Active Noise Cancellation [ANC]

Active Noise Control  | Active Noise Reduction [ANR]

What is active noise cancellation?
Active noise cancellation uses a noise-canceling system to reduce unwanted background noise, mainly in in-earphones and headphones. Essentially, ANC is based on the principle of wave phase cancellation.

How does active noise cancellation work?
The system consists of a microphone that listens to the sound inside and outside the earphones; an ANC chipset is inverting the soundwaves.

What does active noise cancellation do?
A speaker inside the earphone cancels the outside sound by neutralizing the soundwaves. Think of it as adding -2 to 2 and end up with 0.

Earphones can cancel noise in more than one way, depending on the type of technology used in the ANC chipset. The three main types are: 

• Feedforward ANC
• Feedback ANC 
• Hybrid ANC