The best noise canceling headphones we've tested
Best noise-canceling headphones: Bose QuietComfort Ultra
Best noise-canceling earbuds: Bose QuietComfort Earbuds Ultra
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.
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 the 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. Immersive Audio is hands down the best spatial audio mode available and produces wide, immersive sound for all stereo content. 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. The addition of Bluetooth multipoint (to pair to two devices simultaneously) enhances functionality by letting users, say, answer FaceTime calls on their MacBook and switch instantly to their Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 for hi-res music playback.
The QC Ultra 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. Simply put, these buds are 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.
Other noise-canceling headphones we recommend
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.
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 have impressive noise cancellation and great controls, making these solid all-day companions.
Our pick for the best budget headphones, the Wave Pro feature some of the strongest ANC at their price point, hi-res audio support and up to 80 hours of battery life. Save a total of 35% using our exclusive code EWPROCNN at Amazon or EarFun.
What to look for in a noise-canceling headphone
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.
Two newer features worth keeping an eye on are adaptive noise cancellation and AI noise cancellation. The former automatically adjusts sound performance to your environment, while the latter leverages AI algorithms to do the same and optimize audio based on your listening habits. Models such as the Anker Soundcore Space One and Sennheiser Momentum 4 provide adaptive noise cancellation. No current over-ear headphones that we’re aware of use AI noise cancellation, though recent wireless earbuds like the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro employ the technology.
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, Anker, Bowers & Wilkins, Sonos, 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.
How we tested
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.
Active noise cancellation (ANC)
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.
Sound quality
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.
Usability
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.
Connectivity
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.
Battery life
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.
Warranty
We researched what the warranty covered for each device, what period it covered and whether extended warranties or service plans were available.
Other noise-canceling headphones we tested
Sonos’ debut headphones offer striking sound and wonderful ecosystem support, even if the current list of compatible first-party devices is limited to the Sonos Arc right now. Owners of the flagship soundbar can enable exclusive features like TV Audio Swap to switch audio from the Arc to the Ace and TrueCinema to create a personal 3D sound profile for the headphones. Everyone else will still enjoy the Sonos Ace's adequate ANC and detailed sound signature.
The ULT Wear are respectable wireless cans that refine Sony's signature bass profile. You’re given flagship quality specs specs, 50 hours of battery and plenty of useful controls. Still, we feel the design and noise cancellation could be better for a Sony product.
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.
One of our favorite expensive audiophile headphones, the B&W PX8 are a sonic beauty with the craftsmanship to match. The company’s 40mm carbon-fiber drivers and a massive voice coil help produce cleaner, more vibrant sound that is remarkable through 24-bit DSP (Digital Signal Processing) and aptX Adaptive support (Android only). ANC holds up strong against the competition and the opulent design is composed of high-end materials. You just have to pay a hefty price for this level of luxury.
It came as a shock when Bose announced the next-gen QC Headphones around the same time as the QC Ultra headphones, but we’re thankful they did. Not only do they replace the highly regarded QC45 as Bose’s new mid-range ANC alternative, but they provide the same comfort, stronger audio specs, and slightly better noise cancellation. The QC Headphones (2023) won’t match the Bose 700 or QC Ultra in terms of overall quality, but having Bose’s second-tier ANC at your disposal for a reasonably attainable price should certainly draw your interest.
The latest Beats headphones are everything you'd want from the iconic audio brand. They outperform the AirPods Max on the audio end with vibrant, full-bodied sound and true lossless playback via USB-C audio input. Battery life crushes their elder sibling at up to 40 hours. A new proprietary chipset grants optimal use on Android and iOS/macOS devices. ANC is great, though we find it stronger on Apple’s headphones, which also have a handful of tips and tricks that aren’t available on Beats’ top entry.
The 1More SonoFlow wireless over-ear headphones sound better and have more effective noise-canceling than most rivals we’ve tested under $100. 1More’s ANC technology tones down most low- and mid-frequency sounds. Impressive midrange and tight bass create enticing sound performance that can be customized in the companion app. Up to 50 hours playtime gets you two weeks’ worth of moderate listening.
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 Beats Studio 3 Wireless integrate seamlessly with Apple devices, switching automatically between your Macs, iPhones and iPad, and offers very effective noise cancellation. They’re available for fairly cheap these days, but you’re better off waiting for a sale on the newer (and frequently discounted) Beats Studio Pro.
The Edifier WH950NB are well-built, luxurious and good-looking headphones. 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. 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 lightweight and very inexpensive headphone that offers features you’d expect from something a lot pricier. 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. 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.