Headphones with Active Noise Cancellation can be a godsend if you commute frequently, work out, and work at busy places. The added convenience of connecting multiple devices is another plus point alongside seamless switching, which is found on most headphones with noise-cancellation abilities. These nifty features, when combined with ANC, can greatly enhance your productivity. Therefore, if you want to experience noiseless nirvana, here are some of the best ANC headphones to buy.
Tune In, Zone Out with These Best ANC Headphones
Whether or not you spend heavily on the best noise-cancelation headphones, you will find something that fits your budget. The more you spend, the better noise cancellation you get but it’s not the only thing that defines a “good” ANC headphone, so we will delve into other factors as well.
1. Sony WH-1000XM5 – Best Sony ANC Headphones
Sony’s WH-1000XM5 is the latest pair of ANC headphones the company has on offer. The design has been revamped and the ANC is supposedly better with a slightly better mid-range. However, they’re less easy to carry around and have flaws with the design where users are complaining the adjustable rods are snapping.
Like the XM4s, they support LDAC for higher-quality wireless audio transmission over Bluetooth. The headphones are rated to last 30 hours and charge via Type-C. Comfort-wise, they’re definitely a notch above 1000XM4s. If you handle them with care, they’re solid ANC headphones.
2. Bose QuietComfort Ultra
QuietComfort Ultra is a flagship headphones coming from Bose, one of the most coveted audio brands. The QC Ultra features a new design as compared to previous generations. It is quite expensive, at upwards of $400, but that price might not feel great unless you try the headphones.
The sound signature of the QuietComfort Ultra is more neutral with a much better mid-range. They’ve got a better microphone for phone calls than the XM4s. The cans are rater to last 24 hours. The ANC is adjustable, and the cushions on the QuietComfort series are highly regarded as being supremely comfortable as they are made of protein leather. The headphones charge via Type-C but don’t support audio output via the same, which is disappointing.
The Bluetooth codec is limited to AAC and SBC which is another blow to its “Ultra” monicker and the hefty $349 price. However, if you’re looking for something with great audio and relatively good noise cancellation they’re one of the best ANC headphones to buy. Just don’t buy them at their full price.
3. Sony WH-1000XM4 – Sony’s Second Best ANC Headphones
As someone who daily drives XM4s, they’re still one of the best ANC headphones Sony has ever released, for many reasons. The primary reason has to be the impressive noise cancellation which essentially blocks out almost everything.
The build quality on offer is excellent and the comfort, while not as good as the XM5s or others on this list, is adequate. You could rock them for a couple of hours straight without feeling uncomfortable. The touch controls are greatly responsive and accurate, and the headphones fold, unlike XM5s, which makes them extremely easy to carry.
When it comes to the sound, they’ve got Sony’s typical bassy sound signature but by no means does it sound muddy or overpower the vocals. Nothing an equalizer cannot solve, though. They’ve also got LDAC for lossless music and Sony’s revamped Sound Connect app got a fresh coat of paint and looks better than ever. Overall, for an asking price of $231 which goes down to $199 frequently, they’re one of the best ANC headphones you can buy.
4. Sonos Ace
If the XM4s don’t satisfy your design tastes, the Sonos Ace definitely will. Their build quality is a notch above the XM4s but overall, the Sonos Ace is pretty much in the ballpark of the XM4s in terms of features. The other obvious differences the buyers note on the Sonos are the better microphone quality and slightly less punchy sound signature. There’s also no 3.5mm audio jack but they do support audio out via Type-C and you get a Type-C cable in the box.
The Sonos Ace supports AptX HD Lossless for high-quality music playback, can connect to multiple devices at once, has good Active Noise Cancellation, and the app to control the headphones is pretty decent with a built-in EQ. They aren’t as compact as the XM4s because of the lack of a folding mechanism and paired with the huge case, it could be a hassle to carry them around. They also have magnetic earcups to easily replace them if they go bad. However, if you’re looking for more premium headphones, the Sonos Ace ticks almost all the boxes.
5. Marshal Monitor III – ANC Headphones with Best Battery Life
Marshal Monitor II did many things right and its successor has been improved in many areas but there’s also one big downgrade. The Monitor III comes with ANC and one of the best things about it is its unreal 70-hour battery life. Besides, the headphones are built very well and are extremely portable thanks to their folding design. Speaking of design, they have a retro look going for them which a lot of users may like.
There’s no high-quality audio codec on offer but comfort is another factor where Mashal Monitor III shines. The app is decent and some may find controlling music via the built-in joystick and buttons better than touch controls. However, one of the major downgrades in Monitor III was the removal of the 3.5 mm jack. You do get a type-C to 3.5mm cable in the box, but it definitely takes away the ease of use. For an asking price of $349, they’re among some of the best-built, long-lasting ANC headphones out there.
6. Apple AirPods Max – Premium ANC Headphones for Apple Users
Apple AirPods Max is the company’s official over-ear offering, featuring Active Noise Cancellation. Similar to other AirPods in the lineup, the AirPods Max features seamless connectivity with your iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and other products of the ecosystem.
Apart from how well they work, if you are mainly an Apple ecosystem user, the sound from these is high-fidelity. The AirPods Max ANC headphones have a 40mm Apple dynamic driver. There is also a transparency mode, which lets you listen to the outside world. Besides, they’re some of the well-designed and incredibly built pairs of cans you can buy if you own an iPhone.
Apple AirPods Max also has Spatial Audio support. The battery life lasts for 20 hours, which isn’t as long as some other options. Still, for Apple users, this is the best pick! Apple recently released a Type-C version of the same but if you have a lightning cable at home, you could score the lighting variant for a bit less.
7. Sennheiser Momentum 4 – Best Mid-range ANC Headphones
The Sennheiser Momentum 4 falls in the league of the Sony XM4s and XM5s. On to the obvious differences, they have better sound reproduction and can last for almost double the hours of Sonys (60 hours), but still less than the Marshalls. The ANC is comparable to the Sony XM5s which is great because they’re $100 cheaper than the same.
The Momentum 4s get touch controls which are decent to use, a 2.5mm to 3.5mm audio cable, and they also support aptX and aptX adaptable besides AAC and SBC for high-quality audio streaming. Comfort-wise, they aren’t comparable to XM5s or XM4s but they aren’t terrible either. The Sennheiser app allows you to control a lot of the headphone’s features, including the ability to adjust the frequencies. They aren’t as portable as the XM4s but overall, for $249, they sport a good build so I’d prefer getting these over the XM5s.
8. Soundcore Space One – Best Affordable ANC Headphone
Anker has been making great accessories and the Space One is no different. It’s easily one of the best affordable ANC headphones in the market thanks to LDAC and 40 hours of battery life with ANC on. They come with multipoint connectivity and an app to turn on/off headphone features. For $99, the ANC can be pretty effective compared to other headphones on the market. However, they more than make up for it by sounding decent and having good build quality.
It’s worth noting that they do stick out a bit and might not be the best for taking calls due to reportedly below-average microphone quality. The Space One comes with more physical buttons to control music which some may like. It does bring adaptive noise cancellation, wear detection, and a 3.5 mm audio jack, which is impressive for a budget headphone. Overall, if you’re looking for a headphone that tries to match the quality of expensive headphones for 1/4th of the price, the Space One is the one to check out.
9. Edifier W830NB – Cheapest ANC Headphones
If you’re looking for an ANC headphone that doesn’t break the bank, while not compromising on sound quality and features, the Edifier W830NB might be for you. For starters, the firm claims it can block out noise up to 45 dB with ANC, which is decent. There’s LDAC on offer which is rare in the sub-$100 price segment. The battery lasts for 54 hours with ANC turned on, which is great for the price.
They also support multipoint connectivity, come with a transparency mode, and Bluetooth 5.4. The EDIFIER ConneX app, while doesn’t have the best rating, can be used to control many features of the headphones. The headphones are foldable and come with a case. However, they sadly do not have a 3.5mm jack to listen to music when you want low-latency audio or simply run out of battery. Overall, on paper, they punch way above their price and are one of the best affordable ANC headphones on the market.
10. 1MORE SonoFlow Pro
1MORE makes all sorts of audio products, even IEMs geared towards audiophiles. The SonoFlow Pro is an excellent option and one of the most affordable ANC headphones to buy. While there are cheaper options, these feature relatively decent active noise cancellation performance and a whopping 65-hour battery with ANC. They also feature LDAC and Multipoint connectivity.
They weigh 240g and should be comfortable to wear. The noise-cancellation is rated 42 dB which is less but perhaps the sound quality can do justice to the same. 1MORE is known for its sound quality and the 40mm “diamond-like” drivers tuned by “Grammy-winning” experts should mean a decent enough sound output. They lack a 3.5mm port but for the price, they’re one of the best ANC headphones on the market.
So, these are some of the best ANC headphones you can buy. If we had to pick three Active Noise Cancellation headphones from this list, the Sony WH-1000XM4, Marshall Monitor III ANC, and the Sonos Ace would be our top picks. For budget buyers, the Soundcor Space One is a great value-for-money headphone.
With active noise cancellation tech on your headphones, you can tune out everything else and have a peaceful session of work, gaming, or music listening. Let us know your favorite in the comments below!
