When using noise-canceling headphones, the unwanted sounds are canceled out by creating an opposing sound wave to the one you want to eliminate.
It means that when one sound wave is at its highest peak, the other is at its lowest, canceling each other out.

Noise-canceling headphones use destructive interference

<ul>
<li>The microphone on the earcup listens out for ambient noise. </li>
<li>When the noise is registered, the microphone sends the frequency and amplitude of the incoming wave back to the noise-canceling circuitry.</li>
<li>An out-of-phase sound is created, then fed into the headphone speakers, along with the music you're playing. </li>
<li>It cancels out around 70 percent of external noise without affecting the music you're listening to.</li>
</ul>

How noise-canceling headphones work

Noise-cancelling headphones cancel out unwanted sound by creating an opposing sound wave that mimics the noise you want to get rid of, but just 180° out of phase. This means that when one sound wave is at its highest peak, the other is at its lowest, effectively cancelling each other out. This is known as ‘destructive interference’.To make this happen, several components are required to work together. First, there is a microphone on the earcup to listen out for annoying external sound. When any such noise is registered, the microphone reports back to the noise-cancelling circuitry with the frequency and amplitude of the incoming sound wave.<picture><source media="(max-width: 320px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C313, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C627 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=900%2C940 3x" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C313, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C627 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=900%2C940 3x"><source media="(max-width: 320px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C313, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C627 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=900%2C940 3x" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=300%2C313, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=600%2C627 2x, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=900%2C940 3x"><source media="(max-width: 375px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C371, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=710%2C742 2x" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C371, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=710%2C742 2x"><source media="(max-width: 375px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C371, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=710%2C742 2x" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=355%2C371, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=710%2C742 2x"><source media="(max-width: 425px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C423, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=810%2C846 2x" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C423, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=810%2C846 2x"><source media="(max-width: 425px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C423, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=810%2C846 2x" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=405%2C423, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=810%2C846 2x"><source media="(max-width: 589px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C579" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C579"><source media="(max-width: 589px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C579" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=554%2C579"><source media="(min-width: 992px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C648" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C648"><source media="(min-width: 992px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C648" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C648"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C426, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=816%2C852 2x" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C426, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=45&amp;resize=816%2C852 2x"><source media="(min-width: 768px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C426, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=816%2C852 2x" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=408%2C426, https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=45&amp;resize=816%2C852 2x"><source media="(min-width: 590px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C581" type="image/webp" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?webp=true&amp;quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C581"><source media="(min-width: 590px)" data-srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C581" type="image/jpeg" srcset="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=556%2C581"><img width="620" height="647" alt="Graphic showing noise-cancelling © Acute Graphics" title="© Acute Graphics" src="https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/4/2020/09/Sound-graphics-crop-fe59d49.jpg?quality=90&amp;resize=620%2C648"></picture><div class="caption" dir="ltr"><figcaption class="caption" dir="ltr"> © Acute Graphics</figcaption>
</div>With this information, the ‘out-of-phase’ sound is created and then fed into the headphone speakers, along with the music you’re playing. This masks the external noise without being audible itself or affecting the music you’re listening to.It works best with lower frequencies, like transport noise, and while it can’t erase unwanted sound entirely, around 70 per cent of ambient noise can be blocked using this method. Just remember to keep the headphones’ battery charged – active noise cancellation requires power to work.Read more about the science of sound:<UL><LI>Pay by Direct Debit and get 40% off an annual subscription*</LI><LI>Receive every issue delivered direct to your door with FREE UK delivery</LI></UL>

Noise-cancelling headphones use a phenomenon called 'destructive interference'.

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

timemanagement

Time Management

music

Music

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

Noise-cancelling headphones cancel out unwanted sound by creating an opposing sound wave that mimics the noise you want to get rid of, but just 180° out of phase. This means that when one sound wave is at its highest peak, the other is at its lowest, effectively cancelling each other out. This is known as ‘destructive interference’.

To make this happen, several components are required to work together. First, there is a microphone on the earcup to listen out for annoying external sound. When any such noise is registered, the microphone reports back to the noise-cancelling circuitry with the frequency and amplitude of the incoming sound wave.

With this information, the ‘out-of-phase’ sound is created and then fed into the headphone speakers, along with the music you’re playing. This masks the external noise without being audible itself or affecting the music you’re listening to.

It works best with lower frequencies, like transport noise, and while it can’t erase unwanted sound entirely, around 70 per cent of ambient noise can be blocked using this method. Just remember to keep the headphones’ battery charged – active noise cancellation requires power to work.

Read more about the science of sound:

<ul><li>Pay by Direct Debit and get 40% off an annual subscription* </li><li>Receive every issue delivered direct to your door with FREE UK delivery </li> </ul>

How do noise-cancelling headphones cancel sounds?

Noise-canceling headphones use destructive interference

How noise-canceling headphones work

Andrea A.'s ideas are part of this journey:

Related collections

Similar ideas