The REAL BLUE NC is one of our most popular over-ear headphones, and it’s now back in a new version with a host of updates to bring it in line with the latest technology – including its noise-cancelling capabilities. The new REAL BLUE PRO not only features hybrid active noise cancellation, but, like its in-ear counterpart, the REAL BLUE TWS, it also offers a transparency mode. We took a closer look at how this feature works.
Why is transparency mode useful?
For us, transparency mode is a useful addition to ANC headphonesOpens in new tab, which use active noise cancellation. When you’re completely immersed in music or a podcast, it can even help keep you safe. The feature allows certain sounds from your surroundings to remain audible. This not only makes it less likely that you’ll miss a phone call or the sound of the postman at the door, but is particularly important when you’re studying somewhere other than a quiet library. If you’re out and about on the street or in other busy environments, being able to hear what’s happening around you can be essential.
When transparency mode is enabled, the sounds around you aren’t completely blocked out. It also makes using the headphones more convenient, since you don’t have to take them off whenever you want to talk to someone. Handy not only when paying at the supermarket checkout or relaxing in the park. While the technology behind transparency mode varies somewhat between manufacturers, the basic principle is largely the same.
Transparency mode: How it works
Because most headphones provide good passive noise isolation, they can also block out external sounds, such as a bicycle bell. This can obviously have unpleasant consequences, both for you and those around you. That’s where transparency mode comes in: external microphones on the headphones pick up sounds from your surroundings and feed them back through the headphones, allowing you to hear what’s happening around you while wearing them. Also known as Transparency Mode, the feature lets you stay aware of your surroundings even when wearing noise-cancelling headphones.
Headphones in the Teufel Shop
Interview with acoustic engineer Christoph
Christoph Karnop, acoustic engineer at Teufel, discusses the unique acoustic development of the REAL BLUE NC, finding the right microphone positions and how transparency mode works in this interview for the Teufel blog.
Teufel Blog: Hi Christoph, thanks for taking the time to speak with us. How long did it take to develop the new REAL BLUE NC?
Christoph: All in all, development took a full two years.
Teufel Blog: What was the main focus during development?
Christoph: The headphones are designed for many different uses. The REAL BLUE NC is highly versatile and adapts well to the demands of each situation. Bringing all these requirements together was certainly the biggest challenge. In many cases, some of these requirements are actually at odds with each other. If I had to highlight one aspect in particular, we spent a great deal of time working on the headphones’ passive sound – that is, how they sound when the headphones are switched off and connected to the source via cable.
When you look at the current market for ANC headphones, it quickly becomes clear that the foundation of the headphones – their passive sound – is often neglected, as manufacturers rely on active equalisation via a DSP instead. If the foundation is right, however, many things become easier later on. This meant we didn’t have to make as many adjustments to the sound in active mode, which clearly improves the overall quality of the headphones. It also means users can still enjoy the headphones with a flat battery while maintaining a great listening experience.
Finding the optimal microphone positions
To achieve the best possible ANC performance, we carried out detailed studies to determine the optimal microphone positions for our headphones. Our main focus was on achieving consistent performance across all possible angles of sound incidence. Noise can come from any direction, and ANC headphones need to account for this.
Teufel Blog: Was there a particular sound signature that the REAL BLUE NC was designed around?
Christoph: The headphones were designed from the outset to deliver plenty of bass while still allowing detail and transparency to shine through. The overall aim is to preserve the character of the music without colouring the sound, while at the same time giving the bass a certain boost from the start to recreate the listening experience you would get from loudspeakers or natural sound sources.
One particular challenge when fine-tuning mechanical and acoustic components is creating a consistent sound field. This is important for ANC, but also for a consistent music listening experience. The bass range is particularly sensitive to changing conditions, such as different head shapes, hair, wearing glasses and even movement. The mid and high frequencies, meanwhile, are especially important when it comes to assessing the naturalness and quality of the sound. We improved the clarity and detail of the REAL BLUE headphones through a special diaphragm coating, while damping narrow-band resonances adds transparency and clearly enhances the natural character of the sound.
Hear the world around you with transparency mode
Teufel Blog: The new REAL BLUE NC features a transparency mode. How does it differ from similar innovations from other manufacturers, or is it based on the same principle?
Christoph: The passive attenuation of ambient noise you experience when wearing the headphones without ANC enabled is comparable to a low-pass filter. This means that low frequencies reach your ears almost unhindered, while high frequencies are already significantly attenuated. With ANC, the low frequencies are additionally suppressed, whereas transparency mode specifically picks up high-frequency signals through the microphones and amplifies them before playing them back through the drivers.
The basic principle is more or less the same across all manufacturers. However, the way the feature is tuned can vary. We opted for a sound that is as neutral as possible. The aim was to let you hear all external sounds through the headphones as though you weren’t wearing headphones at all. The best way to assess this is by listening to the tone of someone’s voice. There are significant differences between manufacturers here. The range goes from a telephone-like sound to “you can hear ants crawling through the forest”. Both approaches are certainly exaggerated. We’ve opted for the middle ground.
Headphones for every occasion
Teufel Blog: Are there any particular music genres that pair especially well with these headphones?
Christoph: The headphones are designed for listeners who want a wide range of applications from a single pair. The sound quality remains very consistent across all modes, whether the headphones are switched off and connected via cable, switched on and connected via cable, or used with Bluetooth and ANC enabled. They are equally suited to working from home, travelling or listening to music from an old vinyl collection. When it comes to music genres, there’s no clear-cut answer. We test all genres, and the result is always a certain compromise based on the overall impression they create.
Modern pop productions certainly gain a little extra life from the REAL BLUE NC, while indie recordings can be a bit more forgiving of the occasional mixing mistake. The REAL BLUE NC is designed to remain as consistent as possible across different situations and use cases. At the end of the day, you can also adjust the sound to your own taste in the Teufel Go app. This is definitely an important feature. Time and again, we see that people have very different preferences when it comes to the sound of headphones. No automatic calibration could cater to every individual preference either. It’s best to make the adjustments yourself – and we’ve provided the foundation to do so.
Teufel Blog: Dear Christoph, thank you for taking the time to speak with us.
Discover versatile sound with the REAL BLUE PRO
▶ REAL BLUE PROOpens in new tab: These headphones deliver powerful bass and precise highs wherever you are. Even on the go, the large, lightweight Linear HD driver with its ventilated rear chamber provides an optimal sound experience. Thanks to hybrid ANCOpens in new tab, you can either retreat from the world around you or stay fully connected with transparency mode.
▶ REAL BLUE NC 3Opens in new tab: Dive headfirst into uninterrupted music enjoyment with Teufel’s successor to the best-selling REAL BLUE NC. With ANC, transparency mode and Conversation Mode, Bluetooth 5.3, compatibility with the Teufel Go app and many other features, the REAL BLUE NC 3 is made for versatile everyday listening.
▶ REAL BLUE TWS 3Opens in new tab: Love ANC but prefer something more compact? These small in-ear earbuds feature hybrid ANC too, making them the perfect companion for the office, your commute or a workout. With an IPX4 rating, they’re also protected against sweat and splashes.
▶ AIRY TWS 2Opens in new tab: These compact earbuds also feature ANC with transparency mode and are protected against splashes with an IPX4 rating.
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