Most of the modern earphones and headphones come with features like long lasting battery, Bluetooth connectivity, touch buttons/sensors and much more. When comparing specifications, buyers often come across a feature called environmental noise cancellation (NC). But what does this feature do? The ENC blocks any extraneous noise to provide a better audio experience. It also helps in improving sound quality and protecting the ear.
Here, we will discuss how the function works and why the user should go for it.
Types of Environmental Noise Canceling earphones
There are two types of environmental noise cancellation – active environmental noise cancellation (ANC) and passive environmental noise cancellation (passive ENC). ANC is generally more effective when it is combined with passive ENC. However, passive ENC is a rare thing for over-the-ear headphones and the hardware requirements make ANC an unusual thing in earphones. Let us discuss the difference between these two and how they work.
What is Active Environmental Noise Cancellation (ANC)
Sound travels through the air like waves, which oscillate with peaks and dips. An ANC system broadcasts inverted waves, which cancel out the other waves. This means that the system eliminates extraneous noise for users, allowing them to just tune in.
What is the importance of active noise cancellation
The active noise cancellation system, which is present in a pair of standard headphones or earphones, is capable of reducing background noise by about 40 decibels. It effectively blocks out almost all background noise in most environments.
Drawbacks of Active Noise Canceling
This system is not as effective against loud and sudden noises like car horns. It is best suited for static noise, such as the sound of a moving train and airplane engine. However, users complain that the ANC headphones reduce the quality of the music. In addition, it has a drawback. Running ANC technology drains the battery very fast. So, most of the headphones with this system come with an on-off option for the ANC feature. Plus, it is more expensive than passive environmental noise cancellation systems.
What is a Passive Environmental Noise Cancellation
This method brings unwanted noise cancellation through the build quality of the earphones. This is completely dependent on the design of the product whereas ANC is not required as it produces anti-noise to block background sound. Passive ENC-enabled earbuds provide a noise-blocking seal in the user’s ear canal.
Components of Passive ENC include the rubber, sponge, or pad of the earbud and typically support form factors such as TWS earbuds, neckband earphones, and wired earphones. ANC, thus, becomes even more effective when it is combined with passive ENC.
,