The Basics of How Noise Cancelling Headphones Work

If you have the curiosity about how noise cancelling headphones work, and how it emits sound, then the article I have prepared for today especially tackles the subject matter. Of course, you may need , but knowing its mechanics gives you the insight into determining the right wireless earpiece for you.

So without any further delays, let’s get right into it and answer the all-important question on what noise cancelling headphones are and how noise cancelling headphones work…

What are ANC Earbuds?

What does ANC mean in earbuds? ANC stands for Active Noise Cancelling. And as the name suggests, the technology generally refers to the ability of the device to reduce noise pollution either in part or completely filter them out to provide you the audio experience you have in mind.

Although the device is tiny in perspective, it has several microphones that serve a specific purpose. For a start, the first set of microphones is whenever we are communicating with the device. The other set basically uses a system that the earbuds use to listen to the environment’s ambiance and filters them out.

In answering the question “What is ANC in earbuds?” you also have to remember that the sets of microphones depending on the manufacturer’s discretion, but they generally use either of the following chipsets—

• Feedback ANC System – the active canceling noise chipset is placed within the internal boards of the device
• Feed Forward ANC System – the chipset is embedded within the external boards of the device or near the recording ANC chips
• Hybrid ANC System – it is a sophisticated ANC system it combines the Feedback ANC system and Feeds Forward ANC system

The latter technology is typically used in high-resolution Bluetooth devices and big headphones such as the soundcore Life Q30. For example, the soundcore Life Q30 significantly reduces noise pollution by 95%. In addition, it offers high-resolution and clear audio—all thanks to its 40mm dynamic drivers that could produce frequencies of up to 40 kHz. You’d also be happy to know that it can produce up to 40 hours of playback.

How Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Work?

Now, we have a good understanding of the topic of what ANC is on headphones. We now move on and discuss how sound cancelling headphones work.

Before we carry on, allow me to tell you first that the terms relayed here are a little bit technical, but I will try to simplify the explanation to make it easier for you to understand them.

Anyway, the ANC mode in earbuds uses an acoustic process called the phase inversion to cancel the noises around you. Imagine two parallel lines moving in a synchronized motion. Now, this process is referred to as in-phase.

So what ANC Headphones do is that they delay the other wavelength by approximately one-half, which results in the background noise being much fainter while boosting the in-sound audios. In contrast, this process is what is known as “out of phase.”

As mentioned in the previous section, the ANC for earbuds uses another set of small microphones that identifies noise pollution and filters them. As a result, it causes them to be “out of phase,” which is how noise cancelling headphones work.

However, you have to bear in mind as well that the ANC doesn’t completely block out the external sounds. The best premium brand today that offers flagship earbuds reduces noise pollution at least by 90%.

Another concern that many have is if you can use the ANC headphones alone, or if noise cancelling works without music. The word “active” in ANC generally indicates that it actively filters noises whenever they are turned on.

And as I have already stated earlier, best headphones are capable of giving you a significant decrease in environmental sounds, then the soundcore Life Q30 will definitely provide you the audio experience you are looking for.

What Kind of Earbuds Do You Need?

Another topic we have to take note of in tackling the matter of what noise cancelling headphones do is the types of noise cancelling features you have to take note of, which include the following—

Active Noise Cancellation

The active noise canceling feature is the most common one you will find in many earbud brands in the market. As mentioned in the previous sections, the device utilizes microphones to identify background noises and eliminate them.

Passive Noise Cancellation

Although ANC is the most common noise-canceling technology in headphones, there are many other types as well. Another popular example is passive noise canceling, which uses ear cups to bounce off unnecessary noises.

Adaptive Active Noise Cancellation

How do noise cancelling headphones work for the adaptive active variety? It is a more sophisticated technology compared to your typical ANC because, aside from microphones, it also uses speakers to reduce noise pollution by adjusting them automatically.

Adjustable Active Noise Cancellation

It is the same variety as adaptive active noise cancellation that uses microphones and speakers. It has the only exception of adjustability whenever you are trying to reduce the external sounds.

Transparency Mode

It’s a feature in earbuds that allow a level of noise to penetrate and still give them awareness to the wearer of their surroundings.

Adjustable Transparency Mode

This mode allows you to control the level of background noise without having to turn off your music.

Adjustable Own Voice

As the name suggests, it is a noise-canceling feature that gives you the ability to adjust the surrounding noise through voice commands. So how noise cancelling headphones work in regards to this type is relatively sophisticated due to the additional voice control and, needless to say, they are more expensive.

Frequently Asked Questions about How Noise Cancelling Headphones Work

Now, below are some of the commonly asked questions about how noise cancelling headphones work—

Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Really Work?

Noise cancelling headphones don’t block the sounds around you 100%. For example, premium headphones are able to reduce noise pollution by at least 90%.

How Does Noise Cancellation Headphones Work?

It basically depends on the type of headphones. For example, ANC uses another set of the microphone to filter sounds, while passive noise cancellation uses cups to deter them.

Do noise cancelling headphones work without music?

The short answer is, yes they do. Noise cancelling feature does not have to be activated with music playing simultaneously, and if you just want to lay back and enjoy some pure silence in your afternoon break, wearing your headphones without playing the music will also block all the noise.

Final Thoughts

I hope today’s article has provided you with the information you need on what ANC earbuds are and how noise cancelling headphones work. Either way, this specific earbud feature is a great option to look for, especially if your primary purpose is productivity or you just want silence whenever you are on the move.

As I have discussed thoroughly in this article, active noise cancellation uses two sets of microphones—one is used to record your voice, while the other one identifies unwanted sounds, which basically answers the question of how noise cancelling headphones work.