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.
Like Ankers Soundcore Life Q30, the Life Q35 are also equipped with a transparency mode and three noise-cancellation profiles for outdoor or indoor use as well as for travelling. Flexible sound adjustment via an app is also available, and here the Chinese manufacturer relies on LDAC technology, a particularly high-resolution audio codec, for its new flagship wireless over-ears.
JLab recently expanded their in-ear portfolio with the JBuds Air ANC, a model with active noise cancellation that impressed us with a powerful sound, which can be adjusted via EQ modes, and the length of its playing time.
Skullcandy's Hesh ANC are compact, wireless over-ears for everyday use that are tuned for bass and designed to suppress or amplify ambient noise as required. In addition to Bluetooth 5.0, optional tracking via the Tile app is supported so that these headphones can be found if they get lost.
BT740iQZ - A somewhat unwieldy name for what are actually quite elegant headphones that the designers at Koss have come up with for their new Bluetooth model. With active noise-cancelling (ANC), integrated media control and hands-free function, as well as long battery life, these new over-ear headphones are designed to be a convenient audio accessory for all situations.
With the Epic Air ANC, the American manufacturer JLabs have incorporated several features that mobile users swear by: long playing time, active noise cancellation, convenient music control and telephony. In addition, its balanced sound with self-confident bass is pleasing, and it can be adjusted to suit your personal taste via configurable graphic EQ in four modes.
Bowers & Wilkins like to take their time in the innovation race and do not always try to jump on the technology-driven bandwagon immediately. Better late and done properly was what I thought when B&W announced the first True Wireless in-ears in their range with the PI5 and PI7.
KEF, the renowned British manufacturer of hi-fi speakers has launched its first completely wireless in-ears, the Mu3, which sound very musical, offer a long battery life and feature both active noise cancellation and a transparency mode. The design, originated by Ross Lovegrove, also features a high level of wearing comfort.
After Bang & Olufsen announced a partnership with Microsoft in mid-2020 and specifically mentioned the US software giant's Xbox gaming console, it was only a matter of time before we got the chance to wear a pair of gaming headphones from the Danish hi-fi specialist on our ears. Now the time has finally come: Beoplay Portal are here, and we shall see if they have what it takes to take the throne in the hotly contested gaming headset market. But will the result be Game Changer or Game Danger?
Bang & Olufsen launches the HX, a successor to the H9 that is supposed to offer more in all respects - except weight. At 285 grams, it occupies a top spot in the lightweight ear-cup league, which makes them exceedingly pleasant to wear right from the first fitting.
With the FreeBuds 4i, Huawei introduce a cheaper and technically slimmed-down version of the FreeBuds Pro. The new headphones offer a sleek design, active Noise-Cancelling and long battery life. On the other hand, they do without the dynamic ANC of the FreeBuds Pro. Here we take a look at what the other differences are.
