Noise-cancelling headphones

To prevent higher-frequency noise from reaching the ear, most noise-cancelling headphones depend on sound isolation or soundproofing.

By the 1950s, Lawrence J. Fogel created systems and submitted patents regarding active noise cancellation in the field of aviation.

This system was designed to reduce noise for the pilots in the cockpit area and help make their communication easier and protect hearing.

Later on, Willard Meeker designed an active noise control model that was applied to circumaural earmuffs for advanced hearing protection.

[8] Both passive isolating and active noise-cancellation headphones or earplugs help to achieve a reduction of ambient sounds, which is particularly helpful for people suffering from insomnia or other sleeping disorders, for whom sounds such as cars honking and snoring impact their ability to sleep.

For that reason, noise-cancelling sleep headphones and ear plugs are designed to cater to this segment of patients.

[9] The use of noise-cancelling headphones for patients in intensive care units has been implemented to reduce the amount of noise exposure that they face while in a hospital environment.

[14][15][16] A December 2016 study from the Hong Kong Journal of Occupational Therapy found that noise-cancellation headphones helped children with autism spectrum disorder cope with behaviors related to hyper-reactivity and auditory stimuli.

[17] The active noise control requires power, usually supplied by a USB port or a battery that must occasionally be replaced or recharged.