I have now been ANC-free for a month. A long month of hearing traffic noise, of dodging pedestrians with their faces buried in their phones, and being heckled by people with books on the side of the street. But I am resolute, knowing that I am safer without ANC while walking around, so that I can hear cars before they hit me. I am a pinball at train stations no longer.
But the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones Gen 2 look at me with a sultry gaze, tempting me back to the noise-canceling fold. But I stand firm, my inhuman will to hear the outside world stronger than the quiet comfort of Bose's headphones. I will resist. I must resist.
So, how have I really done, and has my experience been worth the lack of noise canceling? Let me tell you of a noisy month, and one that's revealed how I handle quitting something.
I feel safer everywhere I go
One of the primary reasons I gave up ANC was because I felt unsafe while wearing the best noise-canceling headphones. While sealed in a musical cocoon, I found that I couldn't handle what was happening around me, and I was terrified of being hit by a car. Stations and underground stops were particularly gnarly as I dodged my fellow passengers while trying to listen out for station and train announcements.
Now, without ANC over my ears, I do feel safer. Many would call me a pansy (some did, and to you I say, "I hope you don't get hit by a car with your ANC headphones on"), but I am more aware of the world around me than I ever have been before.
I am more grounded, my senses more rounded and less dulled. Turns out, when crossing the road, I don't just use my eyes — I also seem to use my ears, as I listen out for cars that might not stop when they're supposed to. I don't hesitate at the crosswalk, unsure if it's actually safe to go.
I just know.
But it's not just that. When I go to the shop or a fast food joint, I don't have to turn anything off for the cashier. I just, like, talk to them. It's so much more natural, so much more human. There's nothing in the way between me and my conversation partner. They don't have to speak up — and, perhaps crucially, there's no horrible digital filter thing making them sound like they're a computer.
I notice the small things now more than ever. The birds singing in the park I walk through every day, and the sound of cool sports cars that use the roads nearby. I was able to strike up a conversation with an old dude the other day who seemed like he needed the company — with ANC turned on, I don't think I'd have noticed any of those things.
It's been harder than I expected
I am no stranger to quitting. I gave up smoking in 2020, and I've not picked up a death stick since. I've ditched social media to help improve my headspace and avoid toxicity. Quitting is something I'm generally quite good at, so it surprised me how difficult it has been to leave my ANC headphones at home when I go for a walk.
I think part of it is down to my job. I test headphones, and that means I have to see how they perform when you're out and about outside. I need to make sure that the ANC blocks out the noise of traffic, other pedestrians, and other noises that might disturb a potential user's day.
So there are times when I can't avoid ANC outside. And I think that makes it very easy just to grab my headphones when I wander on past the table by the door, stuffing my earbuds in my pocket as I've always done.
Then there's my promise not to use ANC when I'm at home working. When I don't need it, I have reams upon reams of wired headphones that don't feature ANC and generally sound better than wireless options. But the best wireless headphones are so easy.
I just pick up my headphones, put them on my head, and press play. They connect instantly and play music without having to plug anything in or change any device settings. Forgive me, father, I have sinned — I have used my ANC headphones at home. It's too simple, too easy.
And there are no cars in my office to avoid.
It's not for everyone
It was pointed out to me when I first wrote about giving ANC up that a world without noise-canceling headphones is not for everyone. For some neurodiverse people, the world can be overwhelming, buffeting them with millions of different things to divide their attention. Noise-canceling headphones give them at least some form of respite, allowing them a calm mind.
But for those who can give up ANC headphones, I would thoroughly suggest you give it a try. The last month for me has been eye (and ear) opening, and I've felt freer than ever without noise-canceling blocking out half the world.
I feel safer and more involved with what's happening around me — and I can only see that as a good thing.
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