Yes, Beats Solo 3 have active noise cancelling built in

The Beats Solo 3 Wireless headphones include active noise cancelling (ANC), which means they use microphones and speakers to reduce outside sound rather than just blocking it with padding. When you turn on noise cancelling, the headphones listen to ambient noise around you and play an inverted sound wave to cancel it out. This works best on steady, low-frequency sounds like airplane engines, traffic, or air conditioning — not on sudden noises like someone talking next to you.

You control noise cancelling with a physical button on the left ear cup. Press it once to turn ANC on, press again to turn it off. There is no middle setting or transparency mode on the Solo 3, so your choice is either full noise cancelling or none at all. When ANC is on, battery life drops from about 40 hours to around 30 hours of listening time.

The Solo 3 also use passive noise isolation from their over-ear design — the padding itself blocks some sound just by sitting on your head. This passive isolation works without using battery power and combines with the active system when ANC is on.

Key Takeaways

  • Beats Solo 3 have active noise cancelling that you turn on and off with a button on the left ear cup.
  • Noise cancelling works best on constant background sounds like engines and traffic, not on voices or sudden noises.
  • Active noise cancelling reduces battery life from 40 hours to about 30 hours per charge.
  • The Solo 3 have no transparency mode or adjustable ANC levels — it is either fully on or fully off.
  • The over-ear design also provides passive noise blocking that works without draining the battery.

How active noise cancelling works on the Solo 3

Inside each ear cup of the Solo 3 are two microphones — one facing outward to pick up external sound and one facing inward to monitor what you are hearing. The headphones' processor analyzes the incoming noise thousands of times per second and generates an opposite sound wave that cancels the original noise before it reaches your ear. This is why ANC works better on predictable, repeating sounds: the processor can anticipate the pattern and match it more accurately.

The quality of noise cancelling depends partly on fit. If the ear cup does not seal well against your ear, outside sound leaks in and the microphones cannot cancel it effectively. The Solo 3 come with three sizes of ear cushions — small, medium, and large — so you should try all three to find the best seal. A loose fit will make the noise cancelling feel weak even though the headphones are working correctly.

Battery power is required for active noise cancelling to function. If your Solo 3 battery dies completely, you can still use them as wired headphones with the included 3.5mm cable, but ANC will not work because there is no power to run the microphones and processor.

What sounds the Solo 3 noise cancelling actually reduces

Active noise cancelling on the Solo 3 is most effective on low-frequency, steady sounds. Airplane cabin noise, highway traffic, train rumble, and HVAC systems all drop noticeably when ANC is on. Many people report that the cabin noise on a flight becomes almost unnoticeable, and the constant hum of an office environment becomes much quieter.

High-frequency sounds and sudden noises are harder for the Solo 3 to cancel. A coworker talking next to you, a dog barking, or a door slamming will still come through clearly even with ANC on. The headphones cannot predict these random sounds the way they can predict engine noise, so the cancellation is much less effective. If blocking voices or sudden sounds is your main goal, the Solo 3 may disappoint you.

The actual reduction you hear also depends on what you are listening to. If you are playing music or a podcast, your brain focuses on that content and becomes less aware of background noise anyway — so it is hard to tell how much the ANC itself is helping versus how much is just the distraction of audio content.

Turning noise cancelling on and off

The noise cancelling button is a small circular button on the left ear cup, near the top. Press it once to set up ANC — you will hear a tone and feel a subtle vibration confirming it is on. Press it again to turn ANC off. There is no visual indicator on the headphones themselves, so you have to rely on the tone and vibration to know the state, or check the Beats app on your phone.

The Beats app (available for iPhone and Android) shows you the current ANC status and also displays your battery percentage. You can also use the app to check for firmware updates, which occasionally improve noise cancelling performance. However, you do not need the app to use noise cancelling — the button on the headphones is all you need.

Some people leave ANC on all the time because they like the sound it produces, even in quiet environments. Others turn it off in offices or libraries where they want to hear their surroundings. There is no wrong choice — it depends on your preference and how much battery life you want to preserve.

Battery life with and without noise cancelling

Beats Solo 3 are rated for 40 hours of battery life with noise cancelling off. With ANC on, that drops to approximately 30 hours. The difference exists because the microphones, processor, and speaker drivers that handle noise cancelling all draw power continuously. Thirty hours is still longer than most competing noise-cancelling headphones, which typically offer 20 to 30 hours total.

Battery drain is not linear — the headphones do not lose one hour of battery for every hour of use. Instead, battery percentage drops faster at the beginning of a charge cycle and slower as the battery depletes. This is normal behavior for lithium batteries and happens in phones and laptops too.

You can check your remaining battery in the Beats app, which shows the percentage. The headphones also announce the battery level when you first turn them on. If the battery dies while ANC is on, you can still use the Solo 3 as a wired headphone with the included cable, but the noise cancelling will not function.

Comparing Solo 3 noise cancelling to other Beats models

Beats makes several other headphone models with different noise cancelling capabilities. The Beats Studio Pro, a newer model, offers adjustable noise cancelling levels and a transparency mode that lets you hear your surroundings without removing the headphones. The Solo 3, by contrast, has only on or off. If you want more control over how much outside sound you hear, the Studio Pro is a better choice, though it costs more.

The Beats Fit Pro (earbuds) also have active noise cancelling with adjustable levels and transparency mode. They are smaller and more portable than the Solo 3 but have shorter battery life — around 6 hours per charge with ANC on. The Solo 3 are better for long flights or all-day use.

The original Beats Solo (non-wireless, wired) and Beats Solo 2 do not have active noise cancelling at all — only passive isolation from the over-ear design. If you own an older Beats Solo model, upgrading to the Solo 3 will give you the active noise cancelling feature.

Troubleshooting weak noise cancelling

If your Solo 3 noise cancelling feels weak or not as strong as it used to be, the most common cause is a poor seal between the ear cup and your ear. Try adjusting the headphones on your head or switching to a different ear cushion size. Even a small gap breaks the seal and lets outside sound leak in, which defeats the noise cancelling. Make sure the ear cushions are not worn out or damaged — if the padding is compressed or cracked, replacement cushions are available from Beats.

A second common issue is that the outward-facing microphone is blocked by hair, sweat, or dust. Gently wipe the microphone openings (small holes on the outside of each ear cup) with a dry cloth. Do not use water or cleaning solution, as moisture can damage the microphone.

If noise cancelling still feels weak after checking the seal and cleaning the microphones, check the Beats app to see if a firmware update is available. Occasionally Beats releases updates that improve ANC performance. If an update is available, connect the headphones to your phone via Bluetooth and follow the app's instructions to install it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Beats Solo 3 with noise cancelling on while on a phone call?

Yes. The Solo 3 have built-in microphones for calls, and noise cancelling will be active during the call. The microphones that handle ANC are separate from the call microphones, so both systems work at the same time. The person on the other end of the call will hear you more clearly because the call microphones filter out background noise.

Does noise cancelling work if I am using the Solo 3 with a cable instead of Bluetooth?

No. Active noise cancelling requires battery power to run the microphones and processor. If your battery is dead and you are using the included 3.5mm cable to listen to audio, the ANC system cannot function. You can still hear audio through the cable, but without noise cancelling.

Will noise cancelling damage my hearing?

No. Noise cancelling does not produce sound loud enough to damage hearing — it produces an inverted sound wave that cancels external noise. The volume you hear is controlled by the audio you are playing, not by the noise cancelling system. Listen at safe volumes the same way you would with any headphones.

Can I turn off noise cancelling to save battery if I am not using the headphones?

Turning off ANC will preserve battery when the headphones are in use, but the biggest battery drain comes from the Bluetooth connection itself, not from noise cancelling. If you want to save battery while not listening, straightforward turn off the headphones using the power button on the left ear cup. This stops all power draw except for a tiny amount used to keep the Bluetooth receiver ready to wake up.

Do Beats Solo 3 have a transparency mode like newer models?

No. The Solo 3 have only two states: noise cancelling on or off. There is no transparency mode or adjustable ANC levels. If you want to hear your surroundings without removing the headphones, you must turn off noise cancelling completely. Newer Beats models like the Studio Pro offer transparency mode, but the Solo 3 do not.