staff@slashgear.com (Jordan Wirth)
2024-05-09 13:30:41
www.slashgear.com
ANC may only be effective with lower frequencies, but it still does a wonderful job of trimming down the entire ambient noise spectrum to a more respectable listening level, whether that be a bustling city or a hectic office space. It may not cut out those pesky background conversations, but it will diminish them at the very least. Thus, the logical assumption might be that active noise canceling is better than passive, right? Yet as incredible as the tech is — even in optimal conditions — passive noise canceling will be preferable for many instances.
Take situations where you are subjected to dangerously loud external noises, like air ratchets or a jet engine. You should never wear noise-canceling headphones in place of certified hearing protection. It might be tempting to pop on your Sonys while mowing the lawn or cutting 2x4s with a buzz saw, but that risks permanent hearing damage. ANC is better than nothing at all, sure, but it’s not an adequate replacement for devices designed expressly to prevent hearing impairment.
Remember, ANC is best for the lower end of the spectrum. Passive noise canceling cuts down a much wider swath of frequencies from low to high, even if it can’t “remove” them in the way ANC does. You may find that passive noise canceling does a better job than ANC in a specific environment (where hearing protection isn’t required), so bring along a pair of reusable earplugs for those situations.