Noise cancelling was supposed to make life quiet and peaceful, but the world still sounds just as loud as before. Frustrating. Let's go through what might be causing this and what to do about it.
How ANC actually works (and how it doesn't)
First, a little truth bomb that'll save you a lot of frustration: active noise cancelling removes low, steady sounds. Airplane hum, air conditioning hiss, train rumble – gone like they never existed. But kids screaming, chatter, or the whine of an electric toothbrush? Those are high-pitched and irregular sounds that ANC simply can't fully eliminate because, well, physics.
This isn't a VMK25 flaw. This is a limitation of every ANC headphone, including those €500 models. If anyone claims otherwise, they're lying.
So if you tested ANC performance by having your 2- and 5-year-olds scream in the same room – well, that's quite the stress test. Music on + ANC together will dampen things considerably, but absolute silence isn't happening without moving to another city.
Check these first
If ANC doesn't seem to be doing anything at all – not even for low-frequency sounds – the issue is most likely a setting or the fit.
- ANC button on the left side panel: Press it. The button cycles through three modes: ANC on, transparency, ANC off. You'll hear a short beep when the mode changes. Make sure you're in the right mode and haven't accidentally switched to transparency, which deliberately lets sound through.
- Fit is everything: ANC needs a tight seal to work. If hair gets caught under the cushions or your glasses arms break the seal, performance tanks. Try gently pressing the cups against your ears – if ANC suddenly feels better, the problem is fit.
- Cushion condition: If the cushions are flattened or worn out, they won't seal properly. Replacement cushions are available from us.
- Firmware update: Update the headphone firmware through the Valco app. On an old firmware version, ANC might perform worse than it should.
- App settings: Check in the Valco app that ANC is enabled there too. Sometimes the app and headphone settings get out of sync.
If the ANC button doesn't respond at all
If nothing happens when you press the button – no beep, no change – try resetting the headphones:
- Plug a 3.5mm AUX cable into the headphones and unplug it. This resets the Bluetooth circuit.
- Turn the headphones off and back on again.
- If it still doesn't work, charge the battery to full and try again.
If nothing helps
If ANC doesn't work even for low-frequency sounds after ensuring a tight fit and updating firmware, there might be a hardware fault. Drop us a message at info@valco.fi – include your order number and a short description of the issue. Jasse and the crew in Kajaani will sort it out. We repair our headphones here – we don't chuck them in the bin.
And remember: ANC + good music together work wonders. ANC alone without music is a bit like a lock without a door – it works, just not quite as well as you'd hope.
