Why do most wireless noise-canceling headphones fail?
The headphone arena is the ultimate battleground for purists.
If you were ever on the lookout for the best sound quality you can get, you know that this is a topic for high end and debate. All over the forums and comment sections, people get into arguments that are so heated, they make deciding on what company you should invest in look like child play!
But passions aside, we are talking about gadgets that are part of the Iconic man’s survival kit. Be it while traveling, relaxing or even commuting, the importance and practicality of these accessories are hard to match.
In the world of high fidelity sound, there is no object more coveted than the perfect wireless noise-canceling headphones.
Their main advantage is the sheer versatility and freedom they provide. In theory, this means you can consume high-quality audio on the go, without having to worry about wires and noises that may interfere with your listening pleasure.
But the perfect wireless headphones have a lot of criteria to meet. And there are people that say that they are still lacking when compared with their wired counterparts. So why are wireless noise-canceling headphones still leaving us wanting and how are manufacturers planning to solve that?
Headphones are riding the wave of growth spurred on by the smartphone and tablet market.
And it’s a pretty big wave, with the market for these gadgets standing at 10,52 billion dollars in 2018, and expected to rise by about 50% in the next 6 years.
Most companies emphasize R&D for product differentiation and improvement of the product quality and reliability but only a few manage to deliver products that truly capture the imagination of enthusiasts.
And we are not talking about just audiophiles here, because wireless noise-canceling headphones have yet to meet all the criteria to become the main alternative for music listeners even though you can now find, hybrid, wired and wireless headphones.
Low battery life is a problem on all devices from phones to laptops and brings up the same day-ruining results when it comes to headphones.
Of course, there are plenty of charging solutions like power banks or wireless charging, on products from Apple or Bose, but neither of them are a solution for state of the art active noise control.
Some wireless headphones take up to three hours for a complete charge and that can put a dent in your mood if you are in a hurry. The battery life is also limited to an average of about 12 hours, even though recent improvements have been made.
When it comes to their wired counterparts you need to take into consideration that the power required for active noise reduction prompts them to also need batteries but in this case the battery life is several times higher.
The painful truth is that wireless headphones will always need charging and you will always have to remember to charge them.
Choosing convenience over reliability is a dangerous mind game.
It will satisfy your taste for free and unhindered movement but at the cost of stopping dead in the middle of your favorite song, causing you to rage in vain. For now, practicality is still an issue even on something as practical as wireless noise-canceling headphones.
Interference
Traditionally wireless devices have lacked in sound quality when compared to their wired counterparts.
The main problem with transmitting wireless information towards a receiver is the possibility of interference. And if you ever owned wireless headphones in the last decade you know that this problem is more than just a possibility.
Basically, any other device that emits a wireless signal matching the frequency of the signal emitted by your wireless headphones can interfere and create a disturbance in the flow of data.
Of course, it all depends on how far away the object that you have paired with is, relative to your location, but any kind of interference will not be easy on your ears or your mood.
That makes this yet another thing wireless noise-canceling headphones need to improve on.
Sound Quality
This one comes down to taste and proficiency.
On one hand, when it comes to sound quality, the die-hard enthusiasts prefer the old wired versions for its superior and more ‘accurate’ sound, which comes naturally on a device that can support transfer rates north of 2,304 kbps.
Wireless gadgets can manage much slower transfer rates at about a third of that.
Some say that is no reason for concern as most audio files only require 256 kbps, and that wireless headphones are more than able to do their job.
For an everyday user, the lack of sound quality offered by wireless solutions may not be overtly apparent but for aficionados, it is a difference that spells disaster.
For professional users, recording studios, classical music connoisseurs, and vinyl fans the sound quality balance will tip in favor of wired solutions. For a truly remarkable sound aspect, wireless noise-canceling headphones are not there yet. Call it sound elitism but at least you have been warned.
Noise-canceling
This mainly relates to how wireless headphones have evolved.
The active noise control feature is a direct result of manufacturers understanding that they need to work on their sound quality, and add new features to adapt their products to the environment that they are going to be used in.
This power consuming feature on wireless devices that already lacked long battery life is a step forward but the implementation needs more time to bring the results headphone enthusiasts are expecting.
Noise-canceling was at first a passive spectrum where it meant good isolation from outside noises by using good foam, noise-isolating materials and skillful design.
That also meant that good noise-canceling headphones were very expensive and only came from the biggest names in the business.
After a while manufacturers implemented ways of electronically enhancing their products' noise-canceling capabilities and the Active Noise Control or Active Noise Reduction feature appeared.
The technology behind this is nothing new with prototypes being built by Bose as early as 1986. It relies on emitting a sound wave with the same amplitude but with an inverted phase, that serves the sole purpose of dealing with any surrounding sound threats that may hamper your listening satisfaction.
Often, wirelesses devices are specially designed urban and commuter sound accessories that lack the big padded cans which help wired devices achieve their unparalleled sound quality.
What they do win on space-saving and design they lose on noise-canceling capabilities, by being smaller, lighter and consuming more energy when turning on Active Noise Control.
Improving this aspect could mean a world of difference and could bring wireless noise-canceling headphones on par with their wired counterparts.
Like in any battle, both sides are driven by different needs and aspirations.
What we can safely say is that wireless noise-canceling technology is on a good path to becoming a more reliable, quality infused source and entertaining source of listening pleasure.
It just needs those final steps that will take it from the mass market to audible excellence.
If you were ever on the lookout for the best sound quality you can get, you know that this is a topic for high end and debate. All over the forums and comment sections, people get into arguments that are so heated, they make deciding on what company you should invest in look like child play!
But passions aside, we are talking about gadgets that are part of the Iconic man’s survival kit. Be it while traveling, relaxing or even commuting, the importance and practicality of these accessories are hard to match.
In the world of high fidelity sound, there is no object more coveted than the perfect wireless noise-canceling headphones.
Their main advantage is the sheer versatility and freedom they provide. In theory, this means you can consume high-quality audio on the go, without having to worry about wires and noises that may interfere with your listening pleasure.
But the perfect wireless headphones have a lot of criteria to meet. And there are people that say that they are still lacking when compared with their wired counterparts. So why are wireless noise-canceling headphones still leaving us wanting and how are manufacturers planning to solve that?
High tech gadgets
Headphones are riding the wave of growth spurred on by the smartphone and tablet market.
And it’s a pretty big wave, with the market for these gadgets standing at 10,52 billion dollars in 2018, and expected to rise by about 50% in the next 6 years.
Most companies emphasize R&D for product differentiation and improvement of the product quality and reliability but only a few manage to deliver products that truly capture the imagination of enthusiasts.
And we are not talking about just audiophiles here, because wireless noise-canceling headphones have yet to meet all the criteria to become the main alternative for music listeners even though you can now find, hybrid, wired and wireless headphones.
Battery life
Low battery life is a problem on all devices from phones to laptops and brings up the same day-ruining results when it comes to headphones.
Of course, there are plenty of charging solutions like power banks or wireless charging, on products from Apple or Bose, but neither of them are a solution for state of the art active noise control.
Some wireless headphones take up to three hours for a complete charge and that can put a dent in your mood if you are in a hurry. The battery life is also limited to an average of about 12 hours, even though recent improvements have been made.
When it comes to their wired counterparts you need to take into consideration that the power required for active noise reduction prompts them to also need batteries but in this case the battery life is several times higher.
The painful truth is that wireless headphones will always need charging and you will always have to remember to charge them.
Choosing convenience over reliability is a dangerous mind game.
It will satisfy your taste for free and unhindered movement but at the cost of stopping dead in the middle of your favorite song, causing you to rage in vain. For now, practicality is still an issue even on something as practical as wireless noise-canceling headphones.
Interference
Traditionally wireless devices have lacked in sound quality when compared to their wired counterparts.
The main problem with transmitting wireless information towards a receiver is the possibility of interference. And if you ever owned wireless headphones in the last decade you know that this problem is more than just a possibility.
Basically, any other device that emits a wireless signal matching the frequency of the signal emitted by your wireless headphones can interfere and create a disturbance in the flow of data.
Of course, it all depends on how far away the object that you have paired with is, relative to your location, but any kind of interference will not be easy on your ears or your mood.
That makes this yet another thing wireless noise-canceling headphones need to improve on.
Sound Quality
This one comes down to taste and proficiency.
On one hand, when it comes to sound quality, the die-hard enthusiasts prefer the old wired versions for its superior and more ‘accurate’ sound, which comes naturally on a device that can support transfer rates north of 2,304 kbps.
Wireless gadgets can manage much slower transfer rates at about a third of that.
Some say that is no reason for concern as most audio files only require 256 kbps, and that wireless headphones are more than able to do their job.
For an everyday user, the lack of sound quality offered by wireless solutions may not be overtly apparent but for aficionados, it is a difference that spells disaster.
For professional users, recording studios, classical music connoisseurs, and vinyl fans the sound quality balance will tip in favor of wired solutions. For a truly remarkable sound aspect, wireless noise-canceling headphones are not there yet. Call it sound elitism but at least you have been warned.
Noise-canceling
This mainly relates to how wireless headphones have evolved.
The active noise control feature is a direct result of manufacturers understanding that they need to work on their sound quality, and add new features to adapt their products to the environment that they are going to be used in.
This power consuming feature on wireless devices that already lacked long battery life is a step forward but the implementation needs more time to bring the results headphone enthusiasts are expecting.
Noise-canceling was at first a passive spectrum where it meant good isolation from outside noises by using good foam, noise-isolating materials and skillful design.
That also meant that good noise-canceling headphones were very expensive and only came from the biggest names in the business.
After a while manufacturers implemented ways of electronically enhancing their products' noise-canceling capabilities and the Active Noise Control or Active Noise Reduction feature appeared.
The technology behind this is nothing new with prototypes being built by Bose as early as 1986. It relies on emitting a sound wave with the same amplitude but with an inverted phase, that serves the sole purpose of dealing with any surrounding sound threats that may hamper your listening satisfaction.
Often, wirelesses devices are specially designed urban and commuter sound accessories that lack the big padded cans which help wired devices achieve their unparalleled sound quality.
What they do win on space-saving and design they lose on noise-canceling capabilities, by being smaller, lighter and consuming more energy when turning on Active Noise Control.
Improving this aspect could mean a world of difference and could bring wireless noise-canceling headphones on par with their wired counterparts.
Like in any battle, both sides are driven by different needs and aspirations.
What we can safely say is that wireless noise-canceling technology is on a good path to becoming a more reliable, quality infused source and entertaining source of listening pleasure.
It just needs those final steps that will take it from the mass market to audible excellence.
user rating :
4.90 stars (185 votes)
Loves to play with new ideas, binge writing, traveling and gourmet coffee. Professional writer of non fiction with over 8 years experience in putting words to paper. Fan of iconic movies, sports, The Arctic Monkeys and city breaks. Yes, he knows how good his coffee is.