LET THE RIGHT SOUNDS IN Noise-canceling headphones help drown out your neighbors incessant banging, letting you enjoy your next Netflix binge in peace.
Illustration: Chris GashI MADE THE DECISION around hour five. That’s five hours of hearing Aerosmith’s “Dream On” bleed through my walls on repeat, blasted so loudly from my neighbor’s system that Steven Tyler’s screech drowned out my already-cranked-to-eleven TV. Around hour five it dawned on me: To prepare for a weekend of binge-watching, it might be wise to invest in some noise-canceling headphones. Now, a few months later, I rarely watch shows any other way.
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I’m not sure why I resisted this sonic refuge for so long. With advances in noise-cancelling tech and Bluetooth’s ease of connectivity with smart TVs, soundbars and streaming devices like Apple TV, headphoned TV fans don’t have to worry about intrusive noise. My set always sounds pure and consistent; the audio doesn’t dim if I move 4 feet. The dialogue and score coexist evenly so I don’t have to constantly fiddle with the volume between scenes. The sound travels with me so I needn’t hit pause to go refill my glass or brush my teeth, and I no longer have to rewind if I miss something due to a door slamming.
“In the last 10 years, headphone processors have gotten better, antennas to send and receive signals are better, batteries have gotten stronger. And that all translates to a more consistent and higher quality audio experience,” said Matt Engstron, senior category director, product management at audio brand Shure.
The first feature to look for in a pair of TV-worthy phones, he said, is a wireless range of about 10 meters, which is standard for Bluetooth 5.0 and will let move about your house, or let you enjoy watching TV from bed as your partner dozes.
Does that partner snore? A pair of headphones with noise-cancelling “can basically eliminate the sound of a vacuum cleaner and make it a very movie-like experience inside your head,” said Mr. Engstron.
He warned that some people may feel thrown off by the “airlock” atmosphere created when all the ambient sound gets sucked out of the air. But if you plan to toggle noise-cancelling off, you’re just throwing money away on the premium feature.
Recently, differences in audio quality between over-ear and in-ear pairs has “leveled off,” said Mr. Engstron, allowing you to use whichever style you find most comfortable. But you’ll get a longer battery life with over-ear headphones—up to 20 hours of battery life with Shure’s Aonic 50 wireless headphones (available this spring, $399, shure.com) compared to only about 5 hours with Apple AirPods Pro. You’ll also pay a premium for earbuds since brands have to pack similar tech in smaller devices.
For film nerds who want a theatrical experience, pairs like Sony’s WH-L600 model ($300, sony.com) can thunderously mimic surround sound. And those with cable boxes or—god forbid—rabbit ears can still tune into any TV’s audio with Nuheara’s IQstream TV, which sets up a Bluetooth signal you can sync to the IQbuds Boost.
But there are drawbacks: First, headphones are obviously isolating. Most systems won’t let you sync multiple pairs of Bluetooth headphones, so good luck convincing a partner to read subtitles. Second, persistent headphone use can damage hearing. OSHA standards suggest that you can safely listen to sounds of about 90 decibels, or equal to the sound of New York’s subway, only two hours a day. Meanwhile, some headphones can hit 120 decibels at max volume.
Since noise-canceling blocks out sounds, it lets you listen at a lower register than standard headphones might, said Dr. Joe Shargorodsky, who led a 2010 study of how headphones are accelerating hearing loss in adolescents. He suggested maxing your headphones volume at 50%—about 60 to 70 decibels. You think I’d let Steven Tyler’s screech ruin “The Great British Baking Show”? Dream on.
EASY LISTENING: HOW TO CONNECT YOUR NOISE-CANCELING CANS
Often the trickiest part of watching TV with headphones on is the initial set-up. For most devices follow these steps.
Four noise-canceling sets that can easily sync to your TV. Clockwise from top left: Nuheara’s IQbuds Boost and IQstream TV ($299 and $99 respectively, nuheara.com); JBL’s Live 650BTNC ($200, jbl.com); Sennheiser RS 175-U ($280, sennheiser.com); Apple AirPods Pro ($249, apple.com).
1. Turn on your headphones and find the button to set them to pairing mode.
2. From your smart TV or streaming device’s home screen, find “Settings,” toggle to “Bluetooth” and click on the name or model of your headphones.
3. Once they pair, go back to settings and find your audio menu. Select “audio output” and click on your headphones.
4. Once your headphones make a connection sound, enjoy!
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The Joy of Watching TV With Headphones On - The Wall Street Journal
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