From pilot to passenger: A history of the noise-cancelling headphone

By Caleb Denison October 3, 2014

Looking back, it seems as if noise-cancelling headphones went from a technological novelty to a de rigueur accessory for frequent fliers in the blink of a red eye. But developing these noise-cancelling cans wasn’t nearly so swift. The brainchild of Dr. Amare Bose, noise-cancelling technology took well over a decade to go from concept to product, and even then, it wasn’t for consumers.

At an event held in New York celebrating Bose’s 50th anniversary, we got to witness the evolution of the active noise-cancelling headphone, narrated through accounts told by Bose employees. In our video, we take you through the timeline, from the first-ever noise-cancelers made for pilots flying around the world, right up to Bose’s just-released Q25.

Today, active noise-cancelling is a science employed by many headphone companies, but in our experience, none of them work quite like Bose’s. After all, the company wrote the book on the technology.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Headphones

Editor at Large

Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…

Audio / Video

Your next noise-canceling earbuds may use Navy sonar tech

Two xMEMS Cypress drivers seen sitting on a U.S. dime coin for scale.

A company that is pioneering the use of earbud speakers that are manufactured like microchips says it has developed a way to convert inaudible, high-power ultrasound into hi-fi stereo sound, using a single driver. The result is what the company — called xMEMS — says is a micro-electromechanical system (with a convenient MEMS acronym) driver that's powerful enough to deliver sound as well as active noise cancellation in a set of wireless earbuds.

According to xMEMS, these MEMS drivers possess a number of advantages for buyers and manufacturers of earbuds, like extreme ruggedness, a huge frequency-response range, ultrafast transient response (the ability to quickly shift from one sound to another), and more accurate sound reproduction.

Audio / Video

Get these popular Sony noise-canceling headphones for $100 today

The Sony WHCH720N noise-canceling headphones on a desk.

The Sony WHCH720N, a popular pair of noise-canceling wireless headphones because of their relatively affordable price, are currently available for even cheaper than usual as part of Best Buy's early Black Friday deals. From $150, they're down to $100 after a $50 discount that we're sure won't last until the shopping event. It's unclear if you'll get another chance at this offer once it expires, so if you're already looking forward to using these noise-canceling headphones, it's highly recommended that you complete the transaction before the day ends.

Why you should buy the Sony WHCH720N noise-canceling headphones
While the Sony WHCH720N won't match up to the Sony WH-1000XM5 -- which hold the top spot in our list of the best headphones -- in terms of features and performance, but they're still proving to be a pretty popular choice. Their active noise cancellation uses dual noise sensor technology and Sony's Integrated Processor V1 to stop you from getting disturbed by external sound, but they also offer an adjustable Ambient Sound mode with 20 levels so you can dictate how much to let in from your surroundings.

Audio / Video

These Sony noise-canceling headphones are more than 50% off

Sony's WH-XB910N noise-canceling wireless headphones.

If you want your next purchase from headphone deals to come with noise cancelling, you should set your sights on the Sony WH-XB910N. In one of Best Buy's early Black Friday deals, the wireless headphones are down to a very affordable $120, which is less than half their sticker price of $250. There's no telling how much time is remaining on this $130 discount though, and when it disappears, we're not sure if you'll get another chance at it during the upcoming shopping holiday. To get the noise-canceling headphones for much cheaper than usual, you should proceed with the purchase as soon as you can.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-XB910N noise-canceling headphones
The Sony WH-XB910N aren't as powerful as the Sony WH-1000XM5, which sit on top of our roundup of the best headphones and featured in our list of the best noise-canceling headphones, but they're an affordable pair of wireless headphones that offer active noise cancellation. They use feedforward and feedback mics on each side to be able to block external sounds, so you can focus on your task at hand or on the music that you're listening to. If you need to talk to someone, you can activate Quick Attention mode by placing your hand over the right earcup -- this lowers the volume and deactivates ANC so you can communicate without having to take off the wireless headphones.