1voice True Sound Active Noise Cancelling Headphones Reviews

A set of noise-canceling headphones is vital for your productivity at piece of work or at home, but a noisy cafe or riding backyard mower can grate just as much as dwelling house distractions and coworkers. The din nosotros all face in our daily lives is why agile racket cancellation, which eliminates ambient noise, makes all the difference. If you're just discovering active noise counterfoil or replacing outdated buds with over-ear or Bluetooth headphones, you're in the right spot. I've plunged into a sea of racket-canceling earbuds, over-ear headphones, wired and wireless headphones to fish out the best options for your fashion, preference and budget.

And then, where to start? When it comes tonoise-canceling headphones that block out background racket and ambient sound, Bose headphones have been the audio aureate standard for years. But other headphone-makers accept steadily chipped abroad at Bose's lead, and it's a competitive category with a multitude ofnoise-canceling options at various prices, including Apple'southward new loftier-end AirPods Max, Sony'southward splendid WH-1000XM4, Bose's Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and QuietComfort Earbuds. Whether you want to use your noise-canceling headphones tolisten to music or just block out unwanted dissonance, in that location are many superb models to choose from.

Below, I've rounded upwardly all the all-time noise-canceling headphones available, all of which I've fully reviewed or used hands-on over a menses of fourth dimension. I update this list regularly equally I review more headphones.

Sony WF-1000XM4

Best noise-canceling earbuds

David Carnoy/CNET

No earbuds are perfect and not everybody will love the fit of the Sony WF-1000XM4 buds or be able to afford their loftier price. But if you're looking for great-sounding earbuds with slap-up dissonance canceling, solid voice-calling capabilities and good battery life, these buds check all the boxes.

Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds too have top-notch noise canceling and sound quality, but the Sony is right at that place with the Bose for noise canceling (and some might say it's a touch better in that department), only the Sony offers slightly better sound quality and also has a more compact design, particularly for the example (though the Sony buds certainly aren't modest).

Read our Sony WF-1000XM4 review.

Sony WH-1000XM4

Best all effectually over-ear

December 2020

David Carnoy/CNET

Sony's before WH-1000XM3 model was slap-up. Merely if it had a weakness, that was vocalization calling, particularly in noisier environments. The WH-1000XM4 model has improved in that area and also adds multipoint Bluetooth pairing so you can connect to two devices -- such equally 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 yous answer the phone call.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 probably nevertheless have a slight edge for phonation calls, only the 1000XM4 headphones are arguably a tad more comfy and likewise have some other slight improvements to racket cancellation and sound that brand this model a great accommodating choice. Subsequently launching at $350, they've regularly discounted to as low as $278, so expect for them on auction.

Read our Sony WH-1000XM4 review.

Bose QuietComfort 45

Improved QuietComfort

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The Bose QuietComfort 45 essentially looks the same as its popular predecessor, the QuietComfort 35 2, with the biggest pattern departure being a USB-C port in place of the older Micro-USB. (At 238 grams, the QC45 weighs but 3 grams more than the QC35, which should be imperceptible.) And while the Bose 700 has 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 well-nigh comfortable pair of headphones out there.

They likewise sound very similar to the QC 35 Two, with no change to the drivers. Where you lot'll see an improvement is with the racket counterfoil (there's a transparency mode), which very well could be the best out right at present. 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 notice on commuter trains, busy office spaces and cafes."

I found that to be true and requite these the slight edge over both the Headphones 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4 for noise canceling. That said, yous can't adjust the level of noise canceling like you can with those models, which offer a more robust feature set up, peculiarly the Sony. You lot also can't tweak the sound in the app; in that location'due south no blaster settings.

The headset performance has also improved, with better noise reduction during calls. And these offer multipoint Bluetooth pairing. That ways you can pair the QC45 with two devices simultaneously -- such every bit a smartphone and PC -- and switch audio as needed. They're equipped with Bluetooth 5.1 and support the widely compatible AAC sound codec but non aptX.

While these have advantages over the Headphones 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4 and exercise audio quite good, those models audio slightly better: The 700 is slightly more natural sounding and tuned more for audiophiles, while the Sony has more dynamic bass. So that makes choosing between these 3 models that much more hard.

Mark Levinson No. 5909

Smashing if y'all can beget information technology

David Carnoy/CNET

The No. 5909 are premium sound make Mark Levinson'south commencement headphones and, yep, they're really expensive at $999. But they're as well really skillful. They accept a sturdy design without managing to experience hefty on your head (read: they're substantial simply non also heavy) and they're comfortable to wear over long periods thanks to their nicely padded (and replaceable) leather-covered earcups and headband.

Not only do they characteristic skillful noise canceling and fantabulous sound, but their vox-calling functioning is top-notch. Plus, they have multipoint Bluetooth pairing so yous tin pair them with two devices, such as a computer and a smartphone, simultaneously.

The No. 5909 are loftier-res certified with support for Sony'south LDAC and Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive codecs that allow for near-lossless streaming over Bluetooth. Apple's iPhones and iPads don't back up those codecs while certain Android devices practise. Using the No. 5909 headphones over Bluetooth on my iPhone 13 Pro, it sounded a tad more natural and refined than the AirPods Max (the No. 5909 had a touch more "pure" and accurate sound).

I did notice a difference when I paired the No. 5909 to my Google Pixel 4 40, which has support for LDAC, and using the Qobuz sound streaming service that offers high-res streaming. Overall, the sound had a little more depth and texture, and there's a touch more sparkle, definition and openness.

Read our Mark Levinson No. 5909 review.

Beats Fit Pro

Best sports buds for everyday utilize

David Carnoy/CNET

Hot on the heels of the third-generation AirPods, Apple tree has another new set of earbuds, this fourth dimension from its subsidiary audio visitor, Beats. Technically, the new Beats Fit Pro ($200) aren't AirPods, but they're built on the aforementioned tech platform every bit the AirPods Pro. Unlike Beats' earlier and less expensive Studio Buds, the Beats Fit Pro include Apple'due south H1 chip and accept about of the AirPods Pro'south features, including active noise canceling, spatial audio and Adaptive EQ. I'd venture to call them the sports AirPods y'all've always wanted. And for some people, they might just be better than the AirPods Pro.

Read our Beats Fit Pro review.

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

Excellent for making calls

Sarah Tew/CNET

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, the long-awaited successor to Bose'due south QuietComfort 35 Ii model, may not exist a quantum bound forward, but these headphones offering slightly better sound and dissonance cancellation along with top-notch headset performance for voice calls. They're a strong all-around audio performer with upwardly to 20 hours of bombardment life and a more durable design than their predecessor (some find the QuietComfort 35 II headphones slightly more comfy). At launch, they cost $400, but they've recently come up down in cost. We've seen the white version dip every bit low as $299 while the black and silver versions have hit $340.

That said, the new Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones, their closest competitor, has also seen dainty discounts.

Read our Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 review.

Apple tree AirPods Pro

Nearly discreet

Nov 2019

Sarah Tew/CNET

Fifty-fifty if you won't encounter a sound quite as magical equally yous'd hope to from a acme end model, the Apple AirPods Pro  still manages to be a great pair of true-wireless earphones with racket counterfoil. That's largely due to their winning design and fit, improved bass performance and effective noise canceling -- and now they've been updated with spatial audio,  a new virtual-sound mode for watching movies and Goggle box shows (only works with iPhones and iPads running iOS 14).

They're an splendid pick when you lot want to make a call or listen to music during your workout. Yeah, they're expensive, simply the good news is they tend to sell for 25% off their listing price.

Read our Apple AirPods Pro review.

Blindside & Olufsen Beoplay EQ

Pure premium

David Carnoy/CNET

Blindside & Olufsen's before Beoplay E8 earbuds were expert, just underwhelming for their loftier price. The new Beoplay EQ are also rather expensive, just they're among the very all-time truthful wireless earbuds available correct now, with top-notch audio, adaptive racket canceling and a natural sounding transparency mode. Multipoint Bluetooth pairing means you can simultaneously connect them to a smartphone and computer. They take 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 practise stick out of your ears similar premium buds from Sony and Sennheiser. They fit me comfortably and deeply and were suitable for sporting activities, with an IP54 splash-proof rating. Bombardment life is rated at around vi.5 hours at moderate volume levels, and you get an actress two charges from the case, which has USB-C and wireless charging.

The audio is big and dynamic with deep, well-defined bass and a broad soundstage. The mids sound natural and the treble has a prissy 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 sound codec; these accept aptX Adaptive and use Bluetooth v.two.

Are they meliorate than the Sony WF-1000XM4, which toll a fraction less? The reply 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'southward big tips, which work best for my ears. They're a great prepare of earbuds if you tin can afford them. But buy them from a retailer that has a skilful return policy in case you're not satisfied.

Anker SoundCore Life Q30

Best sound nether $100

David Carnoy/CNET

As far equally sound, comfort level and build quality, you lot'd be difficult-pressed to do better than Anker'southward SoundCore Life Q30 for the money. Information technology doesn't quite have the clarity or bass definition as some of the tiptop premium models, but it's less than a tertiary of the price and gets you lot about 75% of the style at that place in terms of audio (it'southward well balanced overall with punchy bass and there's an app that allows you to tweak the sound). Racket canceling is good for the price, though not upwardly to the level of the Sony WH-1000XM4 or Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. Bombardment life is rated at an impressive 40 hours with USB-C charging.

The just area where the Q30 falls a little short is for vocalization calls. It picks upward your phonation fine in quieter environments but it simply doesn't reduce background racket all that well.

Compared to the Q20 (encounter below), the Q30 does offering improved sound (it'south not a huge difference, just it definitely is a notch up) and a more premium design. Anker frequently offers the Q20 at a $10 discount at Amazon. Eventually, we should see something like that on the Q30.

Apple AirPods Max

High-end selection

David Carnoy/CNET

Yep, they're expensive, but the AirPods Max evangelize richer, more detailed sound than lower-priced competitors from Bose and Sony. They also feature arguably the best noise canceling on the market forth with premium build quality and Apple'due south virtual environment spatial audio characteristic for video watching. While they're heavy, they manage to be surprisingly comfortable, though I did have to suit the mesh canopy headband to sit a little more than forrad on my head to get a comfortable secure fit when I was out walking with them. They should fit well-nigh heads well, merely in that location will exist exceptions.

Read our Apple AirPods Max review.

Shure Aonic 40

Sturdy newcomer

David Carnoy/CNET

The new Shure Aonic twoscore noise-canceling headphones are a fleck smaller and more affordable than the visitor's well-received Aonic 50 headphones ($299) that were released in 2020. My quick accept: They sound quite good with make clean, well-balanced audio that y'all can tweak in the Shure companion app for iOS and Android (you can choose from preset EQ settings as well as a customizable manual EQ setting).

The active noise canceling is solid just not quite upward to the level of Sony's or Bose's and like the Aonic l, they work well for making calls (Shure is known for its microphones) and you can connect them to your estimator via USB-C. For those with aptX-enabled Android devices, the headphones support aptX HD Bluetooth streaming.

You don't get extra features like ear-detection sensors that automatically suspension your music when you have the headphones off your caput and resume playback when y'all put them back on. However, the headphones have a dual-hinge design so they both fold up and fold flat, allowing them to have a more compact instance than the Aonic l's (its case is pretty huge). In other words, these are more than travel friendly. Bombardment life is rated at 25 hours with noise canceling on.

They're very adept headphones -- sturdy, too -- merely I didn't find them quite as comfortable as competing models from Bose and Sony. For some people, the top of the headband may put a piddling pressure on the crown of your head (the headband's padding is OK but could be amend). I pushed the headband forwards a bit on my head to become a more than comfy fit. They're also bachelor in white.

Samsung Milky way Buds ii

Meliorate-fitting Samsung

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Available in four colors, the Samsung Galaxy Buds ii hew more than closely to the newer Milky way Buds Pro and Galaxy Buds Alive, both of which have eye-communicable glossy curved designs and the aforementioned compact charging example as this new model. In fact, it'southward the Buds 2's pattern and fit -- they're xv% smaller and 20% lighter than the Buds Plus -- that make them a potentially more likable alternative to the meliorate-sounding Buds Pro.

Like the Buds Pro, the Buds 2 are equipped with active noise canceling. That means all the latest Galaxy Buds models now characteristic some form of agile dissonance canceling, though it's slight with the Buds Live, which have an open design sans ear tips. While the Buds two look more similar shrunken versions of the Buds Pro, I found them more akin to the Buds Live in that they barely stick out of your ears and are fairly unimposing. Because they sit more flush with your ears -- and take that curved design -- they too choice upwardly less air current noise. They're IPX2 sweat-resistant.

Read our Galaxy Buds 2 review.

Bang & Olufsen Beoplay HX

AirPods Max competitor

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Bang & Olufsen's Beoplay HX is the successor to the company's H9 series headphones (that X is a Roman numeral 10) and like those earlier H9 models, the HX carries a list price of $500 (some colors are discounted at Amazon). That price point makes it a direct competitor with Apple'south AirPods Max, a heavier headphone at 384.8 grams vs. 285 grams for the HX. I don't know if the HX is more comfortable than the AirPods Max, simply I found the ii models pretty equal in the comfort department over longer listening sessions and these do feature the usual swanky B&O lambskin covered memory cream ear pads.

The HX has custom 40mm drivers, Bluetooth 5.1 and support for Qualcomm's aptX Adaptive (that includes aptX HD) for high-resolution wireless streaming when you combine an aptX-enabled Android device with sure music streaming services like Qobuz.

Their sound measures up well to the AirPods Max'south audio, with deep, well-divers bass, natural-sounding mids (where vocals alive) and inviting detail in the treble (the sound is overall well-balanced). If you want to push the treble or bass, y'all can tweak the EQ in the Bang & Olufsen app for iOS and Android and give the headphones a warmer or brighter contour.

While these are expensive, they offer more than accurate sound than the Sony WH-1000XM4. Their dissonance canceling is as well very good and voice-calling capabilities are also quite solid. Additionally, they offering multipoint Bluetooth pairing and then y'all can connect them with a smartphone and PC simultaneously (Microsoft Swift Pair enabled for Windows machines) so yous can easily switch betwixt the two (the Sony WH-1000XM4 besides has this feature). Battery life is rated at up to 35 hours with noise canceling on and twoscore hours with it off. Those are splendid numbers.

Earlier Bang & Olufsen's models included a soft case (a pouch really), but the HX comes with a hard case. As I said, it's expensive, but the small improvements over earlier flagship Bang & Olufsen noise-canceling headphones aid make the HX'southward case every bit a worthy culling to the AirPods Max.

Bowers & Wilkins PI7

Best audio for true wireless

David Carnoy/CNET

Afterwards a long expect, Bowers & Wilkins finally released a couple of sets of true wireless earbuds in 2021 -- the PI7 ($400) and PI5 ($250) -- both of which are splendid and feature active noise canceling forth with a transparency mode. The flagship PI7 has a different driver pattern and sounds slightly more than detailed and refined with a little more bass energy. They both sound fantabulous, merely if y'all're looking for the absolute best sounding set of earbuds, the PI7 are arguably only that, besting the Sony WF-1000XM4 by a pocket-sized margin (they also sound slightly better than the excellent Sennheiser Momentum Truthful Wireless II and Principal & Dynamic MW08).

While the PI7'southward noise canceling is quite decent, the Sony's noise canceling is superior. I also thought the Sony did better with vox calling (information technology has better noise reduction so people can hear you better in a noisier environments) and it has better battery life.

The PI7'due south example does transform into a Bluetooth transceiver, so you can plug it into your laptop for Qualcomm aptX streaming or an in-flight entertainment organization. The PI7 supports aptX Adaptive wireless manual (which includes the aptX Hard disk codec) from uniform mobile devices, allowing for "high-resolution music manual from suitable streaming services, such equally Qobuz."

They're IPX54 splashproof and take 4 hours of battery life with noise canceling on (that'south a little disappointing), plus an extra four charges from the case.

The PI5 buds also sound excellent and are a bear on lighter than the PI7. At $250, the PI5 competes directly with the $280 Sony 1000XM4. As with all in-ear headphones, you have to try them to run across how they fit your ears. Bowers & Wilkins' buds may fit your ears better than Sony's and vice versa.

Read our Bowers & Wilkins PI7 first take.

Sennheiser CX Plus

New midrange Sennheiser

David Carnoy/CNET

The Momentum True Wireless II remain Sennheiser'southward flagship truthful-wireless earbuds. But before long after the release of the CX ($130), Sennheiser'southward second-generation midrange buds, the company followed upward with the CX Plus, which add noise canceling. They look virtually identical to the standard CX buds but have a glossy black stop on the touch-sensitive exterior surface -- cosmetically, they're more akin to the older and slightly larger CX400BT.

I similar the CX for the money, and the CX Plus delivers the same excellent sound while rounding out the feature set with active racket canceling and a transparency manner. Battery life is rated at upward to eight hours at moderate volume levels and these are splash-proof, with an IPX4 rating. They do stick out of your ears a chip.

The noise canceling isn't quite equally skillful equally the Sony WF-1000XM4'southward, just I thought it was effective and the headset's performance was decent, though not stellar. These are accommodating solid dissonance-canceling earbuds that tin can count sound quality every bit their biggest force.

Master & Dynamic MW08

Swanky truthful wireless

David Carnoy/CNET

Master & Dynamic'south before MW07 and MW07 Plus delivered pinnacle-notch audio for true wireless, but they were a piddling lacking in the features section and weren't and then groovy for making calls. MW08, the newest update, offers some significant improvements, including the addition of solid dissonance canceling and phone call quality, that makes information technology one of the summit models for 2022. Alas, information technology's expensive at $299.

Battery life has improved a chip (up to effectually 12 hours of bombardment life at l% volume versus x hours for the MW07 Plus), and the earbuds are equipped with Bluetooth 5.two, active racket cancellation with three microphones on each earbud (noise reduction during calls isn't upwardly to the level of the AirPods Pro simply overall call quality has improved). The noise canceling on the MW07 Plus was pretty weak; the MW08's is much more than effective.

You can opt for two levels of noise cancellation in the new Yard&D Connect app for iOS and Android, also equally two levels of transparency that lets yous hear the outside earth. The app currently has no manner to tweak the sound profile (I'g OK with that because the sound profile is just fine for my tastes) and the earbuds have a physical button on each bud to control playback, not bear upon controls.

These buds may not fit everyone's ear equally well, just they certainly have a distinct look, as well as excellent sound and a great listening feel if you lot can go a tight seal (I was able to go a secure fit with the largest tip). They evangelize more than of an audiophile sound profile, with smooth, well-balanced sound and well-defined bass. This model has new 11mm drivers, which add a fleck of punch to the bass and a touch better clarity. The MW08 works well with all genres of music.

Available in a multifariousness of color options, similar their predecessors, the MW08 includes a swanky stainless-steel charging example (it charges via USB-C) that'southward meaty but carries more weight than your typical buds cases. You also become a secondary pouch for safekeeping (yeah, the charging instance can get scratched up if you leave information technology in a handbag).

These truly wireless earbuds now support both the aptX and AAC sound codecs and have an extended range of more 20 meters, according to Main & Dynamic. They have an IPX5 h2o-resistance rating, which means they can withstand a sustained spray of water.

Earfun Air Pro 2

Budget pick

David Carnoy/CNET

The Earfun Air Pro two not only features solid active noise counterfoil but their sound is also impressive for their relatively pocket-size price, with overall well-counterbalanced sound, decent clarity and solid bass performance. Some of Earfun'south buds have had a scrap also much treble push -- sometimes referred to as "presence heave" -- just these mostly manage to avoid that. They exercise sound better than the original Air Pro.

The earbuds have some extra features, like an ear-detection sensor (your music pauses when you lot have the buds out of your ears) and a example that has USB-C and wireless charging, that you don't often find at this price. Equipped with Bluetooth 5.2, they're splash-proof with an IPX5 rating and offer upwards to seven hours of battery life on a single charge at moderate volume levels, though you'll probably become closer to vi hours with racket canceling on.

In that location's also a transparency manner that lets ambience sound in. It actually sounds pretty natural and is closer than I thought it would to the AirPods Pro'south excellent transparency style. Alas, there's no companion app that allows you lot to tweak the sound or upgrade the firmware.

Earfun talks up the Air Pro 2's voice calling capabilities -- the buds have 3 microphones in each earbud -- and I thought call performance was proficient simply these didn't reduce background noise every bit much the new Soundpeats T3, which are too good for the money ($forty). Nonetheless, while the Soundpeats T3 are ameliorate for calls, the Earfun Air Pro 2's racket-canceling and transparency modes are superior and the Soundpeats don't take the ear-detection sensor. Active dissonance counterfoil is the name of the game with these earbuds. Too, the Earfun Air Pro two buds sound improve, with richer, more dynamic sound.

Anker SoundCore Life Q20

Best over-ear nether $50

Sarah Tew/CNET

Anker's SoundCore Life Q20 headphones are arguably the best value in the category of noise-canceling headphones. Not only do these over-ear headphones sound quite decent for their regular list cost of $60 (they often sell for $10 less), but they're also comfortable to wear thank you to the secure earcups.

No, they don't sound as good as premium Bluetooth headphones from Sony and Bose, only the audio quality is pretty good, which is all you tin can ask of noise-canceling headphones at this toll. The sound quality is adequately well balanced with a reasonable amount of clarity and plump bass that'south non bloated or muddy (at that place'south a bass boost or BassUp mode if you desire an extra helping of bass with your music). Besides, the noise counterfoil is passably constructive and they're solid equally a headset for making calls. Bombardment life is good at 40 hours. A elementary carrying pouch is included.

Yamaha YH-E700A

Modern retro

David Carnoy/CNET

Mod retroYamaha YH-E700AYamaha has dipped in and out of the headphone arena in the concluding several years and its 2021 model, YH-E700A, is an accommodating solid racket-canceling entry that has a bit of a retro design with its large earcups that give y'all that Princess Leia look when wearing them. I did notice them comfortable to wear -- they take deep ear pads -- and their sound grew on me the longer I listened to them (you can listen to them for longer sessions without getting listening fatigue). Battery life is excellent at 35 hours with dissonance canceling on and these support the aptX Adaptive audio streaming codec with compatible devices. Currently, the list of those devices isn't long.

Their adaptive racket canceling is skilful and they work decently for making calls, although their racket reduction was only OK when I took them out in the streets of New York to make some calls (y'all can hear your voice in the headphones as you talk, which is good).

Ultimately, the YH-E700A's audio is what makes them worth because. They're slightly on the warmer side, with deep, powerful bass and nicely detailed treble (it has some sparkle to it). They also sound relatively open with a pretty wide soundstage.

They list for $350, which is too expensive, but they drib now and again, so exist on the lookout if you desire to snag a pair for yourself. They fold flat, but their conveying case is wider than the cases you get with the Sony or Bose noise-canceling headphones.

Microsoft Surface Headphones 2

Good for working from abode

David Carnoy/CNET

Microsoft'due south over-ear noise-canceling Surface Headphones ii were released in early 2020, and the biggest modify from their predecessor is the cost: The original Surface Headphones launched at $350, while the Headphones 2 price $250. Like the original, there'due south a lot to like about this 2d-gen model. While they've lost their hands-free Cortana vocalization control characteristic (a change no i volition complaining) and the audio quality hasn't improved (it's quite good just non stellar), the combination of some small design tweaks, ameliorate battery life, upgraded Bluetooth and the new lower cost (especially when they keep sale) helps brand them more recommendable.

Their multipoint Bluetooth pairing adequacy allows you to pair them with two devices at the same time, such as a computer and a phone, and quickly switch the audio from each device to the headphones. That's an appealing feature from a work-from-home standpoint, and these also work well for making vocalization calls.

Read our Microsoft Surface Headphones 2 review.

Sennheiser Momentum iii

Impressive sound

Sarah Tew/CNET

When it comes to premium noise-canceling headphones, Bose and Sony have been the dominant players over the terminal few years. But Sennheiser'south Momentum 3 Wireless, which came out in late 2019, deserve some attention, particularly from fans of the Momentum line. They list for $400, but have come downwardly in price (you can sometimes find them for closer to $300).

Not only does this model feature improved racket-canceling features and first-class sound and audio, but it also performs well as a headset for making calls. While in noise counterfoil and comfort level the Momentum iii headphones don't quite measure upwards to the Sony WH-1000XM4, I appreciated the nicely padded earcups covered with sheep leather and had no problem rocking them for a two-hour music listening session, to say nada of the battery life.

Read our Sennheiser Momentum iii outset have.

Sennheiser PXC 550-Ii

Nether-the-radar Sennheiser

Sennheiser

The Sennheiser PXC 550-2 didn't get much attention when information technology was released in 2020 and with its listing price of $350, information technology faced daunting contest from Sony and Bose. But we've spotted it for less than $200 on Amazon and it's a skilful value there, featuring very good sound (it'southward got a slightly warmer audio profile), skillful dissonance canceling and solid vox calling. Bombardment life is impressive at around thirty hours with noise-canceling on.

Beats Solo Pro

All-time on-ear noise canceling

David Carnoy/CNET

The Solo Pro are among the all-time on-ear racket-canceling wireless headphones and feature Apple'due south H1 chip, which enables several neat features for Apple devices. However, these headphones don't take the dynamic caput-tracking required for Apple'southward spatial sound feature while watching TV and movies -- merely the AirPods Pro, third-gen AirPods, AirPods Max and new Beats Fit Pro have head-tracking. These back up spatial sound for music listening, and while they're mode overpriced at their list toll of $300 but they're more than bonny at half that price -- or less. Well-nigh colors are selling for $130 or and then. They've technically been discontinued by Apple, so buy them only if they're heavily discounted.

Read our Beats Solo Pro kickoff take.

Shure Aonic 50

Audiophile-grade sound

Shure

If y'all're looking for a very clean-sounding headphone with more of a neutral sound profile, the well-built Shure Aonic 50 is that noise-canceling headphone. The treble is clear and articulate and the bass is well-defined simply may exist a little underpowered for those who want a picayune more oomph. The noise canceling is good but non quite up to the level of top noise-canceling models from Bose and Sony that cost a little less.

The headphones fold flat but they're a bit bulky, equally is their case. Just they work very well equally a headset for making calls -- Shure is known for making excellent microphones -- so they're a good piece of work-from-habitation headphone that's comfortable to article of clothing (but might be a trivial big for some folks).

While the Aonic 50 suffers a fleck from beingness a lilliputian too expensive, it's an excellent headphone that seems built to last. Battery life is rated at 20 hours -- the headphone charge via USB-C -- and it supports a diversity of audio codecs, including aptX, aptX HD, aptX Low Latency sound, Sony LDAC, AAC and SBC.

Sennheiser 450BT

Top midrange model

Amazon

Sennheiser updated its well-regarded 4.50BTNC noise-canceling headphones in 2020. The new headphone model is called the 450BT and it has some notable upgrades, including meliorate bombardment life (up to 30 hours with noise canceling on), USB-C charging, Bluetooth five.0 with aptX back up for devices like the Samsung Galaxy smartphones that support it and more comfortable earpads. The 450BT noise-canceling headphones list for $200, merely usually toll around $150 although they have dipped to as low as $100 in flash sales (they're a very proficient value at that cost).

The 450BT headphones don't have quite the clarity or bass definition of Sennheiser's Momentum Wireless 3 headphones, but they cost much less and deliver very good well-balanced sound that's easy to listen to for long periods. I thought the 450BT model also worked quite well as a headset making calls, with the sidetone feature that allows you to hear your phonation within the headphones.

The only potential downside is that regular headphones may not be the almost comfortable for some people. I accept a smaller head, and so they worked fine for me, but they do clamp a bit and those with larger heads may find that to be an event. Also, while the earpads take been upgraded, they're nonetheless covered in a simulated leather material that doesn't breathe quite besides equally some earpad coverings. Still, if yous can't afford premium models in the $300 to $400 range, this is a more affordable option that's well built and delivers premium audio. The headphones fold up to fit into an included soft conveying case.

Bowers & Wilkins PX7

Luxury looks, luxury sound

Amazon

I liked Bowers & Wilkins' original PX noise-canceling headphones, simply they were slightly defective in both the earcup comfort and noise-canceling departments. The company'due south PX7, released in the fall of 2019, improves on both fronts, with fantabulous audio, iv racket cancellation settings (Automatic, Low, High and Off) and well-padded earcups in a sturdy, eye-communicable pattern. There'south also an adjustable ambient transparency mode that allows you to hear the exterior world.

The headphones are a tad heavy at 10.7 ounces (304 grams), simply the build quality is top-notch -- and information technology meliorate be considering these are a footling pricey at $400. Bowers & Wilkins besides makes a more compact on-ear model, the PX5 ($300), which is also quite proficient. But these practice audio a little better.

The audio is rich and detailed, with deep bass that remains well-defined even at high volumes. These are pretty dynamic headphones, with a touch of extra energy in the mid-highs. They're not laid-dorsum like the earlier PX5 Wireless and their almost direct competitor is probably the Sennheiser Momentum iii model listed above. That Sennheiser is arguably superior for making calls, but this B&West probably wins on design.

The PX7 headphones back up AAC and aptX, use Bluetooth 5.0, charge via USB-C and accept up to 30 hours of battery life at moderate book levels. The dissonance canceling isn't quite at the level of the Bose or Sony in this roundup, but information technology's not far off -- as I said, it'southward improved from the original PX model'due south dissonance cancellation.

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Source: https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/best-noise-canceling-headphones/

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