Short answer: ANC makes the world quieter for you. ENC makes your voice clearer for the person on the other end of a call — it does nothing for what you hear. Passive noise isolation is just the physical seal of the earbud or earcup. Thousands of Indian listings advertise “ENC” in a way that reads like noise cancellation for the listener, and it is not. If you want quiet on your commute, you need ANC — which starts around Rs 990 in unboxed stock with the realme Buds Q2.

Prices are live as of 6 September 2026 and move with stock — check the linked product page for the current figure before you decide.

The three terms, side by side

ANC ENC Passive isolation
Full name Active Noise Cancellation Environmental Noise Cancellation Physical isolation
Who benefits You, the wearer The person you are calling You, the wearer
How it works Plays an inverted sound wave into your ear Filters background noise out of the microphone signal The ear tip or earcup physically blocks sound
Best on Low frequency: engines, fans, rumble Steady background noise on your side of the call High frequency: voices, clicks, clatter
Needs power Yes Yes No
Costs battery 20-30% of runtime Only during calls Nothing

Why the confusion exists

Because ENC is cheap and ANC is not. Environmental Noise Cancellation is largely a software feature running on the microphone signal, so a manufacturer can add it to a Rs 800 earbud at almost no cost. Real hybrid ANC needs extra microphones, a dedicated processing chip and careful acoustic design.

So budget listings lead with ENC, often written as “ENC Noise Cancellation” or “4-mic ENC”, and buyers reasonably read the words noise cancellation and expect a quiet commute. They then get an earbud that does nothing for the metro rumble but does sound clear to their colleagues on a call.

Neither the feature nor the label is dishonest. The gap between what it says and what buyers hear is real, and it is worth naming plainly rather than repeating.

Which one do you actually need?

  • You commute by metro, bus or train, or fly often. You need ANC. Nothing else touches low-frequency rumble.
  • You take a lot of calls from noisy places — a shop, a site, a busy street. You need ENC, and good ENC genuinely matters. Your callers will notice it more than you will.
  • You work in an open office and are bothered by conversation. Neither will solve this. Speech sits where ANC is weakest. Well-sealed in-ears with something playing is your best option.
  • You want to hear music clearly while walking in traffic. You need good passive isolation plus a transparency mode. ANC here is a safety problem, not a feature.

What good passive isolation is worth

More than most people assume. A properly fitted silicone ear tip or a well-padded over-ear cup can reduce high-frequency noise by 15-25 dB on its own, with no electronics involved. That is a large amount, and it covers exactly the frequency band where ANC is weakest.

This is why the best ANC headphones are also the ones with the best seal. The two systems are complementary, not competing. It is also why fit is the single largest real-world variable in noise performance — a Rs 12,000 earbud with the wrong tip size will underperform a Rs 2,000 one that fits.

Practical test: put the earbuds in with nothing playing. If you can still hear the room clearly, go up a tip size. Most people are wearing tips that are too small.

What to look for on a listing

  1. “Hybrid ANC” or “Active Noise Cancellation up to XX dB” — this is real ANC.
  2. “ENC”, “4-mic ENC”, “AI call noise reduction”, “clear voice” — this is call quality only.
  3. “Noise isolating” with no mention of active anything — this is passive fit, which is fine and honest.
  4. “Transparency” or “Ambient mode” — lets outside sound in deliberately. You want this if you walk in traffic.

Who should NOT buy ANC

  • Anyone cycling or walking on Indian roads. You need to hear horns. This is a safety matter.
  • Anyone who only takes calls. Buy for microphone quality and ENC instead; ANC will just cost you battery.
  • Anyone sensitive to ear pressure. Some people find strong ANC uncomfortable, similar to an altitude change. Buy where you can return it.
  • Anyone under Rs 1,000 who prioritises sound. At that price ANC is added at the expense of the driver. A good non-ANC pair sounds better.

Live unboxed picks

Model Price What it actually has
boAt Rockerz 330 Rs 699 Passive isolation, neckband, long battery
realme Buds Q2 Rs 990 Entry-level true ANC
realme Buds T300 Rs 1,090 ANC, better than the Q2 for commuting
realme Buds Air 5 Pro Rs 2,490 Strong ANC for the price
Sony WF-C510 Rs 2,990 Passive isolation only; excellent sound
JBL Tune 770NC Rs 4,490 Hybrid ANC over-ear
Sony WF-C710N Rs 5,490 Dual noise cancellation earbuds
Sony WH-CH720N Rs 5,890 The value benchmark for over-ear ANC
Bose QuietComfort Rs 11,490 The reference for commute silence

What we can ship today

Every unit below is in stock as this page was last checked, with a 6-month NewAsNew Assured Warranty, GST invoice, 7-day returns and no-cost EMI. If it is listed here, we can dispatch it.

Model Price MRP You save
Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Bluetooth On-Ear Headphones with Mic
50Hrs Battery · Quick Charge · Multipoint Connectivity		 ₹2,790 ₹5,990 53%
Sony WH-CH720N Active Noise Cancellation Wireless Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones with Mic
Up to 35Hrs Battery · Customized EQ		 ₹5,890 ₹14,990 61%
Bose Noise Cancelling 700 Bluetooth Wireless Over-Ear Headphones with Mic
Alexa Enabled & Touch Control		 ₹14,790 ₹34,500 57%
Sony WH-1000XM5 Best Active Noise Cancelling Wireless Bluetooth Over-Ear Headphones with Mic
30 Hours Battery Life		 ₹21,990 ₹34,990 37%

Prices checked on 29 September 2026 — stock and prices move, so the linked product page is always the truth.

Browse all headphones in stock · Ask us on WhatsApp which one fits you

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ANC and ENC?

ANC reduces the noise you hear by playing an inverted sound wave into your ear. ENC reduces the background noise the person you are calling hears, by filtering your microphone signal. ENC does nothing for your own listening.

Is ENC useless then?

Not at all — it is very useful, just for a different purpose. If you take calls from noisy places, good ENC is the difference between being understood and being asked to repeat yourself. It simply is not noise cancellation for the wearer.

Do I need both ANC and ENC?

If you both commute and take calls, yes, and most mid-range earbuds now include both. Check the listing states them separately rather than blurring them into one phrase.

Which is better, ANC or passive noise isolation?

Neither, because they cover different frequencies. Passive isolation handles high frequencies such as voices and clatter; ANC handles low frequencies such as engines and fans. The best products do both.

Why do my ANC earbuds not block office chatter?

Speech sits at 500Hz-4kHz and changes constantly, which is the hardest thing for ANC to predict and cancel. This is a physics limit, not a fault or a price issue.

Does ENC drain battery?

Only during calls, and far less than ANC does. ANC typically costs 20-30% of total runtime because it runs continuously while you listen.

Related guides

Still deciding? Talk to a human

Send us the work you do and your budget on WhatsApp and we will tell you honestly whether we have something for you — or whether you should wait. Chat with NewAsNew on WhatsApp (+91 79822 35917).

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Written by Atul Pandey, co-founder of NewAsNew (NextG Serve Private Limited, New Delhi). We came from four years of offline electronics retail in Prayagraj before building NewAsNew. Only 2 to 3 out of every 10 devices that reach our QC bench pass; the other 7 to 8 go back to the supplier. The exact figure moves month to month with the stock we are offered, so we publish the range rather than one flattering number. Read our story.