THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO… Noise cancelling headphones

Active noise cancelling enables you to block out the world and melt into your tunes. It feels like magic, but how does it really work? And what should you look for when buying a pair?

- Alex Cox

Science is no stranger to noise cancelling. Dr Paul Lueg submitted his first patent for wave cancelling technology way back in 1933, designing a system that could be used to reduce vibrations in loudspeakers; the theory was sound, but the technology of the time did not allow for the equipment to be made. In the ’50s and ’60s, Dr Laurence Fogel continued similar research and issued patents for the first viable devices, designed to cancel the potentially harmful frequencies of helicopter cockpits. This time the tech was transferred from speakers to ear directly, using earphones to reduce the risk of more damaging audio feedback.

Fogel, though considered the inventor of active noise cancellation, was not alone. Around the same time the US Air Force was working on a project to protect air crews’ hearing, culminating with the design and testing of an active noise cancelling project of its own. PD Wheeler’s design was the first to escape the lab, seeing its first experimental use in the then-new (and extremely loud) Hercules transporter. The tech focused on attenuating low frequencies since the enclosed nature of a flight helmet already deflected a majority of high-pitched sounds. And it worked, slashing 18dB of noise from its intended range.

TRUE WIRELESS HERO

APPLE AIRPODS PRO

Even outside of the addition of noise-cancelling, these are a remarkable upgrade over the standard AirPods, with a better fit, incredible sound quality and supremely low latency. Bring the strong hybrid ANC into the mix and things get even better: the inner mic doubles as a conduit for Apple’s excellent adaptive EQ, and the transparency mode sounds natural despite the fact you’ll have silicone tips wedged in your ears.