From obnoxious car horns interrupting your tranquil yoga session to the loud coworkers distracting you from meeting that important deadline at work, it’s certainly a noisy world out there. Enter noise-canceling headphones, a quick-fix to unwanted noise that’ll save you a down deposit on a cabin in the woods, as well as your sanity. Once a novel feature, noise-canceling technology in headphones these days are a dime a dozen.
To that end, if you’re on the hunt for a pair of headphones with top-notch noise-canceling features, then look no further. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite pairs of headphones to help narrow your search and quiet the world around you. Before we jump into those, though, let’s have a quick physics lesson.
How Does Noise Cancellation Work?
Without digging too deeply into the science of it all, noise-canceling headphones don’t literally block out sounds. Instead, they work through a principle of physics called “phase cancellation.” Simply put, your headphones use tiny microphones to listen to the world around you, outputting sound waves of the same, yet opposite, frequency that match up with and neutralize the sound waves of outside noise. It’s an “active” process, which is why you’ll usually see your headphones sporting “Active Noise Cancellation,” or ANC for short.
Though the technology has certainly improved over the years, and some headphones are better at it than others, certain sounds are more easily “canceled” than others. This is due to the types of frequencies that different sounds emit, with lower frequency sounds producing longer sounds waves that are easier to match and neutralize than higher frequency sounds. Since background noises like the whir of machines and engines operate on lower frequencies, your noise-canceling headphones are quite good at blocking out those sounds. Sounds with higher frequencies, however, like human voices, have shorter wavelengths, and are subsequently harder to neutralize. The result is usually imperfect active noise cancellation of voices and other high frequency sounds, with these noises filtering into your listening session—though muffled, of course.
Luckily, the physical design of your headphones also plays a role in noise cancellation. Design elements such as the thickness of the padding on the earcups of over-ear models, if your earbuds have rubber tips, and just generally how well your headphones fit in or over your ears can be described as “passive” noise cancellation (PNC). When designed well, your headphones passively block sound from entering your ear canal. When good ANC is paired with good PNC, the result is a great pair of noise-canceling headphones that should block out almost all sounds.
Now that we know a bit more about how noise cancellation works, we can better understand which headphones feature noise-canceling tech that is a step above the rest. Let’s start with the over-ear contenders.
Best Overall Over-Ear Headphones: Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 2)
A leader in the audio space, Bose has been making quality products for almost 60 years. The brand’s latest flagship, the QuietComfort Ultra Gen 2, features Bose’s best noise-canceling technology yet. Users can customize their listening experience with one of three listening modes. Choose Quiet Mode for maximum noise cancellation, Aware Mode for transparent listening, or Immersion Mode for a combination of max cancellation and spatialized audio.
Along with best-in-class noise cancellation, the QC Ultra Gen 2s feature a treasure trove of premium features, including outstanding sound performance, an impressive 30-hour battery life, and Bose’s proprietary CustomTune technology, which allows listeners to fine-tune sound performance based on the unique shape of their ears.
Runner-Up Over-Ear Headphones: Apple AirPods Max 2
Featuring Apple’s signature stylish, minimalist design, the AirPods Max 2 are a go-to choice for Apple users who don’t mind paying a premium price. Much like the Bose QC Ultra 2s, the AirPods Max 2 offer outstanding audio performance and ANC. They’re also one of the most comfortable pairs of headphones we’ve ever worn, though some detractors claim they’re a bit too heavy (sounds like a skill issue).
Additional features including solid battery life, outstanding transparency mode, crystal-clear hands-free calls, and much more make the AirPods Max one of the best over-the-ear noise-cancelling headphones around, if you can stomach the slightly exorbitant cost.
Best Budget Over-Ear Headphones: Soundcore by Anker Space 2
Retailing for just over $100, the Space 2 headphones from Anker Soundcore are a good option for listeners on a budget. Featuring powerful adaptive noise cancellation with four levels of ambient transparency, custom drivers that deliver crisp, clear audio, and up to 70 hours of battery life with ANC off/50 hours on, these wallet-friendly phones are a more fiscally responsible alternative to the QC Ultra 2s and the AirPods Max 2.
In case over-ear headphones aren’t your style, let’s look at our picks for earbuds with the best noise-canceling features.
Best Overall Earbuds: Sony WF-1000XM6
Don’t let the clunky name scare you off! Sony’s WF-1000XM6s offer some of the best noise-canceling performance on the market. As explained earlier, ANC tech in general is rather good at tackling low-frequency sounds, but the three microphones Sony built into each earbud of the WF-1000XM6s do it even better. The mics utilize Sony’s exclusive Integrated Processor V3 to power the brand’s specially designed HD Noise Cancelling Processor to offer solid phase cancellation. When paired with the Noise Isolation Earbud Tips, which take care of higher frequency sounds by providing a secure, close, yet comfortable, fit in your ear canal, you’ve got a pair of noise-canceling earbuds that are among the best around.
Runner-Up Earbuds: Apple AirPods Pro 3
Apple’s AirPods Pro 3 feature significant improvements over the AirPods Pro 2, including dramatically enhanced noise-canceling technology. On top of that, the third-gen earbuds showcase an updated design along with a veritable treasure trove of new audio features, including Adaptive EQ, real-time translation, spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, and a hear rate sensor for tracking calories.
Despite the updated look, the AirPods Pro 3 still feature arguably the best overall in-ear design, one that ensures the Pods remain comfortably in your ears no matter what. Throw in enhanced sound performance powered by Apple’s premium H2 chip, all-day battery, and a slew of additional features, and it’s easy to see (or hear) why the AirPods Pro 3 are among the best earbuds you can buy.
Best Budget Earbuds: Beats Powerbeats Fit
A longtime favorite of many wireless-headphone-wearers, the Beats Powerbeats Fit boast great noise-canceling features at a relatively affordable price. The Beats Fit Pro aren’t as feature-rich as the AirPods Pro 3 (few earbuds are), but for a more affordable price point, listeners get a trove of awesome audio abilities, including all-day power, ANC, sweat and water resistance, and an enhanced listening experience backed by Apple’s power H1 chip. If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, the Beats Powerbeats Fit are tough to … beat.
To learn more about our favorite noise-cancelling headphones, including detailed information about each device’s unique features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the individual product page of each item.
