Noise Cancellation Headphones Review

The technology of noise cancellation headphones has been around since the 1950s but only in the public arena since the 1980′s. Bose Corporation, the high end audio suppliers were the first to release this technology. One of their staff traveling on a commercial airline found the headphones issued to be lacking. Many people today will not travel long distances on flights without their noise canceling headphones. So the question is how do they work and what makes a good set of headphones?

Noise cancellations headphones have a microphone that record in real-time the sounds it hears. It then takes those sounds and turns them inside out so they are the inverse of the sounds recorded. By applying the inverted sounds against the actual sounds the noise is eliminated. Because this works in real-time the technology is less effective when dealing with noises that change rapidly. Instead constant sounds such as airplane engine noise is a perfect candidate for elimination with this technology.

All noise cancellation headphones need a battery to work. In some models the battery is housed with the cables which can make it somewhat inconvenient. More useful models have the battery in the headphone casing itself meaning no excess bulk or inconvenience is created. Some models allow the headphones to continue working as normal headphones without the noise cancellation technology when the battery runs out.

The two main versions of headphones are the over ear surround model and the on ear models. The over ear surround acts as a passive noise eliminator. Like an ear muff, sound is prevented from reaching the ear canal. Add to this noise cancellation technology these eliminate the most outside ambient noise. However they can be heavier than the alternative and some people find them sweaty when used for long periods of time.

Noise cancellation headphones that are worn on the ear simply rest on the ear surface and tend to be lighter. With more airflow the trade off is less noise being eliminated. These are effective to cancel out background noise that is not too loud.

On feature to watch out for when evaluating models is whether the cable can be detached. This is useful if you just want to sit and eliminate airplane noise or the like, and don’t necessarily want to listen to music. Being able to detach means you won’t be tied to a set of headphone cables.

If you use your noise cancellation headphones for travel or work, it is a good idea to keep them protected while not in use. For that reason, check out the carrying case provided. If you think you will knock them around a lot it will pay to look for a protective hard case.

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