12 Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for 2023 — Audiophile ON

Frequently Asked Questions About Noise-Cancelling Headphones

Do Noise-canceling Headphones Work Without Music?

Some of them do, but it depends on the manufacturer. Many brands take the lack of music input signal as a queue to turn the headphones off to conserve battery life. We recommend you check before purchasing if it’s possible to use the headphones with noise-canceling only.

Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Damage Hearing?

No, they do not and in practice, they could be safer than regular headphones. The biggest factor in whether headphones or speakers damage your hearing will be how loud you play your music.

Many people already listen to music that is far beyond safe levels. This gets exacerbated when there is a lot of external noise. If you hear a lot of noise in your environment, the natural reaction may be to raise the volume to compensate. ANC headphones remove that external noise, making you less likely to increase the volume as a response.

Do ANC headphones block out voices?

If someone is next to you and speaking one-on-one, you will most likely still be able to hear what they say. It may sound a little muted or distorted, but you should be able to follow a conversation for the most part.

If you are talking about the collective voices of groups in a large room, hall, or office, then yes, this should be blocked out or at least reduced.

This is because noise-cancelling headphones more successfully cancel consistent noise in set frequency bands with more erratic direct speech. If someone is speaking to you, the sounds are less predictable and, therefore, harder to tune out for the algorithm.

This does have advantages in cases where someone is trying to get your attention. Similarly, in a busy city, you might not hear the rumble of traffic, but you would listen to a horn blast.

Do I need Noise Canceling Headphones?

By far, the most common question we get asked is regarding this technology. The answer is dependent on how and where you listen to music. Suppose you are in any place with a lot of external noise. You will benefit greatly from using noise-cancelling headphones in cities, offices, airports, cafes, and even libraries. You will feel less tired and more relaxed at the end of the day.

If you are someone who works or lives in an environment with little ambient sound around I would suggest you get a set of audiophile headphones and enjoy the music.