Non-earcup active noise canceling earphones generally make compromises in the passive blocking of sound by shrinking from full ear-covering cups down to smaller speaker shapes that physically shield less of the ear, forcing the active cancellation circuitry to really prove its value. In the case of ATH-ANC3, Audio-Technica has used an earpiece design that is similar to Sony’s 2007 MDR-EX90LP and 2008 MDR-EX85LP models, grafting a silicone rubber…
