When buying wireless earbuds, you will often see terms like ANC and ENC in the product specifications. Both technologies are designed to deal with unwanted noise, but they work differently and are made for different purposes.
Understanding the difference between ANC vs ENC can help you choose the right wireless earbuds for music, gaming, calls and everyday use.
What Is ANC?
ANC stands for Active Noise Cancellation. It is a technology designed to reduce unwanted sounds around you while you are listening to music, watching videos or using your earbuds. ANC uses microphones to detect surrounding sounds and generates an opposing signal to help reduce those sounds. This can make it easier to focus on your audio in noisy environments. ANC can be particularly useful when travelling, working in busy places or listening to music around background noise.
Benefits of ANC
- Helps reduce surrounding background noise
- Useful for music and video watching
- Can make listening more comfortable in noisy environments
- Useful during travel and commuting
- Available in many modern wireless earbuds
What Is ENC?
ENC stands for Environmental Noise Cancellation. It is mainly focused on improving voice communication during phone calls and voice chats.
ENC uses microphones to detect environmental sounds and helps separate your voice from surrounding background noise. This can help the person on the other end hear your voice more clearly.
ENC can be useful when making calls from places where there is background noise, such as offices, streets or busy public areas.
Benefits of ENC
- Helps improve voice clarity during calls
- Reduces the effect of surrounding environmental noise on the microphone
- Useful for phone calls and voice chats
- Helpful for online meetings and classes
- Common in budget and premium wireless earbuds
ANC vs ENC: What Is the Main Difference?
The simplest way to understand the difference is that ANC focuses on what you hear, while ENC mainly focuses on what the other person hears from your microphone. For example, if you are sitting in a noisy room and want to reduce the noise while listening to music, ANC is the technology you should look for. If you are making a phone call and want your voice to be clearer for the person you are talking to, ENC can be helpful.
Does ANC Improve Call Quality?
ANC and call microphone quality are not the same thing. ANC is primarily designed to reduce noise that reaches your ears while listening. For clearer calls, you should pay attention to the earbuds’ microphone system and features such as ENC. Some wireless earbuds include both ANC and ENC, giving users noise reduction for listening as well as features designed to improve voice communication.
Does ENC Reduce Noise for You?
ENC is mainly designed around microphone performance rather than reducing the noise you personally hear.
If you want to reduce background noise while listening to music, ANC is generally the feature you should look for.
Which Is Better: ANC or ENC?
ANC and ENC are designed for different purposes, so one is not simply better than the other.
If your priority is music, videos and reducing surrounding noise, ANC can be more useful.
If your priority is phone calls, voice chats and clearer communication, ENC can be more useful.
If you want both types of functionality, you can choose earbuds that offer both ANC and ENC.
ANC and ENC for Gaming
Gamers can benefit from both technologies depending on how they use their earbuds.
ANC can help reduce surrounding noise while playing games, allowing you to focus more on the audio. ENC can be useful when communicating with teammates through voice chat because it is designed to improve microphone performance in noisy environments.
For gaming, you should also consider low latency, Bluetooth connectivity, microphone quality and battery life rather than choosing earbuds based only on ANC or ENC.
ANC and ENC for Phone Calls
If you frequently use wireless earbuds for phone calls, ENC can be an important feature to consider. ENC is designed to help reduce environmental noise picked up by the microphones, which can make your voice easier to hear in noisy surroundings.
However, actual call quality can vary depending on the microphone design, software processing, environment and the quality of the connection.
Wireless Earbuds with Both ANC and ENC
Some wireless earbuds provide both technologies in the same product.
For example, the Toocki Bluetooth 5.4 Wireless Earbuds available on Techify feature both ANC and ENC, making them an option for users who want noise cancellation while listening as well as improved microphone performance for calls.
Check Toocki Bluetooth 5.4 Wireless Earbuds on Techify
How to Choose Between ANC and ENC
Before buying wireless earbuds, think about how you use them most often.
Choose ANC If:
- You listen to music in noisy places
- You travel frequently
- You want to reduce surrounding noise while listening
- You watch videos in busy environments
- You want a more isolated listening experience
Choose ENC If:
- You make frequent phone calls
- You attend online meetings or classes
- You use voice chat while gaming
- You often talk in noisy environments
- Clear microphone communication is important to you
Choose Both If:
- You want noise reduction while listening
- You also make frequent calls
- You use earbuds for both entertainment and communication
- You want a more complete set of noise-related features
ANC Earbuds Available on Techify
If you are looking for affordable wireless earbuds with ANC, you can check the Toocki Bluetooth 5.4 Wireless Earbuds with ANC and ENC.
View Toocki Bluetooth 5.4 ANC + ENC Earbuds
ENC Earbuds Available on Techify
Techify also offers several wireless earbuds with ENC for users who are mainly interested in clearer calls and everyday communication.
View Lecoo EW322 Wireless Earbuds with ENC
View ZORO ZX2 Gaming Earbuds with ENC
Are ANC Earbuds Worth Buying?
ANC earbuds can be worth considering if you regularly use earbuds in noisy environments. They can help reduce unwanted background sounds and make listening more comfortable.
However, ANC performance differs between earbuds. The number of microphones, hardware, software processing, earbud fit and design can all affect the actual result.
Are ENC Earbuds Worth Buying?
ENC earbuds can be useful if you frequently make calls or use voice chat. They are particularly helpful for people who need better microphone performance in environments with background noise.
As with ANC, ENC performance can vary between different earbuds, so it is important to consider the overall microphone quality rather than relying on the ENC label alone.
Final Thoughts
The difference between ANC and ENC is simple once you understand their main purposes.
ANC is primarily designed to reduce surrounding noise that you hear while listening to audio, while ENC is mainly designed to improve microphone voice pickup during calls and voice communication.
If you mainly listen to music or watch videos in noisy environments, look for earbuds with ANC.
If you frequently make calls or use voice chat, ENC can be an important feature.
And if you want both, choosing wireless earbuds with ANC + ENC can give you a combination of both features.
Explore more wireless earbuds on Techify to find an option that fits your needs and budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between ANC and ENC?
ANC is primarily designed to reduce external noise that you hear while listening, while ENC is mainly designed to improve microphone performance during calls by reducing the effect of environmental noise.
Is ANC better than ENC?
Neither technology is simply better because they serve different purposes. ANC is useful for reducing noise while listening, while ENC is useful for clearer voice communication.
Can earbuds have both ANC and ENC?
Yes. Many wireless earbuds offer both ANC and ENC. These earbuds can provide noise reduction for listening as well as microphone-focused noise reduction for calls.
Is ENC good for phone calls?
Yes. ENC is designed to help reduce environmental noise picked up by the microphones, which can help make your voice clearer during calls.
Is ANC good for gaming?
ANC can help reduce surrounding noise while gaming. However, gamers should also consider latency, connectivity, microphone quality and battery life.
Which is better for music, ANC or ENC?
ANC is generally the more relevant feature for music because it is designed to reduce surrounding noise that you hear while listening.