Why I have joined the sonic boom: noise-cancelling headphones have changed my life

I made the decision around hour five. That’s five hours of hearing Aerosmith’s Dream On bleed through my walls on repeat.

Noise-cancelling headphones can even block out Steven Tyler’s screech. Picture: AP

I made the decision around hour five. That’s five hours of hearing Aerosmith’s Dream On bleed through my walls on repeat, blasted so loudly from my neighbour’s system that Steven Tyler’s screech drowned out my already-cranked-to-11 television.

Around hour five it dawned on me: to prepare for a weekend of binge-watching, it might be wise to invest in some noise-cancelling headphones. Now, a few months later, I rarely watch shows any other way.

I’m not sure why I resisted this sonic refuge for so long. With advances in noise-cancelling tech and Bluetooth’s ease of connectivity with smart TVs, soundbars and streaming devices such as Apple TV, headphones TV fans don’t have to worry about intrusive noise.

My set always sounds pure and consistent; the audio doesn’t dim if I move a couple of metres. The dialogue and score coexist evenly so I don’t have to fiddle constantly with the volume between scenes. The sound travels with me so I needn’t hit pause to go refill my glass or brush my teeth, and I no longer have to rewind if I miss something because of a door slamming.

“In the past 10 years, headphone processors have got better, antennas to send and receive signals are better, and batteries are stronger. All that translates to a more consistent and higher quality audio experience,” says Matt Engstrom, senior category director for product management at audio brand Shure.

The first feature to look for in a pair of TV-worthy phones, he says, is a wireless range of about 10m, which is standard for Bluetooth 5.0 and will allow you to move around your house or let you enjoy watching TV from bed as your partner dozes.

Does that partner snore? A pair of noise-cancelling headphones “can basically eliminate the sound of a vacuum cleaner and make it a very movie-like experience inside your head”, Engstrom says.

He warns that some people may feel thrown off by the “airlock” atmosphere created when all the ambient sound gets sucked out of the air. But if you plan to toggle noise-cancelling off, you’re just throwing money away on the ­premium feature.

Recently, differences in audio quality between over-ear and in-ear pairs has levelled off, says Engstrom, allowing you to use whichever style you find most comfortable.

But you’ll get a longer battery life with over-ear headphones — up to 20 hours of battery life with Shure’s Aonic 50 wireless headphones, compared with only about five hours with Apple AirPods Pro. You’ll also pay a premium for earbuds since brands have to pack similar tech in smaller devices. For film nerds who want a theatrical experience, pairs such as Sony’s WH-L600 model ($365) can thunderously mimic surround sound.

But there are drawbacks. First, headphones are isolating. Most systems won’t let you sync multiple pairs of Bluetooth headphones, so good luck convincing a partner to read subtitles.

Second, persistent headphone use can damage hearing. Regulatory standards suggest you can safely listen to sounds of about 90 decibels, or equal to the sound of an underground train, only two hours a day. Some headphones can hit 120 decibels at max volume.

Since noise-cancelling blocks out sounds, it lets you listen at a lower register than standard headphones might, says Joe Shargorodsky, who led a 2010 study of how headphones are accelerating hearing loss in adolescents.

He suggests maxing your headphones volume at 50 per cent — about 60 to 70 decibels.

Yeah, right. You think I’d let Tyler’s screech ruin The Great British Baking Show?

Dream on.

The Wall Street Journal