The 4 Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones of 2025 | Reviews by Wirecutter

By Lauren Dragan

Lauren Dragan writes about audio tech and OTC hearing aids. She has tested nearly 2,000 headphones and earbuds in her decade at Wirecutter.

For frequent flyers or commuters on public transit, reducing the noise around you is the difference between enduring a trip and enjoying it. Immersing yourself in the hush created by a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones, combined with the opening chords of your favorite song, can make your muscles relax faster than slipping under a weighted blanket. And they’re easier to pack, too.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 is our favorite pair of noise-cancelling headphones, but we also have recommendations for people who prefer earbuds or who want to spend less.

This lightweight, comfortable pair of headphones provides an excellent combination of active and passive noise reduction, as well as great sound quality. But it comes at a high price.

This pair of wireless earbuds sounds fantastic and cancels noise better than any others we’ve tested. However, people with very small ears might struggle to keep them securely in place.

This pair of over-ear headphones cancels noise impressively, sounds great, is comfortable to wear, and has a long battery life — all for less than $100.

This affordable wireless pair sounds great, makes clear phone calls, and cancels noise just as well as earbud sets that cost twice as much.

We use a specialized audio-measurement system with a simulated ear to test how much noise the headphones can reduce.

Our audio experts listen for detailed, authentic sound and clear microphone quality for phone and video calls.

A good design should fit most ear shapes and head sizes, so we have a variety of people try on our top contenders.

True wireless earbuds should play for at least five hours, ideally more. Over-ear headphones should go for at least eight to 10 hours.

This lightweight, comfortable pair of headphones provides an excellent combination of active and passive noise reduction, as well as great sound quality. But it comes at a high price.

If you want to block as much noise as possible, the Sony WH-1000XM6 provides an excellent combination of active noise cancellation to address low-pitched, sustained sounds (like airplane noise and traffic) and passive noise isolation to block higher-pitched noises (such as squealing train brakes). For those moments when you do want to hear your surroundings, the hear-through and quick-attention modes make it easy for you to hear traffic or engage in a conversation.

This pair sounds excellent, with crisp details and deep bass, and you can tailor the sound to your liking via the app. Your callers will also be able to hear you clearly, thanks to an array of beamforming microphones with smart noise reduction. You should be able to wear this lightweight, comfortable pair for hours without pinching or pressure, and the combination of touch-based and physical controls is intuitive and easy to use by feel.

The XM6 offers an OS-agnostic voice-activated assistant, so you can use the digital assistant on any device hands-free, plus you can control some basic functions without an internet connection. Thanks to the long, 30-hour battery life, you don’t need to worry about running out of power.

Unfortunately, this pair does have a few flaws. The intensity of the active noise cancellation is not adjustable, and the noise-reducing microphones can sound compressed in especially loud environments. The Sony Sound Connect app can be cumbersome, and we wish the WH-1000XM6 supported Auracast Bluetooth capability.

This pair of wireless earbuds sounds fantastic and cancels noise better than any others we’ve tested. However, people with very small ears might struggle to keep them securely in place.

The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are small but powerful. This pair combines excellent active noise cancellation and passive isolation to better suppress all the sounds around you — not just the low-frequency ones. The sound quality is fantastic right out of the box, and you can customize it further in the Sony app. The eight hours of battery life (with ANC enabled) will get you through a long day of listening.

If you want to hear your surroundings, simply hold a finger to the left earbud, and the hear-through mode (sometimes called awareness or transparency mode) kicks in. Or, an optional feature automatically enables hear-through when you speak, which is handy for people who frequently have their hands occupied. The large, touch-based controls handle the full suite of music playback, call answering, and digital-assistant activation, and they aren’t as prone to misfires and missed taps as the controls on other earbuds we’ve tested.

The XM5 is loaded with helpful features, including Alexa and Google voice activation, dual-device connectivity, noise-reducing microphones, and even the ability to accept or reject calls with a nod or shake of your head.

The earbuds are quite small. Sony includes four sizes of tips, but this pair may still prove challenging to keep in place for folks with small ears or who are very active. And the unique foam and silicone tips can make your ears feel full, a sensation some people may find uncomfortable. Additionally, as with all true wireless earbuds, you can’t use these in wired mode, so you’ll need a Bluetooth transmitter to use this pair with certain in-flight entertainment systems that require a cable connection.

This pair of over-ear headphones cancels noise impressively, sounds great, is comfortable to wear, and has a long battery life — all for less than $100.

If you want a surprisingly great pair of wireless noise-cancelling headphones for around $100, we recommend the Soundcore Space One. In our tests, the active noise cancellation was very effective, and the level is adjustable. The sound, while not as refined as that of the Sony WH-1000XM6, is nonetheless enjoyable to listen to and can be customized to your preference in the Soundcore app. The chassis is lightweight and comfortable to wear, with full controls.

Dual-device connectivity is supported, and a hear-through mode can be activated by the press of a button or automatically when you speak. The 40-hour battery life with ANC on (55 hours with it off) means you may only have to charge this pair once a week or less.

The Space One comes with a cable so you can use it in wired mode on a flight or when you run out of power, but note that the ANC and microphone do not work if you’re out of battery. Luckily, the quick-charge feature will give you four hours of listening after just five minutes plugged in.

While this set has three noise-reducing microphones, we found that voices can sound compressed and somewhat distant to callers — especially when compared with more expensive headphones.

This affordable wireless pair sounds great, makes clear phone calls, and cancels noise just as well as earbud sets that cost twice as much.

The Earfun Air Pro 4 is an affordable pair of true wireless earbuds that provides good active noise cancellation on a par with sets that cost hundreds more. The sound quality is also quite good, although it lacks the clarity and sense of space that you get from the Sony WF-1000XM5. Three sets of microphones deliver clear phone calls even in windy or noisy conditions.

The battery life is around 11 hours per charge, so you can listen all day before you need to pop the Air Pro 4 earbuds into their case, which recharges wirelessly or via USB-C. The touch-based controls are customizable, but it might take time to memorize the series of taps and holds necessary to access the full suite of control options. Like all touch controls, these are prone to accidental misfires, especially with commands that respond to a single tap.

The stem design doesn’t feel as secure in the ear, and getting this pair to seal and stay in place properly could be tricky for people with very small or deep-set ears.

I hold a bachelor’s degree in both music performance and audio production from Ithaca College, and I’ve reviewed nearly 2,000 pairs of headphones for Wirecutter alone. I also spent several years in terrestrial radio before becoming a professional voice actor in Los Angeles, so I’ve been in and out of recording studios for over a decade.

It’s a popular misconception that ANC headphones cancel out all noises equally. They don’t. Active noise cancellation is generally more effective on lower frequencies of sound, such as the hum of a jet engine or an air conditioner. It’s not as successful with human voices and other higher frequencies.

The technology never works perfectly, but it can work well enough in certain environments to make listening more enjoyable. The best noise-cancelling headphones combine this “active” noise cancelling with passive noise reduction — that is, physical barriers and dampers built into the headphones that help block or absorb noise. If you want to learn more about how ANC works and what sounds it works on, check out “What Your Noise-Cancelling Headphones Can and Can’t Do.”

Additionally, more active noise cancelling doesn’t necessarily lead to a better experience. We say this because of a phenomenon we refer to as “eardrum suck,” which seems to produce the same uncomfortable reduction of pressure on the eardrums as you’re likely to experience when riding a high-speed elevator in a very tall building. And this sensation can lead to headaches or queasiness, especially in people who have sensory processing differences that involve the vestibular system. Typically, the headphones that create the most intense eardrum suck have a combination of very effective noise-cancelling circuitry and ineffective passive sound isolation. You can read more about this phenomenon in this blog post.

If you travel on airplanes a lot, or if you commute every day on a bus or subway, you’ll benefit from having a set of ANC headphones. If, on the other hand, you just want something that reduces chatter of your office colleagues or fellow Starbucks patrons, conventional headphones will probably do about as good a job as noise-cancelling headphones, and they’ll often cost less.

The JBL Tour One M2 over-ear Bluetooth headphones sound great, have a long battery life, and offer premium features at a lower price than the competition.

The four main things to consider in a set of noise-cancelling headphones are:

To evaluate sound quality, we listen to the headphones with a variety of musical tracks, with noise cancelling on and off — because some headphones sound great in one mode and not so great in the other. You can read more about how we evaluate and test for sound quality in these articles:

This is the first in a two-part series in which we discuss how we evaluate good sound in our speaker and headphone reviews.

Here are the procedures Wirecutter uses to test audio devices, plus a few tips on how you can evaluate them yourself.

We also test the microphone call quality in quiet, noisy, and windy environments. We check battery life, control sensitivity, and Bluetooth signal reliability/compatibility. We go through the manufacturer’s app (if there is one) and check the effectiveness of any bonus features and settings.

Testing the noise cancelling is more complicated. We do this both by ear and by using test equipment. To test the noise cancelling by ear, I play airplane noise at a loud level (between 75 and 85 dBA) through my 7.1-channel surround speaker system and try each set of headphones, moving my head and adjusting settings to see which mode cancels noise most effectively. I stand in front of a fan to check the effect of wind noise on the microphones and take the top performers on walks outside near busy streets.

Brent does his subjective tests in his audio lab, using a mix of cabin noise recorded in four different airliners, fed through eight speakers and a subwoofer at a level of 80 decibels, which is about the level you’d experience in the fairly loud cabin of an older jet such as a Boeing 737 or a McDonnell Douglas MD-80.

Brent then places each set of over-ear headphones on his GRAS 43AG ear-and-cheek simulator connected through an M-Audio USB interface to a Windows laptop, plays pink noise through the same speaker system described above, and uses TrueRTA audio-spectrum analyzer software to see how much sound leaks through the headphones.

To test noise-cancelling earbuds, Brent places the right-channel earpiece of each set of in-ear headphones into a GRAS KB5000 anthropometric pinna mounted on the GRAS 43AG ear-and-cheek simulator fitted with a GRAS RA0402 high-resolution ear simulator. He connects this fixture through an M-Audio USB interface to a Windows laptop, plays pink noise through the same speaker system, and uses the TrueRTA audio-spectrum analyzer software to see how much sound leaks through the earbud.

To provide a simple way of looking at these measurements, Brent calculates the average amount of noise (in decibels) that the headphones cancel in the 100 Hz to 1,200 Hz frequency band, which is where more airplane-cabin noise occurs, based on his analysis of the four recordings he made in the cabins of different airliners. The higher the number, the greater the average noise reduction in that range. Here is a rundown of our top performers, compared with a couple of pairs of headphones that lack active noise cancellation:

This lightweight, comfortable pair of headphones provides an excellent combination of active and passive noise reduction, as well as great sound quality. But it comes at a high price.

The Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones offer an excellent combination of noise reduction, comfort, and sound quality in a lightweight design that’s great for travel.

Although the WH-1000XM6’s active noise cancellation is a few decibels shy of the best reduction we’ve measured in the airplane band (see the chart in How we picked and tested), it’s still up there among the top performers. And this pair’s passive isolation allows it to block out high-frequency sounds better than any headphone pair we’ve tested to date. The result is a pleasingly quiet experience, whether you’re in an airplane, train, or busy office.

Right out of the box, it sounds incredible — among the best we’ve tested. Most people are likely to be thrilled by the clarity of the highs, which were not piercing or harsh in our tests. Bass notes sounded pure, not smeared or boomy. I heard a little less detail and sense of space through these headphones compared with the Stax Spirit S3, but that pair lacks noise cancellation and generally isn’t as full-featured.

If the WH-1000XM6’s out-of-the-box balance isn’t your favorite, you can adjust the EQ in the Sony Connect app. Several presets are available, or you can do manual adjustments.

The six microphones delivered clear vocals for calls when we tested them in an office setting. Voices sounded natural, and the background-noise-reducing software easily handled office chatter, a running sink, or a coffee grinder. But when our surroundings got busy, voices could sound compressed, though our callers were still able to understand what we were saying.

Outside, the microphones worked well at reducing traffic and wind noise but couldn’t work miracles when conditions got dicey. On a breezy day, I walked past a construction site, and though my caller could hear me talking, they heard intermittent cutouts, but at least they were spared the sound of jackhammer noises.

For those moments when you need to engage with the world, you can enable the hear-through (or awareness) mode in three ways. You can turn it on via a physical button, or you can palm the right earcup to enable the quick-attention feature. This action reduces the volume of what you’re listening to and turns on the external microphones so you can have a conversation. As soon as you remove your palm, the ANC re-engages. Lastly, you can choose to enable the speak-to-chat mode, which senses when you’re talking and turns on the hear-through mode automatically.

The headphone design is extremely comfortable. The padded headband is thicker on the top than the sides, so it relieves pressure on the crown of the head while still looking sleek. Overall, the build is lightweight, with pliable foam inside the earcups that can even conform to accommodate glasses arms.

When not in use, the headphones fold up into a hard-sided fabric case. The case is about as thick as a burger in a bun, which makes it easy to slip into a messenger bag or carry-on. The closure is a magnetic latch rather than a zipper; at first I questioned whether it would stay closed, but when I held the leatherette loop and shook and jostled the case aggressively, it stayed shut.

The WH-1000XM6 is available in three colors: black, blue, and silver.

The controls are an intuitive combination of touch-based controls and physical buttons. The buttons are large and distinctly shaped, so we were able to easily use them by feel with little practice, and they should be easy to use for folks with large hands or dexterity challenges.The touch controls involve tap, swipe, and palm gestures on the right earcup.

We like that the voice-assistant function is independent of your audio device. Most headphones have wake words that are specific to an operating system, such as “Hey Google” or “Hey Siri.” But the WH-1000XM6’s wake words work with all operating systems, giving you flexibility when you’re switching between multiple devices.

A few key phrases are programmed into the headphones themselves, so you can control the play/pause and volume functions even when your phone isn’t connected to cell service or Wi-Fi. If you’re more of the quiet type, you can also nod or shake your head to answer or reject calls.

When fully charged, the battery should last you around 30 hours. That’s a solid amount, though not as good as what our budget pick offers. As always, the battery life is affected by how long you use ANC or how many calls you take. When you run out of power, the quick-charge feature impressively provides three hours of juice after only three minutes of charging.

If you need to connect the headphones to an audio source via a cable, the WH-1000XM6 includes an analog eighth-inch cable, which works with the headphones powered on or off.

The ANC is not adjustable. We wish Sony provided the option to reduce the intensity of the noise cancellation sometimes, which can be especially helpful for people who experience eardrum suck. If you prefer the ability to reduce the ANC, consider the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones or the Soundcore Space One instead.

We also wish that Sony’s headphone app were more user-friendly. The app hasn’t evolved much over the years, and it’s unnecessarily busy and complicated.

The WH-1000XM6 doesn’t support the new Auracast Bluetooth technology, either.

This pair of wireless earbuds sounds fantastic and cancels noise better than any others we’ve tested. However, people with very small ears might struggle to keep them securely in place.

Superlative noise cancellation, impressive microphone clarity, excellent sound quality, and a bevy of bonus features make the Sony WF-1000XM5 true wireless earbuds a standout in a very large crowd of competitors. But if you have ears that are very small or sensitive to pressure, you may want to consider alternatives.

These are the best earbuds for blocking noise. This pair takes the most-effective ANC of any earbuds we’ve measured — 28.7 dB in the airplane range — and pairs it with specially designed ear tips that passively block the higher-frequency sounds that ANC can’t reduce. The result is an enjoyably quiet experience that reduces low-frequency engine noise and muffles people talking.

Although this pair technically doesn’t have the ability to adjust the amount of active noise cancellation, the added passive isolation may help to reduce the sensation of eardrum suck.

The XM5 lets in outside sounds on your terms. This pair offers adjustable ambient hear-through, which can function as a less-intense noise-cancellation mode. The lowest hear-through settings are essentially the ANC mode dialed down. Higher modes start piping in outside sounds.

If you only want to hear your surroundings for a brief moment, you can simply hold a finger to the left earbud to engage the hear-through mode until you let go, or you can enable the “speak-to-chat” feature that switches it on when the earbuds sense you speaking. This is very handy if you are someone who can’t reach up every time you need to have a quick conversation.

Simply put, the XM5 sounds great. These earbuds are capable of delicate, clear high notes and deliver an appropriate amount of refined bass. We were satisfied with the sound right out of the box, but we found our sweet spot by adjusting the EQ in the Sony app.

To reduce background and wind noise, Sony employs a combination of multiple microphones, AI software, and bone-conduction sensors to recognize when you’re speaking. Traffic sounds are diminished, and wind noise is nearly gone. While in these noisy scenarios, your voice may sound more compressed to your caller, but your conversation partner will be spared the assault of whooshes and other annoying interruptions.

This pair has the full complement of touch controls, with Alexa and Google compatibility. The touch controls are large and relatively resistant to misfiring, and the gentle beep that confirms your touch makes it easier to navigate the series of taps and holds needed for different tasks.

Amazon and Google users can access their digital assistant by speaking. Apple users can still call-up Siri by tap-holding on the right earbud. If you frequently switch between a phone and laptop, the XM5 offers dual-device connectivity, so you don’t need to fiddle with the Bluetooth menu to take a call.

The earbuds are small but packed with bonus features. Both the buds and the charging case are tinier than we expected for true wireless earbuds that have so much processing power. The earbuds hold anywhere from six to eight hours of battery life when fully charged (depending on whether you have ANC on or take calls), the case provides two additional full charges, and it can be charged wirelessly or via USB-C. IPX4 water resistance will protect the buds from a bit of rain.

We love that the left earbud has a raised braille mark to make left and right easier to distinguish without looking, and that the app supports a phone-screen reader. In addition to these basics, the Sony app is filled with a cornucopia of bonus features and beta applications that range from pretty helpful to mostly superfluous.

The fit may not be right for people with small ears, sensitive ears, or very active lifestyles. The diminutive earbuds don’t have stabilizing wings or hooks, which is often needed to hold true wireless earbuds in smaller ears for high-impact activities. Instead, the XM5 relies on the grippy quality of the tips to keep the earbuds in place, and the unique flexible foam and silicone material ensures the entire tip molds to your ear canal shape.

The design is great for noise isolation, but folks who don’t like a feeling of “fullness” in the ear will probably dislike the outward pressure. Seated properly, the XM5 buds felt secure in our ears, but we wouldn’t wear these for intense workouts — both for fear of losing one and because the IPX4 water resistance isn’t rated for profuse sweating.

Additionally, people with very large ear canals may find the largest tips to be inadequate. However, swapping in a pair of Comply tips resolved that issue for us. If you lose an eartip, Sony sells replacements through Authorized Parts Distributors.

This pair of over-ear headphones cancels noise impressively, sounds great, is comfortable to wear, and has a long battery life — all for less than $100.

If you only have around $100 to spend on headphones, check out the Soundcore Space One headphones. The noise cancellation is price-defying, the sound quality is enjoyable, and the fit is comfortable. Plus, the extra features make this set feel far more expensive than it is.

The ANC is competitive with that of our pricier picks. In our tests, this set’s noise cancellation bested that of pairs costing two to three times as much. Plus, the Soundcore headphones have adjustable levels, or you can switch on the adaptive noise cancellation, which will adjust based on your surroundings. If you like to plug into in-flight entertainment, the Space One’s ANC stays on when you use the supplied cable.

To have a quick conversation, you can hold a finger on the left earcup to enable “easy chat” mode, a hear-through mode with an emphasis on the human vocal range. We thought it sounded surprisingly natural. If your hands are frequently occupied, the optional speak-to-enable hear-through can prove useful.

We also love that this set has optional volume limiting so that your listening levels stay in safer ranges.

These headphones have a lightweight design and long battery life. The large, roomy earcups and plush memory foam ensure that you can wear this pair all day. The memory foam is pliable enough that it conforms to thin glasses arms to help keep a seal around your ears.

Though the body is largely plastic, the design feels sturdy and looks posh. We had to pull our recommendation of previous Soundcore budget headphones due to build-quality complaints, but it looks as though the company has addressed that with this new pair. If something does go wrong, Soundcore backs the Space One with an 18-month warranty.

Fully charged, the Space One will play for 40 hours with ANC on (and longer with it off.) If you run out of power, five minutes of charging will provide about four hours of listening time.

The adjustable sound is enjoyable to listen to, but a little coarse. Out of the box, this pair has some blurriness in the male vocal range and harshness in the high frequencies. However, the Soundcore app offers various methods of EQ, so you should be able to find a sound you fancy.

Though we found a balance we preferred, astute ears will notice that there is still some coarseness to these drivers that you won’t hear in pricier pairs, and no matter how much we fussed, the bass still had a slightly bloated quality. Minor quibbles for a pair this affordable.

Using the controls may take practice. Though the layout of the physical control buttons makes sense, their size is small, and it takes some practice to get the muscle memory of where they’re located. Folks with large fingers or who struggle with dexterity might find this frustrating.

Three microphones remove a good bit of traffic noise or cafe clatter, but it also gives your voice a reedy and distant quality. In windy conditions, your caller won’t be blasted by air noise, but your voice is often ducked in stronger gusts.

This affordable wireless pair sounds great, makes clear phone calls, and cancels noise just as well as earbud sets that cost twice as much.

If you want earbuds with excellent noise reduction for under $100, the Earfun Air Pro 4 is the best pair we’ve tested. You also get clear phone calls, solid audio performance, and exceptional battery life.

The noise cancellation outperforms that of pairs costing significantly more. Although this affordable pair can’t match the breadth or strength of reduction that the Sony WF-1000XM5 delivers, the Air Pro 4 competes with other earbuds that are priced well above $200. You can see how they match up in the chart above.

The sound quality is good for the price. By default, the sound is boosted in the bass and the highs, so everything sounds a bit overhyped. But the EarFun app offers multiple ways to adjust the frequency response to your preference, with over a dozen EQ presets, a listening test that matches you with a sound profile, and the traditional set of manual sliders. So you should be able to find something you like with a bit of tinkering.

Still, the drivers in this pair don’t match the quality you’ll find in the Sony WF-1000XM5. No matter how you tweak the sound, the high frequencies are a bit coarser and less crisp, and recordings sound less dimensional.

The battery lasts all day. A full charge lasts around 11 hours, with a total listening time of over 50 hours with the fully charged case. If you run out of power, the quick-charge feature provides two hours of run time after 10 minutes in the case.

The charging case itself recharges wirelessly or via USB-C.

You’ll sound clear to callers even in noisy places. Three sets of microphones work in combination with software to reduce the amount of background noise that your conversation partner hears.

We were especially impressed with how the Air Pro 4 handled wind noise. Your voice may sound thinner and compressed in that case, but you’ll be intelligible in situations where the microphone sound from other similarly priced earbuds would devolve into a blustery mess.

This pair also supports dual-device Bluetooth connectivity and is Aurcast-compatible for future flexibility.

The touch controls can be fussy and confusing, especially at first. If you choose, this set can offer the full suite of music controls, volume adjustment, ANC/awareness toggling, and digital-assistant activation. (You select the options in the EarFun app.) However, memorizing the series of taps and holds necessary to launch those commands can take practice, even if you’re the one who assigned them.

Most touch controls can be finicky and prone to accidental misfires, and the controls on this pair are no exception. We noticed that the sensors would frequently register a single tap when we were attempting to readjust the earbuds in our ears.

If you have tiny ears or deep-set ear canals, this pair may not fit you. Because the stem sticks down from the ear, folks who need to press earbuds in deeper to get a seal may not be able to get the tips in place properly.

Likewise, people with tiny ears may find that the stems add too much weight, so the earbuds slip loose.

Although this pair is IPX5-rated for sweat and water resistance, the stem shape isn’t secure enough to handle high-impact workouts. If you want noise cancelling and a sport-friendly design, consider our workout pick instead.

If active noise cancellation is not your top priority: This guide prioritizes noise cancellation over other traits. Check out our guides to the best Bluetooth headphones and the best wireless earbuds for great all-purpose headphones and earbuds that may cost less.

If you want high-performance headphones that offer adjustable noise cancellation: The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are our former top pick for the best noise-cancelling headphones. This pair has the slightly warm sound that Bose is known for, plus a lightweight, comfortable design. The ANC reduces a lot of noise in the airplane band, but the overall reduction is restricted to a narrower range of sounds than on the Sony WH-1000XM6, which cancels more midrange noise and does a better job of isolating against high-pitched sounds like hissing pipes or engine whines. The Sony pair also has some nice features that the Bose set lacks, such as the OS-agnostic, always-listening voice activation and the ability to nod or shake your head to accept or reject calls. However, this Bose pair does give you three levels of active noise cancellation to choose from, whereas the Sony set has only one, so if you want the option to dial back the ANC sometimes, this set is still a good choice.

If you’re willing to pay more for the absolute best active noise cancellation and a more-luxurious design: The Apple AirPods Max over-ear headphones sound great and reduce the most noise in the airplane band of any set we’ve tested. However, the intense ANC isn’t adjustable, so it can cause eardrum suck. Plus, the headphone design is hefty with a snug clamping force. If you wear headphones all day, the added weight and pinch are a literal pain.

The AirPods Max supports Dolby Atmos and Apple’s spatial audio, but not Apple Music’s lossless audio or any high-resolution service. Call quality is excellent, but when you’re near a busy street, the hear-through mode becomes a cacophonous mess, and it isn’t adjustable.

The baffling case design doesn't protect the headband or keep debris out of the earcups, but you need the case to put the headphones into standby mode (third-party cases are available). This restriction is problematic because if the battery dies, you can’t listen to these headphones at all — they must have some charge to function, even corded. We love the sustainability of the replaceable battery; the service fee of $79 could be worth it financially to keep these working for many years.

If you are a serious Apple fan looking for true wireless earbuds: The Apple AirPods Pro 2 set offers a few great features for Apple fans, including always-listening Siri and the new hearing-aid capabilities. But most of the major specs — including six hours of battery life, always-listening voice control, head-tracking spatial audio, and an IPX4 water-resistance rating — are matched by Sony’s LinkBuds Fit pair, which has a smaller design, a more secure fit, easier-to-use controls, and a lower price and functions equally well on Android devices. This set’s ANC isn’t nearly as effective in the airplane band as that of our picks (you can read more about this pair’s ANC in this article). We recommend these earbuds only for people who use Apple devices exclusively and who prioritize the niceties of staying in the Apple ecosystem above all else. Otherwise, you have better options for the money.

If you are a Google Pixel fan looking for true wireless earbuds: If you use a Pixel phone and want to stay in the Google ecosystem, the Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 set is worth considering. The small earbuds are comfortable for most ear sizes, the noise cancellation is solid (you can see how it compares in the chart above), the sound is quite good, and the call quality is excellent. However, all of the bonus features — voice controls, sound customization, and personalization — are accessible only on Pixel phones. Although the earbuds have an IP54 dust- and water-resistance rating, the fit isn’t secure enough for high-impact activities.

If you are looking for earbuds that provide hearing protection: Although active noise cancellation reduces lower-frequency sounds, it isn’t effective enough to provide adequate protection during very loud activities like mowing the lawn or operating a jackhammer. For that, consider the Elgin Rebel true wireless earbuds, which are NRR-rated and OSHA-compliant, and will keep your ears safe when worn properly. These are the first protective earbuds we’ve tested that are comfortable, sound good, and easy enough to use that most people should be able to find an effective (and safe) fit.

Twelve hours of battery life per charge should get you through a full workday, and the IP65 dust- and water-resistant rating means you can work up a sweat without worry. The microphone works well for taking calls (though you’ll need to do so in a quieter environment), and the charging case doubles as a flashlight. Elgin includes several pairs of tips; however, the standard black pair is not protective and only for day-to-day activities. Be sure to use the yellow triple-flange or foam tips when on the job.

The only flaw is that the Rebel lacks a hear-through function, which would be really helpful for job-site conversations. But considering there literally isn’t anything else available that comes close to the Rebel’s performance, we will just have to hope it’s included in the next version.

If you want ANC headphones that support Auracast reception and transmission: The JBL Tour One M3 isn’t the first set of headphones we’ve tested that can receive Auracast Bluetooth signals, but it is the first set to include an Aurcast-enabled Bluetooth transmitter. I really enjoyed using Auracast to transmit audio to multiple Bluetooth devices at once. While the active and passive noise reduction are not quite as effective as what you get from the Sony WH-1000XM6, the M3 pair has good sound quality and delivers slightly better vocal clarity for phone calls. In our testing, it effectively reduced both traffic and wind noise. Read more about our experience with the Tour One M3.

We’ve tested more than 300 pairs of headphones for this guide. That’s a lot to cover, so we focus below on the newest and most high-profile competitors. However, if you’re curious about a specific model, we’ve archived many of our previous testing notes in a spreadsheet.

1More SonoFlow: This pair is our former budget headphones pick. The noise cancellation is effective, but it was bested by that of the Soundcore Space One headphones. The sound quality is pleasant and adjustable, and the design is lightweight and comfortable, though not as sturdy-feeling as the Space One. The 50-hour battery life with ANC on (70 hours with it off) is impressive for a model in any price range. However, the ANC does not work in wired mode, so if you’re on a plane that requires a wired connection to the in-flight entertainment system, you’ll have to either go without ANC or pick up a Bluetooth transmitter.

1More Sonoflow HQ51: This pair has strangely positioned controls, middling noise cancellation, and a muffled transparency mode. The pair we tested had an offensively strong plastic or chemical odor when we took it out of the box.

1More SonoFlow SE: A bare-bones edition of the SonoFlow, this set has similar battery life/quick-charge capabilities, app-adjustable tuning, and a lightweight design. But the SE lacks the water resistance, software-driven noise-cancelling microphone, and ability to listen wired. The noise cancellation doesn’t sound as effective as the original, and we noticed that facing the source of a noise resulted in less reduction than when we turned to the side. The hear-through mode sounds muffled, but the microphone does a good job of reducing background noise for phone calls. If you want to spend the least amount possible for decent ANC headphones, this pair is light and comfy, sounds good, and reduces some noise, but we think spending a bit more for our budget pick is worth it for the extra functionality.

Beats Studio Pro: For every positive, this pair has an equally disappointing downside. The noise cancellation and hear-through modes sound great, but neither is adjustable. It’s easy to use the larger physical buttons, but the power/ANC toggle button is inexplicably small. The foam earpads are soft but not replaceable. Android users get a dual-device connection feature; Apple users do not. There are three EQ settings, but they’re only accessible when listening via USB-C. But most importantly, the sound quality is dramatically impacted by use of the spatial audio: When it’s turned on, the lower bass is emphasized, and higher-pitched sounds have an artificial sharpness. With spatial audio off, the bass is notably diminished.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones: These are good headphones, but they aren’t remarkable enough to justify the $350 price. The ANC is not as effective as what the rest of the current Bose line can deliver. In fact, at the highest intensity, these headphones reduced less noise in the airplane band than our budget pick. Despite this, the amount of reduction is still effective and useful, and the ANC intensity is adjustable. The build is very comfortable, with a lightweight feel and squishy earpads that should accommodate many glasses arms. These headphones utilize physical buttons rather than the touch controls, and the buttons are easy to learn and find. The hear-through mode sounds natural, and music sounds good, albeit slightly bass-forward out of the box. The Bose app provides an EQ feature that can adjust the tuning, but it consists of only three faders, which is too simplistic. The microphones sound very clear in a quiet room, but background noises in the human vocal range, like a sink running nearby, will be pronounced. We love that Bose includes a cable with a three-button remote and mic — a rare old school nicety.

Cambridge Melomania P100: This pair provides above-average noise cancellation: an average of 19 dB of reduction. We like the powerful bass, the superb clarity for phone calls, and the option to use comedian Matt Berry’s voice for system alerts. Out of the box, the low notes were too intense for our taste, and the high frequencies had a slight whistle-like quality to them, but after we made some adjustments to the app’s EQ settings, the P100 sounded really great. What we didn’t like was that the P100’s build is on the heavier side, and its case is sizable, making it tougher to fit in a bag. With phone calls, the side tone sounds as though your voice is coming through a paper-towel tube, and we wish that there was a way to disable the auto-play feature. These are minor flaws, but they were enough to keep this pair from being a top pick.

Creative Zen Hybrid SXFI: This pair is solid but unexceptional. The noise cancellation is good but not superlative. The same can be said about the sound. And the earcups are very shallow, so people with larger or protruding ears will feel the pressure.

Dyson OnTrac: This snazzy-looking pair was disappointing to use. The noise cancellation was on a par with that of $100 sets, the three sound profiles were all flawed, and the toggle control was tricky to use. Unfortunately, these headphones are hefty as well, so the headband began to press uncomfortably after an hour or so of our wearing them.

EarFun Tune Pro: The ANC was decently effective, but the hear-through mode elicited a faint whooshing sound that we hadn’t encountered in other headphones. We didn’t find the airy noise to be overly annoying, but people who are sensitive to such droning sounds should keep that in mind. The initial audio quality was bass-forward in a way that could obscure portions of male vocals, but otherwise the Tune Pro sounded quite good. The highs weren’t sibilant or hissing, and the balance was adjustable in the app. The microphone quality sounded clear and crisp, though compressed, and it reduced a good amount of background noise; the narrowing of our vocal tone was especially pronounced when the Tune Pro’s software was reducing that background noise, though. This set is usually priced around $70, but we’ve seen coupons available that bring the cost even lower, so if the Soundcore Space One is out of your budget, and you don’t mind a less-authentic hear-through mode, the Tune Pro is a decent midrange set of headphones without many bells and whistles.

EarFun Wave Life: The Wave Life has surprisingly effective ANC and passive isolation for a set that is frequently on sale for $45. In our tests, the sound was also solid, with highs thatweren’t coarse. The balance was somewhat bass-forward out of the box, but the low end wasn’t blobby or smeared. Plus, you can adjust the sound in the EarFun app. However, the overall sense of musical depth and space wasn’t as good as what we heard on more expensive pairs. The microphone worked just fine in quiet settings, but it could pick up some background noise and couldn’t handle wind well, so this isn’t a set for taking calls outside. The physical controls handle everything you might expect and are customizable in the app. The build quality feels a little inexpensive, and a bag or case is not included. But considering the affordable price, this is a solid set of no-frills headphones.

Raycon Everyday Headphones Pro: This pair is unoffensive, but also unremarkable. The ANC is middle-of-the-road, and the three EQ settings are all exaggerated, with a harsh twang to piano sounds and a compressed soundstage (though the Bass mode could be fun if you like a bumping hip-hop feel). The microphone sounds clear in a quiet room, but it picks up every little high-pitched background noise and gives your voice a sibilant quality.

Sennheiser Accentum Plus: This pair has smaller earcups that feel refreshingly streamlined, but they might be a touch too small for folks with larger ears. Out of the box the sound is quite nice, with an extra bass bump that is most noticeable with hip-hop and rap tunes. There’s also extra intensity in the highs that could be perceived as either added detail or sibilance, depending on your ears. If you want to EQ the sound, you’ll need to create an account in the app and take an unusual sound-preference test that asks how loud you like drums or strings. There’s no option to use faders to fine-tune the sound yourself. The active noise cancellation isn’t as effective as what our picks deliver, and the microphone quality makes you sound compressed, like you’re on an old-school landline.

Sennheiser Accentum Wireless: The headband on this pair is tight, so those with large or sensitive heads won’t enjoy the fit. The noise cancellation is only average, and the sound contains unrestrained low notes and high-frequency sibilance around 8 kHz, neither of which can be addressed through the app’s EQ tool.

Skullcandy Crusher ANC 2: This pair isn’t for most people. The noise cancellation was minimal. The sound was bass-heavy to begin with, and when we enabled the “crusher” setting, it added vibration and reverb to a ridiculous degree. You can adjust the sound via EQ or a hearing test, but you can’t make the adjustments in the app while your music is playing, so it’s hard to find the ideal sound preference.

Skullcandy Icon ANC: On-ear headphones are a rarity these days, so we were disappointed to discover that this pair was especially tight and the earcups didn’t swivel. Worse still, the noise cancellation was barely effective.

Sonos Ace: This pair is lightweight and comfortable, with a look that’s minimalist and elegant. However, the sound leans toward being bottom-heavy with less intensity in the highs — a response frequently described as “warm” or “dark.” The Sonos app does provide EQ capabilities, but there are only two clumsy faders that fail to resolve any issues. The ANC didn’t measure as well as we’d hoped (an average of 9.8 dB), and the surround sound effect is akin to reverb in a large auditorium. It muddies quiet dialog. The Ace can connect to the Sonos Arc soundbar, and you can swap TV sound between the two; but the setup process can be buggy. We wish that the Ace could perform the same trick with other Sonos devices, but for now you’ll need to connect to other devices via the traditional Bluetooth pairing process, since this pair lacks Wi-Fi capabilities.

Sony WH-1000XM5: This set has great passive noise isolation to block out voices around you, but we found that its ANC wasn’t as effective as that of the newer WH-1000XM6. This pair also lacks voice activation, has smaller buttons, and doesn’t fold up as compactly as the WH-1000XM6.

Soundmagic P58BT: The ANC is intense in a narrow band; people prone to eardrum suck are likely to feel the effect immediately. The sound is dull with coarse highs, and there is no app for you to adjust it.

AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation: If you can’t stand the feeling of sealed earbuds and want some noise cancellation, this pair is the only option out there. For everyone else, we think you can get better performance from our picks. Read more of our thoughts.

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2: If you’re looking specifically for Apple-friendy workout earbuds, this pair is a pricey but solid choice. The earbuds hook over the ears and feel very secure during workouts, and this set has a built-in heart-rate monitor that works well. The battery life of eight to 10 hours is good, and we liked how these earbuds sounded. But from a noise-cancelling perspective, the ANC in this pair isn’t as effective as that of the similarly priced AirPods Pro 2 or the Sony WF-1000XM5 — though the Beats’s sealed design passively blocks higher-frequency sounds better than the vented AirPods. If you’d like to read more about how this pair compares to other workout earbuds, check out our guide to the best workout earbuds and headphones.

Beats Studio Buds +: The upgraded version of the Studio Buds, this pair offers better battery life (nine hours), Android customization, and noise cancellation compared with the original — and a stylishly transparent shell. But the core earbud design remains the same. This is a solid pair of earbuds overall and shares a lot of iOS-friendly features with the Beats Fit Pro set, but we like the Fit Pro earbuds better because they’re more secure in the ears, they still offer better noise cancellation, and their button design is more ergonomic.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: This pair is large, so the majority of our panelists found them uncomfortable. Plus, the noise cancellation didn’t measure as well as that of our budget earbud pair.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: This pair replaces the QuietComfort Earbuds II and is excellent at reducing noise. These earbuds measured second only to the Sony WF-1000XM5 at reduction in the airplane band. But the way the reduction functions can cause a lot of eardrum suck, so if you’re susceptible, you may need to dip the ANC intensity for comfort. The fit is secure, and the sound is consistent with the quality and tuning Bose is known for. In other performance areas, Bose said that the Ultra pair remedied some issues that marred its predecessor, but that wasn’t our experience. Phone calls are still problematic. Though the microphones perform well in quiet settings, the sound falls apart with any level of background noise. On one test call, ordinary street sounds rendered our caller unable to understand us. Plus, the Ultra Earbuds still lack dual-device connectivity. The hear-through mode is designed to automatically duck the volume when you’re in a noisier area, but the effect is way too heavy-handed. We also weren’t impressed with the Immersive Audio mode, which made music sound like a speaker playing from a specific point in a metal hallway. Six hours of battery life per charge (four with Immersive Audio active) is low for earbuds that lack an always-listening assistant. For a pair that’s originally priced at $300, we expect better and more.

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Although this pair sounds quite good (with some EQ tinkering in the app) and offers comedian Matt Berry as an optional menu voice, the ANC is mild, the hear-through has a stuffy-headed quality, and the case is bigger than average. We enjoyed listening to them, but if ANC is a priority, these aren’t for you.

Edifier TWS1 Pro 2: If you’re on a tight budget, this is the only under-$50 pair of noise-cancelling earbuds we’ve tested that won’t immediately inspire buyers remorse. While this pair doesn’t have the level of performance of our picks, it nonetheless reduces noise in a useful way, and the sound quality is excellent for the price. We like the IP54 water/dust resistance, and the adjustable awareness mode, too. But the battery life of four hours with ANC on is too short, and the suite of touch controls is limited.

Jabra Elite 4: Though the earbud design is comfortable and the full suite of controls is intuitive, active users might feel as though these earbuds aren’t secure enough in their ears. The noise cancellation is minimally effective, and the sound is just okay: The highs have a sizzling aspect that the five-band EQ can’t fix. Five and a half hours of battery life is decent, but not great.

JLab Epic Edition: These earbuds come with a USB-C Bluetooth transmitter that can store neatly inside the charging case. This pair’s adjustable ANC is effective, and the microphone sounds super clear on calls, even in wind. The sound is fantastic, especially the “Knowles signature” EQ setting. The earbuds offer nine hours of battery life, IP55 water and dust resistance, and a two-year warranty. We would make this pair a pick if the earbuds were more friendly to small ears, but sadly they’re a touch chunky with no additional stabilization.

Master & Dynamic MW09: The sound on this pair didn’t impress, even after tinkering with the manual EQ, and the noise cancellation is middle-of-the-road. We do like the physical volume controls and the luxurious feel, but these might benefit from a wing-style securing method, as the design is on the hefty size. Overall these are good earbuds, but for the original $300 price, we want something great.

Nothing Ear (2): Although not on a par with our top picks, this pair’s average of 14.5 dB of ANC reduction is quite good. Nothing’s app is very well designed, with some beneficial personalization of ANC and EQ that make the listening experience quite pleasant. The fit is comfortable, the microphone quality is clear, and the futuristic design could be appealing to some. However, the squeeze-style controls are limited and very frustrating to use. Not only are they prone to misreading your squeeze, but the act of squeezing can dislodge the earbuds and is likely to be difficult for people with dexterity issues.

Raycon The Everyday Earbuds Pro: This pair is comfortable, and the ANC is helpful at reducing low-pitched hums. However, the bass is blobby and incredibly loud. Even acoustic guitars sound formless and boomy, and there is no way to EQ this pair.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: The fit is comfortable, the case is adorably small, and the sound is flawed yet still pleasant. But the noise cancellation is significantly less successful than we’d like, and the Buds 2 Pro pair doesn’t offer dual-device connectivity. The touch controls are easy to inadvertently activate when you’re adjusting the earbuds in your ears. And the voice-activated hear-through mode isn’t as seamless as that of the Sony WF-1000XM5.

Sennheiser Momentum TW4: This is a good but expensive set of earbuds. The ANC and isolation work well to reduce distractions around you, and the transparency mode sounds relatively natural. The touch controls are easy to use. Out of the box, the sound is somewhat bass heavy, but you can adjust the intensity using the manual EQ in the app. Although the earbud design is comfortable for medium and large ears, people with smaller ears may struggle with the fit. Also, high frequencies become sibilant if you boost them more than 2 dB or so in the EQ, and the case is on the chunkier side — like a Twinkie cut in half. If the TW4 earbuds weren’t $300, we would give these minimal flaws a pass.

Soundcore P40i: Overall, this is a nice pair of earbuds with some notable flaws. First, the orientation of the stem on the earbud is such that larger ears may have trouble getting the earbuds deep enough to get a seal. The touch controls are customizable but limited. We liked the bass-forward sound once we adjusted it using the EQ feature in the app. However, the sound loses clarity and balance when played at lower volumes. The ANC is adjustable and performs well, but the “smart” adaptive feature was divisive. Some testers found it to be helpful, and others found it disorienting.

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.

Lauren Dragan

I review headphones, OTC hearing aids, and other audio gear. Since joining Wirecutter a decade ago, I’ve tested nearly 2,000 headphones and earbuds.

by Lauren Dragan

by Lauren Dragan

by Lauren Dragan

by Lauren Dragan

Before you invest in noise-cancelling headphones, it’s important to understand what kinds of sounds they will and won’t block.

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