Everyone who is serious about music should buy a pair of noise canceling headphones. You may be an audiophile, or you may be someone who doesn’t want to think too much about your headphones. Either way, noise canceling headphones are built for destroying outside noise, and they’re really good at it.
If you travel by bus, subway, or airplane at all, you should definitely prioritize getting ANC headphones.
Editor’s note: This article was updated on January 9, 2023 to improve interlinking, explanations, and condense some language.
Without getting too far into the weeds, it’s important to isolate yourself from outside noise because it’s not only annoying—it can make your music sound bad.
Essentially, loud outside noise will obscure quieter sounds. If you don’t blast your tunes, you won’t be able to hear your music over the roar of an engine or other din, and that’s really bad for your ears. As a rule, you want to listen to music as quietly as you can while still enjoying it.
Wikipedia
If your music’s notes are quieter than the masking threshold of outside noise, they’ll be near-inaudible.When you listen to music on an airplane or bus, the engine sounds will mask many of the notes that make up the vocals, basslines, and drum parts of your music, and can interfere with your brain registering quieter notes. Because headphones generally don’t physically block out these low frequency noises all that well, using an active noise canceling system whenever you’re subjected to high noise will prevent a lot of the perceived audio quality loss it can cause.
With all that masked sound, your music will sound like it’s missing a lot. A set of noise canceling headphones will make your music sound far better than other headphones would in the same situations.
Additionally, you’re going to want to use noise canceling headphones in any situation where you might encounter loud noise because it can help protect your hearing—though it’s no substitute for dedicated hearing protectors. While it’s not a sexy benefit, look at it this way: maintaining your auditory health is the best way to ensure you can hear music as it was intended to be.
Noise canceling headphones are really good at getting rid of droning sounds like computer fans, and engines.
If you crank your tunes up to drown out the world around you, it’s possible you’re deafening yourself slowly. In order to avoid doing this, a set of noise canceling headphones makes your music far easier to hear and prevents the need to turn your music up to a high volume.
Listening to music at a lower level means that you can not only enjoy your tunes for a longer time without overexposing your ears to loud sound, but the reduced exposure can help you enjoy music much later into your life without impediment.
We caution you to look beyond the isolation ratings of headphones, as that doesn’t always tell you everything you need to know. Headphones don’t cancel or block out every note equally, which is why you should look for charts detailing this performance.
The Apple AirPods Max doesn’t provide isolation from low-pitched sounds, so the ANC steps in to get rid of those noises.
At SoundGuys, we post charts that show how headphones perform in this regard, so you can know exactly what you’re getting. The solid pink lines represent what noise is physically prevented from reaching your eardrum, while the dashed cyan line shows how much noise is prevented from reaching your inner ear when the ANC unit is enabled. ANC does a really good job at killing droning sounds, but isn’t always perfect at nullifying quick, irregular sounds.
If you don’t want to do this level of research, we do it for you! Check out the five best picks on the market at any time—we update all our best lists periodically as new models are released and tested.
If you’re looking for a great pair of headphones for travel, the office or just relaxing and tuning out the world around you, what you’re looking for is a pair of great noise-canceling headphones. Available in both over-ear and true wireless models these days, they offer great sound quality, tight integration with mobile devices and tons of convenience features that mean you don’t have to sacrifice to get some peace and quiet.
We’ve been testing dozens of leading models, in real-world situations and simulated environments, to get a sense of just how well these headphones can suppress the annoyances and distractions of everyday life — and we’ve found some of the best noise-canceling headphones for you.
Alex Bracetti/CNN Underscored
Regardless of their high price tag, the QC Ultra are a must-own for anyone wanting the absolute best noise cancellation with exceptional 3D audio performance and smart functionality to boot. Bose took its time refining key areas and developed new technologies that enhance the user experience on many levels. The aesthetic and practical changes give them a distinctive swagger as well.
The promise of a new set of noise canceling headphones that could succeed the universally acclaimed Bose 700 (our previous overall pick) with several upgrades, including breakthrough spatial audio, seems almost too good to be true. But the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones have set the new standard for world of ANC audio.
For the QC Ultra, Bose fine-tuned its adaptive algorithms and ports while adding more mics and strategically placing them for optimal performance. When testing, quiet mode (standard ANC) put a kibosh on nearly every sound we encountered— silencing speakers playing the next room over and construction noises right outside our window. Using the feature outdoors was equally satisfying. Distractions like bird chirping, landscaping and order complaints at Starbucks didn’t break our concentration either. Aware mode (ambient listening) is also terrific for increasing situational awareness. Bose’s mics are powerful and demonstrate excellent vocal pickup, a feature that also complements digital assistance.
As for the look, Bose took the best elements of its previous releases and either applied or updated them on these chic, well-constructed cans. While the battery life and charging set-up has room for improvement and the price point might be too high for some, the QC Ultra are a must-own for those who want the absolute best noise cancellation available.
For more, read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones.
The QC Ultra Earbuds have the same superior active noise cancellation (ANC) as their predecessor. They take advantage of Bose’s proprietary technologies — ActiveSense and CustomTune — to automatically tweak ambient listening to your surroundings and analyze the listener’s ears adeptly for optimal noise neutralization, respectively. These buds eliminate up to 95% of unwanted sounds. That’s as powerful as some of the market’s best noise-canceling headphones. We tested the buds in many environments, including airplanes, city parks, rooftop bars and subways. They silenced crying infants, plane engines, commuter chatter and dulled blaring sounds like sirens and thunder.
What sets these earbuds apart is their upgraded settings for lossless and spatial audio. The sonic swagger on these earbuds is further amped up by the inclusion of aptX Adaptive, which results in hi-res sound when playing music on digital streaming platforms. It dynamically scales bitrate (between 279kbps and 420kbps) to pull more details from recordings with minimal latency. We could hear the improvements in clarity and reproduction on these buds compared to our previous noise-canceling earbuds pick, the QuietComfort Earbuds 2, especially on lossless services like Tidal. Instruments and vocals were noticeably crisper, and special effects in movies sounded more prominent. Apple Music and Spotify tracks were also satisfying to hear, though nothing compared to Tidal’s MQA selections (Master Quality Authenticated) at 24 bit/92 kHz.
These earbuds also have a handsome design with the same small stem silhouette and sturdy construction as the previous model. The outer shell is covered in solid plastic with glossy and matte finishes. IPX4 certification provides sweat and water resistance. The Bose QC Ultra Earbuds remain a worthy investment for those wanting exceptional noise cancellation heightened by adaptive, spacious 3D sound.
For more, read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds.
The best over-ear wireless headphones overall
Sony
Our favorite wireless headphones are also great noise-canceling headphones — the Bose have an edge on ANC performance and comfort, but you can’t go wrong with the WH-1000XM5, which offer great ANC, sound, and battery life plus a useful, full-featured app.
Read our review$400 From $300 at Amazon
The best over-ear wireless headphones for Apple users
Apple
The great-sounding AirPods flagship headphones integrate seamlessly with your Mac and iPhone, let you access Apple’s nifty Spatial Audio pseudo-surround format and ave impressive noise cancellation and great controls, making these solid all-day companions.
Read our review$539 at Amazon
A noise-canceling headphone — one that uses active noise cancellation, or ANC, a routine in which it electronically or digitally mixes in an inverted version of the sounds going on around you in order to reduce the volume you perceive — can let you concentrate in a noisy office, get some sleep on a plane or train or just get you the space to relax in a noisy household.
The effect is very different from just plain physical noise isolation, though headphone designs incorporate both, and for noise cancellation to work its best you need some isolation to begin with, meaning either good-fitting in-ear headphones or earbuds, or over-ear headphones that fully enclose your earlobes (which is why the models we’ve looked at fall into these categories). You’ll want to find earbuds with tips that let you get a tight seal, or over-ear headphones that fit comfortably over your ears.
The noise-canceling effect does a much better job when the source of the offending sound is steady-state, or continuous, and is most pronounced in the lower audio frequencies, which is why these headphones are so good at cutting out the rumble of an airplane or train engine but don’t do much about screeching brakes or your seatmate’s animated conversation (that’s where passive isolation is handy).
It’s perfectly OK to buy and use noise-canceling headphones for travel without bothering to listen to music at all, though since the effect isn’t perfect, listening to music or podcasts will give you a better overall experience (and is also why sound quality matters so much), and part of why most manufacturers have been moving toward do-it-all headphones that are really good at noise cancellation but also really good at most everything else.
So as we advise in our pieces on the best over-ear headphones and the best true wireless earbuds overall, we emphasize that you look for a stable Bluetooth wireless connection that works with all of your stuff (hopefully with fast switching; support for all of your favorite audio formats; integration with the operating system you use, whether iOS or Android; and an app that lets you manage it all without too much frustration). And you need it to be comfortable to wear all day and to pack up small enough to take with you wherever you go.
Luckily, most major manufacturers have been trying to hit this target for a few years now, and they’ve largely succeeded. The latest wireless flagships from Sony, Bose, Apple, Sennheiser, Bowers & Wilkins, Jabra and others mostly do it all, and frankly they all sound pretty good too (with some differences in how they’re voiced), so the choice comes down to what integrates best with your stuff (or gives you the most options) and what feels good and sounds good to you.
To find the best noise-canceling headphones, our testers put the leading models available through a set of listening tests that examined ANC performance in situations designed to mimic common usage scenarios like air travel and noisy office spaces. We also carefully assessed sound quality, functionality, usability and comfort — the issues that are so important to most users.
We carefully examined design elements, studied every physical control and application interface element, tested ANC, transparency, equalization and virtualization software options and noise isolation, timed battery life and charge time and read up on warranties.
Throughout the process, we compared each headphone carefully with its competitors, new models, and previous favorites to get the best sense of how the models we tested stacked up to the field.
Since noise-canceling performance is the primary consideration for most people interested in these headphones, it was first and foremost in our testing. We tested the headphones under four real-world noisy conditions: sitting next to an active washing machine, running on a treadmill with a loud movie playing, sitting next to a large fan and playing a soundtrack featuring busy restaurant ambiance (chatter and silverware clatter) on high through nearby speakers. We wanted to determine how well a pair of headphones eliminated steady-state, low-end sounds like treadmill rumble and machinery hum — the sort of thing noise cancellation is typically good at. We also looked at how well the headphones were able to suppress higher-frequency continuous noise like restaurant chatter, and also (mostly as a measure of each headphone’s passive isolation) checked on how well the headphones reduce background sounds overall, including short-duration incidental noises.
Since it’s important to hear what’s around you, we also tested each model’s “transparency” or “ambient sound” mode, which uses the external call microphones to pass through some (or all) of the sound of your environment. We tested this first by snapping fingers a foot away, to get a sense of how the headphones picked up nearby sound sources; we then listened to a radio placed 8 feet away playing news programming, to check on how intelligible speech was in this mode.
For both ANC and transparency modes we examined how much control a user has over level, balance, location-based automation and other fine-tuning options. We also made a multi-daylong playlist to run each fully charged headphone to exhaustion, with ANC on at 75% volume, to simulate typical listening.
We listened carefully for how well each headphone reproduced bass and revealed midrange and treble detail, how realistic a soundstage it created and overall clarity, paying special attention to whether noise cancellation and transparency modes interacted with or interfered with the overall sound. And for headphones that used virtual surround modes, we assessed the realism and usefulness of the included effects.
We tested each physical control to find out whether the user interface of each model was easy to understand and how intuitive it was to control playback, calls, volume, Bluetooth pairing and features like ANC and transparency modes. We paid equal attention to companion apps, examining the extended settings available and how intuitive and useful the software was in daily use.
We paired each headphone with multiple Apple, Android and Windows devices, assessing ease of pairing and switching between multiple devices (where that was supported) as well as speed of reconnection, carefully noting range and latency.
To check battery life, we used a long playlist and following a full charge to capacity, ran each headphone to exhaustion at normal listening level (75% volume) with ANC on and off. We also used them as part of our daily routines, charging them to capacity and then using them for work and commute until exhaustion to get a sense of how many days of real-world use they would support. After exhausting the battery, we also double-checked quick-charge features, testing to see if we could get the claimed battery life.
We researched what the warranty covered for each device, what period it covered and whether extended warranties or service plans were available.
Our previous overall pick for best noise-canceling headphones, the Bose 700 are still a great choice. Perfect for commuting, the office, long flights or just around the house, the Bose 700 combine Bose’s industry-leading active noise cancellation with great sound and a new, more comfortable and stylish slimmed-down design. The upgrades made to the new QuietComfort Ultra headphones gave them the edge over the Bose 700, but if you’re looking for a pair noise-canceling headphones under $300, the 700s remain an excellent choice.
Our previous pick for the best noise-canceling earbuds, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds 2 are hard to beat if you want to tune out your environment without resorting to over-ear headphones. They were edged out by the supreme listening experience we got on the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds. And, while other earbuds, like those from Sony and Apple, may offer more features with more advanced audio formats, Bose is still ahead in terms of sheer noise-canceling performance.
A great value, with surprisingly powerful noise cancellation and solid sound quality for much less than the competition. You can’t fine-tune the ANC, and you don’t get a transparency mode or customizable EQ, but as usual Anker covers the basics for a song.
The Beoplay H9 are pricey but offer very good noise-canceling performance, nearly as good as our top pick. Sound quality is also great, and the high build quality and good looks are compelling. Call quality isn’t as good as expected, however, which is a letdown at this price, and they aren’t as comfortable as the competition.
The Beats Studio 3 Wireless, the latest update to the model that kicked off the high-end headphone craze, integrate seamlessly with Apple devices, switching automatically between your Macs, iPhones and iPad, and offers very effective noise cancellation. If you like the now classic look and feel, they’re a less expensive alternative that gives you some of what’s great about the AirPods Max.
The Bose QuietComfort 45 offer the same great noise cancellation as the Bose 700 in a more traditional package with lots of physical controls in place of the 700’s touch controls. The build quality is impressive, they fold small as befits their executive-travel heritage and they’re made for long-term comfort. They’re perfect for road warriors, but we think that most people will be happier with the Bose 700, which are more stylish and our testers found more comfortable overall.
The Edifier WH950NB are the high-value audiophile brand’s flagship noise-canceling headphones, competing on features with high-end models from the big manufacturers. They’re well-built, luxurious and good-looking headphones, with a minimalist folding design that fits compactly into their slick travel case. As with many of the newer Edifier models, battery life is very long (you can easily get through an entire week of workdays before needing a charge), and quick charge is fast, getting a good 7 hours out of a 10-minute charge over USB-C.
These are definitely better suited for Android or Sony users, as they support LDAC but not AAC or aptX codecs for higher-resolution listening. ANC is quite impressive on the WH950NB, especially for the money — it reduced the air conditioning and exhaust fan noises in our test office to a barely noticeable level. It isn’t on par with Sony or Bose, but it’s not that far off. Enabling the noise cancellation does have a noticeable effect on the overall EQ tilt of the headphones when listening to music or calls, losing a bit of the sense of space and picking up a thinner, middier tonality which we didn’t experience with our top picks — they’re better-sounding headphones with the ANC switched off, or in ambient pass-through mode. All told, they’re a good value headphone for travel, work and general use, though Apple users interested in Edifier’s take on high-end listening will want to check out the Stax Spirit S3 instead, or look elsewhere.
Our former budget pick, the affordable, solidly built Jabra Elite 85h gives you solid ANC performance and very good sound quality for about half the price of the competition, at the slight expense of a bit of bulk, a little less comfort and less refined sound quality.
The JBL Live 650BTNC deliver crisp sound and a reasonably realistic soundstage for the money, though compared to your recommendations they suffer somewhat, especially on the low end, where they don’t deliver extended bass. The JBL Headphones app gives you multiple sound profiles to choose from, but they don’t overcome the 650 BTNC’s inherent character. The sleek, minimal design is attractive, but they have a lot of clamping force, so they aren’t as comfortable for long wear as our main recommendations. But they’re available at a deep discount, and if you’re looking for something to use occasionally they may fit the bill.
The Monoprice BT-600ANC are a noise-canceling over-ear headphone from the budget electronics brand. They’re a lightweight and very inexpensive headphone that offers features you’d expect from something a lot pricier — ANC and ambient awareness modes, touch controls, aptX and AAC support for high-quality audio on both Android and iOS. Most importantly, they have very satisfying sound quality, with good bass, imaging and detail for the money. They’re a little hyped-sounding, and don’t give you the sense of space you’d get from a high-end headphone; while we appreciate the high-quality audio codec support, they may not be the best choice for jazz or classical aficionados. But considering the street price, they do a very good job and are enjoyable for rock, pop and electronic music.
Noise cancellation is fairly mild — it’s more for taking the edge off than it is for giving you real isolation like you’d get from the Bose or Sony flagships. With it enabled, our (loud) range hood fan and relatively quiet Midea U-Shaped air conditioner were diminished, though clearly audible in the same room. The headband has strategic padding and is comfortable for all-day wear, though the ear cups are fairly small for over-the-ear headphones; combined with the leatherette pads, that makes these a bit hot on the ears for long wear. The BT-600ANC are a solid buy, but for similar money, we like the 1More SonoFlow better overall for their superior noise cancellation, better comfort and LDAC high-res support.
The Poly (formerly Plantronics) BackBeats Pro 2 has decent overall sound quality but lacked bass extension and didn’t produce a wide-sounding soundstage. Call quality was relatively poor, with one recipient describing it as sounding like we were underwater. But they are comfortable to wear, and they have a fun-to-use rotary volume control.
The updated Sennheiser Momentum 4 drop the retro styling of their predecessors for a more vanilla look, but improved ANC, a solid app and great sound make them a compelling choice for headphone aficionados.
The Skullcandy Crusher ANC were our least favorite among those we tested. A dedicated bass boost slider on one of the cups lets you go from thin bass response to skull-rattling boom, but it felt like a gimmick, adding clutter to the mix but not definition. Using the Skullcandy app gave us access to some better-sounding custom profiles, but given that the Crusher weren’t especially comfortable to wear, we’d look at one of our other recommendations at this price.