What is Active Noise Cancellation?
What is Active Noise Cancellation?
Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) uses noise-cancelling speakers to reduce unwanted background noise.
The system is based on microphones that “listen” to the sounds outside and inside of the earphone, an ANC chipset inverting the soundwaves and a speaker inside the earphone cancelling the outside sound by the neutralising soundwaves. A bit like taking +2 outside and adding -2 inside to make zero.
Active noise cancellation can be processed through the ANC chipset using either:
- a feed-forward ANC system has a microphone which is placed on the outside of the earphone
- a feed-back ANC system has a microphone which is placed on the inside of the earphone
- a hybrid ANC system is a combination of a feed-forward and a feed-back ANC system
Your noise cancelling headphones may work in more ways than one. Pick the setting, mode or noise cancellation type that suits your commute or enhances your relaxation time.
Uses microphones and speakers to reduce background and surrounding noises. This is the most known type and has mostly been used in over-ear headphones. Technology has become so small and battery efficient now that it can be used in true wireless in-ear earphones.
Uses well designed ear cups to seal out unwanted noise. This is used for both over-ear headphones and in-ear earphones where the earbud itself will keep surrounding noise out.
Uses microphones and speakers to automatically adjust to your surroundings. This is the more sophisticated type of ANC where the level of noise cancelling digitally adapts to the surroundings.
Lets you change how much background noise you hear by manually adjusting noise cancellation levels. This is useful when you want to have full control.
Lets you easily tune back into the world around you, without switching off your music or taking your earphones out of your ears.
Lets you change how much of the outside world you want to pass through, without switching off your music.