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.
The Danish high-end manufacturer Bang & Olufsen celebrate their 95th birthday with the special model H95, which - as of 2020 - seeks to combine all their experience and technical know-how in a pair of stylish ANC headphones.
With their QuietComfort Earbuds, Bose are seeking to demonstrate that even in the cable-free class, True Wireless in-ears are extremely effective at reducing noise and delivering high-quality sound. We test whether they actually manage it.
Padmate's cable-free Pamu Quiet in-ears feature hybrid noise reduction with dual-chip technology, support Bluetooth standard 5.0 as well as high-quality audio codecs with aptX and the AAC format. The eye-catching pocket watch sized case serves as a charging station.
With their Redemption ANC, House of Marley have added slightly bass accentuated, cable-free in-ears to their portfolio, and they are made of sustainable materials in accordance with the company’s philosophy. These headphones support Bluetooth standard 5.0 as well as high-quality audio codecs with aptX and the AAC format, while the visually appealing bamboo surfaces offer integrated touch controls.
Nuraphone, unique headphones that work with a special type of hearing measurement, was introduced by the Australian manufacturer Nura about two years ago. Now their in-ear version, NuraLoop is available. We ask: Was it worth the wait?
The successor to the Sony WH-1000XM3 from 2018, one of the most popular over-ear headphones with noise-cancelling ever, has been eagerly awaited. Sony already conquered and successfully defended a top position in the market since the introduction of this product series in 2017 (MDR-1000). Accordingly, expectations are high…
The cable-free EP-N5 in-ears from the Chinese manufacturer Aukey offer noise suppression, support Bluetooth standard 5.0 as well as a high-quality audio codec with the AAC format and, despite their low price, are equipped with touch control. As these headphones are water and sweat resistant, sports applications are also possible.
TaoTronics’ SoundLiberty 94 come with Active Noise Cancelling, are True Wireless, equipped with Bluetooth 5.1 and at first sight offer a package with a considerable running time and neat workmanship for just under 80 Euros. Whether this is actually the case, we will investigate in detail here.
Back in February 2019, we confirmed a great test result for the Dual Driver BT ANC from 1more. Their successor relies on technical improvements such as Bluetooth 5 and an appealing look with matt black and discreet decorative stripes in metallic red.
The closed circumaural Shure Aonic 50 are a pair of wireless headphones with Active Noise Cancelling which have been designed to provide studio sound in the upper mid-range. We've checked them out to see if they succeed in doing this.
