Noise Cancelling FAQ

All about Noise Reducing Headphones and Noise Cancellation technology

Noise cancellation technology is a growing field that capitalizes on the combination of disparate technological advancements. The purpose of the technology is to cancel or at least minimize unwanted sounds.

Modern lives seem full of all sorts of noise, some of which are dangerous to our ears. In fact, many people, especially those who live and work in cities, have very little quiet time during the day.

Noise cancellation technology aims to remedy the excess noise that we experience. Of course there already are low-tech solutions to the problem. Ear-plugs and sound dampeners are available, but they are not very convenient nor very efficient. Noise cancellation tries to 'block' the sound at the source instead of trying to prevent the sounds from entering our ear canals.

Some things to consider when buying noise cancelling headphones would be comfort of wear, because you will be wearing these more often, in fact much more once you hear what you have been missing, so do they cover the ear comfortably? If you get ear buds they should be inserted easily and create a good seal.

Some brands offer different changeable ear buds, so you can find the one that fits properly. I would then research if it requires a battery, as most do. What is the expected battery life, is it a rechargeable or do I have to keep extra batteries for a longer trip? That is important because you do not want to be on plane for example and run out of batteries. Though I will say from personal experience most have a 20-40 hour battery life.

The next thing that you should consider when buying noise cancelling headphones would be extra features, such as adapters or a case. These are minor but are nice, and some makers of noise cancelling headphones offer these items.

The next thing I would look at would be the technical specs on the noise reduction. Some manufacturers will proudly display these to show the differences between their competitors, and if there are some stark differences I would strongly recommend that as a key factor.

The brand name of the noise cancelling headphones would be the next logical step. Sennheiser and Sony are well known brands, but others like Shure and Kennsington and JVC or RCA should also be a top consideration.

The lesser known brands like Etymotic Research can be rated highly for quality and should not be ignored. The last thing I would suggest would be price, but realistically it may be the first thing you consider when choosing noise cancelling headphones.

Still if cost is the primary reason you are selecting these headphones, you could miss out on features that would make you regret the purchase later based on not making an informed choice. Knowledge of features is just as important as cost when you are buying noise cancelling headphones, so do your homework and enjoy your purchase, it is your musical comfort that is most important after all.

But how does it work?

Sounds travel through the air, or through liquids in the form of waves, and each of those waves has a particular shape. Noise cancelling technologies first rely on small microphones that detect the sounds in a given environment. A digital signal processor determines what sound wave is required to cancel the unwanted sound wave and then it creates that sound and amplifies it through speakers or headphones.

One way to understand this is to imagine a 'positive' sound and a 'negative' sound created at virtually the same time, and these two sounds cancel themselves out thereby bringing the listener closer to silence. These technologies are in their early stages, and they cannot completely omit sounds, but improvements are consistently being introduced.

The hope is that one day that these technologies can be used to minimize all sorts of unwanted sounds around us. Imagine, for example, a lawn mower, hair dryer or vacuum cleaner that included a noise cancelling system, thereby greatly reducing the unpleasantly loud sounds. Noise cancelling headphones are already available.

The headphones cancel out unwanted ambient sounds allowing the listener to focus solely on the music. The latest versions of these noise cancelling headphones work surprisingly well, and new applications are certainly on the horizon.

Whether you're listening to your mp3 player on the road or your high-end home stereo, your choice of headphones is critical. Choose a style that's best for your listening needs; they run the gamut from lightweight earbuds to full-size, over-the-ear models. And if the outside world is still too noisy, consider models that provide active or passive noise isolation or noise cancellation.

Lets just face it the many distractions that we all face daily can be REDUCED by using these newer type headphones. Used almost exclusively by the airlines and military, now it is available at other price ranges.. So we offer various prices and brands to let you decide. We have chosen those we believe will offer great value and quality

So what is NOISE CANCELLING exactly?

What are some good earbud types and why??

Why choose Noise Reducing Headphones?

Why chose Noise Reducing Headphones?

Because there are many types of background noises that can ruin the music that you are trying to hear. If it's a movie or a talk show don't you deserve to hear the truest, clearest sound available? We think so, which is why we offer so many brands for you to choose from and with great prices as well.

What is a good headphone for my mp3 player?

Let's face it your mp3 player just doesn't have the capability to overcome outside noise, unless you turn the volume up so loud, then it is the distortion we usually hear. Noise Reducing Headphones make the mp3 player sound clearer and the music more crisp and true. Each type of earbud has it's own unique sound, so find out what is best for you, the range can be from really expensive to very modest priced.

So what is NOISE CANCELLING exactly?

Noise-cancelling headphones reduce unwanted ambient headphone reviews noise-cancelling sounds (i.e., noise) by means of active noise control. Essentially, this involves using a microphone, placed near the ear, and electronic circuitry which generates an "antinoise" sound wave of the opposite polarity from the sound wave arriving at the microphone.

This results in destructive interference, which cancels out the noise within the enclosed volume of the headphone. Keeping noise low at the ear makes it possible to enjoy music without raising the volume unnecessarily. It can also help a passenger sleep in a noisy vehicle such as an airliner.

What is a good headphone for my mp3 player?

A popular example is the Bose series of headphones, although other manufacturers including Sony/Aiwa also make noise-cancelling headphones. These headphones only try to actively cancel the lower-frequency portions of the noise; they depend upon traditional noise suppression techniques (such as their earcups) to prevent higher-frequency noise from ever reaching the interior of the headphone.

This approach has three benefits: The demands on the electronic circuitry are vastly simplified. Because of the shorter wavelength of the high-frequency sound, active cancellation is much less effective at higher frequencies. To truly cancel high frequency components (coming at the ear from all directions), the sensor and emitter for the cancelling waveform would have to be adjacent to the user's eardrum, an impractical situation.

For the same reason (shorter wavelength), effective passive isolation becomes easier with rising frequency. There are also noise-reducing headphones produced by Shure and Etymotic Research, among others. These remove sound purely by using passive techniques (sound-absorbing insulation) instead of by producing anti-noise sound.

What are some good earbud types and why??

The potential of earbuds There is great disagreement about: Whether earbuds could potentially sound good, given their small size. Whether any actual earbuds sound good, or whether the whole idea needs further development.

Which earbuds sound good and which sound bad. Which of the expensive earbuds sound so good that the extra cost is justified. After testing many headphones and earbuds and applying my extensive experience tweaking equalizers, I think that earbuds actually have the potential to sound even *better* than standard headphones.

In any case, all headphones and earbuds need a new approach: a calibrated equalization curve built into the player, to yield flat response. Megabass is a step toward such a compensation curve. Like the Etymotics Research , earbuds have the potential to have smoother response than even the best popular standard headphones, such as the Sennheiser Electronics I've dialed in some truly vibrant, open sound using equalization together with cheaper earbuds.

It is easy and straightforward to equalize earbuds; just do anti-roll off to a greater or lesser degree, and leave the rest flat; there aren't mysterious jags hidden along the entire spectrum that need unique shapes of compensation. I'd rather trust my ears than the common assumption that earbuds are inferior.

If the conditions are right and the appropriate, ordinary EQ compensations are made, earbuds can be superior, rather than inferior, to good standard headphones. It's simply a matter of starting with a decent earbud driver, and providing the inverse of the earbud driver's frequency response.

If someone shows me a measured response curve of an earbud and it's rough and jagged, I will change my view somewhat, but in any case, I think that eq-compensated earbuds at least *can sound* unusually smooth and natural. Players need more fancy curves to compensate for specific earbud models. Some people haven't been lucky and haven't heard the one or two models that are really good.

No wonder they think earbuds are a poor packaging and sound poor. I was starting to suspect that *some* Sony stock earbuds (included with the player) sound great, and some sound lousy. People have complained about certain earbuds having too much treble; they might be referring to this. If you want less high-treble, choose from the higher-end units. Some people claim that the high-end such as have a lot of "treble", but I know that my high end earbuds has extra mid-treble with less high-treble, compared to other high-end units

The high-end have too much sibilant mid-treble at first; several people reported that this "smoothes out" after break-in.

Why people are choosing noise cancelling headphones?

So what are noise cancelling headphones really all about?

The following report includes some fascinating information about noise cancelling headphones--info you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you.

The number one reason cited by customers of today, when asked why they chose a pair of Noise Cancelling headphones, over the traditional type is quite clear. It is the music quality and the ability to listen at a lower volume, and drown out the daily noises we all take for granted. The hustle and bustle of the day can cause many people to have headaches and feel uneasy. It is quite natural for wanting to find a quiet time, in order to relax and read, or just close the eyes and hear only what you want too, without the distractions. If the customer likes to go for a leisurely walk then they also find the noise cancelling effect to be quite enjoyable. In about every way the slight extra cost for quality noise cancelling headphones will be nothing compared to the hours of peaceful tranquility it will deliver and quality of music they will enjoy.

Now might be a good time to write down the main points covered above. The act of putting it down on paper will help you remember what's important about noise cancelling headphones.

A long, long time ago, before the Age of the Walkman came along and revolutionized them in the 1980s, headphones were big and clunky. In those bygone days, headphones were stay-at-home things, relegated to late-night, LP music listening. That was then; the latest generation of slimmed-down headphones injects high-resolution music or home-theater sound directly into your ears.

The distinctions of portable and home headphones are melting away, but the following rundown of headphone types will clarify your buying options. How you intend to use your headphones--for music, home theater, or gaming--and where you plan to do your listening--at home or on the go--will narrow the range of possible types you'll want to research. The four major form factors are listed below, from the smallest (or most portable) to the largest, which are the least portable.

There's no wrong headphone style; whether you prefer snug-fitting earbuds or full-size, padded ear-cup models is a matter of personal preference. Choose the one that best fits your needs and your idea of comfort.

These headphones hush ambient noise by creating antinoise that obviates the noise at your ear. They don't eliminate noise entirely, but the better models significantly reduce the whoosh of jet planes' air conditioning systems. They're somewhat less effective at quieting the background din on trains and buses. It's important to note that noise-canceling headphones come in all form factors, from full size to earbuds.

Upside: Since you no longer have to crank up the volume to overcome background noise, you can listen at lower levels, which leads to reduced ear fatigue. You'll also hear more low-level detail in your music.

Downside: Some users may be sensitive to the antinoise, which exerts pressure on your eardrums. Most folks won't notice it, but we recommend auditioning noise-canceling headphones before you buy; all NC phones use batteries to power the circuitry, which may be stored in the ear cup of larger 'phones or in a separate in-line module on smaller models