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Does active noise cancelling actually work? I review tech for a living and know the truth
May 17, 2025
The hot headphone feature of the 21st century is active noise-cancelling, otherwise known as ANC. Flip a switch and the earpieces magically reduce outside sounds: jet engines, leaf-blowers, those chatty couples at the coffee shop. (You know who you are. Inside voices, people!) The result is that you’re able to work, fly, exercise or relax in relative peace.
Or at least that’s the promise. But what’s the reality? Do Apple AirPods and Bose QuietComforts and Soundcore Space Ones really do any good against life’s constant ear-intrusions?
Glad you asked, because this subject is near and dear: I despise uninvited noise, especially when I’m trying to write. Consequently, I’ve tested (and used) a ton of ANC-equipped earbuds and headphones. But before I tell you about the best ones, let’s tackle a few important questions.
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How does active noise cancelling work?
This will sound strange, but these headphones fight noise with … noise. External microphones listen to the ambient sounds, then counteract those frequencies in your ears, effectively cancelling them out. Talk about “sufficiently advanced technology that’s indistinguishable from magic”! (Taking a page from sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke.)
What kinds of headphones have active noise cancelling?
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