Released On 14th Feb 2019

Noise Cancellation Technology in Radio Communication

When you’re trying to listen to something important through your two way radio or headset, a noisy environment can make it challenging: loud machinery, chatter, traffic or music all contribute to poor communication. 

Sometimes this is merely inconvenient, but in other situations the impact of low quality audio can affect public safety, worker safety or productivity. That’s why noise cancellation technology is such a useful feature and why RadioTrader stocks a wide range of noise cancelling and noise reduction headsets and microphones.

Active and passive noise cancellation

There are two types of noise control technology – passive and active. 

Passive noise cancellation relies on sound-absorbing materials to reduce or block outside noise you don’t want to hear. High density foams are a good example of the kind of material that’s found in some headsets, but the amount of blocked noise depends largely on the shape of the headphone ear-cups and how it fits on the head.

Passive noise reduction is useful in some situations where you don’t need to hear what’s going on around you; it can also protect your ears from high noise levels that could harm your hearing. But this isn’t an ideal solution if you need to remain aware of your surroundings, and while it’s relatively low cost compared to active noise cancelling technology, on its own it’s no good for carrying on a two way conversation. 

Active noise cancellation reduces background noise by erasing lower-frequency sound waves. Headsets with this technology achieve this by measuring the ambient noise with a microphone and then using a micro-processor to generate a noise-cancelling waveform that’s the exact opposite of the background noise. Simply put, this filters out the sounds you don’t want to hear, improving the clarity of the sounds you do. 

Active noise cancelling technology obviously aids clearer communication, and by their very design, some active noise cancelling headphones also help to reduce passive noise intrusion, too. 

Recommended noise cancelling headsets

Motorola DP1400 CP040 Series Noise Cancelling Heavy Duty Headset

Motorola DP3000, DP4000 Series Noise Cancelling Heavy Duty Headset

MSA Sordin CC Passive Noise Cancelling Headset

Get in touch for help choosing the right product, or call 0151 676 2888.