We talk aboutnoise-cancelling earbudsa lot here at Android Police, and that’s not surprising, given how many options there are out there. For most people, good ANC (active noise cancellation) is important so that they can hear their music in loud environments. But for others, it’s a vital coping mechanism necessary to navigate a world they experience differently. April is Autism Awareness Month, and in the spirit of raising awareness and understanding, let’s talk about why these products are so important to those who are Neurodivergent, and how far the technology has come in recent years.
All of us with autism experience it differently in various ways. But something common to many of us is sensitivity to loud or unexpected noises. This, too, is something that impacts us all differently. In my experience, loud noises are fine if I can anticipate them — so, an explosion in a Michael Bay movie, for instance, won’t upset me. The same can’t be said when I’m simply walking through town, where the constant drone of engines, pedestrian crossing alarms, and chatter from other people can become overwhelming. When this happens, I turn to the one piece of tech other than my phone that I can’t leave the house without: myGalaxy Buds 2 Pro.
For a long time, the only way to achieve the level of isolation I required was to buy expensive over-ear headphones likeSony’s fantastic WH-1000XM5. Headphones like that are great — the sound quality blows away most of the competition, and the ANC is on a level that can’t be fully appreciated until you’ve used them. The issue, though, is portability and price.
Unlike the XM4 that came before them, the XM5 doesn’t fold up for easy transport, and its carrying case is comically large. Even when we’re talking a pair that does fold, though, headphones don’t fit into pockets, while earbuds do — and that was always my biggest complaint. $400 isn’t exactly cheap either, and while the quality of the headphones warrants it, it places them out of reach for many.
All that adds up to form the need for the compromise we’ve had to make for so long. Do we lug around pricey headphones that offer sufficient noise suppression to help us cope with busy areas, or do we prioritize affordability and convenience, and settle for earbuds that fit in our pockets? Thankfully, technology and engineering are getting to a point where the trade-off is becoming smaller than ever.
The original Galaxy Buds Pro offered solid noise cancellation, especially at the low end, but higher-pitched noises and nearby speech still manage to leak through — which is just unacceptable for this discussion. But Samsung has learned a trick or two along the way, and the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro do a whole lot towards resolving this issue. Exceptionally high-pitched noises might still get through, but everything else is easily suppressed.
Thanks to the Buds 2 Pro, I can stroll through my town center on even the busiest of days. It might not be as stress-free as a walk in the park, but greatly improved sound isolation keeps me calm and centered on what I need to do. The best part is that once I finish using the Buds 2 Pro, I don’t have to figure out where to put them. Unlike big headphones, these slip right into their tiny case and easily fit in any available pocket, where they’ll be recharged and ready for the next time I need them.
Proper headphones may still offer superior noise cancellation to these earbuds, and people who are more sensitive to sound than others may still want to stick with them. But the gap between the level of isolation offered by earbuds and headphones has never been smaller, and I’m endlessly grateful for the improvements made in the last few years.
As for cost, the Buds 2 Pro aren’t exactly cheap at $230, although I was lucky enough to get them for free with my phone (Samsung loves handing outinstant accessory credit). If that isn’t an option for you and $230 is just too much, there are plenty of other earbuds with ANC, like the standardGalaxy Buds 2,Sony WF-1000XM4, or theAnker Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro. Anything with decent ANC will set you back $170 unless there’s a discount, but thankfully earbuds are a product category that sees sales quite regularly (indeed, Amazon’s got the Buds 2 Pro for $30 off right now). If you’re unsure what to be shopping for, we’ve compiled a list of what we think arethe best noise-cancelling wireless earbudsaround. If you’re in the market for yourself or know someone who may benefit from them, these are the buds to look out for.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro improves on the original Buds Pro in almost every way, especially when it comes to sound quality and noise cancellation. These improvements, in particular, mean that they’re more than capable of blocking out the world, helping those of us who need it to calm down and carry on with our lives.
