When you’re speeding along the highway in your car, do the roar of the engine, the screech of tires against the road surface, and the howling wind all blend together to make you feel restless and uneasy? These annoying noises not only spoil your driving mood but can also distract your attention and increase the risk of accidents. The advent of active noise cancellation (ANC) technology in cars has been like a timely rain, bringing us an unprecedentedly quiet driving experience.

Automotive noise primarily originates from sources such as the engine, tires, aerodynamic drag, and road conditions. As the engine operates, friction among internal components and vibrations generated during the combustion process are converted into noise and transmitted into the cabin via the vehicle’s body structure. The friction between tires and the road surface produces noises of varying frequencies depending on the nature of the road material and the vehicle’s speed. At high speeds, air rushing past the vehicle’s body creates wind noise around areas like doors and windows. Additionally, the vehicle’s own resonances and external environmental noises can also penetrate the cabin, making the driving environment excessively noisy.

The technology works on the principle of sound wave interference. Simply put, the ANC microphone acts like a keen “noise scout,” constantly monitoring in-car noise and swiftly transmitting the collected noise signals to the vehicle’s control system. The control system, acting as a smart “commander,” analyzes and processes these noise signals, then issues instructions to the speakers based on its analysis. Upon receiving these instructions, the speakers emit sound waves that are exactly opposite in phase and equal in amplitude to the original noise—effectively deploying a “counter-noise force.” When these two sets of sound waves meet, they cancel each other out, thereby reducing the overall noise level and making the interior of the vehicle quiet and comfortable.

The principle of active noise cancellation (ANC): ANC primarily consists of two main components: one is active road noise cancellation, known as RNC, and the other is active engine dominant-order noise cancellation, known as ENC.

RNC Active Road Noise Cancellation: This system uses vibration acceleration sensors to capture the vibrations that generate road noise, and in-vehicle error microphones to collect real-time road noise inside the vehicle. Taking these inputs as the target for noise reduction, the RNC noise cancellation algorithm—running on an independent amplifier DSP—generates in real time an anti-noise signal that is equal in amplitude but opposite in phase to the road noise. This anti-noise signal is then emitted through the speaker system, actively reducing the road noise perceived by the user.

ENC Active Engine Main-Order Noise Reduction: By acquiring the engine speed signal as the input, and using in-car error microphones to capture real-time engine noise inside the vehicle, we define this noise as the target for noise reduction. Using the ENC algorithm, which runs on a standalone amplifier DSP, we generate in real time an anti-noise signal that has the same amplitude as the engine’s main-order noise but with an opposite phase. This anti-noise signal is then emitted through the speaker system, actively reducing the engine’s main-order noise.

Vigorous Development and Key Drivers

Market growth trend

In today’s quest for the ultimate driving experience, in-vehicle noise control has become a focal point of shared concern for both automakers and consumers. In recent years, as consumer demands for automotive comfort have continued to rise and the electric vehicle market has expanded rapidly, the market for active noise-canceling microphones and speakers in automobiles has ushered in unprecedented growth opportunities. According to VMResearch’s forecast, the global market for automotive active noise cancellation is expected to see significant growth over the next few years, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) reaching double digits. By 2030, the global market for automotive ANC microphones and speakers is projected to reach US$190 million, with a CAGR of 15.3% over the coming years, demonstrating tremendous market potential and commercial value.

Growth drivers

Technological advancements—particularly the rapid development of sensor technology, signal-processing algorithms, and artificial intelligence—are continuously enhancing the performance and efficiency of ANC systems while gradually reducing their costs. For instance, digital silicon microphones (MEMS microphones) are increasingly replacing traditional analog ECM (electret condenser microphones). Thanks to their compact size, digital interfaces, and exceptional signal-to-noise ratios, digital silicon microphones (MEMS microphones) deliver superior sound quality, reliability, and performance in ANC applications.

Upgrading Consumer Demand: As people’s living standards improve, consumers are placing increasingly higher demands on automotive comfort and intelligence. A quiet driving environment not only enhances ride comfort but also improves voice clarity, delivering a superior experience for in-car communication and entertainment systems. The ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) system has become one of the key features that boost a vehicle’s competitiveness, and more and more consumers are taking it into serious consideration when purchasing a car.

Regulatory Impetus: Some countries and regions have stringent regulations on vehicle noise emissions, prompting automakers to adopt ANC technology to meet these regulatory requirements. For example, regions such as the European Union are continually raising their standards for vehicle noise emissions, encouraging automakers to actively seek effective noise-reduction solutions. As a result, ANC technology is seeing increasingly widespread adoption.

Electric Vehicle Development: The growing popularity of electric vehicles has placed higher demands on noise management, creating new growth opportunities for the ANC market. Although electric vehicles generate less engine noise during operation, other types of noise—such as road noise and wind noise—become more noticeable. To provide a comfortable driving experience, electric vehicle manufacturers are increasingly eager to adopt ANC technology.

Asia-Pacific Market: As one of the world’s largest automotive markets, the Asia-Pacific region is witnessing a growing demand for ANC technology. Countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea are experiencing particularly rapid development in the fields of electric vehicles and smart cars, providing ample growth potential for the ANC market. As the world’s largest automotive consumer market, China is seeing an accelerating pace of adoption of new-energy vehicles and intelligent connected cars. Hebei Chuguang Automotive Components’ digital microphones—annual shipments exceed 6 million units, with a 55% domestic market share and a 26% global market share, primarily supplied to customers including Geely, Li Auto, XPeng, Seres, Avatr, Chery, and Volkswagen.

Future Development

Electric Vehicle Development: The rapid growth of the electric vehicle market has created vast opportunities for the ANC microphone and speaker market. Due to the quieter engine noise in electric vehicles, other types of noise—such as road noise and wind noise—become more prominent, making consumers’ demand for a quiet driving environment even more urgent. Consequently, electric vehicle manufacturers are increasingly adopting ANC technology, thereby driving market growth. Many electric vehicle brands are now equipping their new models with advanced ANC systems to enhance product competitiveness and user experience.

Technological Innovation: With the continuous advancement of technology, innovations in areas such as sensor technology, signal-processing algorithms, and artificial intelligence will bring higher performance and efficiency to ANC systems. For example, digital silicon microphones (MEMS microphones), with their advantages of small size, digital interfaces, and excellent signal-to-noise ratios, are gradually replacing traditional analog ECM microphones, thereby providing ANC systems with superior sound quality and reliability. The application of technologies such as digital microphone arrays and A2B (Automotive Audio Bus) not only simplifies vehicle wiring, reduces system weight and cost, but also improves the latency and reliability of signal transmission.

In terms of market demand, as consumers increasingly prioritize comfort and intelligence in automobiles, ANC technology will be adopted in more vehicle models—not just limited to high-end luxury vehicles, but gradually becoming widespread even in mid- and low-end models. Moreover, the continued expansion of the electric vehicle market will create broader growth opportunities for the ANC microphone market. The characteristics of electric vehicles dictate higher requirements for noise control, making ANC technology a key feature for enhancing the driving and passenger experience in electric vehicles.

Looking ahead, the automotive active noise-canceling microphone industry will become closely integrated with the broader automotive industry, jointly driving the evolution of automobiles toward greater intelligence, comfort, and sustainability. We have every reason to believe that, fueled by both technological innovation and market demand, the automotive microphone industry will usher in an even brighter future, delivering to us a quieter, more comfortable, and smarter driving experience.