Electronics
Noise cancelling earphones
Introduction
Noise-cancelling earphones promise sounds (or silence) only you want to hear. Do they do the trick?
Good noise-cancelling earphones (aka earbuds) are a much better option than turning up the volume in a noisy environment. But our test of 5 models priced from $100 to over $500 found some hardly cut out any noise at all.
Models we tested
Checklist
If you're thinking of buying noise-cancelling earphones, here's what to look for:
- Fitting an earphone is a very personal thing. Every ear is slightly different in shape and size. Most models come with a number of different sized soft plastic cushions designed to fit into the ear canal. Some are fitted by pinching the ear cushions before inserting them so they expand to fit.
Check to see if you can buy replacement cushions in case you lose one or they wear out. In some cases, you may have to resort to a third-party product where the manufacturer doesn't supply replacements. - Cables should be long enough to allow you to reach a music player or aircraft sound plug connection comfortably without entangling you in excess wire.
- Plugs should fit the music player. Most models also come with plugs designed to work in aircraft.
- A volume control or mute button is a handy feature giving you quick control for brief conversations etc.
- Carry cases are important when travelling. They should be small and light, but offer enough protection to keep your earplugs safe.
Comfort factor
If you find normal earplugs uncomfortable after a short time, these products may not be for you. They sit in the ear canal and can be a source of some irritation. The best way to test this is to buy a cheap pair of earplugs designed to help with sleeping and try them out for a few hours. These are usually available from pharmacies.
Headphones that cover the whole ear or sit on top may also be a source of irritation, and will probably make sleeping more difficult if you're using them purely for noise cancellation.
Why use them?
We've talked before about the dangers of hearing loss brought on by listening for too long to over-loud music through headphones. It's all too tempting to ramp up the volume when you're in a noisy environment. Don't.
Audiologists recommend sticking to the 60/60 rule. If you listen to your music for 60 minutes a day, the volume should be set at no higher than 60 percent capacity. If you listen for more than that, the volume should be reduced.
Noise-cancelling earphones are designed to eliminate the need to turn up the volume.
The earphones work through a combination of passive noise cancellation (providing physical barriers around or in your ears) and active noise cancellation, which incorporates a tiny microphone. This microphone detects sound waves (such as the hum of an aeroplane) and sends out a stream of directly opposite waves. The sounds cancel out each other in the space between the microphone and your ear, creating small pockets of relative silence.
Headphones and earphones
Earphones come with most portable media players. They sit inside your ear, and are convenient to carry. However, their sound quality (particularly bass reproduction) is often seen as inferior to a good-quality set of headphones.
The earphones we tested generally had worse sound quality than the noise-cancelling headphones we've tested in the past. But if you don't want to carry a bulky pair of headphones, a good pair of noise-cancelling earphones will still do the job.