We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-23 · 7 min read · Independent comparison
I'd buy earbuds with ENC if my calls matter most, and ANC headphones if blocking out the world matters most. For most people, the deciding question isn't which technology is "better" — it's whether you're optimizing for your voice or for your ears.
• Earbuds Enc — best if you spend your day on calls, in meetings, or on voice chat and need the person on the other end to hear you clearly.
• ANC — best if you want to silence engine rumble, air conditioning hum, or train noise so you can actually hear your music.
ENC stands for Environmental Noise Cancellation, and it works on the microphone side of the equation, not the speaker side. When you take a call, the earbuds use their mics to pick up the noise around you and suppress it before it reaches the person listening. Your caller hears less of the coffee shop and more of you. That's the whole point, and it's a genuinely useful one.
The Btootos A90 Pro is a clean example of the type. Dual 14.2mm composite dynamic drivers with AAC and SBC coding handle playback, Bluetooth 5.4 keeps the connection stable up to about 15 meters, and the ENC calling noise cancellation is the headline feature. Battery lands at roughly 6–8 hours per charge with the case extending that to about 30 hours total. An LED display on the case shows the charge level of both the case and the buds, which sounds minor until you've owned a case with no indicator.
The trade-off is real, though. ENC does nothing for what you hear. If you're on a plane or a subway, the engine drone comes through just as loudly as it would with any other earbud. These are in-ear, IP7 waterproof, and built for movement — gym, commute, laptop calls, workouts. What they're not is a quiet room you can wear.
ANC is Active Noise Cancellation, and it's a speaker-side technology. Tiny microphones sample the noise around you, and the headphones generate an inverted sound wave to cancel it out. The result is that low, continuous noise — engine rumble, air conditioner hum, train drone — largely disappears before it reaches your ears.
The catch: these are over-ear headphones, not earbuds. They're bigger, they sit on your head, and they don't disappear into a pocket. And ANC is built for steady, low-frequency noise. Someone talking next to you will still come through.
Head-to-Head
Form factor and portability. This isn't close. The A90 Pro buds live in a case that fits in a jeans pocket. The Space One is a full over-ear headphone with a carry pouch. If you want something that's always with you, earbuds win outright. If you're packing for a flight and have bag space, over-ears are the more comfortable long-haul choice.
What you actually hear. ANC wins decisively. Blocking engine rumble and AC hum is the entire reason the technology exists, and it's the one thing ENC earbuds simply cannot do. If your priority is a quieter world for your music, the Space One is the tool for that job.
What your callers hear. ENC earbuds win here. The mic-side processing is designed specifically to clean up your voice, and that's what the A90 Pro is built around. The Space One has three mics with AI for voice pickup, but its noise control is oriented toward what you hear, not toward polishing your outgoing audio.
Battery and charging. Both are generous. The A90 Pro gives you roughly 6–8 hours per charge plus a case that brings total use to about 30 hours, with Type-C charging. The Space One runs 40 hours with ANC on and 55 hours with it off. One charges in a case; the other charges as a single unit. Different rhythms, both fine.
Durability and environment. The A90 Pro carries an IP7 waterproof rating with a nano coating, so sweat and rain aren't a problem. The Space One is built for comfort and travel, with plastic housing and a rotating cup design, but it's not marketed as water-resistant. For workouts and wet weather, the earbuds are the safer bet.
Versatility. The earbuds are in-ear, touch-controlled, and Bluetooth 5.4 with a 15-meter range. The Space One is Bluetooth 5.3 with a 10-meter range, but it adds app control, five ANC levels, LDAC Hi-Res support, and a 3.5mm wired option. The headphones do more things; the earbuds fit into more situations.
In my opinion, get the ANC over-ear headphones if your main goal is to shut out the world and hear your music properly — that's what the technology is for, and it does it well. Get the ENC earbuds if your day revolves around calls, voice chat, workouts, and being out in the world with something that lives in your pocket. The honest split is this: choose earbuds when your voice is the product, and headphones when your attention is.
The one case where the other type wins: if you take a lot of calls from loud places but also want to block noise for yourself, you'll need to pick a priority, because neither of these does both.
The Btootos A90 Pro is the ENC pick. It's built around Bluetooth 5.4 for a stable, low-latency connection with automatic pairing and multi-device compatibility, and the ENC calling noise cancellation is the feature the whole product is organized around. Dual 14.2mm low-distortion composite dynamic drivers with AAC and SBC coding handle playback, and the in-ear silicone tips are shaped to seal comfortably for long wear.
I like the practical details here. The LED display on the case shows charge level for both the case and the buds, so you're never guessing. Battery runs about 6–8 hours per charge with the case extending it to roughly 30 hours, and the Type-C port is the right call for a modern charging setup. IP7 waterproofing with a nano coating means sweat and rain won't kill them. At 50 grams total, they're light enough to forget you're carrying them. Touch controls handle play, pause, skip, calls, and voice assistant without reaching for your phone.
The Soundcore Space One by Anker is the ANC pick, and it's a serious piece of hardware for the money-adjacent tier it plays in. Its adaptive noise cancelling detects external sounds and leakage, auto-calibrating to keep the reduction effective even if the cups aren't sitting perfectly. Five adjustable ANC levels via the app let you tune it to the environment rather than accepting one preset.
The 40mm customized dynamic drivers support LDAC for Hi-Res wireless audio, and playtime is 40 hours with ANC on, 55 with it off. The 8-degree rotating ear cups and integrated headband are designed to distribute pressure evenly for long wear. There's a 3.5mm jack for wired listening, Bluetooth 5.3 for wireless, and a carry pouch for travel. If you fly, commute on transit, or just want a quieter desk, this is the design that does the work.
Just for the person you're calling. ENC processes your microphone signal to reduce background noise on your end of the call. It doesn't reduce what you hear at all — for that you need ANC.
They can, and the Space One has three mics with AI for voice pickup. But its noise control is tuned around what you hear, not around cleaning up your outgoing audio the way a dedicated ENC earbud is.
The Space One is designed for it — 8-degree rotating cups, an integrated headband that spreads pressure, and a soft build for prolonged use. Earbuds are lighter overall but sit inside your ear, which some people find tiring after a few hours.
The ENC earbuds, without question. They're IP7 waterproof, in-ear, and pocket-sized. The Space One is a travel and desk headphone, not a workout one.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon and affiliated sites.
When you buy through links on this page, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you.
Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon or its affiliates. This site is an independent third-party review and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Amazon or the product brands mentioned.
See also: IAMJOY Language Translation Earbuds vs TOZO HT3: Hybrid ANC, MINDBEAST Earbuds Noise Cancellation vs JLab Go Pop ANC, Panasonic Noise Cancelling vs Picun F8: Hybrid ANC Earbuds