Earplugs with good fit (inside your ear) do not need active noise cancelling.

WF C500 have noise canceling and ambient noise canceling too , tried it , it does absolutely NOTHING what so ever and i work in constant 90+ Db work environment , you Kind Off hear it channel the sound in to a more compact sound , for the rest it CERTAINLY does NOT do what they say it Should do ... the only thing that helps ... is putting on music , to drown out the sound of machinery or those orange 3M industrial ear buds , those do exactly what they want these earbuds to do , not just throw some gimmick in a product a Calling it noise canceling , it's a big joke !!!

ThermaL1102:

WF C500 have noise canceling and ambient noise canceling too , tried it , it does absolutely NOTHING what so ever and i work in constant 90+ Db work environment , you Kind Off hear it channel the sound in to a more compact sound , for the rest it CERTAINLY does NOT do what they say it Should do ... the only thing that helps ... is putting on music , to drown out the sound of machinery or those orange 3M industrial ear buds , those do exactly what they want these earbuds to do , not just throw some gimmick in a product a Calling it noise canceling , it's a big joke !!!

Noise cancelling is for making calls and removing the background noise.

Ghosty:

Noise cancelling is for making calls and removing the background noise.

I'm actually always confused by this. What do they actually refer to noise cancelling. Usually it's just Active Noise Cancelling as with Jabra, but call quality is a different thing altogether. Personally call quality is a key point for me as most of the earplugs are HORRIBLE with this. For example I gave my wife my old Bose earplugs, as audio quality and noise cancellation was great (in terms of a mode where you won't hear world around you), but call quality was HORRIBLE. Literally they would pick anything expect your own voice. Jabra that I'm using now has it much better, but still far from ideal.

cryohellinc:

I'm actually always confused by this. What do they actually refer to noise cancelling. Usually it's just Active Noise Cancelling as with Jabra, but call quality is a different thing altogether. Personally call quality is a key point for me as most of the earplugs are HORRIBLE with this. For example I gave my wife my old Bose earplugs, as audio quality and noise cancellation was great (in terms of a mode where you won't hear world around you), but call quality was HORRIBLE. Literally they would pick anything expect your own voice. Jabra that I'm using now has it much better, but still far from ideal.

Everyone always complains that they can't here me very well no matter the phone or device I use, so I know the feeling.

mbk1969:

Earplugs with good fit (inside your ear) do not need active noise cancelling.

ANC is AMAZING on a plane or when mowing the lawn. The noise just completely disappears in a way that not even industrial earplugs can't manage. It's magic. On top of that, it enables you to then listen to music at a lower volume since you're not trying to drown out the background noise.

ThermaL1102:

WF C500 have noise canceling and ambient noise canceling too , tried it , it does absolutely NOTHING what so ever and i work in constant 90+ Db work environment , you Kind Off hear it channel the sound in to a more compact sound , for the rest it CERTAINLY does NOT do what they say it Should do ... the only thing that helps ... is putting on music , to drown out the sound of machinery or those orange 3M industrial ear buds , those do exactly what they want these earbuds to do , not just throw some gimmick in a product a Calling it noise canceling , it's a big joke !!!

I have the Bose QuietComfort II earbuds and the ANC is incredible. I use it when mowing my lawn on my riding mower and the drop in noise is tremendous.

Benny V:

ANC is AMAZING on a plane or when mowing the lawn. The noise just completely disappears in a way that not even industrial earplugs can't manage. It's magic. On top of that, it enables you to then listen to music at a lower volume since you're not trying to drown out the background noise.

I have the same effect without ANC. I live in a capital city with lot of traffic, and the only place where noise is audible is the subway - noise (from train) is conducted by tissues and bones, so no ANC is capable to cancel it. When ear canal is properly sealed by earphones (silicon tips or custom made) I do not touch volume when I enter the subway. https://westoneaudio.com/custom-and-universal-iems-fact-vs-fiction/

Isolation from External Sounds Isolation is one of the primary reasons that IEM use has grown significantly over the last 20 years. As musicians have become much savvier about the dangers of hearing damage, professionals and amateurs alike have migrated towards IEM use on stage. One of the most misunderstood elements of custom vs universal IEMs is attenuation of outside noise. Conventional wisdom is that CIEMs have higher attenuation since they are molded specifically to one’s ears. On average, this may be true, but it’s more of a function of poor fitting that some users experience with universal IEMs. A properly fit CIEM should yield 25-30dB of attenuation (higher dB of attenuation, means more external sound is blocked). The same holds true for a universal fit IEM with a silicone tip. In a perfect world, you can often achieve a bit higher level of attenuation with deeply inserted foam eartip. Ultimately, attenuation is more a function of fit than anything else. When it comes to IEMs, getting a good seal is paramount. Without a seal, you aren’t getting the protection that you need in noisy environments. With the right custom earpiece or universal eartip, you should be able to achieve good isolation.

According to levels of noise paper 25dB noise attenuation can "downgrade" lawnmowers to traffic, and traffic to moderate rainfall.

mbk1969:

I have the same effect without ANC. I live in a capital city with lot of traffic, and the only place where noise is audible is the subway - noise (from train) is conducted by tissues and bones, so no ANC is capable to cancel it. When ear canal is properly sealed by earphones (silicon tips or custom made) I do not touch volume when I enter the subway. https://westoneaudio.com/custom-and-universal-iems-fact-vs-fiction/ According to levels of noise paper 25dB noise attenuation can "downgrade" lawnmowers to traffic, and traffic to moderate rainfall.

My earbuds fit perfectly. Yes, they block out a ton of noise when they're "off" and just in my ear acting like an earplug. They cut even more noise though with ANC on, in a way that not even an industrial-grade earplug can manage to do. Your position that ANC isn't "needed" if you have properly fitting earbuds is purely your opinion. Objectively, the experience is much, much quieter than earplugs alone.

Benny V:

My earbuds fit perfectly. Yes, they block out a ton of noise when they're "off" and just in my ear acting like an earplug. They cut even more noise though with ANC on, in a way that not even an industrial-grade earplug can manage to do. Your position that ANC isn't "needed" if you have properly fitting earbuds is purely your opinion. Objectively, the experience is much, much quieter than earplugs alone.

Of course it is my opinion. I am not trying to cancel ANC, I am stating that first thing to do is to select proper earphone`s tips and fit them properly to reduce the noise enough for music listening (without damaging the hearing by loud music). PS And there are sounds (amplitude + frequency) that are conducted by your body and which can`t be cancelled by any means.

with the WF XM4 the call quality was improved a lot, no one can tell where i am (like small tiled room reflecting sound), and no background noise that would be noticeable to callers. and with improvements on ANC proc, they now dont even need to have music for proper cancelling, but it does take away the little that's left. @mbk1969 i have tinnitus, so i dont like HF noise/sounds, incl things like vacuum cleaners. i prefer using my XM4, as i can listen to music while doing stuff, instead of just using foam plugs. ignoring things like public spaces/transportation, where i dont have to listen to engine noise or ppl talking, things that wont be done by just fitting the right tips, especially without running any music/sound. properly cancelling voices is something i havent seen anyone else do better (than) sony (in the same/similar) price range. @ThermaL1102 not sure if i misunderstood, but the C500 are not coming with ANC, nor are they advertised to have it.

fry178:

not sure if i misunderstood, but the C500 are not coming with ANC, nor are they advertised to have it.

Exactly, why are so many people claiming they know things, but in reality they dont even own a product with such technology to begin with. Therefore no own experience. I do have the WH-1000XM5 and the WF-1000XM4. Using them daily. The WH at home. The WF at noisy work. (Turning and Milling). It is a blessing. I am so spoiled by now that i will never use just ordinary Earplugs or Headphones without ANC anymore. The "Soundwave Inverting and neutralizing" technology is just awesome. Ordered the new WF-1000XM5 already.

fry178:

@mbk1969 i have tinnitus, so i dont like HF noise/sounds, incl things like vacuum cleaners. i prefer using my XM4, as i can listen to music while doing stuff, instead of just using foam plugs. ignoring things like public spaces/transportation, where i dont have to listen to engine noise or ppl talking, things that wont be done by just fitting the right tips, especially without running any music/sound. properly cancelling voices is something i havent seen anyone else do better (than) sony (in the same/similar) price range.

All the trhings I get with usual IEMs with proper size of silicon tips and proper fit. I have custom made IEMs (require repair so is not in use,unfortunately) - they isolate almost any noise. PS When I need to interact with people (while I am in IEMs) I have to stop music or remove one from ear - because I do not hear their voices. PPS And there is another aspect - wireless headphones - I did not buy Hi-Fi portable player with descent DAC and amplifier to listen wireless headphones.

@Loster dang, nice, enjoy. doubt ill get anything, as i dont even have a real need for ANC to/from work, and the XM4 are good enough for home use. @mbk1969 you wont get the same. isolation is not cancelling. i can tell a noticeable difference switching between NC on/off, and my buds fit perfectly, as i can even run without them falling out. not sure why, but you seem to ignore the fact i can combine a good fit earbud WITH ANC. and just from the technical point, if they fit the same way, a unit with ANC will still be "quieter", period. a sony display in the store (XM4) had the ability to let users switch between ANC on/off, without having any audio signal (music etc), and every single customer said it was the biggest difference they every experienced, not hearing any background noise from the store, and almost all not even responding to me when i asked if they can hear me (while ANC was enabled). besides that, i can have them auto pause if i remove one, and ambient mode allows for selectable amount of sound pass thru, and i can set them to to do both at the same time (if i set it up that way), when touching one ear bud, allowing fo conversations without removing n earbud. irrelevant, as thats not the intended use, nor has anything to do with the capabilities of ANC. ignoring that more than 80% off ppl i (personally) know, have both. wired with amp/dac, and earbuds for the go, the same way you wont compare and "dismiss" mobile phone/tablet for web use, just because a pc at home is faster and has a bigger screen.

@fry178 I do not ignore the possibility of combined good fit and ANC, I just state that for me good fit is enough for noise attenuation. If it was not enough I would consider ANC. As for mobile phone WEB, that`s exactly what I do - dismiss. I only use WiFi internet in my phone, I don`t have internet in my tariff plan, namely because I work on PC, and I entertain on PC at home, phone screen is a key hole comparing to PC screen. For reading I use e-book with e-Ink screen. For music I use portable player. That`s my experience.

With my cheap taotronics anc , the anc introduces a light hish when is already quiet I always close it , but when the washing machine is running while anc is off I can hear it and annoy the crap out of me while when anc is on I sometimes remove the headphones to hear if the washer is done .... They do almost nothing for less monotonous sounds ..... But as I said their anc is nothing special !I normally do not use it except on specific situations where it comes reeeeally handy!

Loster:

Exactly, why are so many people claiming they know things, but in reality they dont even own a product with such technology to begin with. Therefore no own experience. I do have the WH-1000XM5 and the WF-1000XM4. Using them daily. The WH at home. The WF at noisy work. (Turning and Milling). It is a blessing. I am so spoiled by now that i will never use just ordinary Earplugs or Headphones without ANC anymore. The "Soundwave Inverting and neutralizing" technology is just awesome. Ordered the new WF-1000XM5 already.

Is the ANC going to be even better this time round? If so, I will preorder. Hopefully Sony have fixed the battery drain with this one also.

depends for what range you expect the improvements. never had any issues (xm1 thru 4), unless defective batteries. ignoring that some ppl mistreat them by running them completely empty..

well, got the WF-1000XM5 yesterday. They updated straightaway to Software 2.0.1. Comparing them quickly to my WF-1000XM4 i would say they are 98% the same in terms of Soundquality and ANC. I like that they are lighter and smaller. Fitting better into my troublesome ears. Negative thing to say is. the Eartips .... again. They put some extra small size into the box. Well my ear canals are bigger, so i would rather need xtra large. Now i am using the large Eartips of my XM4 because they are larger than the large XM5 eartips. Is it worth to upgrade if you own the XM4 already you ask ? Definetly not. Overall they are great and i will definately keep them, but I was hoping for the ANC to be at least on pair or even better with the famous king of ANCs the BOSE QC II. Next week i will test them in my loud enviroment at work. And i will have a look at, if the one side battery drain issue has been resolved.

@Loster not sure what makes you name the bose as king, but sony has the highest noise cancellation percentage for over the ear units for a few years now. again, if you have issues with the battery, get them exchanged, as they are defective. on all units i replaced the battery, no issues anymore, but i doubt you wanna open them already..