From pilot to passenger: A history of the noise-cancelling headphone

By Caleb Denison October 3, 2014

Looking back, it seems as if noise-cancelling headphones went from a technological novelty to a de rigueur accessory for frequent fliers in the blink of a red eye. But developing these noise-cancelling cans wasn’t nearly so swift. The brainchild of Dr. Amare Bose, noise-cancelling technology took well over a decade to go from concept to product, and even then, it wasn’t for consumers.

At an event held in New York celebrating Bose’s 50th anniversary, we got to witness the evolution of the active noise-cancelling headphone, narrated through accounts told by Bose employees. In our video, we take you through the timeline, from the first-ever noise-cancelers made for pilots flying around the world, right up to Bose’s just-released Q25.

Today, active noise-cancelling is a science employed by many headphone companies, but in our experience, none of them work quite like Bose’s. After all, the company wrote the book on the technology.

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Headphones

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Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…

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These Sony noise-canceling headphones are under $100 today

Sony WH-CH720N Noise Canceling Headphones on the ground

Finding a good quality set of headphones can be a bit difficult, especially if you don't want to spend a ton of money on the best headphones on the market. With so many great Prime Day deals going on right now, you don't have to and can grab these Sony WH-CH720N for just $98. While that's still a bit pricey, you are getting quality headphones from Sony, and the original price was $150, so it's a substantial $50 discount and well worth grabbing, especially compared to the Sony WH-1000XM4, which is going for nearly triple that at $250.

Why you should buy the Sony WH-CH720N Noise-Canceling Headphones
The Sony WH-CH720N is essentially the same as the Sony WH-CH710N headphones, the slightly more updated model with a few improvements here and there. As a mid-range set of headphones, you get slightly different designs than what you'd find in the high-end, such as the circular headphones, which, surprisingly, are very comfortable to wear for long periods. Similarly, the headband padding isn't too bad and doesn't grip too tight, making this a great pair of headphones to wear for a long period. Luckily, the battery life is also pretty great, lasting around 38 hours, and that's with Artificial Intelligence Noise Cancellation (AINC) turned on; if you turn it off, you can get about 50 hours out of it.

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Prime Day: Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700 price slashed by $80

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If you live in the city, you know how loud things can get, and having a good pair of noise-canceling headphones is important. Luckily, there are a lot of great Prime Day headphone deals to take advantage of, including this one on the Bose Noice Cancelling Headphones 700. You can grab them from Amazon for $299, rather than the usual $379 they go for, which is a substantial $80 discount for one of the best headphones you can grab for less than $300.

Why you should buy the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
The Bose Noice Canceling Headphone 700 are a set of headphones that we regularly recommend for their Active Noise Cancelling (ANC) capabilities. If you're familiar with previous headphones from Bose, such as the QC 35 II, then you might be surprised that the ANC is slightly different on the Bose NC 700, with more static high-frequency sounds being canceled out than before. This makes it great for situations where you have a lot of high-pitched noise, such as with construction work or air travel, where the high-pitched engine whine can be tiring. Similarly, the NC 700 has departed from the typical design of the headphones that had a swivel, and the band is instead affixed to the cups, which means much less give, although it's not a big issue.

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My favorite noise-canceling travel headphones are at their lowest price of the year for Prime Day

Bose QC45 headphones in black.

I travel quite a bit. Last year I racked up 73,000 miles flying, and just over halfway through 2023 I'm already at 50,000 -- and the only thing that keeps me sane in airports and on planes is my Bose QuietComfort 45 noise-canceling headphones. I have loved these since I bought them at the end of 2021, and now 18 months later I can still recommend them without hesitation.

I got a killer deal on the headphones with a Black Friday promotion back then, and now they're even cheaper for Amazon Prime Day -- they're down to just $229 in black or grey and $199 in white or blue, a discount of 30-40%. That $199 price is the lowest Amazon has seen this year.