What is noise cancellation on headphones? ??

We all love listening to music, watching a movie or playing something in an environment where nothing other than what we are doing distract us in the least. That is the usefulness of active noise cancellation and it is the topic that we are going to talk about today. So let's go there!

Index of contents

What sounds does the human being perceive?

There is only silence in absolute emptiness. Deep, huh? Nothing better than a quick physics class to warm up. Don't worry, I promise I'll be brief.

Hertz are the measure in which the number of times per second that we perceive a sound wave is expressed. The frequencies into which the sound is divided are:

• Not noticeable: Above the audible spectrum are ultrasound, which is sound waves above 20, 000Hz. The human audible spectrum or tonal field ranges from 20 to 20, 000Hz. This is the standard and as we well know it tends to decrease with old age. Not noticeable: below 20Hz we find infrasound.

To give you an idea, the most powerful sound that the human being has ever heard was probably produced with the eruption of the Krakatoa in 1883, and the mildest is the filament of a 100-watt incandescent light bulb a meter away from we.

Sound and pain: frequency and intensity

Okay, but just because we can hear throughout that range of sounds doesn't mean we should or it doesn't have consequences. The threshold for human hearing pain ranges from two factors: how high or low the frequency is and how intense it is.

Sound intensity is measured in decibels and measured between 0 (hearing nothing) and 140dB, with 140 being the point at which the sound is painful and thereafter causing severe damage. This is something to note since, unlike damage to other parts of the body, damage to the inner ear is irreversible. In this regard, supra-aural headphones (covering the ear) are often considered to be less aggressive than earplugs or earpieces, which generate sound directly indoors.

What is noise cancellation?

Noise canceling is a technology that is included in headphone manufacturing to isolate from outside sounds. Generally their integration increases the price of the same, but allows listening with little interference from external noise. The way these sounds are blocked can be done fundamentally in two ways: active or passive. Either because the headphones are made of highly insulating materials or because they bring with them active noise canceling technology. In this article we will see both models.

Passive noise cancellation (PNC)

It is the most sold on the market and also the cheapest to manufacture of the two, and this is because the insulating element is provided by the materials used for the headphones themselves. This type of insulation has the downside that it simply attenuates external sounds compared to what we can hear directly inside the headphones, but they do not actively compensate for the noise itself.

Unlike active noise canceling headphones, they are more efficient at reducing high-frequency sounds, but they lose efficiency in headphones below 100 hertz. PNC headphones use high density foam layers as insulation with materials that do not absorb or reverberate sound and this makes them heavier. There are limits to what they can do but they are also the most widely used by the general public.

1. Cheaper than active cancellation. More efficient at blocking high frequency noise. Greater variety of models.

Active noise cancellation (ANC)

It is the one that includes electronics to block incoming sounds outside the earpiece. For this, inside the headphones there is a small receiver (or several), generally located in the central area, which is integrated into the circuit covered by the padding. Your job is to collect the sound that filters into position from outside and alter its wavelength. To be able to do it, the earphone itself generates a white sound that is always present even if it is almost imperceptible, but is in charge of neutralizing any other sound.

To what extent can this technology block external noise ? Well, according to the model it is proven that they can block up to eighty decibels, which is the same as not hearing an airplane engine while flying in the cabin. We can conclude that headphones with this technology are very efficient at blocking low frequency sounds, but their downside is usually that they need a battery to power the system that allows noise cancellation. In summary:

1. They are the most expensive on the market. Most efficient for blocking low frequency sounds. They produce white sound as insulation. They need a battery.

Best noise-canceling headphones

We leave you some examples so as not to end up empty-handed covering from the crème de la crème to more modest models for tight pockets.

Sony WH-1000XM3B

Sony WH-1000XM3B - Wireless Headband Headphones with Integrated Alexa - Custom Black Noise Canceling, Designed to Fly; Wireless freedom without noise; Customize the sound to your liking 286.73 EUR

The best in its category. It includes high definition audio, bluetooth, adaptive sound and a battery of up to 30 hours of autonomy. Its noise cancellation software is Noise Canceling HD QN1

Plantronics 811710 Headphones

Plantronics 811710 - Headphones, Black Color High resolution surround sound; Active noise cancellation (ANC) on demand; Up to 24 hours of continuous wireless transmission EUR 273.82

Wireless, 24h autonomy, energy saving mode and range of up to one hundred meters. It does not achieve the quality of sound cancellation that in Sony, but it compensates with its price. It has a microphone.

Bose QuietComfort 35 II Headphones

Bose QuietComfort 35 II - Wireless Headphones (Bluetooth, Noise Canceling) with Integrated Alexa, Black Dual Noise-Canceling Microphone System for crisp sound and voice pickup; Sound balanced at any volume 255, 00 EUR

Although its battery lasts less than the previous two models (20h), this cute one brings with it access to the voice assistant from Google, Siri or Alexa (which is integrated). It has hands-free mode with an integrated microphone and its sound is quite clear and balanced.

Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC

Sennheiser HD 4.50BTNC - Closed Back Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones, Black and Silver Color NoiseGard active noise cancellation reduces ambient noise levels; It has NFC for a quick connection with compatible devices 119.99 EUR

It has NoiseGard sound cancellation technology, built-in microphone, wireless Bluetooth 4.0 and the life expectancy of its battery is 25h.

Cowin SE7

Cowin SE7 Bluetooth Wireless Headphones with Deep Bass Hi-Fi Microphone, (Hi-Res Audio, Noise Canceling, Bluetooth, 30-Hour Autonomous) (Black) 99.99 EUR

Noise canceling technology activates both wired and wireless, low latency AptX HiFi sound and 90dB with good bass. Bluetooth 5.0 and 30h autonomy.

COWIN E7

COWIN E7 Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with Deep Bass, Comfortable Protection Pads, 30 Hours Playtime for Travel (Black) 49, 49 EUR

Another Cowin, this being the best performance for a lower price without losing much quality. The radical decrease in price is due to the fact that this model has passive noise cancellation (without electronics), but retains great similarity with its sister model SE7.

We recommend you read the best gaming headphones on the market

Conclusions

• Noise-canceling headphones aren't magical, and there's a limit to what they can do. Consider how necessary they are for you before purchasing some. Active noise cancellation sounds more cutting-edge, but generates white sound that reduces the purity of what you hear and also makes its price more expensive. A good padding for passive cancellation also works wonders by attenuating sound outside and it will cost you much less. We must always remember to be considerate with our ears, turning the volume up to maximum can be expensive in the long run.