Noise-cancelling headphones

Noise-cancelling headphones are headphones that reduce unwanted ambient sounds using active noise control (ANC), a technology that electronically minimizes external noise by generating sound waves that interfere destructively with incoming sounds. They are commonly used in environments with persistent background noise, including aircraft cabins, trains, offices, industrial workplaces, and urban environments. Noise-cancelling headphones differ from traditional passive noise-isolating headphones by actively reducing low-frequency environmental sounds rather than relying solely on physical insulation. While passive isolation blocks sound through earcup padding or in-ear seals, active noise cancellation uses microphones, amplifiers, and digital signal processing to detect surrounding sound and produce an inverse waveform intended to cancel the incoming noise before it reaches the listener's ears.