Are there annoying noises surrounding you all the time? Perhaps you’re thinking about getting noise-cancelling headphones to enjoy some peace and quiet, or to hear your music without any other sounds interrupting you.
Indeed, they’re a wise investment, however, understanding how they work will help you choose the right pair for you, plus there is much more to know about them before you put them on.
Quite a number of people shell out good money for noise-cancelling headphones thinking they will completely wipe out all other existing sounds. This, however, is not quite the case. Part of it depends on if you’ve selected active or passive noise-cancelling headphones.
The other part of it is that random loud sounds like that of a child throwing a tantrum at the airport gate, irrelevant chatter, and car horns can still come through. Sometimes, they’re even amplified, even when you switch on the noise-cancelling feature without any music playing.
Until everything else around us ceases to make any noise at all or technology catches up with us, we’ll likely still hear some of these sounds. But noise-cancelling headphones are worthy of your time and money for they enhance your serenity and allow for better music appreciation.
About a decade ago, we couldn’t have imagined this kind of technology, so perhaps what lies ahead is something we can’t conceive of now. At this point, it’s undeniable that wearing noise cancelling headphones for studying, to enjoy more peace and quiet, a better music experience, or to focus on work has quickly become your best option.
Keep on reading and you’ll find out if noise-cancelling headphones can be used without music too, and what else you can do with this amazing piece of modern technology!
Do Noise Cancelling Headphones Work Without Music?
In short, the answer is yes, noise cancelling headphones can be used without listening music.
As mentioned, technology has come quite a way over the last decade, particularly for personal listening devices like headphones. Once upon a time, there was little choice for headphones. You had no other option but to wear large headphones that went over your ears and connected to your device through a wire.
Now, while there are still wired version available, most people opt for the Bluetooth style that are completely wireless. You have Bluetooth headphones, wireless earbuds, and of course, headphones that cancel out unwanted sounds.
Most headphones offer a bit of sound dampening, but active noise-cancelling headphones are where it’s at.
They’re different from regular headphones because they don’t have passive noise-cancelling capabilities through padding.
They work by using a small microphone that’s built into the headphones. This microphone then picks up the noise around you and the headphones then play a sound that opposes that noise to drown it out.
Fascinating, isn’t it? Noise-cancelling headphones are wonderful for frequent travelers, music lovers, and anyone who simply needs to concentrate and get a bit of serenity in a chaotic world.
Now we’re spoiled for choice with noise-cancelling headphones. You can choose options that go over your ear, on your ear, or inside your ear.
Do you want them with wires or wireless? And lucky for you, because the technology has been picked up by many manufacturers besides Bose (the original creators of the technology), you have a range of budgets to choose from.
Still, they’re more expensive than regular headphones but that price is well-worth it for what you get.
You should know though that not all noise-cancelling headphones are crafted effectively.
Bose is one of the top brands since they were the ones to first develop the concept, but other brands do an excellent job while some need more improvement.
That’s why it’s important to go with a good brand that is highly-rated for effective active noise-cancellation technology.
Incidentally, you should know that you can use that noise cancellation function (called ‘NC’ for short) without playing music.
This is a wonderful feature to have over regular headphones because it can block out the sounds in the background when you’re someplace noisy, like a packed subway car or on a transatlantic flight.
There’s slight differences in every model, but the basic premise is that you can use your headphones without keeping them connected to a device or playing music.
Usually, you’ll need to take the stereo cable that comes with them and connect it to your smartphone or other device so that it doesn’t engage in the auto-off or auto power mode setting, which is the case for most models when you don’t play any music for 5 minutes.
When you do this, it keeps the headphones from powering off and allows you to use that NC function to preserve your treasured peace and quiet.
How to Use Noise Cancelling Headphones Without Music
Mostly, you’ll need to think about the sounds you want to block out. If you’re at work and the endless chatter among the other cubicles is grating on your nerves, you’d be better served with noise-isolating headphones.
These have better insulation to keep unwanted random sounds down while active noise-cancelling headphones are best for low frequency sounds like the roar of a jet engine.
If you’re a big traveler and you want to gain more quiet for sleep on an airplane before you big meeting on the other side of the country, active noise-cancelling headphones will be everything you dream them to be.
Unfortunately, there’s no such thing at this point in time as headphones that do everything. You’ll need to decide which features are most prized to you and choose the right pair that satisfies those needs.
If you’re mostly concerned with how music sounds through your headphones, then noise-cancelling headphones, while they don’t sound bad, won’t give you that pristine sound quality.
Just about every noise-cancelling pair of headphones out there sounds different with NC switched on compared to when you have it off.
In other words, if you want the best sound, you need to always have them on and thus, you’ll be draining the battery.
That’s not detrimental in and of itself, but it’s something you should know off the bat before you buy them, lest you find yourself disappointed.
The battery pack itself is an external unit if you choose the in-ear style. If not, they’re built into the ear cup.
They’re a little heavier but it’s not like wearing a bowling ball on your head. Again, no big deal, but if you’re expecting them to be just like an ultra-light pair of regular headphones, you’ll need to prepare for the weight difference.
If you specifically want noise-cancelling headphones though, you should get them. They are worth every penny for those that have the need for them. Keep reading and you’ll learn more about them!
How (and When) Noise-Canceling Headphones Work
As mentioned, noise-cancelling headphones use a microphone to input surrounding noise to process it, analyze it, and create an opposite sound to counter that noise. This is what gives you less outside noise.
If you think about the waves of the ocean rolling by, a peaceful image all its own, you’d see the crest which is the high part followed by the trough, the low part of the wave.
Sound waves are much like this. If you add the height of that crest and the depth of that trough, it would create a flat space. That’s pretty much what your noise-cancelling headphones do.
While it works wonders, it’s still not completely perfect. There is no such thing as complete silence with these.
They do make for excellent noise reduction with droning sounds from low frequencies like the engine on the airplane you’re stuck on for hours on end.
However, they won’t completely silence that chatty guy in the seat next to you who keeps trying to make small-talk during the flight.
That’s because the human voice is a higher frequency. Those kind of sounds will still be heard, but they won’t be as annoying as they would be without your noise-cancelling headphones.
Noise Cancelling Headphones Can Be Used for More than Just Music
Those that travel often love their noise-cancelling headphones because the make the trip much more enjoyable.
When you have a good pair of these headphones, you’ll beat the typical fatigue you’d experience on a long-haul flight thanks to the reduction of the low frequency noises.
With the in-ear models, they’re easier to take along but are more uncomfortable than over-ear models.
Plus, over-ear models add more passive blockage of noise too, simply by design. The drawback with those is that they’re bulkier and take up more space in your bag.
You’ll have to decide which drawback bothers you the least and fits your specific needs.
For those of you that aren’t frequent flyers or you have to contend with noisy conversations and higher frequency sounds, then you will not get the full benefits of noise-cancelling headphones.
If blocking out your chatty coworkers, annoying neighbors, or honking taxis below your apartment is what you’re after, noise-isolating earbuds or earplugs will do the trick.
They make earplugs specifically for sleep too, so if your problem is high-frequency noises at night while you’re trying to get some shut-eye, these can be a helpful option.
Noise-cancelling headphones are amazing for those that need them. They’re an investment though so make sure you’re buying them for the right reasons and you’ll be absolutely delighted with them. Keep reading to find out why they’re worth it!
Why Noise-Cancelling Headphones Are Worth It
Yes, noise-cancelling headphones are worth it. But they’re expensive, so make sure the points mentioned above are relevant to your needs and you will no doubt be happy you bought them.
Remember, there’s lots of clever marketing around all of them with a promise of 95% noise reduction.
That’s a great selling point, but you should make sure you look into it further. Essentially, it all comes down to your needs. If you’ve ever had a pair of in-ear headphones of prime quality, you likely know how helpful those can be.
If your need is for drowning out low-frequency sounds, you’re going to find noise-cancelling headphones to be most helpful. But do keep in mind that there are also noise-isolating headphones.
For those high-frequency sounds, those might be your new BFF. They should fit right though, and when they do, you’ll notice a major difference.
Other things to think about with your noise-cancelling headphones purchase are how your own ears are, the design of those headphones, how well it performs on noise-cancellation, and what you need them for.
The best of the best will truly make you feel isolated from the world.
If you’re frequently walking through busy city streets or riding your bike along them, you may want to save your noise-cancelling headphones for other times.
It’s not always a good thing (or safe!) to be cut off from the sounds of the world. Make sure that you’re always wearing noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds responsibly!
Conclusion
You can use your new noise-cancelling headphones without music, but you’ll have the best effects from them if you’re using them for the right reasons.
Because of active noise cancellation technology, understanding that they are best for cancelling out low-frequency noises will make you a happier person when you purchase them if those are your concerns.
You can use the NC feature without playing music just to get a more quiet environment, which might really help you on a crowded airplane so you can get some sleep or on morning train commutes.
High-frequency sounds won’t go away with your noise-cancelling headphones and knowing that and knowing what your lifestyle and needs are will help you make a sound decision, pardon the pun.
Noise-cancelling headphones are more expensive than other headphones but if the reason you need them is for handling low-frequency irritations, you’ll be making a wise investment into your own slice of silence.