Hello and welcome to a brand new group of replies to those earphones inquiries. Ever wanted to learn about something headphone, earphone or receiver related? Now is your chance. Due to the great amount of questions we are so often asked, we’ve reached into our mailbox and chosen the nine most important (and most frequently submitted) inquiries. Enjoy.

Oh, by the way, if your query is not below, then simply send us an communication and come back in a few… you might find it featured within the later series. Cheers.

Part Four: Active earphones or Passive Headphones?What could be the distinction?

That’s one of the most frequently asked inquiries, we get it much of the time and, frankly, we’re sick of giving the same standard email time and again. So, we decided to answer it once and for all.

Now, before we go any further, I am off to draft the stock email that directs someone to this article, back in a minute…….You’re still here? Good. I stopped off to obtain a vitamin drink including a cup of tea as well, sorry.

OK. To put it plainly, there are two types of noise reduction, active and passive.

Passive noise cancellation/reduction is generally a by-product of wearing the headphones in the first place. If a headphone covers your ears up, it essentially has the same noise cancellation effect as a set of earmuffs. The sound has to work that much more difficult to travel to the ear if it must initially go through a hard surface. Passive noise cancellation comes largely from blocking, or covering your ears and playing a louder sound in closer proximity. If your friend is attempting to speak with you and you can’t pay attention to them due to the headphones, then that’s passive noise cancellation.

Active noise cancellation/reduction is a bit more scientific. Headsets that actively cancel outer noise achieve this by creating a low field of white sound around your ear, this effectively masks outside sound and is a purpose in and of itself, away from the sound reproduction performance of those speakers.

To be frank, anything you put in or about your ear has a passive noise cancellation effect, but only headsets equipped with noise cancelling features will produce a masking white sound. This noise won’t interfere with the working of the headphones, but it will cover the noise from wind, rain, road works and the other train passengers and their noisy phone conversations.

Noise cancellation/reduction earphones will do a far better job of drowning out the noise pollution generated by barking pets, train bulletins, bad street buskers and those charity trolls who accost you in the street.

Joking aside, it’s much a frequently asked query because it is a very good one to pose. Noise cancellation functions significantly add to the cost of your headsets and it is totally worth knowing what you are buying before you set your hard earned down onto the counter.