How does the ANR work?
The ANR microphone, located inside the dome, senses noise frequency and amplitude at an instant in time. The Active Noise electronics process that noise and relays it to the speaker driver. That speaker adds a signal that is 180 degrees out-of-phase with the initial noise sensed by the microphone. Those two signals sum to zero, canceling each other out. Do all ANR headsets work the same? In general, they all utilize the same acoustic theory of 180 degrees out-of-phase signal to cancel engine noise. In truth, performance varies significantly among active headsets. It is important to compare them with technical specifications and in actual flight. Manufacturers make a variety of tradeoffs in dome cavity design, ANR mic position, electronics complexity, ear seal size and shape and materials in developing a product. Many are constrained by an existing passive design, leading to sub-optimized efficiency and effectiveness. Ultimately the headset delivers a curve of cancellation that can be c
