wireless earphones

If we may indulge in some first-world hyperbole for a moment, we would like to state that nothing is more annoying than having constant background noise that perfectly ruins our experience of listening to music, listening to podcasts, or watching movies while travelling.

Infants in tears, high-pitched squeal caused by the constant rubbing of trains against rails, and the obnoxious screech of bus brakes are the absolute pits, right? And it's especially annoying when it cuts into the awesomely graphic details of murder from the most recent episode of The Casual Criminalist. In all honesty, it would drive anyone insane. Don't worry though, busy achiever, music lover, and harried commuter!

Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) is here to help in this situation.

What exactly is noise cancellation?

Firstly, let’s have a look at what exactly is meant by "noise cancellation?"

To put it plainly, this entails preventing the entry of unwelcome and unpleasant noise that disturbs your enjoyment or peace. Seems comprehensible enough. I think that covers everything. Finished what I set out to do, and this blog entry is complete.

The specifics, however, are not so simple. Similar to the (terrible) adage "there are many ways to skin a cat," there are a variety of approaches that can be taken to create a noise-cancelling effect. They essentially fall into two distinct classes:

  • Passive Noise Cancellation
  • Active Noise Cancellation

Passive Noise Cancellation

Let's begin with Passive Noise Cancellation, which is the most typical method of noise reduction.

To prevent unwanted noise from reaching the user's ears, passive noise cancellation systems employ sound-absorbing materials (such foam and specific rubber compounds). As a result, the ear canal is sealed up and no outside noise can enter.

You get the benefits of passive noise cancelling whenever you put something inside or over your ears, so technically, all earbuds and headphones do this to some extent.

Active Noise Cancellation

What the name implies, active noise cancellation is an active strategy for eliminating annoying sounds. Although we have greatly oversimplified the process, the basic idea behind it should be clear.

Your earbuds house cutting-edge technology that analyses ambient noise via external microphones. Miniature speakers within the earbuds would analyse ambient noise and produce a counter or cancelling tone of the same frequency. The generated sound is in direct frequency opposition to the ambient noise, causing a 'cancellation' to occur.

Subcategories of Active Noise Cancellation

It's not enough for ANC to just generate soundwaves that cancel out ambient noise; users can (typically) choose between various Active Noise Cancellation varieties appropriate for their specific contexts, usage scenarios, and environmental variables. The ones we have included here are only examples.

Adaptive

This sort of Active Noise Cancellation adapts to its environment, adjusting the strength of the ANC and the counter-waves it generates in response to the degree of ambient noise. In principle, the Active Noise Cancellation would not be engaged in the absence of noise.

Adjustable

This version of ANC, as the name aptly implies, adapts to the user's tastes rather than varying in response to outside noise. What is your ANC preference? You have complete control over that.

Transparency

To keep people, alert and aware of their surroundings, ANC lets some ambient noise through. This is very helpful while communicating with others or when standing on a busy street. For either situation, however, we strongly advise removing your headphones (for safety reasons).

Modifiable opacity

This is an improvement over traditional Active Noise Cancellation in that it allows the user to choose between different degrees of transparency.

Voice-Recognition Technology for Oneself

In this Active Noise Cancellation setting, you'll be able to hear your own voice throughout dynamic situations like phone conversations or Zoom meetings.

Selecting the Ideal OPPO ANC Earbuds for You

The best part, after learning about ANC and the several settings available, is buying your first pair of OPPO headphones. Even while our initial inclination is to say that any pair of OPPO headphones is a safe bet, we know that not every customer has the same requirements. If you do not require Active Noise Cancellation at those times, that's fine.

Okay, let's begin.

The Buying Guide

Go-getter / Innovator: OPPO Enco Air2 Pro

You are always on the go and never stay indoors no matter the temperature or precipitation. Whether you are working out, hiking, or commuting, you probably want to listen to some tunes or a podcast while you are doing it. You should take advantage of the opportunities presented to you because life is short.

The OPPO Enco Air2 Pro is up to the challenge of your fast-paced lifestyle with to its Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), IP4X water resistance, 12.4 mm titanium diaphragms, 28 hours of battery life, and Bluetooth 5.2.

Oppo Enco Free 2: Ideal for Frequent Travelers with Heavy Schedules

You spend all your time on public transportation. Amidst the foggy kaleidoscope of technicolour lunacy that is the world outside, you have time in the day to centre yourself and go through social media. You're the peace that comes after the storm. Your very name, Peace, says it all.

The Enco Free2 with its 30hr battery life, three-level Active Noise Cancellation, and Dynaudio-developed acoustics is ideal for surviving the rigours of your daily commute.

The OPPO Enco Air 2: Ideal for Homebodies and Remote Workers

You long to be completely isolated from the outside world. You are prepared with a killer playlist to rock out to while you work. Everything outside your door is meaningless to you. Outside? What other people think of you is irrelevant, because you are the master of your own fate.

The Enco Air 2 is a pair of lightweight noise-cancelling headphones that have a 13.4mm diaphragm driver in each ear and binaural low-latency audio.

Audiophile Recommendation: OPPO Enco X2

From the majestic French horn on Hans Zimmer's Inception score through the rumbling bass of Armin van Buuren's Hystereo and on to the reflective melodies of BTS's Black Swan, music is your universe. You crave it to the point of death. The air is breathed in. You just cannot imagine a universe where Adele's diva-like vocals and L'Arc en Ciel's soaring rock hymn Drive are not universally adored.

The Enco X2 are the best wireless earbuds because they have industry-leading adaptive Active Noise Cancellation, sound designed by Dynaudio, dual-diaphragm audio drivers, wireless charging, and IP54 water resistance.