Passive and active noise reduction: description and differences

PASSIVE AND ACTIVE NOISE REDUCTION: WE EXPLAIN IT TO YOU

Noise is part of our daily lives, wherever we go. If it can already be a nuisance in our personal life ( a crying child, a barking dog, etc. ), imagine what it is like in the workplace... It is always undesirable, and when it infiltrates our conversations, it can cause significant concentration problems ( with serious comprehension problems as a consequence ).

In fact, currently

94%

of teleworkers experience background noise during their conversations

AND

42%

of them say they have difficulty hearing opposing parties during hybrid meetings

Mouse clicks, incessant typing on the keyboard or noisy conversations from colleagues are factors that can annoy you and your various interlocutors at a distance... This is where the notion of noise reduction comes into play ! Passive or active, they are two key approaches that should not be underestimated if you want to improve the sound quality in meetings.

Enough chitchat! Without further ado, let's dive into our comparison of noise reduction technologies. Are you following us? That's what it's about ↓

PASSIVE OR ACTIVE NOISE REDUCTION: WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Noise reduction is a technology based on sound waves. We're not going to go into a detailed ( and complex ) explanation of how it works, but all you need to remember about this valuable phenomenon is that it comes in two "versions": active and passive. Which to choose? Let's find out:

Passive noise reduction:
In this case, noise reduction is achieved through a combination of design and material techniques. Together, they minimize the pickup of unwanted sounds and prevent them from spreading. Microphones are designed with external anti-interference housings or acoustic filters, and in some cases may even incorporate an echo cancellation system ( to prevent any unwanted feedback ).

Active Noise Reduction ( ANC ):
The "active" approach to noise reduction refers to the use of advanced electronic technology and algorithms to reduce noise in real time. Specifically, the microphones capture the ambient sound and send it to the system to identify noise disturbances. Anti-noise signals ( inverted waves ) are then generated and combined with the original signal to cancel out or reduce the noise.

ACTIVE NOISE REDUCTION ( ANC ): WHEN SHOULD IT BE USED?

1. Noisy environments	Open offices, cafeterias, areas with constant traffic, etc.	Eliminate unwanted sound and improve the clarity of transmitted sound.
2. Multiple interlocutors	Meetings with multiple participants	Focus the sound on the main speaker's voice and reduce interference from other voices or background noises.
3. Meeting rooms	Great collaboration spaces	Reduced echo and reverberation + improved intelligibility in video conferencing.
4. Business trips	Business trips to hotels, airports or train stations	Minimize ambient noise and ensure distraction-free calls.
5. Shared spaces	Common areas or shared work spaces	Reduce interruptions and ensure greater confidentiality during communications.