Noise Canceling Wireless Headphones
Believe it or not, the idea for a noise control system dates back to the 30s and the first patent for such a system was granted to Paul Lueg in 1934. In the 1950s noise canceling systems were created for pilots to be used in the cockpits of helicopters and airplanes. In 1986 Amar Bose, founder of the Bose Corporation, developed a noise canceling headphone prototype to be used by pilots participating in the first nonstop flight around the world.
The technology for noise canceling wireless headphones has come along way since its early days and there are some models on the market that can block up to 90% of the ambient sound. Noice canceling technology works in two ways, passive and active. Passive noise canceling is the more low-tech method of simply blocking sound from entering the ear. A set of headphones made with a quality insulating material that forms a good seal around the ears will block some of the ambient sound.
Active noise canceling technology uses a microphone to detect ambient sound. Sound is simply vibration and the vibrations travel through the air in wave form. These sound waves put pressure on your eardrums and you hear sound. Active noise canceling technology picks up the ambient sound and effectively inverts the pressure wave to cancel out ambient sounds.
Active noise canceling technology works well on low pitched sounds and especially well on continuous sounds that you might experience when commuting by train or bus or when flying on an airplane. Noise canceling wireless headphones have a more difficult time with short, choppy sounds. The best headphones will apply both active and passive noise canceling effectively to give you the best listening experience whether you are working, listening to music, or trying to take a nap on a noisy airplane while listening to the sounds of a babbling brook.
