We currently offer several styles of noise cancelling headphones, all of them featuring proprietary Bose noise cancelling technology that makes quiet sound quieter and music sound better. Our home office audio products make communicating and staying connected to work feel seamless — from the patio to the kitchen table to wherever you like to get work done. Love your noise cancelling headphones?
We want to hear about it. Tag Bose and share your photos on Instagram with BoseHeadphones. Noise cancelling 8 Products. Noise cancelling. So, where to start? When it comes to noise-canceling headphones that block out background noise and ambient sound, Bose has been the audio gold standard for years. But other headphone-makers have steadily chipped away at Bose's lead, and it's a competitive category with a multitude of noise-canceling options at various prices, including Apple's new high-end AirPods Max , Sony's excellent WHXM4 , Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones and QuietComfort Earbuds.
Whether you want to use your noise-canceling headphones to listen to music or just block out unwanted noise, there are many superb models to choose from. Below, I've rounded up all the best noise-canceling headphones available, all of which I've fully reviewed or used hands-on over a period of time. I update this list regularly as I review more headphones. But if you're looking for great-sounding earbuds with great noise canceling, solid voice-calling capabilities and good battery life, these buds check all the boxes.
Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds also have top-notch noise canceling and sound quality, but the Sony is right there with the Bose for noise canceling and some might say it's a touch better in that department , but the Sony offers slightly better sound quality and also has a more compact design, particularly for the case though the Sony buds certainly aren't small.
Sony's earlier WHXM3 model was great. But if it had a weakness, that was voice calling, particularly in noisier environments. The WHXM4 model has improved in that area and also adds multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect to two devices -- such as your phone and PC -- at the same time. That means that if a call comes in while you're using the headphones with your computer, the audio will switch to your phone when you answer the call.
The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones probably still have a slight edge for voice calls, but the XM4 headphones are arguably a tad more comfortable and also have some other slight improvements to noise cancellation and sound that make this model a great all-around choice.
At grams, the QC45 weighs just 3 grams more than the QC35, which should be imperceptible. And while the Bose have plenty of fans, a lot of people including me think this QuietComfort design is slightly more comfortable and the headphones fold up and fold flat.
It's arguably the most comfortable pair of headphones out there. They also sound very similar to the QC 35 II, with no change to the drivers. Where you'll see an improvement is with the noise cancellation there's a transparency mode , which very well could be the best out right now. According to Bose, there's a new electronics package that powers the new ANC system, which now better muffles "unwanted sounds in the midrange frequencies" voices that you'd "typically find on commuter trains, busy office spaces and cafes.
I found that to be true and give these the slight edge over both the Headphones and Sony WHXM4 for noise canceling. That said, you can't adjust the level of noise canceling like you can with those models, which offer a more robust feature set, particularly the Sony. You also can't tweak the sound in the app; there's no equalizer settings. The headset performance has also improved, with better noise reduction during calls.
And these offer multipoint Bluetooth pairing. That means you can pair the QC45 with two devices simultaneously -- such as a smartphone and PC -- and switch audio as needed. They're equipped with Bluetooth 5. While these have advantages over the Headphones and Sony WHXM4 and do sound quite good, those models sound slightly better: The is slightly more natural sounding and tuned more for audiophiles, while the Sony has more dynamic bass.
So that makes choosing between these three models that much more difficult. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones , the long-awaited successor to Bose's QuietComfort 35 II model, may not be a quantum leap forward, but these headphones offer slightly better sound and noise cancellation along with top-notch headset performance for voice calls.
They're a strong all-around audio performer with up to 20 hours of battery life and a more durable design than their predecessor some find the QuietComfort 35 II headphones slightly more comfortable.
That said, the new Sony WHXM4 headphones, their closest competitor, has also seen nice discounts. Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones review. The new Beoplay EQ are also rather expensive, but they're among the very best true wireless earbuds available right now, with top-notch sound, adaptive noise canceling and a natural sounding transparency mode.
Multipoint Bluetooth pairing means you can simultaneously connect them to a smartphone and computer. They have three microphones on each bud and are good for voice calling, though not exceptional. Needless to say, the premium design elements are here: The aluminum-shelled case opens and closes with precise smoothness, and the buds themselves have an aluminum accent on the outer surface where the touch controls live.
The buds are fairly large and do stick out of your ears like premium buds from Sony and Sennheiser. They fit me comfortably and securely and were suitable for sporting activities, with an IP54 splash-proof rating. Battery life is rated at around 6. The sound is big and dynamic with deep, well-defined bass and a wide soundstage. The mids sound natural and the treble has nice sparkle to it. They're a pleasure to listen to and among the best-sounding true wireless earbuds.
I didn't experience any listening fatigue over longer listening sessions. There is aptX for devices that support the aptX audio code; these have aptX Adaptive and use Bluetooth 5. The answer to that will depend partially on how well they fit your ears and how good a seal you get from the included ear tips.
I personally ended up getting the best fit using Sennheiser's large tips, which work best for my ears. They're a great set of earbuds if you can afford them. Just buy them from a retailer that has a good return policy in case you're not satisfied.
As far as sound, comfort level and build quality, you'd be hard-pressed to do better than Anker's SoundCore Life Q30 for the money. Battery life is rated at an impressive 40 hours with USB-C charging. The only area where the Q30 falls a little short is for voice calls. It picks up your voice fine in quieter environments but it just doesn't reduce background noise all that well.
Compared to the Q20 see below , the Q30 does offer improved sound it's not a huge difference, but it definitely is a notch up and a more premium design.
Eventually, we should see something like that on the Q In many ways, they're excellent true wireless earbuds, particularly when it comes to their sound and to their noise canceling, which is arguably the best out there right now in a set of earbuds.
In performance they clearly have a leg up on Apple's best-selling AirPods Pro true wireless noise-canceling buds. However, the AirPods Pro's smaller design, somewhat more comfortable fit and superior voice-calling capabilities make it hard to declare the Bose the straight-up champ. Ultimately, it depends on what your priorities are. Read our Bose QuietComfort Earbuds review. Yes, they're expensive, but the AirPods Max deliver richer, more detailed sound than lower-priced competitors from Bose and Sony.
They also feature arguably the best noise canceling on the market along with premium build quality and Apple's virtual surround spatial audio feature for video watching. On this pair we measured an average reduction of If you like a lot of bass, the tuning of the Life Q20 will appeal to you—this pair is definitely low-frequency heavy. With hip-hop, the bass will likely be a bit much for the audiophile set.
Although in our tests the sound was not nearly as balanced as that of the Bose , it had enough high-end detail to keep us from losing track of lyrics. Comfort is important even for budget noise-cancelling headphones, and the Life Q20 punches above its weight class in this respect, with notably soft memory-foam earpads. The overall weight on the head is moderate, and the headband stays secure without squeezing.
Folks with very small craniums may find as Lauren did that the length of the headband is a bit big and the earcups can hang a little lower than perfectly centered around the ear. That said, most adults will find the amount of adjustability to be perfectly suitable. The control buttons are the one exception; in our tests they felt a bit cheap and clicked in our ears when we pressed them. Anker claims a hour battery life with Bluetooth and noise cancelling on. In our tests, we got even more than that—the Life Q20 lasted 38 hours at about 70 percent volume and the ANC on we also took about 20 minutes of phone calls.
Just remember that more phone calls or louder volume may affect your personal experience. If you want to listen wired, a 3. In our tests, call quality was passable, not great.
The mic sounded fantastic in a quiet room our tester said it sounded as though we were calling from the phone itself but also picked up a good bit of wind noise and human voices, so you may want to walk to a quieter place to take important calls. But if your heart is set on true wireless, we think the 1More True Wireless ANC earbuds offer the best combination of performance and features for the money.
Unlike many of the true wireless ANC options available, this 1More pair offers decent noise reduction in the airplane band, averaging The moderate earbud size and the inclusion of six sets of silicone tips, plus three sets of wings, will help ensure a secure fit for a variety of ear sizes and shapes.
By tapping the earbuds themselves, you can control the hear-through mode if you want to hear your surroundings or have a conversation and toggle through the three levels of noise cancellation. The sound quality is a touch on the sibilant side, but folks who prefer an extra boost in the consonant range may not mind that too much. The microphones use environmental noise cancelling to ensure that you sound clear to callers, even if there is a little background noise. Fans of wireless charging will like that the case is Qi compatible.
However, these 1More earbuds have a shorter battery life per charge compared with traditional Bluetooth earbuds that are tethered by a cable: five hours with ANC on and six with it off in contrast to the approximate 16 hours on and 20 hours off that the 1More Dual Driver ANC Pro achieved.
If those omissions are dealbreakers for you, our pick for the best wireless Bluetooth earbuds , the Jabra Elite 75t, has both of those features, but milder yet still useful enough noise cancellation. And this sensation can lead to headaches. Typically, the more effective the noise-cancelling circuitry is in a pair of headphones, the more eardrum suck it produces.
You can read more about this phenomenon in the blog post we wrote. Wirecutter takes security and privacy issues seriously and investigates, as much as possible, how the companies we recommend deal with customer data. Since a growing number of wireless Bluetooth headphones require the use of an app for setup and sometimes daily operation, we reached out to the companies that produce our top picks and asked them to provide information that we think is of primary concern for any potential buyer.
This pair sounds fantastic, with a slightly boosted bass and a good sense of detail in the mids and highs. The transparency mode on the Fit Pro is excellent, and makes it very easy to carry on a conversation or maintain situational awareness without adding too much distracting sibilance to the sound of the world around you. The buds stay put better than many true wireless earbuds, though the winged design may feel snug to sensitive ears. Because this pair fits securely and has an IPX4 water resistance rating, the Fit Pro is good for workouts and runs.
First, we played sine tones at 80 dB, and our panelist John Higgins and I compared the two, ranking the effectiveness from where 0 is literally no reduction and 3 is total silence. Then we played a frequency sweep and wore the Beats to see where the ANC seemed most effective or not.
John and I had very similar notes. Overall, below Hz the Beats bested the 1More. Above Hz, it became purely about passive noise isolation doing the reduction. Folks using the active reduction to combat airplane noise should find it useful, but those who want to block out higher pitches like voices or baby cries will find the Fit Pro is only about as good as any passive earbud. Because of the narrow, intense range of noise cancellation on the Fit Pro, people who are prone to eardrum suck may find the ANC on this pair triggers that feeling of unease—and the level of reduction is not adjustable.
As is true of their over-ear counterpart above, the Sony WFXM4 true wireless earbuds have many things we like a lot. The Qi-charging capability is a nice bonus, and the eight-hour battery life with active noise cancellation enabled is a solid listening time for true wireless earbuds. Downsides include the limited controls on the earbuds, the large earbud size which will be a tight fit for small ears , and the lack of XL ear tips which can cause seal problems for very large ears.
And although there are a lot of nifty-sounding features packed into the Sony app, we found the app cumbersome to navigate and most of the options—like the automatic location-based listening mode adjustment—wonky in use. So for folks who like to wear their headphones all day, the added weight and pinch may be a literal pain.
Call quality is excellent, and the multiple microphones reduce wind noise exceptionally well. These headphones sound great, creating a decent sense of spatial depth despite the closed-back design. However, the Max does not include a 3. The AirPods Max must have some charge to function at all, even corded.
One differentiator we did find truly compelling is that the AirPods Max has a replaceable battery. The sound quality in our tests was pretty great, though we did detect extra bass intensity that was a little less refined than we typically prefer. If you want a good all-purpose pair of over-ear headphones that costs less than the Bose : The Jabra Elite 85h is the top pick in our best Bluetooth wireless headphones guide. This over-ear pair may not have the best active noise cancellation, but otherwise it delivers everything you could want in a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
These headphones sounded fantastic out of the box, and we found them more intuitive to set up and use than most competitors thanks to the automatic Bluetooth pairing process and the large, easy-to-access controls.
The battery life, rated at 36 hours with active noise cancellation engaged , is also longer than that of many competitors, and the battery charges quickly, providing five hours of use after only 15 minutes of plug-in time. The Elite 85h works with the Amazon, Apple, and Google digital assistants, and the microphone quality was especially clear on our phone calls.
The Elite 85h is water resistant, too, and protected by a two-year warranty against damage from rain. The QC45 offers an awareness mode, background-noise-reducing microphones, 24 hours of battery life, and quick-charge abilities.
If you happen to have a Bose soundbar, the QC45 headphones are compatible with SimpleSync, which allows you to pair to your Bose soundbar and use the QC45 as a pair of wireless TV headphones. Philips Fidelio L3 Over-Ear ANC Headphones : These headphones run on the larger side, so folks with smaller heads may have a tough time getting the earcups to sit on their head without gapping. The sound quality is quite good for music, but the ANC is middle-of-the-road, the hear-through mode is overly sibilant and not ideal for longer conversations, and the touch controls are prone to misfires.
The EQ presets in the app can help to add clarity to the vocal range, but no matter what we did, the bass notes lacked definition, much like a paint thinned by too much water. The noise cancellation is quite effective if you are facing the cause of the sound for example, an air conditioner but less so if the noise is coming from the sides.
Imagine if you lived in a small studio apartment and you put a subwoofer next to your couch, then turned it up loudly enough that your neighbors could hear the thumping. The noise cancellation is above average, and the hear-through mode is quite good.
But seriously, only consider these if you like a ton of bass. If those add-ons appeal to you, these are just as good as the original. We were extremely excited about the idea of potentially infinite battery life, and hoped that we would love the experience of using these. Unfortunately, this pair has such tight headband clamping force, in combination with shallow earcups, that wearing it is deeply uncomfortable after only a short time, even for folks with small heads.
We were so disappointed, but are encouraged by the technology. We hope to see more comfortable solar-powered pairs moving forward.
The noise cancellation noticeably reduces very low frequencies, but overall is less than superlative. The 3D audio setting only makes matters worse by making everything sound like it was recorded in a reverb-heavy metal box. Additionally, this pair produced a dip in the midrange that made everything sound as if it were inside a box. The ANC has a slight hiss to it, the hinges on the headband creak and crack like cheap plastic, and the sound has recessed mids and harsh, sizzling highs that bury male vocals and shoot snare hits and consonants at you like daggers.
This pair comes with a charging stand to store the headphones on your desk or by the TV, and it has a removable boom mic. Additionally, the build quality, while not overtly fragile, feels a tad creaky, and the app requires you to register before using it—so folks concerned with privacy issues may want to use a throwaway name and email address.
Although the sound profile is well-reviewed and adjustable, you can get equal performance from the less-expensive Sony WHXM4. The same also applies to the noise cancellation, which performs well but is not superlative. Beats Studio3 : Although these headphones remain popular, to our ears and those of many other reviewers , they sound too bassy and boomy, and their noise cancelling is only average. Beyerdynamic Lagoon ANC : These headphones look attractive, their noise cancellation is decent, and their sound is of the quality that you might expect from Beyerdynamic.
In our tests, the headband was too big for smaller head sizes, we found a lack of vocal feedback during calls, and the sound, while admirable out of the box, was a bit bloated in the lows and lacking high-end detail. These are good headphones in a very competitive category. A dedicated button accesses Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, letting you ask questions or send and listen to messages.
The downsides: The aggressive noise cancelling produces eardrum suck, a sensation that many people find uncomfortable, and this pair lacks the step ANC adjustment of the Bose Our panel found that the headband was too tight. The bass was unfocused, and the highs had a sizzling quality on consonants and cymbal hits. The headband had an uncomfortable, pinching fit even on smaller skulls. The boomy bass veiled details in the bass guitar through the male vocal range.
The sound quality is a little uneven the default sound profile is hyped in the lows and highs , but listening to the Enduro ANC is nonetheless quite enjoyable. Plus, the hour battery life is great for folks who forget to charge their headphones regularly. The noise cancellation is middle of the road but effective enough to reduce air-conditioner hum or airplane noise. If you like a brighter sound profile and prefer less intense ANC, this set is recommendable.
Cowin E7 Pro ANC Wireless : The noise cancellation on this pair will take the edge off of airplane noise, but the circular earcups might be an uncomfortable shape for larger ears.
The controls on our test pair worked inconsistently, and the sound quality changed with the noise cancellation. The bass was softer in volume with the ANC on, but it became more boomy and blurry with it off. When we turned the ANC off, the low notes had less reverb, but high-pitched sounds such as consonants and strings gained an icy, metallic edge. The fit is comfortable, with a soft, padded headband and ear cups. Unlike most new Bluetoooth headphones, this pair includes a cable with a single-button remote and microphone; so, if the battery dies, the XL ANC is still functional and can take calls.
Should eco-friendly practices be of importance to you, House of Marley has a more environmentally minded business plan than many other electronics companies. With ANC off, the sound is fantastic—balanced and clear. However, the ANC negatively impacts the sound response, and bass notes sound louder yet duller at the same time, as though someone turned up a subwoofer and tossed a blanket over it.
The microphones are clear over calls, even in mildly windy conditions. We also like that this pair comes with two cables—one coiled and one with a single-button remote—which is handy for folks looking for a pair of headphones that can go from a sound booth to a commute.
The Club One has a hearing-test-based tuning feature in the JBL app, but we found that the sound profile we received was too bass-forward, a touch blurry in the upper lows and mids, and lacking clarity in the highs. With manual EQ, we were able to find something we liked well enough, but your personal sound profile is only accessible via Bluetooth. There clearly are ANC adjustments occurring as the sounds around you change, but the effect can be off-putting. For example, if there is an air conditioner on your left, the left earcup suddenly blocks more noise than the right one, which feels similar to having a cold and one of your ears is clogged.
Fortunately, this feature can be turned off, and the standard ANC performs consistently and usefully. The sound is pleasantly balanced and adjustable in the JBL app. The combination of touch and physical buttons works well enough, though the volume buttons are very close together and may take some practice to learn to find by touch alone. But if you want something that fits in between the Life Q20 and the Elite 85h in performance and price, this set fits the bill.
In our tests, the sound was pleasant balanced but lacking the clarity and low-end definition of pricier models , the ANC was passable, and the fit was comfortable.
The included cable has a remote and mic, which is rare. Plus you can customize the look on the JBL website , which is fun. These headphones are highly recommendable, especially for the price.
The controls are easy to use, and the battery life is decent at 28 hours with ANC on. In our tests, the sound quality was fine: It was a little on the bass-heavy side but not objectionable.
Sony WHXM4. Specifications Acoustic design: Closed. Weight: g. Frequency response: 4Hz to 40kHz. Drivers: 1. Battery life: 30 hours. Reasons to avoid - Not water-resistant. Sony WHXM3. Reasons to avoid - Small tweaks from XM2. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones Weight: 25g.
Battery life: 20 hours. Reasons to avoid - Battery life could be better. Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. Noise cancellation in the true wireless market just got serious. Specifications Acoustic Design: Closed. Weight: 8. Battery on-board: 6 hours earbuds 12 hours charging case.
Reasons to avoid - Bulky charging case - Case could offer more charge. Weight: 7. Frequency response: ,Hz. Drivers: 6mm. Battery life : 8 hours earbuds 16 hours charging case.
Reasons to avoid - Unremarkable battery life - No aptX support. Drivers: 50mm dynamic. Reasons to avoid - No touch controls. Bose QuietComfort 35 II. Reasons to avoid - Active EQ an acquired taste - Boring looks.
Jabra Elite 85H. Frequency response: 10Hz to 20kHz. Drivers: 40mm dynamic. Battery life: 36 hours. Reasons to avoid - Lacks support for high-end codecs - Bass could be punchier. Apple AirPods Pro.
Weight: 5. Drivers: Dynamic. Battery life on-board : 5 hours earbuds 24 hours charging case. Bowers and Wilkins PX7 Wireless. Frequency response: 10 — 30, Hz. Drivers:
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