In the recent years many companies developed special headphones that protect the listener from the outside noise. There are 2 ways of doing it, one is called passive noise isolation and the other is active noise canceling.
Because many people don’t understand the differences between the two and mix them even if they are 2 different technologies, here’s an explanation that will help you pick best headphones for your needs.
We all know how annoying it is when the environment noise is so loud you can’t enjoy your own music. If you are travelling on a crowded public bus a pair of headphones with good sound isolation or cancellation are a godsend.
What is passive noise isolation?
Passive noise isolation isn’t a new technology per se, it’s actually just a simple concept of sound blocking that every headphones already use to some degree. Because of different headphone designs, not all headphones are equally good at isolation.
Closed-back headphones and earbuds are usually the best at noise isolation. Closed-back headphones, as the name tells, have closed earcups that don’t leak or let in any sound. The open-back headphones are much different as they have an open, air flowing design that leaks sound outside and inside.
For good earbuds isolation you need to use proper ear tips. Double or triple flange ear tips work best and since you can fit them to pretty much every in-ear headphone, you can make any earbuds better at blocking outside noise.
To sum it up, noise isolating headphones don’t let the sound in or out and offer a quiet and private listening experience.
What is active noise canceling?
Active noise canceling is actually a technology and the reason why it is called “active” is because it needs additional power to work. All noise canceling headphones have a microphone that records the surrounding noises and then with the help of electric circuitry, creates an opposite sound wave and sends it to the headphones.
When the two opposite sound waves come to your ears they’ve already negated each other so you don’t hear anything at all.
Noise canceling is perfect for environment with constant noise levels, like airplanes or office with a noisy air-conditioning. While most noises will be canceled out, you will still be able to hear higher pitched sounds like human voice, chirping of the birds and the like.
For removing yourself from the environment while still being able to hear human voice, noise canceling technology is perfect for that.
You can find a wide selection of best noise canceling headphones, from the cheapest ones to the most expensive models like Bose QuietComfort.
Noise isolating vs noise canceling headphones
Noise isolating headphones will block all outside noise, but always let some of it in. There are no headphones that have absolute sound isolation, just good and bad alternatives.
Noise canceling headphones won’t cancel all outside noise, but only constant low frequencies like the humming of the airplane engines while letting in high frequency sounds.
Noise isolating headphones are usually much cheaper and you can get a good pair for an affordable price, though more expensive models exist too. Noise canceling headphones, on the other hand, don’t offer such variety of price points. Expect to pay 2 to 3 times more for a pair of good active canceling headphones.
Sound isolation doesn’t require any technology or power supply as it mostly depends on smart design, noise canceling needs electricity to do its magic. All ANC (active noise canceling) headphones need to have a battery which contributes to a higher price and the hassle of having to charge it.
Overall, both types of headphones do a good job in noisy situations, but with a different impact on sound quality. The biggest difference of them all is probably the price and the user experience since worrying about the battery level really changes the experience with noise canceling headphones.
Mark Anhalt is a writer at Headphonesaddict.com, for the latest reviews of the best headphone models on the market make sure to check it out.
