I’ve been quite skeptical of noise-canceling technology for years. My cheap earbuds did a decent job of passively blocking noise, so I figured Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) wasn’t worth the extra cost. However, a quick test of ANC immediately changed my mind.
What Is Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) and How Does It Work?
Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) headphones use microphones to pick up external sounds. This signal is then processed by the Digital Signal Processor (DSP), which creates a sound wave with an inverted phase—essentially, a sound that is the opposite of the recorded noise. When these two sound waves meet, they cancel each other out in a process known as phase cancelation, effectively blocking out the external noise.
ANC is usually combined with passive noise isolation in the form of thick earpads and closed-back designs for headphones and silicone or foam eartips for earbuds to achieve even greater noise reduction. Note that passive noise isolation can also be found in non-ANC headphones and earbuds.
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There’s another, more advanced form of ANC called Adaptive ANC. As the name suggests, Adaptive Noise Cancelation automatically adjusts the level of noise cancelation based on your environment. It’s particularly effective in environments where noise levels and types constantly change, such as traffic, public transport, coffee shops, and the gym.
Why I Thought I Didn’t Need ANC
As briefly explained in the introduction, I thought that my passive noise-isolating $20 earbuds were enough to get rid of noise at the gym or when I travel, especially if I turned the volume up.
While there’s some truth to that, I realized that I couldn’t just keep my volume at near-maximum all the time. As I get older, I’m becoming more aware of the importance of taking care of my hearing if I want to continue enjoying music as I age.
However, I still couldn’t justify the hefty price tag that these headphones and earbuds usually carry. Budget-friendly options like the $30 JLab GO POP ANC didn’t exist a few years ago, and even though they’re available now, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they offer great sound quality or that their ANC is effective at canceling noise.
Plus, I only used speakers and open-back audiophile headphones at home (the Sennheiser HD 599) when sitting at my desk, so I thought ANC wouldn’t be all that useful at home. All in all, I figured that ANC was a nice feature to have, but it wasn’t for me—until I tried them as part of my routine.
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