What Your Noise-Cancelling Headphones Can and Can’t Do | Reviews by Wirecutter
The New York Times
Noise-cancelling headphones are most effective at reducing low-frequency sounds like airplane engines, but less so at blocking high-frequency noises such as human voices or dog barking. This is due to the physics of phase cancellation, which works best on sustained, lower-frequency sounds. For higher frequencies, passive isolation through physical barriers like earcups and earpads is more effective.
All articles from 2 September 2026. Summaries are AI-generated and may contain errors; the linked article is the authority.