Noise Cancelling Headphones - The Basics of How They Block Unwanted Noise2880942

There are basically two kinds of headphones developed to reduce background noise. Passive noise cancelling headphones and online background noise remover. The passive type muffles extraneous sounds as the active ones electronically decrease external noise.

Passive-

Passive noise cancelling headsets use what is known as circum-aural sound dampening design. They may be shaped like just one cup, which surrounds the ear. The rim of this cup consists of a high-density foam and sound wave dampening material. This produces a seal that blocks as much as 20 dB of noise.

Active-

The active noise cancellation headphones produce an additional 20dB of noise reduction than the passive type. It employs the same technology (circum-aural sound dampening design) as the passive headphones but additionally incorporates phase cancellation. Here is the key feature of active noise cancelling headphones. A microphone is positioned inside the headphone that picks up external noise that the aural cushions of the passive headphones are unable to block out. The phase cancelling technology is able to analyze the intensity and frequency of the pitch, also called the loudness and pitch with the noise. The circuitry then creates an exact replica from the noise and throws it 180 degrees out-of-phase. This, for all intents and purposes, eliminates the sound.

The headphone speaker then plays this "non-sound" in addition to whatever it is that you will be listening to. This artificial noise will be the exact opposite with the extraneous noise that means it is past the ear cushions. Then they cancel one another out due to the 180-degree phase reversal. Because of this the external noise is reduced significantly, allowing you to enjoy your audio with a dramatic decrease in background noise.

These kinds of headphones are ideal for airplanes or any place where there is a lot of external noise. On airplanes, for example, this type of noise reduction while using the headphones will dramatically reduce fatigue.

Another distinction between the two would be that the active type requires a power source, often a battery.

Noise cancelling headphones tend to be larger and heavier that regular headsets or earphones. They can, however, be a little more comfortable when worn for very long periods of time as a result of large cushions that impose less pressure around the ears.