With noise-cancelling headphones you can escape your daily routine. Fade out annoying background noise and dive into your own sound world or just enjoy the silence. Frequent travelers or office workers not only use this type of headphone for more listening pleasure, but also for peacefulness and quietness.
Active and passive noise canceling
Noise-cancelling headphones reduce unwanted low-frequency noise thanks to active electronics (ANC). The ambient noise from the outside is detected by microphones and the headphone’s electronics then generate these (noise) waves but with 180 degrees out of phase. These anti-sound waves and the noise then get mostly extinguished. Good models achieve his acoustic trick without distorting the sound of the original material. The correct ear-cup design (over-ear or on-ear) ensures that unwanted noise in the mid-range and high-range gets absorbed (so called passive noise cancelling). There are also headphone models that only rely on passive noise cancelling, but these are not nearly as powerful as the active models.
Advantages and disadvantages of noise cancelling headphones
Biggest advantage: Mainly audiobooks and film scores, which usually have a much larger dynamic range than music, can be played much quieter, because the ambient noise does not have to be drowned out.
Disadvantage: The active electronics of the noise cancelling headphones require batteries or rechargeable batteries. But with play times of usually 25 to 30 hours per battery it’s enough for a long-haul flight.
Many models can also be used as normal headphones when the noise cancelling electronics are turned off or the battery is empty. With good models, there will be no sound difference to the operation with active noise canceling.
Relative to their price (159.99 euros RRP), the new Soundcore by Anker Liberty 3 Pro are outstanding True Wireless in-ears. They have individual sound profiles, adaptive noise cancelling (ANC), a high-quality LDAC codec and an extensive feature list. In short: We can expect sound and technical excellence with only a few compromises!
The Onanoff BuddyPhones Cosmos+ are kids' headphones that offer adjustable volume limiting via Bluetooth. They scored plus points for their long-lasting battery and stable Bluetooth range. They also earned a good score for their support of a high-quality audio codec and their impressive sound quality with good speech intelligibility. So are these robust, foldable over-ears the best wireless headphones for children, as the manufacturer claims?
With the Technics EAH-AZ60, the well-known hi-fi brand demonstrates everything that should be part of a modern high-end pair of headphones: high-resolution sound, efficient noise cancelling (ANC) together with the associated transparency mode and a special technology called "JustMyVoice". This aims to deliver excellent voice quality during video conferences and when travelling, even in noisy environments. Here we put this new True Wireless in-ear to the test.
In contrast to the CX True Wireless, the new Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless model offers functional noise cancelling and a coherent, powerful sound image for an extra 30 euros. These new True Wireless earbuds also fit comfortably. These Bluetooth in-ears from Sennheiser turned out to be real all-rounders for sports, home office and everyday use. Are they the best in-ear headphones in their class?
Functionally, the T5 II True Wireless ANC deliver a complete set of features that fulfil almost every desire: Noise cancelling, clever transparency mode, a comprehensive app connection and more. And, thanks to Dirac HD, they have a coherent and powerful sound.
The SoundSurge 90 closed, circumaural Bluetooth headphones from TaoTronics are impressive both visually and in terms of workmanship, and they offer an above-average range of functions for their price of less than 60 euros.
Nura adds a pair of exciting True-Wireless headphones to the market with NuraTrue. Their ease of use is excellent, and the technology used in individual listening profiles based on otoacoustic measurements is unique.
With their True Wireless in-ears, Chinese firm EarFun offer two product lines with different features, and these are updated or further developed regularly. In the Air range, the Air was followed by the Air Pro and the latest model, the Air Pro 2, which comes with extensive features and good sound that aims to please a target market who want a lot for a little.
The smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has added good-sounding, cable-free in-ears to its range with the Buds Pro, which provide three ANC modes and an ambient mode to flexibly attenuate or amplify outside noise. An optional personal listening profile can also be used, while these earphones also support the high-resolution LHDC and AAC audio codecs in addition to Bluetooth 5.2.
The long-established Danish manufacturer of high-quality consumer electronics B&O tout the latest addition to their True Wireless portfolio as offering precise, powerful playback and effective suppression of outside noise, with the Beoplay EQ claiming to combine high passive isolation with hybrid Adaptive Noise Cancelling.
