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Active noise-canceling headphones don't eliminate noise entirely; rather,they hush ambient noise by creating antinoise that obviates the noise at your ear. The better models significant... Read more [+]
Active noise-canceling headphones don't eliminate noise entirely; rather,they hush ambient noise by creating antinoise that obviates the noise at your ear. The better models significantly reduce the whoosh of jet planes' air conditioning systems, but are somewhat less effective at quieting the background din on trains and buses. Since you no longer have to crank up the volume to overcome background noise, you can listen at lower levels, which leads to reduced ear fatigue—a definite plus. You'll also hear more low-level detail in your music. However, some users may be sensitive to the antinoise, which exerts pressure on your eardrums. Most folks won't notice it, but we recommend auditioning noise-canceling headphones before you buy. Noise-canceling headphones comes in all form factors, from full size to earbuds, but no matter the style, they always use batteries to power the circuitry, which may be stored in the ear cup of larger headphones or in a separate in-line module on smaller models.
For additional information on headphones, please see CNET's Headphones Buying Guide
