Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones & Noise Cancelling Earbuds

Are you curious about the noise-canceling headphones hype? There’s a reason that this type of headphones has become so popular among people for travel, business, and use on calls from any location.

 Because noise cancellation technology has advanced so much, headphones with the technology have long battery life, a more comfortable fit, better controls. They are more effective than ever at blocking out and reducing even the loudest background noise.

Music lovers, travelers, and people who make a lot of business calls appreciate the sound clarity, ease of use, and advanced features that are offered with many styles of noise cancelling headphones. Lenovo has a wide selection of the highest-rated noise cancellation technology so that you can find the best fit for your ears.

Types of Noise Cancelling Headphones Available

●        Over-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones

Noise-canceling headphones began with over-ear style headphones. This is because this style of headphone fit is really effective at blocking the ears from outside noise, which is a big part of noise cancellation. Over-ear headphones are very popular for travel, home, and office use.

●        Noise Canceling Wireless Earbuds

Both noise canceling technology and wireless earbud technology have improved significantly over the years, which has made it possible to build really good noise canceling earbuds. These styles of earbuds are truly wireless, meaning that each earbud is cord free.  Most noise canceling wireless headphones come with a rechargeable case that has the dual purpose of being a carrying case for your earbuds as well as recharging them when they’re inside. Usually, the charging case offers 2-3 recharges of your earbuds depending on the model.

●        In-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones

In addition to true wireless noise canceling earbuds, in-ear noise-canceling headphones are another version available. The difference between these two styles is that the left and right earbuds of in-ear headphones are connected by a wire. Some of them will have a loose wire or some will offer a more structured connection in the style of a headband. This style is often designed with active usage in mind, like going to the gym or running.

Most Important Noise Cancellation Features to Consider

●        Active Noise Cancelling Technology

There are actually three different types of noise-canceling technology that noise canceling headphones use. Active noise canceling has been the standard for true noise canceling headphones. How does it work?

In short, ANC headphones analyze the outside noise around you wherever you are. That may be street traffic, people talking, or the engine noise when you’re traveling on an airplane. By analyzing the sound, it’s able to detect its sound waves. After that, it actually emits sound waves through the headphones that are the opposite shape of the ones around you to essentially cancel out that noise.

Of course, to cancel noise headphones should have a tight seal either around the ear or inside of it if it's an earbud. If the seal isn’t tight enough, or you’re wearing your headphones half off of your ear, you’ll inevitably hear some of the ambient sound around you.

●        Adaptive Noise Cancellation

Adaptive Noise Cancellation (ANC) builds off of active noise cancelling technology. In fact, the science behind the two are the same in that ANC analyzes the ambient noise around you and produces soundwaves to cancel out that sound.

Headphones with Adaptive Noise Cancelling use slightly more advanced technology for analyzing the sound around you so that the headphones can adapt its cancellation depending on the environment and other factors.

For instance, headphones with ANC technology can also detect how the headphones are fitting in or around your ear. It will notice if there are any leaks and determine whether or not the way a person is wearing the headphones is the best fit to achieve optimal noise cancellation. This is especially useful for noise cancelling in-ear headphones, because the headphones will let you know if the size of the earbud is too big or too small for your ears.

●        Passive Noise Cancellation

Some noise-canceling headphones use passive noise cancellation to quiet outside noise, also known as noise isolation, noise blocking, or noise reduction technology. Headphones that use passive noise cancellation to eliminate noise do so by blocking the noise from reaching your ear. They don’t use any active or adaptive noise cancellation.

Headphones that rely on noise isolation may simply be designed to create a very tight seal between the headphones and the ear canal so as to block as much outside noise from reaching the ears as possible. Additionally, some headphones with passive cancellation will use special acoustic padding to increase the insulation between your ears and the headphones and create a further barrier for outside noise to get in.

●        Noise Cancelling Headphones with Microphone

In addition to using noise cancellation for the benefit of being able to hear what you’re listening to clearly, it can be really helpful when taking calls in noisy environments as well. The best noise-canceling headphones with microphone are actually able to isolate your voice when you’re speaking, in addition to eliminating outside noise.

Noise-canceling headphones use several microphones to analyze and counteract ambient noise. When you’re on a call, it does the same except it also recognizes your voice and is able to transmit it through the headphone’s speaking mic while minimizing background noise.

The most powerful voice isolation noise cancelling technology is found in noise cancelling headsets with an extended microphone arm. Models with the extended microphone can include additional active noise cancelling microphones specifically in the speaking microphone. This allows the headphones to target and reduce ambient noise that occurs while you are speaking. Some of these headphones are even designed to counteract the background sounds of loud, open office spaces.

●     Noise Cancellation Headphone Connectivity and Battery Life

If you’re looking for noise cancellation, chances are you’re going to consider how well those headphones perform when it comes to quieting background noise. It’s important to consider the connectivity features, battery life, and controls of the headphones as well, though.

Most noise cancellation headphones connect wirelessly via Bluetooth technology. Some also give you the option of connecting with a wired audio cable, which can come in handy when you’re traveling on an airplane and want to connect to the onboard entertainment system.

Above all, battery life tends to be one of the major feature considerations outside of the noise reduction technology. This is especially true with headphones that use active and adaptive noise canceling. Active noise cancellation technology and Bluetooth connectivity both use a lot of battery. For most noise cancelling headphones, you’re using both of those technologies at the same time.

As such, battery life can vary greatly. Over-ear noise cancellation headphones have a longer battery life than earbuds, though many noise cancelling earbuds come with a charging case that recharges the headphones when they’re stored.

How Are You Planning to Use Your Noise Cancelling Headphones?

●      Best Noise Cancelling Headphones for Business Use

Many people purchase noise canceling headphones from Lenovo for business use, as they can come in really handy in a lot of different situations. Noise-canceling headsets are great to use on conference calls and phone meetings when you’re in the office or working remotely.

In addition to the fact that using headphones allows you to be hands free, noise cancelling headphones allow you to hear other call participants very clearly. Other people on the call can hear you more clearly as well. If your office has an open floor plan or you’re working from somewhere that’s a little noisier (cafe, train), the voice isolation will help to minimize extra background noise from coming through on the call.

●     Ideal Noise Cancelling Headphones for Home Office Use

For similar reasons, noise-canceling technology can be very effective when you’re working remotely from home or if you have a home office.

Some noise canceling headsets offer powerful microphone isolation and noise reduction technology that really help prevent background noise from reaching the other side of the call. This is really useful when there are others at home (especially kids and dogs) who may make a lot of noise.

Of course, there are often times when professionals don’t want their boss, coworkers, or clients to be able to hear that they’re in a casual environment like their own home. The most effective headphones for using in loud environments are ones that are corded and have an extended boom microphone with its own noise cancellation.

●      Popular Noise Cancellation Headphones for Travel

One of the most popular uses for noise-canceling headphones is travel. Noise canceling headphones significantly reduce the noise of airplane engines, traffic, and other white noise that may come up in the background.

Not only does noise cancellation make travel more pleasant without all the background noise, it’s also a lot safer for your hearing. This is especially the case on airplanes. Engine and background noise when traveling on an airplane can be as high as 85 dBA (approximate decibel level), which is high to listen to for hours in and of itself.

If you’re trying to watch a movie or listen to music on headphones, you’re going to have to increase the volume of the audio more than usual to be able to make it out clearly. Noise-canceling headphones avoid exposing your hearing to dangerous noise levels for elongated periods of time.

Discover the Best Noise Cancelling Headphones from Lenovo

Choosing the right pair of headphones for you is a personal choice. Lenovo has the best selection of noise cancelling headphones, so you can find the perfect fit for you. Whether you need them for work at the office, at home, or to make your travel experiences safer and more enjoyable, you’ll find the best noise cancellation technology available for your needs.