Are noise cancelling headphones safe or dangerous?

What are noise-cancelling headphones

These are headphones designed to cancel unwanted ambient noise through active noise control. They are different from passive headphones which use soundproofing to reduce ambient sound if there’s any.

With noise-cancelling headphones, you can listen to music or any other audio content on normal volume without increasing it too much. Such headphones have been successfully used in the aviation environment because they help relay communication without interference from concurrent noise.

So, are noise-cancelling headphones safe or dangerous?

This is a good question, listening to nonstop music from a typical headphone, is not a good idea. It could easily lead to hearing loss. But when you talk about noise-cancelling headphones, the right answer here becomes noise-cancelling headphones are absolutely safe.

This question can be answered in two ways since everything in this world has its pros and cons, to find out more about noise-cancelling headphones, continue to read this article.

An overview of how these headphones work

As aforementioned, these headphones use a sophisticated mechanism of active voice cancellation which counteracts concurrent noise in the environment.

In simple language, these headphones produce noise to fight noise outside them. Noise-cancelling headphones are very useful in those times that you really get in the zone of listening to music, watching video or even working on your computer.

Sometimes you want to focus on your work, but there’s a lot of noise in the environment. These headphones reduce different background sounds like noise from an airplane engine, from the highway or train among others.

Noise canceling headphones produce an anti-noise sound wave which counters unwanted background noise. They come with an audio processor which detects noise and produces an opposite wave pattern, completely canceling the sound.

Other headphones have built-in isolating mechanisms plus soundproof materials put in place to block out noise. Such headphones don’t use active noise cancellation.

Are these headphones safe or dangerous?

When the noise cancellation feature is on, it doesn’t mean that there will be complete silence. Usually, there’s slight hissing in the background, and this makes some users feel dizzy.

This however, doesn’t damage the health of an ear. Compared to mobile phones, these headphones do not emit any form of radiation, so they are not harmful.

If you are among those people who do not like this hissing sound, then you can opt for other noise isolating headphones which have been soundproofed (passive noise cancelling headphones).

These ones don’t actively cancel noise with the anti-nose waves, they are made with multiple layers of cushions and form that completely seal your ears and keep noise out.

You should also note that noise-cancelling headphones are not the only proven method to eliminate distracting noises. There are various apps in the market that help cancel out background noises especially during calls.

But these headphones are also perfect because they are not harmful. As a matter of fact, they are very beneficial to your health since you don’t run the risk of losing your hearing, using other substandard headphones.

How are they beneficial to your health?

If you work or stay in noisy areas and you constantly have to deal with noise, then these headphones may protect your ears. Most people don’t know that long term exposure to loud noises like jackhammers, airplane engines, noisy trains, and even traffic could be very dangerous to your health, especially hearing.

There are different levels of noise, and they have different frequencies and amplitude/loudness, these noises affect human hearing differently.

Some of the effects of loud noises include sleep deprivation, high-stress levels, headache and even extreme health damage leading to loss of hearing.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a low-level or loud noise; both of them are dangerous to your health, especially when you are constantly exposed to them.

Low-level noise cannot make you lose your ability to hear, but if you are continually exposed, it can harm you in so many other ways.

People who stay in noisy homes or handle machines that make a lot of noise have high levels of stress hormones in their system compared to those who live and work in quiet environments.

High cortisol (stress hormone) in the bloodstream leads to high blood pressure. It is also associated with high cholesterol, which in most cases it causes heart disease.

Low-level noise also increases cortisol in the blood. This makes people living in areas with low-level noise more stressed than those living in quieter neighborhoods.

This affects people of all ages. One sure way of protecting yourself from noise and its effects is to wear noise-cancelling headphones. They protect you from potential problems caused by prolonged noise exposure.

Noise-cancelling headphones have numerous benefits. They cancel interference so that you can enjoy music at friendly volumes. You don’t have to put volume very high to a point where you run a risk of damaging your ears.They have special designs for different kinds of people. When purchasing one, it is important to go for what fits you best.

Advantages of using noise-cancelling headphones.

With much noise present in the work today, it is important to own a noise-cancelling device to enable you to enjoy some quality time and focus on your interests.

The following are some of the advantages of noise-cancelling headphones:

1) They are efficient and block most sounds.

Their performance has made many customers happy. You don’t have to play music too high. With these headphones, you can now comfortably listen to music at any volume you like, provided the volume doesn’t affect you.

2) These headphones give you an awesome and life-changing listening experience.

Apart from noise cancellation, they offer high-quality sound. They are great for traveling since you can focus on your work or study without external experience.

3) They are ideal for students.

These headphones are capable of giving you maximum concentration in anything you do anywhere. You won’t be distracted by external sound and activities.

Disadvantages of using noise-cancelling headphones

Apart from giving you peace and focus to do what you are really concerned about, here are some of the negative things that come with using these headphones.

1) Noise-cancellation headphones are more expensive than regular headphones.

Compared to other regular headphones, noise cancelling headphones are more expensive ranging from $100 up to $500.This is because of their additional noise cancelling features.

2) They use a lot of power.

This is probably because of the noise cancellation features. Some of them have internal rechargeable batteries, while some are plugged directly to the power supply.

3) They are heavier than their counterparts- regular headphones.

Because these headphones have internal rechargeable battery and the noise cancelling circuitry, they weigh higher compared to their counterpart regular headphones.

4) Slight twisted sound quality.

This may be due to the mechanical cancellation effect or the hissing sound that comes from it when it is in action. They do not cancel all external sounds efficiently, and the interference is still present. These headphones are not 100% efficient, no machine is.

Noise-cancelling headphones have no significant side effects. If you do not expose yourself to loud sound for prolonged periods of time, then you will be okay.

These headphones come with so many benefits, so they are worth your money. Their disadvantages are insignificant. The only catch is that they are expensive, so you better take good care of them if you happen to own them.

How to prevent hearing damage

Today, many people develop hearing problems because of prolonged exposure to loud noise from headphones. It is always good to keep your volume low, or moderate, high-level volumes are harmful.

How do you know your volume is moderate?

It is simple really, the rule of thumb will help you out here. Compare your volume to that of a typical vacuum cleaner. You should always keep your sound lower than that of the cleaner, within 70 decibels or so. 85 decibels is the standard marker, but comparing to the vacuum cleaner will do fine.

Another way to know you are playing music too loud is by noting what happens when you remove your headphones. If your ears buzz or sounds muffle, then turn the sound down.

Final word

These headphones do not pose any kind of risk to your health. The technology used to develop this product works well, and there’s no consequence since they don’t emit radiation. So you shouldn’t be worried about any health implications.

As a matter of fact, these headphones protect your ears from the effects of noise. They take care of your ears, increase your concentration and make you enjoy the noise-free time.

The only way to put yourself at risk is by playing content in very high volumes for prolonged periods of time.

High volumes affect hearing as well as your general health, so always maintain moderate volume when using them. Now that you have this information, feel free to purchase and use noise-cancelling headphones, but be mindful of the volume you play your music at and do not forget the rule of the thumb.

If you want to buy a pair of noise cancelling headphones, then below is our list of recommendations based on quality, price and users’ feedback

For more information about noise cancelling headphones and headphones in general you might want to have a look at our list of e-books below