I recently tried wireless earbuds with Active Noise Cancellation for the first time. The earbuds were from Boseworth₹27000. The sound was amazing, tried everything, dolby atmos, spatial audio, ANC from low to full, etc.
**But within 10 minutes i noticed subtle sharp pressure in ears because earbud ANC was putting pressure in the ear canal. **The subtle pain started to turn in pain, and then nausia and headache within 15 minutes. I had to take them off as it was even dizzing my eyes.
Later i tries the earbuds without the ANC mode and it was fine, the passive noice cancellation was fine enough. +the amazing sound.
Cannot imagine the 8 hour usage like this?? **Is this a problem with all ANC ear buds? **All my friends who tried ANC earbuds had this issue.
Given the hype and cost, why does no one talk about this online?
Did your friends try your set of bose earbuds or their own buds ?
If you have access to a different brand with ANC like airpods, can you borrow and try them on ? If you still have issues with other brands, its worth a visit to an ENT like others suggested.
With my own set of soundcore anc earbuds I sometimes feel itching in one ear after 30 mins of usage. While using a borrowed set of airpods, I didn’t have the issue.
Yes i have hear this is a popular problem. A lot of my friends have good earbuds, but use ANC only for short amount of time.
Some have similar symptoms. Some mention the feeling resembling ear pressure during airplane flights or height air pressure change. Some feel a subtle sharp pain.
Maybe the symptoms were this extreme because this was the first time i tried them? Cannot imagine getting used to it in time.
Having already suffered hearing issues …I have stopped in-ear headphone uses these days and moved back to over the ear headphone and that too avoid it as much as possible,. just sometimes or when travelling.
What you are experiencing is not uncommon. I felt the same when I first used noise cancelling headphones. I think it was a Bose QC25. It goes away once you get used to it. If your Headphone/Earphone allows you to adjust the level of NC, go to the lowest setting and increase gradually till you find a sweet spot. Or consider getting one which has less potent active NC or just get one with good passive isolation.
I myself don’t like excessively high noise cancellation. Just enough to minimize noises from engines, construction equipment, fans, ACs, flights etc. I chose the Sony CH720N as my daily use pair because the level of NC it provided was just right. Any more and I start to feel mild nausea.
It does not necessarily mean you have ear issues. You are simply more sensitive than others.
Still, don’t use in-ear buds for extended periods of time. You are increasing the likelihood of ear infections and hearing loss. Get over-ear headphones for prolonged use.
I remember feeling a lot of pressure and a vacuum-like feeling when I first tried my WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones. I think I felt mild nausea as well. It used to feel uncomfortable, but that went away after a few uses. I feel perfectly fine when I use them now, but if someone else wears them for the first time, they feel the same way I did. I assume the feeling might be more intense in your case as the earphones go inside the ear canal.
What you’re experiencing is actually quite common. Some people are sensitive to the low-frequency pressure that ANC creates—it’s not actual pressure, but your brain can perceive it that way. This can lead to discomfort, headaches, even dizziness. Not all ANC earbuds are the same though. Some brands like Sony or Sennheiser have a more subtle ANC implementation that might feel more comfortable. If passive noise isolation works well for you, sticking with that might be the best option.
Can agree i had these issue on ANC with other Brands , Sennheiser is kinda neat . Not top notch ANC but again not much discomfort. And yes passive noise cancellation might help more here like foam earbuds
I also feel pain and discomfort when using anc. The only exception is sony xm4. Bose qc also caused me discomfort. I avoid anc at all costs now. IEMs are easy to wear for 1-2 hours. After that, even they cause discomfort.
MTW 4 Noise cancellation is smooth so not had that issue compared to other buds i used only discomfort in this is the ear is from the FIN physically when worn for some extended sessions.