First developed for pilots, noise-cancelling headphones block the background noises which drown out your music. Noise-cancelling headphones reduce unwanted ambient sounds by means of active noise control. Essentially, this involves using an hidden microphone, placed near the ear, and electronic circuitry which generates an "anti-noise" sound wave with the opposite polarity of the sound wave arriving at the microphone. This results in destructive interference, which cancels out the noise within the enclosed volume of the headphone.
Although there have been some very good noise cancelling headphones available for a while, most of them are very expensive items from high-end audio manufacturers. What are the best noise-cancelling headphones with a price under $100 ?
CREATIVE HN-700
These are very impressive at reducing noise, even in noisy environments. The HN-700 have a full, over-ear fit for decent muffling, while the noise-cancelling cuts more background rumble than many rivals at this price. The treble could be a little sharper, but the general audio quality is solid for the money. The cable is removable for tangle-free snoozing and they are completely foldable so you can slip them in your bag.
SONY MDR-NC22
Sony makes a larger ear-covering model (named MDR-NC60), but these in-ear phones are better all round. Tiny enough to take anywhere for everyday use, they also excel at reducing noise - and not just because they sit snugly in your lugholes. A mini control pack houses a power switch and "monitor" button to mute sound. Give the small size and relatively low price, the NC22's audio performance is excellent, with virtually no side effects.
