavier than comparable models. They also draw more power, which could result in a decrease in battery life and possibly high-frequency hiss.

Another issue is that some users have reported feeling dizzy or disoriented wearing ANC headphones. While this is a problem, it's usually due to something else that is triggering these feelings, not the ANC headphones themselves.

The good news is that more advanced ANC headsets are beginning to address some of these problems. Bowers & Wilkins PX7 headphones, for instance, offer different ANC modes, such as 'office,' 'plane, and city'. They also have an adjustment slider that allows you to customize the amount of external audio you prefer to hear through. Apple's AirPods Pro 2 feature a similar feature, and a "Ambient Aware mode' that digitally adjusts the level of ANC according to your surroundings.

What are the best headphones for noise cancellation?

Noise cancelling headphones can make a a huge difference to your listening experience. They can help you concentrate in the office or block out noise from engines on planes, trains and buses. These headphones are great for commuting or working at home. They can be used on all audio equipment including tablets, smartphones and laptops. There are wireless ANC headphones to suit every budget. They're not cheap however they're well worth the cost.

The most effective noise cancelling headphones are comfortable to wear and offer a great seal around your ears. The battery lifespan should last at least 30hrs, which is enough to last you through your daily commute or working day. Make sure whether the audio source is compatible, whether it be Bluetooth or USB-C.

Over-ear headphones are more comfortable than in-ear models. They have a larger band and cushioned cups that are placed over your ears. This helps keep them in place for longer. They're also more effective at blocking out ambient noise. There are exceptions, however, and the best headphones for noise cancellation will depend on your music and lifestyle preferences.

Most over-ear headphones provide some degree of noise isolation However, the degree of reduction is going to vary greatly by design and how well they fit into your ears. A bad fit could let in more ambient noise, and could affect the quality of the bass. Try swapping out the stock tips of your headphones to see if it improves the fit and lessens ambient noise. This also works with earbuds of all types.

In-ear headphones can be uncomfortable to wear during long listening sessions because they tend not to rest on your ears, but rather inside them. They may be more comfortable when you tilt them back or forwards to adjust their fit. They are also lighter, which makes them more convenient to carry and more portable. In our tests, we found that the majority of earbuds offer noise isolation. However, they're not as effective as over-ear headphones.

What should I look out for when purchasing headphones that cancel out noise?

The top noise cancelling headsets reduce ambient sound to allow you to concentrate on your music without being distracted by your surroundings. They usually use active noise cancellation (ANC) to accomplish this, but not all ANC headphones are made in the same way. It's important that you consider the kind of ANC and whether it's in-ear or in ear and their quality of construction.

Both in-ear and over-ear headphones provide excellent noise isolation. In-ear headphones are more compact and less bulky. While models with over-ears can be more comfortable however, they are more expensive. Over-ear headphones tend to be more expensive, but they often provide superior sound quality, while in-ear models offer an affordable alternative that still delivers solid performance.

Certain ANC headphones allow you to alter the level of ANC to fit the needs of the moment. You can disable ANC on an airplane, on public transport or at home, but switch it back on when you're at work or home to block out the whirr of your PC's cooling fans or the lawn mower of your neighbour. Many headphones to buy also have the 'transparency' mode that allows some outside noise through so you can hear important ambient sounds, such as traffic or conversations.

In addition to ANC and ANC, the best headphones that cancel out noise typically come with a long battery life and Bluetooth support for wireless listening. Some are compatible with the aptX and aptX HD Bluetooth codecs, which deliver superior audio quality compared to conventional Bluetooth.

There are ANC headphones for less than PS50. However, the Bose QC35 II over-ear headphones are the most affordable. The ANC is top-quality with a delay between tracks to let you hear your own voice when talking and they also are high-quality and sound crisp and full of detail.

Children's noise-canceling headsets are also recommended in the event that your child suffers from sensory overload or needs assistance in processing auditory stimuli. They usually come in a wide selection of colors and designs designed for children and some even license popular video game or cartoon properties. They can be much more comfortable for children than traditional headphones and usually contain key parental controls like volume-limiting features that create safe listening levels.