Headphones come in all manner of shapes, sizes and types and although noise cancelling used to be fairly rare, it’s now widely available with lots of choices. While many fetch a high price, there are some cheaper options too. Bose and Sony are well-known for the tech but there are various alternatives out there. We also have round-ups for overall best headphones, true wireless earbuds if you’re looking for something else. Scroll to beyond the list for our advice on noise-cancelling headphones.
Best noise cancelling headphones 2023
How to choose noise cancelling headphones
Noise cancelling shouldn’t be confused with noise isolation. The latter is simply the way of putting some headphones on – no matter the type – creates a physical barrier and blocks out some of the sounds around you.
Phenomenal audio quality Great noise cancellation Serious smarts
No longer fold Expensive
Class-leading active noise cancelling is yet again a highlight with things like Adaptive Sound Control and plenty of user tweaking available in the Sony Headphones app. There’s so much more to enjoy though, including incredible sound quality despite smaller drives this time and lots of smart features. The new design might not suit everyone and has advantages like smooth headband adjustment but no longer fold down. The other thing to factor is the new higher price, when previous models, including the WH-1000XM4 are available for almost half the price.
Class leading ANC Incredible sound Smart features
More expensive than some Bulky for small ears
Otherwise, there’s nothing to dislike here with the best ANC we’ve tested on any pair of earbuds so far along with the top-notch sound quality you’d expect from a flagship Sony product. There’s also strong battery life and the earbuds come with the same smart features as the over-ear model such as Adaptive Sound Control and Speak to Chat.
Superb sound quality Astonishing noise cancellation Clever ‘Aware’ mode Secure fit
No Hi-Res audio support No Bluetooth Multipoint No wireless charging
The already excellent ANC is even better with unbelievable pure performance as well as a clever aware mode. Paired with top-notch sound quality and you’ve got yourself a very decent pair of wireless earbuds. As previously, Sony is the thorn in Bose’s side here with – if it bothers you – better battery life, a better range of smart features and Hi-Res Audio.
Impressive ANC Auto-pause technology Well-balanced audio
Only one main ANC mode A bit too quiet for some
While some ANC headphones in our chart come with an expensive price tag, the Razer Opus offer impressive noise cancelling technology at an affordable price – albeit simply on or off. Combine that with the stylish monochromatic finish, complete with silver detailing, and handy features like auto-pause tech and THX certification and you’ve got a phenomenal pair of cans that can handle music, TV, film and more. They’re also super comfortable.
Super comfortable Great ANC performance Decent battery life
No ANC adjustment Lacking smart features Plasticky build
Still, Bose fans will likely be pleased to see the iconic design remain largely the same and these are still one of the most comfortable pairs of headphones you’ll ever wear. They sound good and ANC performance is solid. However, you can only swap between Quiet and Aware modes with no further adjustment and they lack smart features like wear detection. This makes the price a little hard to justify if you’re not a die-hard Bose fan, although you could look to the older QC35 II as a cheaper option.
Comfortable & compact Industry-leading transparency mode Impressive ANC performance Enhanced Find My functionality
Many smart features are exclusive to Apple devices No lossless audio support Only IPX4
It’s not so clear-cut if you’re an Android user, losing out on many of the smarts that make the AirPods Pro 2 what they are, but if you’ve got an iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac, the AirPods Pro are the ideal high-end performers. While there’s still a basic splash-resistant rating, there’s still one glaring thing missing from Apple’s earbuds and that’s a lossless codec.
Superb personalised sound Excellent ANC Great value
Proprietary eartips and adapter No digital assistant support Bulky case
They’re also very comfortable, have decent noise cancellation and long battery life to boot. Better yet, they undercut Apple’s AirPods Pro while delivering a better audio experience overall. Just be aware that it lacks virtual assistant support and relies on some proprietary components that might cost a little extra to replace. If you prefer true wireless earbuds you can go for the NuraTrue.
Hybrid Active Noise Cancellation Powerful bass Great battery life
No auto-pause tech Case feels a little cheap No auto-switching of ANC profiles
Hybrid ANC does a great job of keep noise out, with three different modes available as well as a transparency option, too. Far more than you would expect for a pair this cheap and they also offer great bass and battery performance. The price does mean you’re missing out on some features though, like auto-pause and the build quality is understandably on the basic side.
Incredible sound quality Premium build Great ANC Impressive smarts
Limited Android support No power button An ill-designed Smart Case No Lossless support
Apple offers amazing sound quality here along with stunning build quality and brilliant noise cancelling. There are also various handy smart features making them a great pair of headphones. It’s odd there’s no power button but early battery life issues have been fixed. You just might want to get a third-party case to avoid Apple’s ridiculous Smart Case.
Comfortable design Great audio range Good ANC
Plastic build Mic muffles if worn reversed
They might not technically be budget, but they are one of the cheapest pairs of noise cancelling headphones we’ve tested and are around half the price of many rivals. The ANC is pretty decent, too. The headband and ear pads don’t clasp onto your head so you can expect a comfortable fit – useful if you want to wear them for a few hours at a time. The combination of features make them a particularly good choice for students. Using earplugs to sleep is an example of noise isolation. You may see it described as ‘passive noise cancelling’ on headphones. In contrast, noise cancelling headphones are doing something more than just physical. They are digitally playing sound into your ears – other than the music or audiobook you’re listening to – to negate the sound around you. This is called ‘active noise cancelling’ (often shortened to ANC) and is what you need to look out for when buying proper noise cancelling headphones. The headphones listen to the world around you with microphones and play an inverted waveform of whatever they hear. So if the ambient sound is a number, say 5, the headphones play -5 to you equalling 0. This is all done and processed in real-time so you get the effect of not hearing the things around you. Find out how we test audio. In practice, you’ll never fully get 0 and some headphones offer better noise cancelling than others. Regardless, it makes listening to audio or speech a lot easier as you don’t need to pump the volume to counteract the sound around you. These days many noise cancelling headphones are more advanced than simply switching the feature on or off. Some will allow you to control how much noise cancelling there is so you can adjust it depending on where you are. This helps with battery life as you can save power when somewhere less demanding like an office. Some also have modes that help you hear announcements so you don’t miss something important like a call to the gate at the airport or having a conversation with someone without removing your headphones. This feature goes by many names such as ‘aware’ and ‘social’ mode. Tech Advisor’s Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.
