Noise cancelling technology uses sound waves to reduce unwanted noise. It works by generating sound waves that are out of phase with the incoming noise, effectively cancelling it out.
Here's a breakdown of how it works:
1. Detecting Noise
- Noise cancelling headphones and earphones have microphones built into them. These microphones pick up the ambient noise around you.
2. Generating Opposite Waves
- The microphones send the noise signals to a processor. The processor analyzes the noise and generates a sound wave that is 180 degrees out of phase with the original noise.
3. Cancelling Out Noise
- The processor sends the generated sound wave to the speaker drivers in the headphones or earphones. When the out-of-phase sound wave meets the original noise, they interfere with each other, effectively cancelling each other out.
Types of Noise Cancellation
There are two main types of noise cancellation:
- Passive Noise Cancellation: This type of noise cancellation relies on physical barriers like the earcups of headphones or the earplugs to block out noise.
- Active Noise Cancellation (ANC): This type uses electronics to generate sound waves that cancel out noise, as explained above.
Practical Insights
- Noise cancelling headphones are most effective at cancelling out low-frequency noise, like the hum of an airplane engine or the rumble of a train.
- They are less effective at cancelling out high-frequency noise, like human voices.
- Noise cancelling headphones can be helpful for people who work in noisy environments, travel frequently, or want to focus on their work or music.
