What Is ENC Noise Cancellation in Gaming Headsets?

Noise cancellation is one of the most talked-about features of the headset. But not all noise cancellation works the same way. Helping you hear clearly and making your voice heard clearly are two completely different things. Today, we’ll focus on ENC noise cancellation in gaming headsets and explore how it differs from ANC and PNC.

What Is ENC Noise Cancellation?

ENC stands for Environmental Noise Cancellation. It’s designed to reduce background noise during calls.  Filters out surrounding sounds and focuses on your voice, helping both sides hear each other clearly, without distractions.

Core Function: Make your voice heard more clearly.

So, you can find the ENC is for the headphone with the microphone, which is also called a headset. For a gaming headset, ENC allows players to clearly communicate tactics within a team and avoids environmental noise affecting team coordination.

How Does ENC Work?

Hardware and algorithms achieve the headset's environmental noise cancellation.

For the Hardware. There are two or three microphones in the headset - one is dedicated to capturing the user's voice, and the other one is used to capture environmental noise.

After capturing the voice, the ENC algorithm starts working. Firstly, it accurately identifies the characteristics of human voices from the signal, then analyzes the environmental noise, and then uses digital signal processing technology to filter out the noise signal, retaining only the pure human voice signal before transmitting it to the other party.

ENC vs ANC: What’s the Difference?

Many people think all noise cancellation is the same. They assume any headphones labeled as noise-canceling will work. ENC and ANC, the two types you often see in headphones, are completely different.

ENC: As we discussed above, the purpose of ENC is to make your voice heard more clearly. The purpose of ANC is Different.

What is ANC?

ANC: ANC stands for Active Noise Cancellation. It uses microphones inside the headphones to pick up external noise, and then creates opposite sound waves to cancel that noise out. In this way, you can enjoy music or videos without outside distractions.

• Core Function: Help the wearer hear more clearly.

Generally, the ANC is found in headphones without microphones. Of course, you can find the ANC and ENC in some headsets, which allows you to enjoy a quiet listening experience while also ensuring clear sound transmission during calls.

ENC vs ANC Key Differences

Feature	ENC	ANC
Affects	Microphone (input)	Speakers (output)
Purpose	Clear your voice	Reduce what you hear
Best for	Voice chat, teamwork	Immersion, focus
Common in	Gaming headsets	Premium headphones

Simply Put:

• ENC = Makes you sound heard better
• ANC = Makes your environment sound quieter

So next time you see “noise cancellation” on a headphone ad, take a closer look. Does it reduce the noise you hear, or the noise others hear?

ENC vs PNC: What’s the Difference?

Besides ANC, which helps you hear more clearly by reducing noise, PNC works toward the same goal.

What is PNC?

PNC: PNC stands for Passive Noise Cancellation. It is the most basic form of noise cancellation, relying on the physical structure of the headphones to achieve sound isolation.

• Core Function: Same as ANC, helps the wearer hear more clearly.

PNC doesn’t need a power source or complex algorithms, so it’s simple and low-cost. However, it can only block certain noises, and how well it works depends entirely on how comfortable and well-fitting the headphones are.

ENC vs PNC Key Differences

Feature	ENC	PNC
Core Method	Algorithm-based processing	Physical isolation
Target Focus	Sounds captured by microphones	Sounds entering the ear
Working Principle	Uses multiple microphones and algorithms to separate the human voice from background noise, so the other party hears you clearly	Uses earcups, headbands, and padding to block external noise, like “plugging” your ears
Technological Content	Relies on chip processing power and algorithm tuning	Relies on materials, design, and fit
Typical Use Cases	Calls, voice/video conferencing	Listening to music, focusing, and reducing ambient noise

• ENC: Makes your microphone smarter, sending only your voice to others.
• PNC: Physically blocking outside noise with foam, silicone, or sponge.

Many headphones combine passive noise cancellation with ENC, just like Akko Verge S9 Ultra, blocking noise physically and using ENC to filter out the rest, creating a dual-layer noise cancellation effect.

Why ENC Matters in Gaming?

In gaming, clear communication is a weapon.

In team-based games (especially FPS, MOBA, and tactical competitive games), real-time tactical communication is crucial, and voice commands between teammates are key to victory. ENC precisely filters out ambient noise, retaining only the player's clear voice, ensuring teammates clearly receive every command and guaranteeing the accuracy and timeliness of tactical communication.

Of course, different types of games have different requirements for ENC.

1. FPS (PUBG, CS2, Valorant, Call of Duty) — High Demand for ENC

• Callouts must be precise: direction, distance, number of enemies, movement
• Communication must be instant: even a one-second delay can cost the team
• Noise-free environment is crucial: teammates must hear “on your right” clearly

ENC is essential—often more important than sound quality.

2. MOBA (Honor of Kings, League of Legends) — Medium-High Demand for ENC

• Quick callouts for fights, retreats, or objectives like Dragon.
• Mini-maps and pings help, but voice is much faster and more efficient

ENC greatly improves teamwork and coordination.

3. MMORPG (World of Warcraft, FF14) — Medium Demand for ENC

• Long voice chats for raids or guild activities
• The environment is usually quiet (at home), but voice clarity is important

ENC enhances comfort during extended communication.

4. Single-player / Casual — Low Demand for ENC

• No need for team communication

ENC is optional; ANC is more useful here.

Pros and Cons of ENC

Pros:

• Enhanced Call Clarity: ENC greatly improves call quality. It precisely filters out background sounds while keeping human voices clear. This ensures smooth communication for calls, meetings, gaming, or casual chats.
• Strong Scene Adaptability: ENC adapts to different environments. It can handle indoor keyboard clicks, outdoor wind, or multi-person conversations, using algorithms to reduce noise effectively in any scenario.
• Good Compatibility: ENC works well alongside ANC and PNC. Some High-end headphones can combine these technologies, letting you enjoy quiet music while your voice stays clear to the other party—enhancing overall performance.

Cons:

• Limited handling of sudden noises: ENC struggles with sharp, sudden sounds like brakes or objects dropping. These noises change quickly, and the algorithm may not cancel them in time, letting brief spikes through during calls.
• Hardware and algorithm dependent: ENC needs dual microphones and high-quality algorithms. Mid- to low-end headphones often lack these, limiting noise reduction and voice clarity compared to high-end models.
• Incomplete noise filtering: When background noise shares similar frequencies with human voices—like in a crowded room—ENC can struggle to separate them. This may cause partial noise reduction or muffled voices, leading to unclear call audio.

What to Look for in an ENC Gaming Headset?

1. Verify the depth of the noise reduction

Select headsets with at least a 20dB noise reduction depth. Higher values improve call clarity by blocking more background noise.

2. Examine the range of noise cancellation frequencies

A good ENC should handle both high-frequency sounds and low-frequency rumbles between 20 Hz and 20 kHz.

3. Choose the one with voice-enhancement technology

To avoid distortion or muffled sound and maintain clear, natural calls, look for products with voice-enhancement technology.

4. Verify the number and arrangement of microphones

Multi-microphone arrays (e.g., four mics) offer more accurate noise filtering than dual microphones.

To improve ENC accuracy and better separate voice from background noise, the main microphone should be placed close to your mouth, while the auxiliary microphones should be placed farther away.

5. Based on the use scenarios

As the demands of the ENC is different based on diferent use scenarios. As I have listed aboved, if you seeking for the  

Recommended Gaming Headset with ENC

If you’re looking for a gaming headset with ENC noise cancellation, the key is to find a balance between microphone clarity, low latency, and overall gaming performance—not just noise reduction alone.

A Better Fit: Verge S9 Ultra Gaming Headset

Best Value: Has been awarded the best value gaming headset by the well-known German tech publication Heise

Why It Stands Out for ENC Gaming

• ENC Noise-Canceling Microphone: Filters out keyboard noise, fan sounds, and background distractions—so your voice stays clear in team chat
• Low-Latency Wireless Performance: Critical for FPS and competitive gaming, where timing matters
• Tri-Mode Connectivity (2.4G / Bluetooth / Wired): Easily switch between PC, console, and mobile
• 270g Lightweight Design: Designed for comfort, suitable for long sessions.
• Pro-Tuned FPS Audio: Helps with directional awareness, like footsteps and in-game cues

Conclusion

For gaming, ENC (Enhanced Noise Cancellation) ensures smooth team communication, enhancing the gaming experience and maintaining competitive fairness, and underpins teamwork and tactic implementation.

It doesn't just solve the problem of individual hearing quietness but rather the efficiency of team communication, directly impacting the core gaming experience and competitive outcomes. Now, ENC has become standard equipment on mainstream gaming headsets, whether entry-level or professional esports models.

FAQ

Does ENC reduce background noise completely?

No, it reduces but doesn’t eliminate all noise.

Is ENC good for streaming?

Yes, but professional mics may still perform better.

Do all gaming headsets have ENC?

No, mainly mid-to-high-end models.