How to dissociate itself from the city noise
Often, you spend your nerves when you had to read an important article on the plane, but you are constantly distracted by the endless cry of a child? You couldn’t concentrate and catch your thoughts, because you interfere with the constant buzz and chatter of colleagues? Such situations are familiar to everyone. Modern technology is not standing still, and there are a good option to isolate themselves from background noise, focusing on really productive work. It will be about headphones with active noise reduction that virtually destroy all the other sounds of the surrounding world.
Active noise cancellation
In order to better understand how these earphones, you first need to understand how active noise cancellation in General. Before this technology was used only in aviation and defense industry. Only recently has the consumer market could be enriched with this miracle of science. It is actually not so difficult, as could seem at first glance. All built on simple laws of physics and if you didn’t cut class in school, I understand this will not be difficult.
In any headphones with active noise cancelling built-in microphone, because without it, nothing happens. When listening to music or watching movie, this is the microphone records all the noises of the external environment. As the sound is, in fact, a certain wave oscillations, it is possible to reflect its mirror image, reverse wave, which will fully repay the initial. Simply put, the sound started up in opposition to himself, completely lost, and the human ear will not hear him.
In the end, outside sounds in opposite phase are superimposed on the music in the headphones in real-time and noises are not heard. Just enjoy clean sound and not pay attention to distractions of the outside world.
Now this technology is used in many situations. To travel by plane or train it will help you to relax and easily fall asleep. In the metro, you will be able to concentrate on reading or watching movies. At work easily together and improve performance by eliminating all distractions. When writing music you will be able to more clearly listen to the notes and to create real masterpieces. The mass of options.
We tested the technology AL
We could not test the technology for yourself. It is difficult to talk about smart things, is not convinced of their usefulness for yourself. Theory is one thing and practice quite another. For the test we chose several models of headphones with active noise reduction: compression, plug-in and Bluetooth (cordless). Contacted several companies and to our delight got a few models on a sample from the company . We came up with three different tests, in order to fully understand what the technology actually works, and you’re not throwing money away if you join her.
1. Test in the subway
The first model, which has undergone the test is . With them, we went straight to the subway. Where else to test active noise cancelling as it is not the busiest place in town? The characteristics of the noise isolation in these headphones should be around 20 DC at mid frequencies. Such we need this test because the subway noise can not be attributed to low or high ranges. Special assignment at the headphones was not. To hide the loud sounds of the crowd of thousands and speed of the cars is already difficult. Noise cancellation this model has proved at once: immediately at the entrance, usually bustling metro seemed so calm and soothing that even was not myself. The music sounded very clean, no questions about what does this new-fangled technology, have arisen.
Headphones showed his very good side, but if you consider the fact that while the music the noise disappears completely, the experiment has been a success!
2. The test in the gym
For the second test, we chose the Bluetooth model . It is convenient not only in travel, at work or in the city. The main distinguishing feature of this model is that it is very suitable when playing sports. No wires — no problem.
The test in the gym, we decided to hold for this reason. Headphones comfortable running and doing individual drills without fear of tripping over any cables. The subject was asked to run on a treadmill 3 miles with included music in my ears. Behind him, we brought in another party to the test and it must have been in a chaotic manner with a loud voice to ask to stop the runner. The first mile we deliberately said nothing to confuse the subject. The next 2 kilometers the request for stop was announced about 10 times and, surprisingly, he never stopped once. After, he said that he did not hear a scream and was thinking that he is joking. The result struck again!
3. Test the game
And on the third test did model. Mean headphones really stand out among the competitors, but on the inside they built all the same technology of active noise cancellation. Together with the technology of passive noise cancelling (headphones snugly in your ears, thereby cutting off 30% of noise automatically), they give a very good result of eliminating unnecessary sounds.
In the last test we decided to move away from serious checks and came up with a game that would allow to check reliability of the headphones. The essence of the test was to spend 10 minutes in the game «Crocodile» and to match at least one word. The rules of this game, I hope known to all. The highlight of our test was that one of the participants put the same Audio-Technica ATH-ANC33iS and have not heard of those tips and issues that easily could ask other players. Of the 10 words that were used in the game, our test subject was able to guess only one. As he after confessed — it’s intuition, not a hint of partners that he did not hear.
4. Bonus test
And bonus, we decided to find out what headphones with active noise reduction are much more expensive than simple. If you take the approximate price of the gadgets with this technology will cost you 2 — 3 times more expensive than usual.
For the test we purchased the cheapest headphones with the stated noise reduction that I could find. They cost us 700 rubles.
To be honest, only printing them and just running one track it was immediately clear that the active noise reduction to them only on paper. Test, as such, conduct, and was not necessary. No hint of the presence of new-fangled technology was not. What is the result? For 700 rubles you can buy a decent headphones for a couple of months, but without noise reduction, and they will work well. So if you really want to enjoy the opportunity to fully immerse yourself in your music without noise, you have to think about buying quality models, such as Audio-Technica. And the reality is that this technology is new and is in the beginning of its development. Remember, how much did the first iPhone and the money needed to pay for the first quadrocopter, as they only started appearing on the market. Of course, over time active noise cancellation will be considered commonplace and ordinary headphones leave the market. In the meantime, we have a good chance to be pioneers on the way to the ideal sound.
Conclusion
Technology is not standing still. While we wonder flying cameras and talking robots in the world are developing a really useful gadgets. Who could have imagined that it will be possible to insure against disturbing noise through headphones, and while they will not harm your hearing. Of course, in any case, there will be people who will be skeptical of this technology. To us it seemed very necessary and interesting. This development will undoubtedly have a number of significant advantages: comfort when listening to music, high level of detail in sound, safe volume level and complete renunciation of the distractions of the environment.