How do Noise Canceling Headphones Work

Among the latest technologies, the noise-canceling headphone is one of them. Though the technology for canceling noise was used in the 1950s in helicopter and airplane cockpits, commercial noise-canceling headphones have been developed recently. As the name suggests, the noise-canceling headphone cancels the outside noise (to some extent), reducing the amount of incoming sound to the ear. This sounds very interesting, considering today's noise pollution. Let's take a look on how these noise-canceling headphones work.

How do Noise Canceling Headphones Work

The basic mechanism of noise-canceling headphones can be discussed under two categories, namely, active noise reduction and passive noise reduction. Let's understand first about the passive principle; over here, the incoming noise is reduced by physically blocking it or insulating the ear. In simpler terms, the traditional headphones and/or earplugs also perform the same mechanism and reduce the ambient noise to some extent, before reaching the ear.

In case of active noise reduction, the ambient noise is canceled by using technology. The components of noise-canceling headphones include circumaural earpieces, noise-canceling circuit and microphone(s) that are installed in the earpieces. Once ambient noise is generated, it is recorded by the microphone. The microphone is connected to the noise-canceling circuit, which may be set up in such a way that it either blocks the noise completely (both background and directed noise) or allows it to reach the ear.

The noise-canceling circuit, then uses the wave property of sound to cancel the ambient noise. It generates waves (inverse signals) that are exactly opposite to the incoming waves of the noise. Thus, based on the set up, the ambient noise is canceled before directing to the human ear. This way, the noise-canceling headphones work. In noise-canceling headphones, both the active and passive approaches are being used; whereas, in traditional headphones, only passive noise reduction is used.

In recent times, these noise-canceling headphones are used by passengers for undisturbed sleep. Some prefer to use them for hearing songs and/or enjoying music, without getting disturbed by the outside noise. There is no doubt that noise-canceling headphones are beneficial, in terms of reducing unwanted sounds. However, it is to be noted that noise-canceling headphones have certain drawbacks and limitations, depending upon the brand.

One of the major drawbacks of noise-canceling headphones is that, higher frequency noises are not canceled effectively. Speaking about the limitations; they are heavier than the traditional headphones and are power-consuming devices, meaning that you have to replace or recharge the battery (whenever necessary). While using noise-canceling headphones, you may feel a sense of physical pressure in your eardrums and at times it may be associated with hiss or hum from the noise-canceling circuit. Some of the noise-canceling headphones work efficiently for sounds that are continuous or constant, such as refrigerator, rather than changing sound like speech.

Because of these limitations of noise-canceling headphones, many people prefer to use a superior quality in-ear-headphones. Well! The decision whether to opt for noise-canceling headphones or not entirely depends upon the user. If you are purchasing a noise-canceling headphone, always opt for a good quality one, as inferior quality headphones may agitate you with the hissing sound.