Noise cancellation headphones came into consumer consciousness in the 1980’s. Bose was the first audio company to offer options of noise cancellation headphones. This had been prompted by an employee of the company being completely dissatisfied with airplane issued headphones while on a flight - he thought there could be something better. There are people today who will not fly unless they have packed their noise cancellation headphones. So the question is what is the noise cancellation technology and what would make a good pair of noise cancellation headphones/

The technology is based on inverting the noise around you to cancel out what you are hearing outside the headphones. It does this by a microphone picking up the sounds around you. It inverts those sound waves so they are the opposite and when played back, the outside sound disappears. This is done in real time. As a result of the need for real time canceling the headphones work best with constant sounds such as air conditioning units rather than any quick changes of sound. So they eliminate some sounds, but not all.

All noise cancellation headphones need a battery to work. In some models the battery is housed with the cables which can make it somewhat inconvenient. More useful models have the battery in the headphone casing itself meaning no excess bulk or inconvenience is created. Some models allow the headphones to continue working as normal headphones without the noise cancellation technology when the battery runs out.

The two major forms of noise cancellation headphones are the ear surround model and the over ear model. The ear surround model works somewhat like a pair of air muffs. As well as passively reducing the sound getting into the ear canal, the cancellation technology reduces noise even further. They are well cushioned but some people find them heavy and when worn for long periods of time to be hot and sweaty.

The on ear version of noise cancellation headphones is a lot lighter but they do not cover the complete ear area. As a result they eliminate less outside noise but there is much more air flow. They are also less capable of filtering out loud noises.

Some features to look for in noise cancellation headphones include detachable cords. If you want to just eliminate noise at times and not listen to your MP3 player or iPod detaching the cable will free you from the cables. This is helpful when you are concerned with guarding against loud noises such as during a flight or while operating your lawn mower or other power equipment.

If you use your noise cancellation headphones for travel or work, it is a good idea to keep them protected while not in use. For that reason, check out the carrying case provided. If you think you will knock them around a lot it will pay to look for a protective hard case.

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