Where are all the ANC gaming headsets?

I am an unapologetic and avid gamer through and through. From growing up with the Nintendo SNES in the ’90s to purchasing the latest PlayStation 5, I enjoy the immersion of video games. In particular, video game soundtracks have grown in complexity and diversity. From 8-bit chiptunes to full-blown orchestral ensembles, games have never sounded so good. No truer is this than for Red Dead Redemption 2. When I loaded the game up for the first time, its music was immediately captivating and emotional. Like any gamer and music fan, I wanted to find a headset that could do it justice. However, living on a busy street meant I needed something capable of blocking the monotonous drone of passing cars. That’s when I realized — there is a remarkably slim list of ANC gaming headsets on the market.

Battling noise-induced hearing loss

The concept of noise canceling dates back to the 1930s and uses phase cancellation to reduce the prevalence of unwanted environmental sounds. In simple terms, sound waves 180 degrees out of phase cancel each other when summed together. This works by modern-day headphones recording background noise and inverting the signal to create “anti-noise.” This gets added to your output signal to cancel the background noise when it reaches your ear. While it may sound simple, it is much harder to achieve in practice.

Noise canceling requires the best sampling of ambient noise to provide the most attenuation. The problem is that headphones’ small built-in microphones must capture the noise cancellation waveform and synchronize it perfectly with the noise phase when it reaches your ear. While this process can be finely tuned, you won’t receive 100% cancellation. It is much more common to attain 20dB to 40dB of reduction, making background noises sound one-quarter to one-sixteenth as loud.

Another issue is that noise canceling properties change between wearers. For example, a loose fit may allow extra-high-frequency noise to bleed into your mix. Microphone positioning also plays a critical role in how noise canceling performs. Headphones with external microphones use feedforward ANC for the most sensitivity and for blocking midrange frequencies like traffic and speech. However, microphones positioned inside a headphone’s ear cup use feedback ANC that reflects the noise the wearer hears more accurately. This is handy for blocking low-frequency sounds and is less susceptible to wind howl.

Like headphone users, gamers stand to benefit from noise canceling headsets. For example, active noise canceling allows fans to protect their hearing by listening to music at lower volumes. With ANC, there is less need to crank a headset’s volume to mask distracting environmental sounds. In the short term, it also prevents ear fatigue and provides a more pleasing listening experience.

ANC headphones are king of the hill

Given that the international gaming industry saw enormous growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems odd that there are not more ANC gaming headsets. Passive isolation can only get you so far, reducing the prominence of high-end frequencies. Noise canceling is much better at blocking intrusive low-frequency sounds. Gaming headsets have rarely benefited though, with active noise canceling instead becoming a mainstay of over-ear headphones and earbuds.

For example, the recent Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 have the strongest active noise canceling capabilities of any earbuds we have tested. With up to nearly 45dB of attenuation around 60Hz and an 85.1% noise reduction ceiling, the buds have easily secured themselves the top spot on our list of the best noise canceling earbuds in 2024. Similarly, the Sony WF-1000XM5 are revered for their impressive noise canceling. While not as robust as the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2, these buds attenuate up to 47dB of noise around 6kHz.

Its over-ear headphone sibling, the WH-1000XM5, are still regarded as the best noise canceling headphones on the market. With nearly 49dB of attenuation, these cans make outside traffic sound about one-eighth as loud as their original perceived volume. The Apple AirPods Max come close second, canceling up to 47dB of noise. Similarly, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra are excellent for blocking out nearly 49dB of noise. This is handy for reducing the loudness of bus engines, train screeches, and airplane whines by around 87%.

The problem with the above is that they are not as well suited for gaming as dedicated headsets. While the Sony WH-1000XM5 has one of the best over-ear headphone microphones, it doesn’t come close to the quality of the Razer BlackShark V2 Pro (2023). For example, the latter has a removable boom microphone that reproduces voices with outstanding quality. Gaming headsets also use Wireless USB dongles to transmit low-latency audio from the console to your device. There are many more differences, but the availability of noise canceling functionality shouldn’t be one of them.

Gunning for attention

Thankfully, the ANC gaming headset market appears to be expanding. While the current selection pales compared to ANC headphones and earbuds, I’m hopeful the burgeoning industry will bring some flagship noise canceling headsets to fruition. While it does, some notable ANC gaming headsets are purchasable today and worthy of consideration.

For example, the Turtle Beach Stealth Pro ($329 at Amazon) works with all major gaming platforms and attenuates up to 25dB between 40Hz and 600Hz. This substantially quiets at-home noises like a spinning washing machine and outside sounds like passing traffic. With a maximum attenuation of up to 47dB around 10kHz high-end incidental noises are robustly quelled. The headset also enjoys outstanding passive isolation to dampen incidental noises like clashing dishware.

The JBL Quantum ONE ($299 at Amazon) also enjoys tremendous noise canceling that stands tall against consumer over-ear headphones. Blocking up to 46dB around 7kHz and with a detachable microphone, this headset is perfectly usable at home or out and about. The roughly 30dB of noise canceling in the low end around 100Hz is especially effective at quelling low rumbles from cars and tumble driers. The headset’s rotatable ear cups and easily adjustable headband make it a breeze to form a tight seal. Consequently, passive isolation above 1kHz is strong enough to quieten conversations and music played in the same room.

Those looking for consistent noise canceling across the 20Hz – 20kHz frequency spectrum should take note of the Razer Barracuda Pro ($219 at Amazon.) With an average attenuation of 27dB, the Barracuda Pro is an excellent companion for listening on the go or gaming at home. While not as powerful as others on the market, it can easily quell an AC unit or conversations in the same room. The headset’s ANC settings are also accessible straight from the right ear cup. This toggles between on, off, and amplifying ambient audio for when you want to converse with others. With ANC switched off, the headset still delivers excellent passive isolation, attenuating up to 44dB of noise.

But what do you think? Is active noise canceling an important feature for gaming headsets, or do over-ear headphones and earbuds benefit the most? Let us know in the poll below.

FAQs