How to choose the best noise-cancelling headphones for you
4Active noise cancelling headphones – or ANC headphones – are fast becoming essential for anyone wishing to reduce external distractions while listening to their favourite tunes. Once reserved for flagship and premium headphones, you can now find ANC headphones to suit just about any budget.
Not all active noise-cancelling headphones are created equal, however, so in this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know in order to make a well-informed buying decision.
Check out our roundup of the best noise-cancelling headphones to buy: https://www.expertreviews.co.uk/headphones/1406074/best-noise-cancelling-anc-headphones
Noise cancellation basics
There are two ways headphones can reduce external noise. The first is sound isolation and this refers to the headphones' ability to physically block out external noises - using the ear pads, ear cups or the seal created by an in-ear headphone.
Active noise cancellation is much smarter and uses microphones on the outside of the headphones to monitor the sound around you. The headphones process that sonic signal, invert it and play it back in a bid to cancel out the initial soundwave.
While it won’t eradicate ambient sound completely, active noise cancellation can be very effective at filtering out the low-frequency background rumble in trains carriages, plane cabins and even busy offices – making it easier to enjoy your audio content at lower volumes.
It’s worth noting that the effectiveness of ANC varies greatly across different headphone models. While it’s hard to quantify, pricier options typically deliver more effective active noise-cancellation than cheaper pairs.
Headphone types
ANC is available across all major styles of headphones but the design has an appreciable impact on how effective the overall noise cancellation effect is.
Over-ear headphones envelop your ears with large cushioned pads and come in two forms: open- and closed-back. The former allows sound in, so over-ear ANC headphones favour a closed-back design with sealed earcups. This offers great passive noise-cancellation but makes over-ear headphones rather bulky, so keep an eye out for folding models if portability is important.
On-ear headphones look similar to their over-ear counterparts but with earcups that sit on top of your ears rather than over them. While they’re more compact than over-ear pairs they’re not quite as effective at blocking external sounds passively.
In-ear headphones are the most portable, lightweight option. They’re available in open-fit designs, which rest just inside your ear and silicone-tipped designs, which fill your ear canals. As open-fit headphones allow external sounds to filter in, for effective noise cancellation you’ll want to opt for silicon buds.
You’ll find plenty of great options within each category, and so your choice will ultimately come down to personal preference.
Additional features
Additionally, there are several other features worth considering when weighing up different models.
A passthrough, ambient or transparency mode can be particularly handy. Such modes allow external sounds in when required, letting you listen out for important public announcements or hold a conversation without needing to take off your headphones.
Some ANC headphones automatically adjust the level of noise cancellation based on your surroundings. Others allow you to adjust the level of ANC manually via a companion app or offer various levels of noise cancellation intended for different environments. Such granular control isn’t strictly necessary but it’s nice to have.
Likewise, while most ANC headphones are wireless, it’s nice to have the option of a cable connection via a 3.5mm connector. This allows you to hook your headphones up to devices that don’t support Bluetooth and keep listening if your battery runs dry.
Finally, for many a built-in microphone for phone calls is a must-have, while voice assistant support is key if you rely heavily on Siri, Google or Alexa.
For a complete rundown of the best noise-cancelling headphones on the market, along with the latest deals, see our website.
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