COVER STORY
BEST HEADPHONE/
EARPHONE
OF 2019
APPLE AIRPODS PRO:
Active noise cancellation has been quite
successful in over-the-ear headsets. But
Apple did an impressive job by incorporating
this technology in compact earbuds. Popular
with over-the-ear headsets, does active noise
cancellation work with in-ear buds? Focusing
on the smallest of the details, Apple has
added three sets of ear tips in the box for a
comfortable fit. There is also a fit test for
ensuring a good seal for noise cancellation.
I was able to switch between active noise
cancellation and transparency mode (to
hear outside voices) for earbuds as well as the iPhone. Most
importantly, active noise cancellation works well - Apple has
used an outward-facing and an inward-facing microphone for
this. The former detects external sound and cancels it using
equal anti-noise. The latter identifies unwanted sound inside the
ear and eliminates the same. Apple says that noise cancellation
is continuously adjusted at 200 times per second for truly
immersive sound. And the AirPods Pro does not compromise on
sound either.
BOSE NOISE CANCELLING
HEADPHONES 700 :
Building on its past expertise, this one is a
rather superb noise cancelling headphone
that not just looks good but sounds
great. A lightweight stainless-steel
headband covered with soft foam is
connected with an angled earcup
which is comfortable to wear for longer
durations.
Having a combination of hardware
buttons and gestures, the Headphones
700 is intuitive to use. The left earcup
houses a noise cancellation button that
comes in handy for situations where the
outside noise shouldn’t be shut. Pressing
the button switches between zero levels, five
and ten. At zero level, the noise cancellation
was almost nil, whereas at ten, it isolated
the noise, and level five was a mix of both.
Using the app, I was able to choose anywhere
between zero to ten level.
with over-the-ear headsets, does active noise
cancellation work with in-ear buds? Focusing
on the smallest of the details, Apple has
added three sets of ear tips in the box for a
comfortable fit. There is also a fit test for
ensuring a good seal for noise cancellation.
I was able to switch between active noise
W I N N E R
RUNNER UP
