Switched into noise cancellation mode, a current pair of true wireless earbuds attenuated noise by 34.90 dB at 125 Hz in an independent lab test (Acta Acustica, Harrison et al. 2025), yet the same family of measurements shows ANC adding almost nothing above 5 kHz. That split defines what ANC earbuds really are: a low-frequency tool sitting on top of a passive seal. A 2026 real-ear pilot found 18.1 dB of ANC attenuation at 250 Hz but 1 dB or less above 3 kHz (Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology, Kim et al. 2026), while vendor specifications show the feature costing up to a third of battery runtime. We aggregated data from Acta Acustica, the Journal of Audiology and Otology, Hearing Research, the World Health Organization, Canalys, IDC, Counterpoint, Mordor Intelligence and manufacturer specification sheets. For the broader adoption picture, see our noise-cancelling adoption statistics; this roundup stays on measured decibels.
TL;DR
- 34.90 dB of attenuation at 125 Hz in noise cancellation mode for Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (Acta Acustica, Harrison et al. 2025).
- 18.1 dB of ANC attenuation at 250 Hz, about 1 to 5 dB from 500 to 2,000 Hz, 1 dB or less above 3 kHz on Galaxy Buds2 Pro (Kim et al. 2026).
- With ANC on, hearing screening pass rates at 0.5 kHz rose from 55.3% to 78.5%, but only from 84.1% to 86.8% at 4 kHz (J Chin Med Assoc, Cheng et al. 2022).
- 8 hours with noise canceling on vs 12 hours off for Sony WF-1000XM5 (Sony specification, vendor claim).
- 54.85% of the 2025 true wireless stereo market size came from ANC models, a value share (Mordor Intelligence 2026).
- 78.3 million TWS units shipped in Q1 2025, up 18% (Canalys Q1 2025).
- Open hearing-aid tips lost about 40 dB of low-frequency sound around 125 Hz through the vent (Ear and Hearing, Cubick et al. 2022).
- Preferred listening levels in 80 dBA subway noise: above 85 dBA with earbuds, below 75 dBA with noise-cancelling canal earphones (J Audiol Otol, Hoshina et al. 2022).
- 23.81% of 12 to 34 year olds are exposed to unsafe listening from personal devices (BMJ Global Health, Dillard et al. 2022).
- WHO weekly limit: 80 dB for 40 hours, 100 dB for 20 minutes (WHO safe listening guidance).
1. Measured ANC Attenuation by Frequency Band
The headline number on a box is a single figure, but every independent measurement points the same way: ANC on earbuds is a bass and lower-midrange effect. The deepest ANC cuts measured land between 125 and 250 Hz, the band of engine drone, air-conditioning hum and train rumble, and the benefit fades steeply above roughly 500 Hz. The 2025 study in Acta Acustica measured insertion loss (the drop in sound level at the eardrum position caused by wearing the device) on an acoustic test fixture in 80 dB SPL diffuse pink noise, and the 2026 real-ear pilot in Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology found the same shape inside human ears.
The practical reading: ANC is very good at the sounds that a seal alone struggles with, and nearly irrelevant for voices, keyboard clicks and cutlery, which sit higher in the spectrum. Stability is also not guaranteed. A 2026 Hearing Research study saw ANC output fluctuate by up to 12 dB near 1,500 Hz when the background was a steady pure tone.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Largest single-band attenuation, noise cancellation mode, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II | 34.90 dB at 125 Hz | Acta Acustica, Harrison et al. 2025 |
| Largest single-band attenuation, noise cancellation mode, Apple AirPods Pro (2nd gen) | 31.46 dB at 160 Hz | Acta Acustica, Harrison et al. 2025 |
| Maximum reduction of a custom-tuned ANC filter inside its narrow target band (TWS earbuds) | 40 dB | Cheng et al., IEEE J Transl Eng Health Med 2025 |
| ANC attenuation at 250 Hz, Samsung Galaxy Buds2 Pro, real-ear pilot (n=5) | 18.1 ± 1.6 dB | Kim et al., Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2026 |
| ANC attenuation from 500 to 2,000 Hz, same earbuds | About 1 to 5 dB | Kim et al., Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2026 |
| ANC attenuation above 3 kHz, same earbuds | 1 dB or less | Kim et al., Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2026 |
| Fluctuation in ANC headphone output under steady pure-tone noise (2 models) | Up to 12 dB, notably near 1,500 Hz | Byun et al., Hearing Research 2026 |
| Hearing-test error in pink noise on TWS earbuds: ANC off vs factory ANC vs optimized ANC | 13.2 dB vs 9.6 dB vs 4.8 dB mean absolute error | Cheng et al., IEEE J Transl Eng Health Med 2025 |
Context note: the gap between the IEEE study’s custom filter and the factory ANC on the same earbuds is a reminder that shipping ANC is a compromise across the whole spectrum, not a maximum. The Hearing Research devices were over-ear models, included here for the stability finding only.
2. Passive Seal vs Active Contribution
Treat an ANC earbud as two filters stacked on top of each other. With the electronics off, the three earbuds in that fixture test still reached peak attenuation of 33.03 to 34.12 dB, but only in the high frequencies, with the passive shelf starting somewhere in the 400 to 800 Hz region. Below that, a sealed earbud can even make things slightly louder: the same study measured a passive boost of up to 6.27 dB around 200 Hz. ANC fills exactly that low-frequency gap and leaves the high-frequency work to the tip.
This is why a well-sealed passive earphone can keep up with ANC on office chatter but not on cabin drone. It also explains the hearing-screening data below: switching ANC on lifted pass rates sharply at 0.5 kHz and barely at 4 kHz. Open designs sit at the other extreme, with no seal at all, as covered in our open-ear headphones statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum passive attenuation with ANC off, three earbuds | 34.12 dB at 8 kHz (Sony LinkBuds S), 33.57 dB at 16 kHz (AirPods Pro 2nd gen), 33.03 dB at 20 kHz (Bose QC Earbuds II) | Acta Acustica, Harrison et al. 2025 |
| Passive boost (louder than open ear) around 200 Hz with ANC off | 6.27 dB (Sony), 3.73 dB (Apple), 3.19 dB (Bose) | Acta Acustica, Harrison et al. 2025 |
| Insertion loss of ordinary earbuds and headphones (not canal type, no NC) at 250 Hz, 500 Hz and 1 kHz | Almost none | Hoshina et al., J Audiol Otol 2022 |
| Canal earphones with NC vs the same canal earphones without NC, at 2, 4 and 8 kHz | No significant difference | Hoshina et al., J Audiol Otol 2022 |
| Hearing screening pass rate at 0.5 kHz, ANC on vs ANC off (pooled AirPods Pro, Bose QC35, combined setup) | 78.5% vs 55.3% | Cheng et al., J Chin Med Assoc 2022 |
| Hearing screening pass rate at 4 kHz, ANC on vs ANC off | 86.8% vs 84.1% | Cheng et al., J Chin Med Assoc 2022 |
| Overall screening pass rate, ANC on vs ANC off (2,710 measurements each) | 76.9% (2,083) vs 66.9% (1,813) | Cheng et al., J Chin Med Assoc 2022 |
| Vendor claim: AirPods Pro 3 noise removal vs AirPods Pro 2, tested to IEC 60268-24 | Up to 2x more (vendor claim) | Apple AirPods Pro product page 2026 |
Context note: Apple’s claim is a ratio, not a decibel figure, and the footnote says it was tested in July 2025 against the best-selling wireless in-ear headphones of the time. IEC 60268-24 is the IEC standard Apple names for its noise-reduction test, and the page publishes no decibel result from it. Most recent available data for the screening study: J Chin Med Assoc, 2022.
3. Fit, Seal and Occlusion Effects
Fit is the hidden variable in every ANC number. ANC is strongest at low frequencies, and low frequencies are exactly what a small leak lets through. In an Ear and Hearing study of 30 adults, open ear tips lost about 40 dB of low-frequency sound around 125 Hz through the opening, and a single tip type ranged from 6 dB to 38 dB depending on how closed it sat in each ear. Those were hearing-aid tips, not earbuds, so treat them as a measure of how much a leak can cost, not as an earbud score.
The flip side of a good seal is the occlusion effect: the boomy, amplified sound of your own voice, chewing and footsteps when the ear canal is blocked. It is strongest below 1 kHz, the same band where ANC works. Workplace hearing protection deals with the same fit problem, see our hearing protection fit testing statistics.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Low-frequency loss through the tip opening (vent effect), open tips | About 40 dB around 125 Hz | Cubick et al., Ear and Hearing 2022 |
| Same measure, more closed tip types (Tulip, Round 1, Round 2) | 28 to 30 dB average at the lowest frequencies | Cubick et al., Ear and Hearing 2022 |
| Spread for one tip type (Double Domes) between nearly closed and nearly open fits | 6 dB to 38 dB | Cubick et al., Ear and Hearing 2022 |
| Correlation between vent effect at 315 Hz and perceived occlusion rating | Spearman’s rho -0.61, p < 0.0001 | Cubick et al., Ear and Hearing 2022 |
| Participants with no or very little previous practical experience with ear tips | 80% | Cubick et al., Ear and Hearing 2022 |
| Objective occlusion effect of silicone and foam earplugs, 100 Hz to 1 kHz (artificial ear) | Decreasing from approximately 30 to 10 dB | Carillo et al., Scientific Reports 2022 |
| Occlusion reduction with an experimental absorbing earplug vs silicone and foam | Approximately 10 dB lower | Carillo et al., Scientific Reports 2022 |
| Correlation between earphone insertion loss and the rise in preferred listening level in noise (classical music) | r = -0.693, p = 0.026 | Hoshina et al., J Audiol Otol 2022 |
Context note: most recent available data for fit and occlusion physics: Cubick et al., Ear and Hearing 2022 and Carillo et al., Scientific Reports 2022. The negative correlation in the last row means that the better an earphone blocked noise, the less listeners turned the volume up when noise arrived.
4. The Battery Cost of ANC
ANC runs microphones, a DSP and an anti-noise signal continuously, and the specifications show it. On two flagship lines, switching noise cancelling on drops rated playback from 12 hours to 8 hours, a 33% cut ((12 - 8) / 12). Every figure in this section is a manufacturer claim, measured by the vendor under its own conditions (Apple, for example, rates its earbuds at 50% volume).
The pattern matters more than any single model: the penalty is a fixed share of runtime, so it is felt most by people who already push battery life with high-bitrate codecs or spatial audio. Bose’s own figures show spatial audio costing a third of its full-ANC runtime ((6 - 4) / 6).
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Sony WF-1000XM5 continuous music playback, noise canceling on vs off | Max. 8 hours vs max. 12 hours (vendor claim) | Sony WF-1000XM5 specifications |
| Sony WF-1000XM5 continuous communication time, noise canceling on vs off | Max. 6 hours vs max. 7 hours (vendor claim) | Sony WF-1000XM5 specifications |
| Sony WF-1000XM4 playback, AAC codec, noise canceling on vs off | Max. 8 hours vs max. 12 hours (vendor claim) | Sony WF-1000XM4 Help Guide |
| Sony WF-1000XM4 playback, LDAC codec, noise canceling on vs off | Max. 5 hours vs max. 6 hours (vendor claim) | Sony WF-1000XM4 Help Guide |
| Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, ANC on vs off, earbuds only / with case | Up to 8 vs 12 hours / up to 30 vs 48 hours (vendor claim) | Google Store Pixel Buds Pro 2 tech specs |
| Apple AirPods Pro 3, ANC on / Transparency with Hearing Aid feature | Up to 8 hours / up to 10 hours; 24 hours with case and ANC (vendor claim) | Apple AirPods Pro 3 tech specs |
| Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), full noise cancellation with Immersive Audio off vs on | Up to 6 hours vs up to 4 hours (vendor claim) | Bose product page 2026 |
| Nothing Ear (3), Adaptive Noise Cancellation on | Up to 5.5 hours (vendor claim) | Nothing Ear (3) product page 2026 |
Math notes: the Pixel Buds Pro 2 case figure implies a 37.5% reduction ((48 - 30) / 48), and the Sony LDAC figure a 16.7% reduction ((6 - 5) / 6). Sources: Sony WF-1000XM5 specifications, Sony WF-1000XM4 Help Guide, Google Store, Apple, Bose and Nothing. Apple and Bose do not publish an ANC-off runtime, so their penalty cannot be computed.
5. ANC in the TWS Market: Shipments and Share
The market data gap is itself a finding. We found no free ANC share of TWS unit shipments from Canalys, IDC or Counterpoint, so the best public number is a value share: ANC models made up 54.85% of the 2025 true wireless stereo market size, according to Mordor Intelligence. Value shares weight expensive models more heavily, so the unit share cannot be read from that figure.
Volume is not the constraint. Canalys counted 78.3 million TWS shipments in a single quarter, and in India IDC puts the average earwear selling price at US$17.4, a price point where ANC is a spec-sheet checkbox rather than the measured performance in section 1. Counterpoint describes ANC as still aspirational for mass users in India.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Global TWS shipments, Q1 2025 | 78.3 million units, up 18% year on year | Canalys (now part of Omdia), Global TWS Market Q1 2025 |
| Apple (including Beats) TWS shipments and share, Q1 2025 | 18.2 million units, 23.3% | Canalys, Global TWS Market Q1 2025 |
| ANC share of the true wireless stereo market size, 2025 (value, not units) | 54.85% | Mordor Intelligence, True Wireless Stereo Market 2026 |
| True wireless stereo market value, 2025, two estimates | USD 45.87 billion (Mordor) vs USD 39.3 billion (GMI) | Mordor Intelligence 2026; Global Market Insights 2026 |
| Passive isolation share of 2025 earphone and headphone revenue (all form factors) | 58.06% | Mordor Intelligence, Earphones and Headphones Market 2026 |
| Hybrid ANC (feedforward plus feedback microphones) growth forecast | 10.01% CAGR through 2031 | Mordor Intelligence, Earphones and Headphones Market 2026 |
| India earwear, 2Q25: average selling price and TWS share of earwear | US$17.4; 71.2% | IDC Worldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, Aug 2025 |
| India premium TWS (above INR 5,000) share of shipments, Q1 2025 | 4%, after growing more than 1.4x | Counterpoint Research, India TWS Q1 2025 |
Context note: the Canalys figures come from its May 2025 release as reported by GSMArena; Xiaomi shipped 9.0 million units in the same quarter, up 63%. IDC figures: IDC India 2Q25 release. Counterpoint: India TWS Q1 2025. The two market value estimates differ by USD 6.57 billion, see Data watch.
6. Listening Levels and Hearing Health
This is where ANC earns a public-health argument. People raise the volume to mask background noise, and in 80 dBA subway noise, average preferred listening levels exceeded 85 dBA with ordinary earbuds and headphones but stayed below 75 dBA with noise-cancelling canal earphones (Hoshina et al., J Audiol Otol 2022). For scale, the WHO weekly allowance is 12 hours 30 minutes at 85 dB and 40 hours at 80 dB.
The effect size varies with the device and the noise. An older JASA study found reductions of up to 4 dB versus earbuds, and a 2026 field study of 51 young adults showed levels climbing by environment without any ANC in play: 63.05 dB SPL in a library vs 70.87 dB SPL in a gym, a rise of 7.82 dB (70.87 - 63.05). Hearing-health context and the limits of self-protection are covered in our hidden hearing loss statistics. This section is factual only and is not medical advice.
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Average preferred listening level in 80 dBA subway noise: earbuds and headphones vs noise-cancelling canal earphones | Above 85 dBA vs below 75 dBA | Hoshina et al., J Audiol Otol 2022 |
| Participants listening above 75 dBA in noise (pop-rock): earbuds vs noise-cancelling canal earphones | 23 of 23 vs 2 of 10 | Hoshina et al., J Audiol Otol 2022 |
| Reduction in preferred listening level, noise-cancelling headphones on vs earbuds, in background noise (26 subjects) | Up to 4 dB | Liang et al., JASA 2012 |
| Preferred listening level, library vs gym, standard earphones (51 adults, LZeq) | 63.05 vs 70.87 dB SPL | Kim and Han, Noise and Health 2026 |
| Reaction time in a babble-noise listening task, ANC off vs ANC on (30 adults) | 0.79 s vs 0.77 s, P=0.012 | Kim et al., Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol 2026 |
| WHO safe listening time per week | 80 dB: 40 hours; 90 dB: 4 hours; 100 dB: 20 minutes | WHO, Safe listening Q&A |
| Pooled prevalence of unsafe listening from personal listening devices, ages 12 to 34 | 23.81% (95% CI 18.99% to 29.42%) | Dillard et al., BMJ Global Health 2022 |
| Young adults at risk of permanent, avoidable hearing loss from unsafe listening | Over 1 billion | WHO Deafness and Hearing Loss fact sheet, March 2026 |
Context note: the WHO safe listening guidance explicitly advises well-fitted, noise cancelling headphones to reduce the need to raise volume. The Liang study is from 2012 and the Hoshina and Dillard studies from 2022 (most recent available data for controlled ANC listening-level comparisons). The WHO fact sheet puts disabling hearing loss at about 430 million people today and projects nearly 2.5 billion people with some degree of hearing loss by 2050.
Summary: True Wireless Earbuds ANC by the Numbers
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Peak attenuation, noise cancellation mode (Bose QC Earbuds II) | 34.90 dB at 125 Hz | Acta Acustica 2025 |
| ANC attenuation at 250 Hz (Galaxy Buds2 Pro, real ear) | 18.1 ± 1.6 dB | Kim et al. 2026 |
| ANC attenuation above 3 kHz (same earbuds) | 1 dB or less | Kim et al. 2026 |
| Maximum passive attenuation with ANC off (three earbuds) | 33.03 to 34.12 dB, high frequencies | Acta Acustica 2025 |
| Screening pass rate at 0.5 kHz, ANC on vs off | 78.5% vs 55.3% | J Chin Med Assoc 2022 |
| Hearing-test error in noise: ANC off vs optimized ANC | 13.2 dB vs 4.8 dB | IEEE JTEHM 2025 |
| Open-tip low-frequency loss around 125 Hz | About 40 dB | Ear and Hearing 2022 |
| Occlusion effect of silicone and foam plugs, 100 Hz to 1 kHz | Approximately 30 to 10 dB | Scientific Reports 2022 |
| Sony WF-1000XM5 playback, NC on vs off | 8 vs 12 hours (vendor claim) | Sony specifications |
| Pixel Buds Pro 2 with case, ANC on vs off | 30 vs 48 hours (vendor claim) | Google Store |
| AirPods Pro 3 vs AirPods Pro 2 noise removal | Up to 2x (vendor claim) | Apple 2026 |
| Global TWS shipments, Q1 2025 | 78.3 million, up 18% | Canalys Q1 2025 |
| ANC share of 2025 TWS market value | 54.85% | Mordor Intelligence 2026 |
| India earwear average selling price, 2Q25 | US$17.4 | IDC Aug 2025 |
| Preferred level in subway noise: earbuds vs NC canal earphones | Above 85 dBA vs below 75 dBA | J Audiol Otol 2022 |
| Preferred level reduction, NC headphones vs earbuds | Up to 4 dB | JASA 2012 |
| Unsafe listening from personal devices, ages 12 to 34 | 23.81% | BMJ Global Health 2022 |
| WHO weekly allowance at 80 dB | 40 hours | WHO Safe listening Q&A |
Methodology and Sources
- Harrison, Archer-Boyd and Murphy, Measurement of insertion loss and gain in variable hear-through and noise cancellation modes of true wireless earbuds, Acta Acustica 2025 (Apple AirPods Pro 2nd gen, Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, Sony LinkBuds S; acoustic test fixture).
- Kim et al., Physiological Measures of Reduced Listening Effort in Active Noise Canceling, Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology 2026.
- Cheng et al., Optimized Active Noise Cancellation for Hearing Tests Using Auditory Masking Characteristics, IEEE J Transl Eng Health Med 2025.
- Byun et al., Feasibility study on noise attenuation and stability of active noise cancelling headphones for mobile hearing screening, Hearing Research 2026.
- Cheng et al., Evaluating the hearing screening effectiveness of active noise cancellation technology among young adults, J Chin Med Assoc 2022.
- Hoshina et al., Effects of an Active Noise Control Technology Applied to Earphones on Preferred Listening Levels in Noisy Environments, J Audiol Otol 2022.
- Liang et al., Characteristics of noise-canceling headphones to reduce the hearing hazard for MP3 users, JASA 2012.
- Kim and Han, Real-Time Synchronized Measurement of Preferred Listening Levels, Noise and Health 2026.
- Cubick et al., The Acoustics of Instant Ear Tips and Their Implications for Hearing-Aid Fitting, Ear and Hearing 2022.
- Carillo et al., Reduction of the occlusion effect induced by earplugs using quasi perfect broadband absorption, Scientific Reports 2022.
- WHO, Deafness and hearing loss: Safe listening, Q&A and WHO Deafness and Hearing Loss fact sheet, March 2026.
- Dillard et al., Prevalence and global estimates of unsafe listening practices in adolescents and young adults, BMJ Global Health 2022.
- Canalys Global TWS Market Q1 2025, as reported by GSMArena.
- IDC India Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker, 2Q25 release and Counterpoint Research, India TWS Shipments Q1 2025.
- Mordor Intelligence, True Wireless Stereo Market 2026, Mordor Intelligence, Earphones and Headphones Market 2026 and Global Market Insights, True Wireless Stereo Earbuds Market 2026.
- Vendor specifications (labeled as vendor claims throughout): Sony WF-1000XM5, Sony WF-1000XM4 Help Guide, Google Pixel Buds Pro 2, Apple AirPods Pro 3 specs, Apple AirPods Pro page, Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen), Nothing Ear (3).
- Data watch: (1) We found no free ANC share of TWS unit shipments from Canalys, IDC or Counterpoint (their full reports are paywalled); the 54.85% figure is Mordor’s value share and should not be read as a unit share. (2) TWS market value estimates conflict: USD 45.87 billion (Mordor) vs USD 39.3 billion (GMI) for 2025, and the forecast growth rates differ (9.63% CAGR for 2026 to 2031 at Mordor vs 17.6% CAGR for 2026 to 2035 at GMI). (3) The Acta Acustica study reports selected band values in the text, with full tables in its supplementary material; lab fixture results will not match every ear. (4) In Hoshina et al., the noise-cancelling canal condition in Table 1 lists n=10 while the other conditions list n=23, so the counts are not directly comparable. (5) The Kim et al. 2026 attenuation figures come from a 5-person pilot, and the paper’s text describes listening effort as significantly reduced while its listening-effort rating itself was not significant (P=0.362). (6) Kim and Han report LZeq in dB SPL, not dBA, so their levels are not directly comparable with WHO dB limits. (7) Battery figures are manufacturer claims under vendor-chosen conditions; RTINGS-style independent battery tests were behind a paywall and were not used. Newer data expected: Omdia (Canalys) full-year 2025 and 2026 TWS shipment releases.
Last updated: October 24, 2026. We update this roundup quarterly, and the next refresh is expected when Omdia (Canalys) publishes its full-year 2026 global TWS shipment data.