There are only two ways to enjoy your favorite jam; one is by understanding the words, and the other one is by using the right sound production equipment. Welcome to Simple Sound Guide, your home for everything sound related; there is no way you could enjoy any genre of music that comes from an imbalanced headphone or one that is barely able to cancel out external noise.
Noise-cancelling headphones are configured to reduce the unwanted surrounding sounds by utilizing active noise control, a technique known as soundproofing. Apart from sounding good, headphones should also feel good over your ears and above your head, the last thing that you should, therefore, experience while using your headphones is fatigue.
Now with regards to why you need the headphones, you will have to choose between the wired and wireless headphones each of which has its pros and cons as we will see later in this article. Headphones also come in different sizes, meaning you will choose a size that resonates with your style, we, therefore, have headphones that are designed to be light and at the same time portable. These are the “in ears” or the “on ears.”
Some headphones are, however, comfortably large and offer better audio responses, and which are known as over the years.
Choosing the right headphones
Most of us have had some rather crappy headphones over time and are probably tired of searching for the best headphones that also come at a pocket-friendly price. Therefore, if you don’t mind denting your bank balance a little bit, then you can go for the best headphones brands like JBL, Sony, Beats by Dre and Audio Technica among others. These above are a long term investment and it will be a while before you go combing the markets for some new pairs of headphones.
Choosing the perfect noise-cancelling headphones is a rather complex process than you would anticipate because there is so much more to consider than the feel and sound. So, the first thing that you might want to look into is why you want the headphones, because all the best headphones available in the market are made to cater to a specific audience.
For example, you will not expect to find the headphones that are used by the gym-goers to also be used by studio professionals as they both have different needs. In this case, therefore, the in-ears will suffice for the gym-goers while the over-ears will be perfect for the studio professionals, the reason for the above is because the specific types of headphones tend to have a flat response, and they can, therefore, listen to tracks more accurately and for extended periods.
Another aspect that plays an important role in headphone selection is the genre; music is dynamic, we therefore, have funk, classical music, pop, rock, reggae, and country music. The headphones that you, therefore, decide to settle with should play your favorite genre and bring out the much-anticipated sound response in terms of balance and quality.
Types of headphones
What do you aim to achieve with your headphones? Well, this is a valid question if you are serious about finding the right headphones. The normal headphones allow you to enjoy your music but also be in touch with your physical surrounding, you will, therefore, be able to hear kids play or sing in the background or even when someone is knocking.
But the noise-cancelling headphones will immerse you in music so the ambient noise will not reach your ears. Now with regards to your needs, you will settle with the appropriate headphones, remember, however, that the quality of music produced by the soundproofing headphones is usually compromised because the headphones do more than reduce noise.
Important to note is that listening to music at high volumes is a potential danger to your hearing and health and that is why some people complain of headaches, while others experience either temporary or permanent deafness.
Wired or wireless?
For as much as we want to move with the latest headphone technology (Bluetooth), wired headphones still remain the best, as they have been established to have better audio responses. Wired headphones can also be a bit limiting when used for playing games, as they will only allow you to move a certain distance, but the wireless headphones are convenient, as they allow you to just insert your memory card on the go.
Wireless headphones are, therefore, convenient but have one significant problem that we cannot overlook “charging,” headphones are not used 24/7 and it is therefore very possible for you to forget to charge them. Also, some headphones are equipped with batteries that cannot contain the charge for very long, on the brighter side, however, is that there are wireless headphones that can be used for swimming.
Initially, we talked about settling with headphones that will suffice your needs, and here you have the option of choosing headphones that can take on some accessories, such as a microphone. Well, the above could be perfect for gamers, and individuals who don’t want to pick up their phones while working out or walking in the evening. Additionally, your headphones should allow you to change tracks in your playlist without necessarily touching your phone.
Durability and budget
If you have never worn headphones before, you will make this mistake; surprised? Don’t be, because you will unknowingly choose headphones that will make your ears sweat instead of choosing the ones that wick away moisture.
Headphones that retain sweat will barely stay in position regardless of the activity, so be sure to choose ones that are comfortable and also fit your ears. The headband and the slider can also mess you up, therefore, get headphones that when adjusted will stay in place, more so if you want to use them for running or swimming.
Lastly, before you pay, check on the headphones spec sheet, here you will be looking at the diameter of the driver in millimeters, so just like the speakers, the larger the driver the better the sounds produced. For over the years headphones try to search for headphones with drivers that measure 40mm or more at least for good bass performance.
Noise-canceling wireless headphones
At only $278, you will be able to make hands free calls, you could incorporate the voice assistant in this unit (Alexa), and via the smart listening feature, you can adjust the ambient sounds to your activity for the best noise cancellation.
The incorporated battery will give you up to 30hrs playtime, meaning that you can use it the whole day and charge it overnight. The earphones are foldable for convenience during travel and have been equipped with a digital noise-canceling feature, necessary for a virtual soundproofing experience.
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Sennheiser Momentum 3 wireless headphones has incorporated an active noise cancellation feature, designed to adapt to your environment. The headband and the earpads have been configured with the wearer’s comfort in mind, even if you are going to have them on for extended periods.
The unit is pretty easy to operate given the three-button interface, also, the auto on/off and smart pause feature, ensures that the wearer never misses a beat. The music produced with these headphones are very clear, no matter the amount of noise in the surrounding.
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Bose Noise Cancelling Wireless Bluetooth Headphones
At $379 Bose noise-canceling headphones will furnish you with 11 levels of noise-canceling control, and even better is that the controls have been optimized for use with Alexa and the Google assistant all of which you can do with the touch of a button.
Users will be provided with uninterrupted wireless entertainment for up to 20 hrs, additionally, you can turn any busy environment into a workplace given that the headphones have incorporated a powerful noise-canceling feature while offering some rather astonishing sounds.
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Beats Solo Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling On-Ear Headphones
The beats headphones definitely sound good but are known to block out less sound and you cannot bank on their comfort feature, at least when compared to the headphones reviewed above. Headphones have been known to use tech to add another level of active noise canceling, (ANC), a feature that can come in handy in areas that experience a lot of noise such as in the trains or streets.
Now with the beats headphones, you will enjoy using the ANC feature because, it works exceptionally well when it comes to noise cancellation, and is compatible with both IOS and Android devices. And if you were looking for a hands-free feature then the beats headphones will well suffice because the option has been made available via Siri.
Users can also extend their battery life by turning off Transparency and the Noise-canceling feature, and conveniently get up to 40 hours of battery life.
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Conclusion
Headphones serve varied functions and it definitely beats logic if you decide to settle with a unit just because it cancels noise, other features of the headphone are equally important and which you must look out for, before paying up. Noise-canceling headphones use the Active Noise Control feature, which has incorporated a microphone that measures the surrounding sound and then generates a wave foam, which is the exact negative of the ambient sound.
