Will Noise Reducing Headphones Really Work For Me?
Categories: Features, Bose, Koss, Sony
At the moment, it seems nearly every new set of headphones released incorporate some sort of noise-reduction technology. But how does it work? And will it work for you?
How noise-canceling works
There are two basic ways for headphones to reduce external noise. The most basic way is to simply block external noise from reaching your ears. This can be done by either encompassing your full ear with a tight seal like the forthcoming Sony Altus headphones or by blocking your ear canal like the Bose TriPort IE earphones.
Both of these techniques work to an extent, but have their down sides. The over-ear design relies on forming a seal with your head which can get very warm and uncomfortable. It also tends to produce large and heavy headphones, fine for use in the home but not so useful in the sort of situations where you’d actually want to block out external noise, for example, on a train. The ear canal design is more successful at blocking out sound but, unless you can find a set of earbuds that fit perfectly, can quickly get uncomfortable. Many ear-canal ‘phones come with a selection of sleeves to offer you a better fit but even they are unlikely to fit perfectly (those with lots of money might try Ultimate Ears custom-fit headphones if they really crave the perfect fit).
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Tags:Bose earphones headphones Koss noise canceling Quiet Comfort QZ77 Sony
