Can Bone Conduction Headphones be Noise Cancelling

What makes Noise canceling a helpful technology? Clarity. The clarity in listening to music and conveying your voice while on call. I have been using AfterShokz Aeropex, one of the leading Bone conduction headphones. Shokz claims to feature dual Noise canceling in their headphones. But, being an audiophile, one thing troubled me: Can Bone conduction headphones be Noise canceling?

Active Noise Cancelling headphones are most effective at removing low-frequency and constant Noise. ANC headphones help mute traffic, constant humming, and even people’s chitchat, and they are the best choice if you commute a lot or travel a lot.

Tidbit: Between models released before December 2019 and all the models released after January 2020, ANC adoption has almost doubled, from 37 percent to 72 percent.

In this guide, I will illustrate noise cancelation and the impact this technology has on the headphones and the listening experience. Moreover, I will illustrate the downside of the Bone conduction headphones related to Noise canceling later in the article.

Are Bone Conduction Headphones Noise Cancelling?

Noise Canceling headphones muffle external Noise with their shape and design, but they also actively use advanced technology to cancel it. The headphones use a mirror anti-noise signal to cancel ambient Noise, producing a significantly cleaner sound. The audio processor detects and analyzes noise patterns to reduce the impact. 

When it comes to Shokz bone conduction headphones, I use them on my cheekbone, leaving my ears open for the traffic noise and surroundings. Noise-canceling technology and headphones contradict that Bone conduction headphones bypass the external and middle ear to reach the inner ear directly, enhancing situational awareness. 

Bone conduction headphones keep your ears open and let the surrounding sounds into your ears, so we can’t say that Bone conduction headphones have Noise-canceling features. 

However, when we talk about Noise canceling, we talk about speakers, not microphones. You should know that the microphones of the many Bone conduction headphones come with an active Noise canceling feature that clears the surrounding sounds and transmits an unmistakable sound to the other end.

In the beginning, when you wear Bone conduction headphones, you pay more attention to the sounds coming to the ears from your surroundings and not to the sounds coming from your cheekbones in the middle of the ears. It’s completely normal. It will be difficult for you initially, but later, you will pay more attention to the sounds coming from the cheekbones.

Is Noise Canceling in Bone Conduction Same as Regular Headphones?

Another critical point is that you are doing wrong if you buy Bone conduction headphones only for the noise-canceling feature. The Bone conduction headphones do not have Noise Canceling like traditional headphones.

Bone conduction headphones noise canceling also allow outside Noise to interfere with audio playback, unlike noise-canceling earbuds and headphones, which block the ear canal directly. In traditional, active and passive noise cancelation affect and prevent ears from getting unnecessary loud sounds. 

Are Bone Conduction headphones good for phone calls?

When discussing the pros and cons of Bone conduction headphones, the Noise canceling microphones of my Shokz headphones helped me a lot in phone calls. On the other hand, the less loudness in the traffic is their downside. 

Can Bone conduction headphones hurt your hearing?

The loud music sound’s direct impact is the leading cause of hearing loss. Regular headphones transmit the sound signals directly to the eardrum. Still, in the case of inductive bone conduction headphones, they do not severely impact the ears, avoiding hearing loss.

Final Words 

The problem is that many companies sell their Bone conduction headphones, saying that their headphones feature Noise canceling. Even some companies talk about the dual Noise canceling feature. But sadly, many Bone conduction headphones do not have noise cancellation. It’s just a marketing strategy to sell the Bone conduction headphones.

To avoid fraud, read existing customers’ comments while looking for any Bone conduction headphones. The most significant advantage is that you will know the strengths and weaknesses of that particular Best Noise Cancelling bone conduction headphones. And you will be able to decide whether you should buy those headphones or not.