Best headphones for travel 2020: noise-cancellingPosted by Vicki on November 27th, 2020 IStockphoto/Getty Images A good set of cans ought to be on top of every traveler's essentials list -- and we're not only speaking about the set that came with your smart phone. Even when you're not the type of person who wants to devote the whole length of a 10-hour trip listening to music or watching films, you're still going to need to tuck a set of headphones to your carry-on tote. Why? Since falling asleep on a plane or train isn't the easiest or most relaxing thing to do. And your very best bet to block out the sound of that baby yelling behind the couple loudly discussing their vacation itinerary in the next chair: a excellent pair of noise-cancelling headset. RELATED:The very best Knee Headphones for Swimming, Water Sports, and MoreSo what sets noise-cancelling headphones apart from their standard counterparts? There are two components and we'll get a small scientific here, so bear with us. Each set has a miniature built-in microphone that picks up sound waves from background noises -- the buzzing of the airplane's engine along with your neighbor's snoring,'' for example. Then, an incorporated noise-cancelling system creates waves of the exact identical amplitude but at the other phase, effectively cancelling out the annoying ambient noises. The effect -- if you've gotten a high-quality pair of cans -- should be silence. That way, you can enjoy your podcast without needing to turn up the volume quite high to block out the background sound. Or you can use a white sound program like Noisli to drown out some annoying sounds. Yet another significant bit to notice: the distinction between passive and active noise-cancelling is the latter uses bodily insulation for example better soundproofing materials to decrease ambient noises. Like it? Share it!More by this author |