A hearing protection headset that can be worn by a user, the headset including left and right earcups, the headset including: a radio communication system enabling at least one radio signal to be received and played through one or both of the earcups; noise control circuitry configurable by a user between at least three active modes of operation, the circuitry having a first active mode in which the headset provides automatic noise reduction but does not provide automatic noise cancellation, a second active mode in which the headset provides automatic noise cancellation but does not provide automatic noise reduction, and a third active mode in which the headset provides both automatic noise reduction and automatic noise cancellation; and a switch that is manually operable by the user to configure the circuitry between the first active mode and the second active mode and the third active mode wherein: each earcup includes (i) a first speaker for use in radio communications and not used in the noise control circuitry, (ii) a second speaker that is part of the noise control circuitry and that is not used in radio communications, and (iii) an internal microphone that is part of the noise control circuitry and that is mounted on the second speaker; the second speaker and the internal microphone being active for automatic noise cancellation operation when the circuitry is in either the second mode or the third mode; the second speaker being active and the internal microphone being inactive for automatic noise reduction operation when the circuitry is in the first mode; wherein automatic noise reduction is a form of active noise control, carried out via electrical circuitry, in which ambient sound is allowed to be presented to the user while limiting its overall amplitude; and wherein automatic noise cancellation is a form of active noise control in which selected ambient sounds are filtered out. a radio communication system enabling at least one radio signal to be received and played through one or both of the earcups; noise control circuitry configurable by a user between at least three active modes of operation, the circuitry having a first active mode in which the headset provides automatic noise reduction but does not provide automatic noise cancellation, a second active mode in which the headset provides automatic noise cancellation but does not provide automatic noise reduction, and a third active mode in which the headset provides both automatic noise reduction and automatic noise cancellation; and a switch that is manually operable by the user to configure the circuitry between the first active mode and the second active mode and the third active mode wherein: each earcup includes (i) a first speaker for use in radio communications and not used in the noise control circuitry, (ii) a second speaker that is part of the noise control circuitry and that is not used in radio communications, and (iii) an internal microphone that is part of the noise control circuitry and that is mounted on the second speaker; the second speaker and the internal microphone being active for automatic noise cancellation operation when the circuitry is in either the second mode or the third mode; the second speaker being active and the internal microphone being inactive for automatic noise reduction operation when the circuitry is in the first mode; wherein automatic noise reduction is a form of active noise control, carried out via electrical circuitry, in which ambient sound is allowed to be presented to the user while limiting its overall amplitude; and wherein automatic noise cancellation is a form of active noise control in which selected ambient sounds are filtered out. each earcup includes (i) a first speaker for use in radio communications and not used in the noise control circuitry, (ii) a second speaker that is part of the noise control circuitry and that is not used in radio communications, and (iii) an internal microphone that is part of the noise control circuitry and that is mounted on the second speaker; the second speaker and the internal microphone being active for automatic noise cancellation operation when the circuitry is in either the second mode or the third mode; the second speaker being active and the internal microphone being inactive for automatic noise reduction operation when the circuitry is in the first mode; wherein automatic noise reduction is a form of active noise control, carried out via electrical circuitry, in which ambient sound is allowed to be presented to the user while limiting its overall amplitude; and wherein automatic noise cancellation is a form of active noise control in which selected ambient sounds are filtered out.