Our modern world is notoriously busy and notoriously noisy.
But ANC headphones come with a significant downside: they can be painful.
In other words, there’s no impervious barrier being created by the bud material.
This is the case for passive noise-canceling (PNC) headphones, which we won’t discuss here.
Instead,ANC headphones use a nifty techniqueto cancel out external noise.
Each earbud is equipped with one or more microphones that listen to the noises of the outside world.
The earphones then use this noise and mirror it in a process known as phase inversion.
This creates sound waves with an opposite phase to the sound waves all around you.
So, how do ANC headphones cause such problems?
Why Do ANC Headphones Hurt?
Some people can wear ANC headphones without ever experiencing issues.
But the pain from ANC headphones is by no means rare, either.
Sometimes people have to stop using their ANC buds altogether because of the side effects.
But what causes this?
The pain ANC headphones can cause relates to how they work, which we discussed previously.
Some believe that this pressure is real, while others think it is simply a trick of the mind.
Additionally, people have also reported feeling sick or dizzy when using ANC headphones.
Such a phenomenon can lead to psychosomatic motion sickness or dizziness.
But it’s important to note that no evidence suggests that ANC headphones can permanently damage your ears.
Firstly, you should always aim to buy earphones that are well-suited to the shape of your ear.
Some ear tips are very uncomfortable and can add to the discomfort brought on by the ANC technology.
However, cheaper headphonesmay also have lower sound quality, although there are some ways to solve this.
Depending on the model you’re using, the reaction of your ears will likely vary.
