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For frequent flyers or commuters on public transit, reducing the noise around you is the difference between enduring a trip and enjoying it. Noise-cancelling headphones can make your music easier to hear and your world a little more peaceful. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is our favorite pair of noise-cancelling headphones, but we also have recommendations for people who want to spend less or prefer earbuds over headphones.

We are currently in the process of rewriting this guide to add new picks. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 remains our favorite pair of over-ear noise-cancelling headphones, and we’re adding the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II as our favorite in-ear pair. The 1More SonoFlow is replacing the Soundcore Life Q20 as our budget pick for over-ear headphones, and the Soundcore Space A40 will be our new budget earbud pick. Stay tuned for the full update.

Our pick

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is the best wireless noise-cancelling headphones set that Bose has ever released. These headphones are expensive, but we think they’re worth the investment for the frequent traveler who puts a high premium on performance and comfort. They offer the superior noise cancellation that Bose is known for, plus more adjustability than on any other noise-cancelling headphones we’ve tested. You can adjust the level of the active noise cancellation (ANC) on a scale from 0 to 10, so if you find that intense noise cancellation causes a feeling of pressure or discomfort (what we call “eardrum suck”) or if you just want a little more sense of your surroundings—you have more flexibility to find a level that works for you.

These noise-cancelling headphones also have a lightweight design that is comfortable to wear for hours, and they feature an easy-to-use combination of touch controls and physical buttons that you can access without looking. Plus, you can use them in wired mode with the ANC engaged if, for example, you want to access an in-flight entertainment system. They fold flat for easy storage in the supplied case, too. They aren’t entirely without flaws, however: The sound quality is good but not as crisp as on the best over-ear headphones we’ve tested, the app can be vexing, and the battery life isn’t the longest we’ve seen—though at 20 hours it’ll still get you through a very long flight.

Budget pick

If you want good noise cancellation without all the bells and whistles, the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 over-ear Bluetooth headphones deliver. The noise cancellation is effective, the sound quality is pretty decent (though a bit bass heavy), and the lightweight chassis and soft foam earcups are comfortable. The 30-hour battery life is impressive for a model in any price range. You can use these headphones in wired mode, and the controls are easy to operate. Although the Life Q20 doesn’t come with EQ manipulation, adjustable ANC, touch controls, or always-listening voice activation, this pair does deliver on the ANC-headphone essentials, and it offers a shocking amount of quality for well under $100. And if you are willing to pay a little extra to get adjustable EQ and a hear-through mode, the upgraded Soundcore Life Q20+ performs just as well.

Also great

Although true wireless earbuds aren’t our first choice for noise cancellation, we know that people love them. If your heart is set on getting a completely wireless pair of noise-cancelling earbuds, the 1More True Wireless ANC is the best option. This pair is the most effective at reducing airplane noise, the buds are small and fit securely and comfortably in your ears, and the sound quality is quite good. The controls are easier to use than most, and the charging case offers USB-C and Qi charging. However, the average battery life of 5 hours (longer if you turn ANC off) is a lot less than that of our other picks, and you can’t use these earbuds in wired mode, so you need a Bluetooth transmitter to use this pair with in-flight entertainment systems.

The research

• Why you should trust us
• How noise-cancelling headphones work
• Who should get these
• How we picked
• How we tested
• The best wireless noise-cancelling headphones: Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700
• Best budget noise-cancelling headphones under $100: Anker Soundcore Life Q20
• The best true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds: 1More True Wireless ANC
• Why does active noise cancellation give some people a headache?
• Security and privacy
• Other good noise-cancelling headphones
• Sustainability and environmental impact
• What to look forward to
• The competition
• Sources

Why you should trust us

I hold a bachelor’s degree in both music performance and audio production from Ithaca College, and I also have tested more than a thousand pairs of headphones and earbuds while working for Wirecutter. In addition to reviewing gear for AV magazines, I’ve been in and out of top recording studios for over a decade, first as a radio producer and on-air talent, then as a professional voice actor. My articles have been featured in Fast Company, Forbes, the Los Angeles Times, and Time, and on Good Morning America, the BBC World Service, and NBC Nightly News.

Senior staff writer Brent Butterworth also tested all of the finalists and performed the noise-cancelling measurements. Brent has been reviewing audio gear professionally since 1990. He previously worked as an editor or writer for Sound & Vision, HomeTheaterReview.com, Home Theater Magazine, and numerous other publications. Brent is one of the extremely small number of audio journalists (maybe two or three total) who own laboratory-grade headphone test equipment, which he used for part of our testing here. In the past eight years, he has evaluated and measured more than 350 headphones and done more in-depth analysis of noise-cancelling headphones than any other journalist.

John Higgins (my spouse), a professional musician and composer who has written for Wirecutter, Sound & Vision, and Home Theater, also lent us his ears for this project.

How noise-cancelling headphones work

Noise-cancelling headphones are designed to reduce low-pitched humming and droning sounds, which you encounter in an airplane cabin and, to a lesser extent, on buses and trains (and probably on boats, too, although we haven’t tried that). They can also reduce sounds from some machinery, such as loud air conditioners. A decent set of headphones with active noise cancelling (ANC) can make airplane travel much more enjoyable because the feature allows you to hear movies, music, and in-flight entertainment clearly without having to turn the volume way up. You can also use these headphones even when you’re not listening to anything, just to make the cabin noise less annoying; some people use noise-cancelling headphones to help themselves fall asleep on long flights.

Noise-cancelling headphones work by using microphones to capture the noise around you and then feed an opposite (or phase-reversed) version of that sound into the tiny speakers (or drivers) built into the headphones. 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 cancelling—that is, physical barriers and dampers built into the headphones that help block or absorb noise.

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, like the hum of a jet engine or an air conditioner. It’s not as effective with human voices and other higher frequencies. 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.”

Who should get these

If you travel on airplanes a lot or 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 street sounds or the 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.

We know that the choice between in-ear and over-ear headphones is a personal one, so we’ve included picks for both types of noise-cancelling headphones. How do you decide between headphones and earbuds? Earbuds are more compact and easier to travel with, and they can sound just as good and cancel noise just as well as over-ear and on-ear models. They may also work better if you wear glasses, because a thick set of glasses frames may prevent over-ear and on-ear headphones from making a good seal against your ears and cheeks. The downside to earbuds is that you have to stick them into your ear canals, which some people find uncomfortable; the battery life is often much shorter than that of over-ear headphones, too.

How we picked

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

• efficacy of the noise cancelling
• sound quality
• battery life (in wireless models)
• overall comfort

Since we first published this guide, we’ve tested more than 150 active-noise-cancelling headphones and considered dozens more. Although we have tested wired-only models in the past, most new noise-cancelling headphones feature Bluetooth wireless technology, which is now available at very affordable prices. However, many of these wireless headphones also support a wired connection, which is important if you want to connect to an in-flight entertainment system or if you want to conserve battery life.

We set no lower or upper price limits because this guide covers the entire range of noise-cancelling headphone models.

How we tested

To judge the sound quality, we listened to the headphones with noise cancelling on and off—because some headphones sound great in one mode and not so great in the other. We used the test music of the panelists’ choice, sourced from various smartphones.

Testing the noise cancelling was more complicated. We did this both by ear and by using test equipment. To test the noise cancelling by ear, Lauren and John played noise at a loud level through a JBL L16 wireless speaker and then tried each of the headphones to see which ones best cancelled the noise. Brent did his test in his audio lab, using a mix of cabin noise recorded in four different airliners, fed through four 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 followed up by testing the best models during rides on Los Angeles’s Metro transit system, which includes buses and subways.

Brent then performed lab tests, measuring the degree to which the headphones blocked different frequencies of sound. To do this, he placed 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, played pink noise through the same speaker system described above, and used TrueRTA audio-spectrum analyzer software to see how much sound was leaking through the headphones.

To do noise-cancelling earbud tests, Brent placed 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 connected this fixture through an M-Audio USB interface to a Windows laptop, played pink noise through the same speaker system, and used the TrueRTA audio-spectrum analyzer software to see how much sound was leaking through the earbud. For details, read Brent’s more in-depth description of the process.

You can see the results from our picks and other notable competitors in the charts below.

To provide a simpler way of looking at these measurements, Brent calculated the average amount of noise (in decibels) that the headphones cancelled in the 100 to 1200 Hz frequency band, which is where more airplane-cabin noise occurs, based on his analysis of four recordings he made in the cabins of different airliners. The higher the number, the greater the average noise reduction.

The best wireless noise-cancelling headphones: Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

Our pick

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 over-ear set has the most versatile active noise cancellation we’ve ever tested. With 10 levels of noise reduction to choose from, everyone should be able to find a setting that meets their needs. Although these noise-cancelling headphones don’t sound as good as the best over-ear headphones we’ve tried, in our tests they had a fairly neutral sound with no major flaws. Plus, they’re lightweight and comfortable, and the controls are easy to use. The 20-hour battery life, while not the best we’ve seen, is more than sufficient to get you to most destinations.

Technically speaking, the Bose 700 doesn’t reduce the most noise of any pair of over-ear headphones we’ve tested—that honor goes to the Apple AirPods Max for lower frequencies and the Sony WH-1000XM4 for higher frequencies—but the 700 is still very effective when set to its maximum ANC level. What distinguishes the Bose 700’s ANC is the amount of adjustability it gives you. Most noise-cancelling headphones offer controls for only on/off or maybe high/low/off, but here you can set the ANC level from 0 to 10, so you have more flexibility to dial in the ideal setting for your comfort or for a given activity. This feature is especially helpful for people who suffer from “eardrum suck,” since you can adjust the ANC intensity down in small steps until you no longer experience the problem. Through the Bose Music app, you can choose three ANC levels to assign as favorites, after which you can toggle between them using the button on the left earcup.

If you’re a fan of Bose’s signature sound, you won’t be disappointed with the Bose 700 set. These headphones are quintessential Bose: In our tests, they had a smidgen of extra bass, a little roll-off in the high-frequency range, and forward-sounding upper-mids. As a result, male vocals and basslines were a little more prominent in the mix than snare-rim clicks and consonants in words. Audiophile critics might say that the Bose 700 lacks crispness and detail, while other folks may actually prefer this lack of high-end intensity. In a recent update, the Bose Music app added EQ settings that enable you to adjust the bass, mids, and treble regions. The changes apply a little broadly, but they allow for some personalization of the overall sound profile.

Bose has done a fantastic job of ensuring that the sound quality remains nearly the same no matter what setting or method you use to listen: Bluetooth, cable, noise cancelling on or off, low or high. This is impressive stuff, as most headphones have mild to very noticeable sound-quality differences across their listening methods.

The Bose 700’s battery life isn’t industry-leading, but at 20 hours it’s more than sufficient. Of course, this number will vary based on whether you leave the noise cancellation on all the time, whether you choose the “always listening” option for your digital assistant, or whether you take frequent and long phone calls. But even when your headphones run out of power, it won’t be too long before they’re back up and running: The quick-charge feature gives you two and a half hours of battery life after 15 minutes of charging time.

The controls are easy to learn and use by feel. Bose employs a combination of physical buttons and touchpads: You handle noise cancellation, digital-assistant activation, power on/off, and Bluetooth pairing by pressing buttons, and you trigger volume and track changes by swiping and tapping on the right earcup. The Bose 700 is compatible with Siri, Google Assistant, and Alexa, and you can program the system (via the app) to be always listening for the wake word associated with your favorite voice assistant. For quick conversations, you can hold the ANC toggle button on the left earcup to turn off the active noise cancellation, pause your music, and turn on the microphones to hear your surroundings better.

These wireless noise-cancelling headphones are especially comfortable to wear: lightweight, with super-soft memory-foam padding on the earcups and headband. Covering the padding on the underside of the headband is an unusual silicone-esque material that’s softer than solid plastic or metal yet feels as though it would be less likely to degrade over time in comparison with the fabric or leatherette material covering the headbands on much of the competition. The earpads are made of protein leather (higher-quality fake leather), and they’re replaceable and spacious enough to accommodate larger ear sizes. The earpad foam is pliable enough to work well with most glasses, though wider arms may cause some gaps that result in sound leakage. The fit felt secure on our heads, and most of our panelists thought the clamping force wasn’t too tight.

The microphones sounded clear over our calls and video chats, but they did pick up some room noise. The microphone sound feeds into the noise-cancelling headphones themselves, so you get your own vocal feedback; this effect is helpful in reducing the instinct to yell when your ears are covered, but it can be distracting if you’re taking a call in a busy office and the mics pick up some chatter or keyboard clicks from your surroundings. If you prefer to reduce the amount of yourself that you hear, or if you want to turn this effect off completely, you can do so in the Bose Music app.

Although over-ear noise-cancelling headphones can’t compete with earbuds in portability, the Bose 700’s case does a decent job of minimizing the space these headphones take up in a bag. The headphones themselves fold flat, and the semi-firm case uses the gap between the headband and the earcups for cable storage. At about 2½ inches thick, the case will slip easily into a briefcase or a plane’s seat-back pocket.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Although we love a lot about the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, this set does have some drawbacks. The biggest issue is the Bose Music app. Ordinarily, we don’t worry too much about buggy apps. However, for these headphones, the Bose Music app is required to do a whole lot of things, including altering which digital assistant you use, turning on the always-listening wake word for your digital assistant, changing the assigned ANC preferences, adjusting how much of yourself you hear during calls, and setting the auto-off timer.

We have a couple of concerns regarding the app. For starters, it can be downright annoying to get the app to recognize your headphones. Both Lauren and Brent had difficulty pairing them, and after speaking with Bose representatives, we can offer the following tips. When you first power on the headphones, if they don’t show up in your Bluetooth list, there are two possible things you can do. First, if you use a VPN, turn it off; once the initial pairing is complete, you can turn your VPN back on again. Second, you may need to reduce the number of Bluetooth devices that are in your device’s paired-items list. Remove or “forget” as many unnecessary gadgets as possible, and then try the setup again.

On top of that, to use the app, you’re required to create a Bose account, which privacy advocates may find troublesome. You can use a throwaway email address for the account, but we know that some folks would prefer not to need an account just to use their listening gear.

Bose emphasizes the 700’s augmented-reality capabilities on its website, but as of now this feature is mostly potential. There are only a handful of apps that you can install, and a few work solely in specific cities, so the usefulness is limited.

Another thing to consider: If you are prone to eardrum suck, the Bose 700 will likely be problematic for you at the higher-intensity noise-cancellation settings. This physical reaction is common enough that it has kept us from naming previous Bose headphones such as the QuietComfort 35 Series II as top picks. Brent and Lauren, who are both sensitive to eardrum suck, found the 5 and 6 settings on the Bose 700 to be the sweet spot, where the reduction was effective yet not headache-inducing. At that level, though, the amount of noise cancellation wasn’t much better than that of lower-priced noise-cancelling headphones we’ve tested. So if you know for certain that you won’t be using the higher levels of ANC, you may want to save money and choose a lower-priced option.

The digital assistant “always listening” feature is nifty, but keep in mind that other devices may also pick up your wake word when you’re talking to the headphones. Apple seems to have found a way to prevent duplicate Siri replies, but Google and Amazon devices may all answer you at once if you’re in range of them. This isn’t a Bose problem; it’s an OS problem.

And lastly, if you need to listen via a wired connection, keep in mind that the Bose 700 has a 2.5 mm input. A 2.5 mm–to–3.5 mm audio cable is included, but it has no remote or mic. Depending on your device, you may have trouble taking phone calls when you’re tethered via the cord.

Long-term test notes

We’ve been really happy with how the Bose 700 headphones have held up over time. No major complaints concerning their performance have surfaced so far. The only vulnerable point seems to be the earpads, which depending on your situation can start to break down over time. Fortunately, the pads are replaceable.

Best budget noise-cancelling headphones under $100: Anker Soundcore Life Q20

Budget pick

Generally, when wireless noise-cancelling headphones dip below $100, they make some serious concessions in sound, build quality, or the effectiveness of their active noise cancellation. So we were pleasantly surprised to discover that the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 does all of those things pretty well for around 60 bucks. Although its noise cancelling and sound quality can’t match the standards set by the much pricier Bose 700, the Life Q20 is a fantastic affordable option.

As you can see in the chart above, the Life Q20’s active noise cancellation isn’t as effective as that of our other picks, but it is effective enough to make a noticable difference on sounds such as airplane noise and the hum of air conditioners. On this pair we measured an average reduction of 18.7 dB, which is impressive for headphones at this price and will help take the edge off loud hums so you can listen to your podcasts at a reasonable volume.

If you like a lot of bass, the tuning of the Life Q20 will appeal to you—this pair is definitely low-frequency heavy. With hip-hop, the bass will likely be a bit much for the audiophile set. Although in our tests the sound was not nearly as balanced as that of the Bose 700, it had enough high-end detail to keep us from losing track of lyrics.

Comfort is important even for budget noise-cancelling headphones, and the Life Q20 punches above its weight class in this respect, with notably soft memory-foam earpads. The overall weight on the head is moderate, and the headband stays secure without squeezing. Folks with very small craniums may find (as Lauren did) that the length of the headband is a bit big and the earcups can hang a little lower than perfectly centered around the ear. That said, most adults will find the amount of adjustability to be perfectly suitable.

The Life Q20 headphones are primarily made of plastic. They don’t have the creaky or brittle feel of many similarly priced competitors, but they won’t be as durable as more expensive headphones that use higher-quality materials. In our tests, the control buttons felt a bit cheap and clicked in our ears when we pressed them. But since you press the buttons only occasionally to change tracks or take a call, we don’t think this annoyance is enough to ruin the Life Q20’s appeal. Plus, the controls are easy to use by feel, and folks who don’t care for touch-based controls will enjoy having physical buttons.

Anker claims a 30-hour battery life with Bluetooth and noise cancelling on. In our tests, we got even more than that—the Life Q20 lasted 38 hours at about 70 percent volume and the ANC on (we also took about 20 minutes of phone calls). Just remember that more phone calls or louder volume may affect your personal experience. The battery’s quick-charge feature will power the headphones for four hours of use from just five minutes plugged in. The Life Q20’s Bluetooth range was over 120 feet line-of-sight in our testing, and we were able to go several rooms away without signal drop, which is great.

If you want to listen wired, a 3.5 mm cable is included, but you’ll need to have the headphones powered on to take a call. In our tests, call quality was passable, not great. The mic sounded fantastic in a quiet room (our tester said it sounded as though we were calling from the phone itself) but also picked up a good bit of wind noise and human voices, so you may want to walk to a quieter place to take important calls.

The Life Q20 headphones fold flat but don’t come with a hard carrying case. The included fabric bag will do the trick to keep them clean but won’t protect them from impacts.

If you want the ability to adjust EQ and the convenience of a hear-through mode, the upgraded and slightly more expensive Soundcore Life Q20+ adds those features and performs just as well.

The best true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds: 1More True Wireless ANC

Also great

In our experience so far, true wireless earbuds aren’t the best choice for travelers and commuters who want noise-cancelling headphones. They don’t provide the best active noise cancellation, their battery life is shorter, and you can’t connect via a cord when necessary. But if your heart is set on true wireless, we think the 1More True Wireless ANC earbuds offer the best combination of performance and features for the money.

Unlike many of the true wireless ANC options available, this 1More pair offers decent noise reduction in the airplane band, averaging 18.2 dB on the high setting and 7.2 dB on the median setting. That’s more than enough to be useful on a plane or subway, and better than what we got from more expensive true wireless designs like the AirPods Pro (which sat at around 8 dB of reduction) and the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds. Still, it’s not as effective as what you’ll get from the best over-ear headphones.

The moderate earbud size and the inclusion of six sets of silicone tips, plus three sets of wings, will help ensure a secure fit for a variety of ear sizes and shapes. Through physical buttons on the earbuds, you can control track skip, play/pause, volume, and voice assistant, and music will pause automatically when you take the earbuds out of your ears. By tapping the earbuds themselves, you can control the hear-through mode (if you want to hear your surroundings or have a conversation) and toggle through the three levels of noise cancellation. It’s all easy to do once you’ve learned what sequence elicits what response.

The sound quality is a touch on the sibilant side, but folks who prefer an extra boost in the consonant range may not mind that too much. There’s also a good amount of bass, which Lauren wished she could reduce a bit, but it’s not distractingly boomy or overwhelming to male vocals. The microphones use environmental noise cancelling to ensure that you sound clear to callers, even if there is a little background noise.

Fans of wireless charging will like that the case is Qi compatible. However, these 1More earbuds have a shorter battery life per charge compared with traditional Bluetooth earbuds that are tethered by a cable: five hours with ANC on and six with it off. These earbuds will charge quickly in the case (15 minutes of charging nets you two hours of use), but they won’t work corded when the battery dies, and you won’t be able to use in-flight entertainment that requires a cord. They also aren’t water resistant, nor do they have wind-resistant mics, which limits the conditions in which you can take calls.

Why does active noise cancellation give some people a headache?

More noise cancelling doesn’t necessarily lead to a better experience, especially with over-ear noise-cancelling headphones. We say this due to a phenomenon we refer to as “eardrum suck,” which seems to produce the same uncomfortable reduction of pressure on the eardrums as you’d experience when riding a high-speed elevator in a very tall building. And this sensation can lead to headaches. Typically, the more effective the noise-cancelling circuitry is in a pair of headphones, the more eardrum suck it produces. You can read more about this phenomenon in the blog post we wrote.

Fortunately, you don’t need extreme levels of noise cancelling to have a pleasant experience with noise-cancelling headphones. In our testing, we’ve found that about 10 decibels of average noise reduction in the “airplane-cabin band” between 100 and 1200 Hz is plenty to allow for music listening at a comfortable level.

Security and privacy

Wirecutter takes security and privacy issues seriously and investigates, as much as possible, how the companies we recommend deal with customer data. Since a growing number of wireless Bluetooth headphones require the use of an app for setup and (sometimes) daily operation, we reached out to the companies that produce our top picks and asked them to provide information that we think is of primary concern for any potential buyer. Here’s what we learned:

How our picks compare

What user data does the app collect?

• Bose: We reached out to Bose multiple times but have yet to receive a response. In the meantime, below is some information from Bose’s Privacy Policy.
  • Technical data: such as mobile device ID (including operating system and version), IP address, internet service provider, browser type, and domain name.
  • Usage data: such as whether and when you update the app and your connected Bose products, date and time of use, time spent in different portions of the app, content accessed or downloaded (including stations played, playlists, artists, albums, songs, or podcasts), and list of systems and software applications.
  • Diagnostic data: such as battery life, Wi-Fi quality and connection, and error logs.
  • Environmental data: such as noise level and audio frequencies

• 1More: Location, music (if played through the EQ option in the app), and user data (register number, gender, and age)
• Anker Soundcore: Not applicable, no app.

What permissions does the app ask for?

• Bose: Bluetooth, location, access to music apps such as Deezer and Spotify, and digital assistants
• 1More: Bluetooth and location

Are you required to create an account?

• Bose: Yes (to use the app)
• 1More: No

Can the headphones be used without the app, and what do you lose by doing so?

• Bose: Yes. You lose access to the ability to add new features, customize controls, to use non-device-native digital assistants (such as Google on an iPhone), and to update firmware.
• 1More: Yes. You lose the ability to update firmware.

Is data collected in the app shared with third parties for marketing purposes?

• Bose: Bose may use your precise geolocation information to provide customized services, content, promotional offers, and other information that may be of interest to you.
• 1More: No

Are you able to opt out of sharing some or all of your data, and if so, how?

• Bose: Yes. You can opt out of the collection of diagnostic and usage data by visiting the Privacy Policy & Settings menu in the Bose Connect app. You can also disable the location features on your device to prevent Bose and its service providers from collecting and using GPS location information. If you wish to opt out of cross-device tracking for purposes of interest-based advertising, you may do so through your Android or Apple device-based settings.
• 1More: Yes. You can allow or deny access to some of your data via your 1More Music app permissions.

Other good noise-cancelling headphones

If you want a budget pair of noise-cancelling earbuds under $100: 1More’s PistonBuds Pro is an affordable pair of true wireless earbuds that reduce external noises well, fit most ears comfortably, sound clear over phone calls, and reproduce music enjoyably. For under $70, the PistonBuds Pro set packs in a lot of features. We like that this pair has a good hear-through mode and multiple microphones that make voices clear and easy to understand over the phone or via video chat. The included app allows you to choose between standard noise cancellation and a wind-noise-reduction ANC setting that reduces the microphone whoosh that can occur when ANC is enabled on a blustery day. If you aren’t a fan of the sonic profile out of the box, the app provides an array of EQ presets (we were partial to the classical setting). The case and earbuds are both diminutive. The earbud chassis is made of smooth plastic and won’t chafe like larger earbuds, nor does it have a stem that protrudes annoyingly from the ear. Plus, the IPX5 water-resistance rating means that a little rain or snow won’t cause a short.

However, this pair does have some downsides that kept it from being an official pick. The battery life of five hours with ANC enabled (seven and a half with ANC off) means that it can handle short flights but not a full day at work. These earbuds lack any sort of wing or stability assistance, so people with small ears might not feel as though this pair is as secure as others we’ve tested. On the other end of the spectrum, people with very large ears may find that the included tips lack the circumference to fully seal the ear canal. In this instance, you can purchase standard 4 mm XL ear tips to solve the problem, but that adds extra cost. In addition, the PistonBuds Pro design lacks a full suite of controls on the earbuds themselves. The touch-based buttons are only able to toggle between ANC on, ANC off, and hear-through mode, in addition to your choice of two other functions: play/pause, skip/reverse, volume, or digital-assistant activation. Also worth noting is that this pair can connect to just one device at a time, which can be inconvenient when you’re swapping between a laptop and a phone.

If you are an Apple fan who wants true wireless earbuds: The Beats Fit Pro is a good pair of ANC true wireless earbuds, taking all the reasons you might want to own the AirPods Pro—easy Apple pairing and device swapping, touchless “Hey Siri” control, head tracking and spatial audio via Apple Music, and the “Find My” function—and putting it all in a smaller, more secure pair of earbuds with physical button controls. This pair sounds fantastic, with a slightly boosted bass and a good sense of detail in the mids and highs. The transparency mode is excellent, and the earbuds stay put better than many true wireless earbuds, though the winged design may feel snug to sensitive ears. Because this pair fits securely and has an IPX4 water resistance rating, the Fit Pro is good for workouts and runs. But the charging case is larger than we’d like and lacks wireless-charging capabilities.

We were unable to use our normal GRAS testing setup to measure the Fit Pro’s noise cancellation because we couldn’t override the wear sensors that disabled the earbuds as soon as we took them out of our ears. Instead, we set up a perception-based test, comparing the Fit Pro with a pair that we could measure: the 1More True Wireless ANC.

We determined that the Fit Pro’s noise cancellation is very effective in a narrow frequency range. Folks using the active reduction to combat airplane noise should find it useful, but those who want to block out higher pitches like voices or baby cries will find that the Fit Pro is only about as good as any passive earbud. People who are prone to eardrum suck may discover that the ANC on this pair triggers that feeling of unease—and the level of reduction is not adjustable. The 1More set has a smoother transition, so it didn’t cause as much eardrum suck, plus there are two levels of ANC to choose from. As such, we think the Beats Fit Pro isn’t worth the extra money if ANC is your primary objective, but it’s absolutely worth it for Apple fans looking for noise-cancelling earbuds in that ecosystem.

If you work in an open office or from home: We like both the Sony WH-1000XM4 over-ear headphones and their successor, the WH-1000XM5, because they’re great at blocking out voices around you, and they have an adjustable speak-to-chat feature that automatically turns on the awareness mode and pauses your music when you talk—something that can be valuable when you’re answering the door or having a quick chat with officemates. These two headphone pairs are quite similar. Both have Google and Alexa wake-word functionality, a 30-hour battery-life average with quick-charge capabilities, and app-based customizable EQ and listening modes. The most notable differences between the two are the effectiveness of the active noise cancellation, the initial sound quality, and the way the headphones fit and fold up. The noise cancellation on the XM4 does make a useful difference, but it isn’t as intense as that of the Bose NC700. The XM5 improves the ANC, but you can’t adjust the amount, which is a key feature of the Bose pair.

Out of the box, the XM4 pair doesn’t sound great. The XM5 sounds better, but is tuned with too much emphasis in the bass and highs. Both headphones benefit from using the EQ functionality in the app. If you’re willing to put some effort into adjusting the EQ during your initial setup, both the XM4 and XM5 can sound even better than the Bose NC700.

The XM4 coils up into an oval-shaped case, whereas the XM5 simply lays flat. As a result, the XM5’s case is about half an inch thicker, but about 1 to 1.5 inches longer. The XM5’s ear cups are also larger and the headband is slightly longer—great news for folks with larger hat sizes, but it may mean the XM5 isn’t as secure or isolating for people with small craniums.

Although both of these are great headphones, ultimately the Bose NC700 bests the XM4 at active noise cancellation and bests the XM5 in price and value. Although the XM5 definitely is a small step up from its predecessor, the XM4 currently costs around $280, while the XM5 is $400. We don’t think the mild improvements warrant spending that much extra money, but you might feel differently.

If you need earbuds with Google or Alexa wake-word capability: It’s worth discussing Sony’s WF-1000XM4 and LinkBuds S true wireless earbuds together because they share some key features that make each worthy of consideration. Both models provide Google and Alexa wake-word functionality, both are IPX4 water-resistant, and both have beam-forming microphones that make voices sound perfectly clear over phone calls, with wind-noise reduction that is among the most effective we’ve tested. The speak-to-activate awareness mode is incredibly helpful for office workers or parents who need to have brief conversations and don’t have a free hand to tap a button. With some minor tweaks in the EQ, both provide enjoyable sound, though our testing found that the XM4 has more depth, bass-note restraint, and detail than the LinkBuds S.

What differentiates these two models (aside from price) is that the XM4 provides wireless charging and a longer, eight-hour battery life. But its larger design is less comfortable to wear long-term compared with the LinkBuds S’s smaller, more universal earbud shape. The active noise canceling in both models is effective enough to be useful on a plane, though it’s not the best we’ve tested. However, the XM4 has superlative noise isolation, which means this pair will block distracting high-pitched sounds like voices, baby cries, and dog barks better than the LinkBuds S.

The controls on both pairs are limited, which means you’ll need to choose between actions like volume and toggling hear-through modes. Both also use the same Sony app, which we found cumbersome to navigate. Though the app has a lot of nifty features, most of the options (like location-based “scenes”) were wonky in use.

The XM4 didn’t make it to our top picks because the large earbud size is cumbersome to wear. And the lack of included XL tips means people with smaller or larger ears may find these a challenge to wear comfortably. The LinkBuds S earbuds are lightweight and fit very well, but they have middling noise cancellation, isolation, and sound, which makes the original $200 price feel steep. However, if you need Google/Alexa access and want true wireless earbuds that reduce noise, these are both good, albeit somewhat pricey, earbuds.

If you’re willing to pay more to get the absolute best active noise cancellation and a more luxurious design: Apple’s AirPods Max over-ear headphones have a sleek, distinctive look, and their H1 chip pairs to Apple products effortlessly. This pair provides the best noise cancellation in the airplane band that we’ve ever tested, with an average of 29.4 dB. (You can view Brent’s measurements of the AirPods Max here.) However, these headphones don’t work as well as the Sony WH-1000XM4 in blocking higher frequency sounds like baby cries or people talking.

The downside of the Max’s excellent low-frequency noise reduction is that they can lead to eardrum suck, and the Max offers no adjustability in the ANC, aside from on and off. This pressure is compounded by the Max’s heft and snug clamping force. So for folks who like to wear their headphones all day, the added weight and pinch may be a literal pain.

Call quality is excellent, and the multiple microphones reduce wind noise exceptionally well. However, when walking near a busy street, the transparency mode becomes a cacophonous mess, and it isn’t adjustable.

These headphones sound great, creating a decent sense of spatial depth despite the closed-back design. However, the Max does not include a 3.5 mm cable. (You can buy the Lightning-to-analog adapter cable for an additional $35.) For those who are looking to take advantage of Apple Music’s lossless audio or another high-resolution audio service, Apple has said that the AirPods Max are incompatible. However, they are compatible with Dolby Atmos and Apple’s spatial audio—a feature that has potential but we haven’t seen implemented meaningfully just yet.

The case for the AirPods Max is a truly baffling design choice, as it’s more of an earcup slipcover. It doesn't protect the headband, nor will it keep dust and debris out of the earcups, as there are large portholes cut in the case’s bottom. And you can’t simply swap it for an inexpensive third-party case because you need it to put the headphones into low-power standby mode (though refrigerator magnets will work too). This is problematic because, if the battery dies, you can’t listen in wired mode. The AirPods Max must have some charge to function at all, even corded.

One differentiator we did find truly compelling is that the AirPods Max has a replaceable battery. You’ll need to pay Apple $79 for the swap, but we love the idea of more sustainable wireless headphones, especially pricier ones.

If you wear glasses and find that over-ear headphones don’t fit you properly: The Beats Solo Pro on-ear headphones are worth considering. Because of its on-ear design, the Solo Pro pair won’t rest on the arms of your spectacles and pinch your noggin. The fit is very comfortable, and thanks to the inclusion of Apple’s H1 chip, the user experience is intuitive, especially for Apple fans who are already familiar with the AirPods’ pairing process: Unfold the headphones to power them on, and a Solo Pro pop-up appears on your iPhone. The Solo Pro’s transparency mode is helpful for situational awareness when you need to have a conversation, and the result isn’t brash or tinny-sounding as on many other pass-through audio interfaces we’ve tested. Although these headphones aren’t as good at noise cancelling as the Bose 700 pair, the Solo Pro’s adaptive ANC does a respectable job of reducing the most significant airplane hums, so you can enjoy your music at lower volumes. The sound quality in our tests was pretty great, though we did detect extra bass intensity that was a little less refined than we typically prefer.

If you want a good all-purpose pair of over-ear headphones that costs less than the Bose: The Jabra Elite 85h is the top pick in our best Bluetooth wireless headphones guide. This over-ear pair may not have the best active noise cancellation, but otherwise it delivers everything you could want in a pair of Bluetooth headphones.

Sustainability and environmental impact

Many Wirecutter readers are concerned about the environmental impact of the products we recommend. Whether it’s shipping, packaging, manufacturing practices, longevity, or waste created at the end of a product’s life cycle, we take all of this seriously. To help you better consider your options, Wirecutter is looking into the overall environmental impact of all of our picks.

We’ve discussed the sustainability issues related to wireless earbuds before. Unfortunately, until manufacturers create earbuds with rechargeable batteries that owners can replace, or until third-party companies offer broader refurbishment systems akin to the AirPods-specific program Swap Club, most wireless earbuds—especially true wireless earbuds—are trash once the batteries die. All of the companies that responded to our question about battery life said their devices have about 500 charge cycles before they start to lose capacity. As a result, how often you use your headphones will determine how frequently you need to replace them.

Of all the headphone options, wired models are the most sustainable. Earbuds and headphones that work with a cable have lifespans that extend beyond the life of the battery. Although a dead battery means power-based features like voice control and active noise cancellation will cease to function, at least the headphones themselves can still be useful. Corded listening is more common in over-ear headphones like the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 than in earbuds.

Bose, Jabra, and Sony have stated that they are using less packaging that’s more recyclable, and 1More claims that the majority of the materials it uses in making its headphones are recyclable. However, none of these companies offer refurbishment or recycling programs for the headphones themselves.

Before you give up on a pair of headphones that seems to be on the fritz, there are a few things you can try to eke out a longer lifespan. Proper care and cleaning of earbuds can address some sound-related issues. Replacement earpads, like these from Bose, can refresh a pair of over-ear headphones. And when it really is the end of the road for your headphones, we recommend taking your expired devices to a local electronics recycler or to Best Buy for safer disposal.

What to look forward to

Apple announced the updated AirPods Pro (2nd generation) earbuds, which will have six hours of battery life, an IPX4 water-resistance rating, “2x the active noise cancellation,” an adaptive transparency mode, and personalized spatial audio. Apple also added volume controls to the stems, a long-requested feature, and changed the case so that you can charge it using an Apple Watch cable (in addition to the MagSafe charging dock and lightning cable). You can read our initial reaction to the announcement in this article. Regarding the noise reduction claim, “2x” could mean 10 dB loudness in one range, double the frequency ranges covered, or perhaps an overall average reduction that is the numerical double of the current amount of reduction (which would be dang impressive). We won’t know until we test the new $250 earbuds, which we plan to do as soon as we get our hands on a pair.

Bose introduced the Quiet Comfort Earbuds II, the company’s latest true wireless, noise-cancelling earbuds. Bose says that the QC Earbuds II will use a tone-based system to measure the acoustics of your ear canal every time you put them on, and adjust the active noise cancellation and EQ to meet the needs of your ear. It’s an interesting idea, but we’ll need to test to see how that actually works in practice. The stated six hours of battery life is a touch disappointing, especially considering the size of the earbuds. While Bose has reduced the size from this pair’s predecessor, the chassis is still larger than a good deal of the competition. That said, Bose does include three pairs each of stability rings and tips to help keep the earbuds in place. The IPX4 water-resistance rating means that the QC Earbuds II can handle occasional sweat and rain. At $300, the Quiet Comfort Earbuds II isn’t cheap. We are testing this new pair now and will report back on whether it’s worth the cost.

Google’s Pixel Buds Pro earbuds are colorful, button-shaped true wireless earbuds that feature ANC, spatial audio, dual-device connectivity, transparency mode, and always listening “OK Google” capabilities (on Google devices). The earbuds themselves are IPX4 water resistant, and the case is rated IPX2. The battery life of 11 hours of listening time (up to seven hours with ANC turned on) is impressive for true wireless earbuds. Google says the Volume EQ feature adjusts the tuning as you turn the volume up or down so that the sound stays balanced. The Pixel Buds Pro is available now for $200, and we’re currently testing a pair.

House of Marley’s Redemption ANC 2 is a true wireless noise-cancelling pair that features six hours of play time per charge, IPX5 water resistance, and an awareness mode. But the main differentiating characteristic of this pair is that it is made with a combination of bamboo and recycled materials and ships in plastic-free 100% recyclable packaging. The Redemption ANC 2 is $170, and we’ll include our thoughts here once we’ve tested.

The competition

We’ve tested way too many noise-cancelling headphones to list them all here. Below are comments about some of the most recent and notable competitors; if you’re curious about a model we haven’t listed, drop us a note in the comments section, and we’ll post the information if we have it. To make the list easier to browse, we’ve split it into headphones and earbuds.

Over- or on-ear headphones

Here are the pairs from our most recent rounds of testing, in summer 2022:

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2: The Px7 S2 over-ear headphones are lightweight and comfortable to wear, and they have an undeniably luxurious aesthetic. If you’re a fan of a sound profile that’s slightly bass-forward, you’ll like the way this pair sounds with the ANC activated. However, these headphones lose some bass presence when you turn the ANC off, and the app doesn’t allow for EQ adjustments to address the issue. Also, the active noise cancellation is exceptionally directional. Even a tip of the head a few inches will change how much noise is reduced—especially if the source of the sound is located on one side of your body, like an air-conditioner unit or traffic noise from the street as you walk along the sidewalk. This may not bother you much if optimal noise cancellation isn’t your priority. However, given the $400 original price, we were hoping for consistently excellent performance to match the stellar looks.

Cleer Alpha: For business travelers, this pair has a lot of nice features, including easy-to-use controls, specialized airplane plug accessories, and quite good active noise cancellation, especially in the airplane noise range. However, the physical sound isolation wasn’t quite as effective in our tests. The sound quality wasn’t our favorite, with a dip somewhere in the mid-frequency range that we couldn’t tweak with the app-based EQ. We also weren’t fans of the artificial-sounding Dirac spatial filter, which added a reverb-like quality to vocals, made the bass more boomy, and added an incongruous tightness to the highs.

The Haymaker HM100: With the ANC on, this pair had an exciting sound matching that of the Bose 700 and Sony WH-1000XM4. However, in wired mode, the sound profile lacked bass, and via Bluetooth, with ANC off, the lows were bloated and the highs were coarse in a way that audio fans would find absolutely unlistenable. Sadly, the ANC isn’t exceptional, either, and the headphones are heavy, so some people might not be able to wear them as long as they would a lighter option like one of our picks.

Mark Levinson No. 5909: At $1,000, this pair is the most expensive set of ANC headphones we’ve tested. As such, we held the 5909 to a high standard. The 5909 is lightweight, and we appreciated the thoughtful extras included, such as fabric-wrapped cables. The ANC was decent in our tests, reducing airplane noise by 20.4 decibels at the max setting. However, we wish the physical sound isolation were better: The 5909 let in more high-frequency sounds like voices than the less-expensive Bose 700. Our panel also concluded that the sonic profile leaned to the bright side, with especially noticeable peaks in the 2 to 3 kHz and 8 to 10 kHz ranges. Although some folks prefer that kind of sound, our panel said it negatively impacted the sense of space and eventually became fatiguing.

Monolith by Monoprice M1000ANC: We liked this pair’s soft memory-foam earpads and surprisingly natural hear-through mode. However, the ANC was less effective than that of our budget pick, the Soundcore Life Q20. Out of the box, the sound quality was pretty good—slightly flat but not offensive. The Dirac filter attempts to create a sense of artificial space, but we found the effect off-putting, as precise sounds in the center channel ended up doubled, or ping-ponging right to left. Though the filter also increased the loudness of the lows and highs to make the sound more exciting, we were so thrown by phase trickery that we couldn’t appreciate the boosts. At this pair’s original $130 price, we didn’t think its performance made it worth the extra cash over our budget pick.

PSB M4U 8 MKII: This pair’s sound quality in wireless mode was above average, especially the low end. The M4U 8 MKII provided bass oomph without blurring, muddying, or overpowering any other frequencies. However, the highs had a somewhat icy edge when the ANC was turned on, and in corded mode, the sound quality was boxy, dull, and on a par with that of $100 headphones. Also, the ANC seemed to reduce sound unevenly, creating an almost doughnut-hole effect to the noises around us. If this pair weren’t priced at $500, we might be more forgiving. But for ANC, we’d stick with the Bose 700 pair, and for audio fans, the Sony WH-1000XM4 costs less, has more-even noise cancellation, and (once you apply EQ) offers better mids and high performance than this PSB set.

Shure Aonic 40: The ANC performance on this pair was mild. Out of the box, the bass lacked definition, so music sounded blurry and smeared. The app-based EQ is rather deft if you know what frequencies you want to adjust, and with it, we were able to get a pleasant sound profile. However, the sound is different with ANC on versus off, and you have no way to save multiple EQ profiles. As a result, you’ll either need to stick with one option or readjust the sound profile every time you switch ANC on or off.

Technics EAH-A800: This over-ear pair is capable of good performance, but getting there requires effort. In our tests, out of the box, the sound quality was marred by a pronounced boost in the upper-lows that made acoustic guitar sound overly resonant and caused male vocals to get lost in tracks with heavy basslines. Though none of the app-based EQ presets could address the balance effectively, we were able to dial in the manual EQ to create a sound that we found enjoyable—but because the sound quality varies based on whether the ANC is turned on or off, you need to readjust it for each setting. The dual hybrid noise cancellation significantly reduces the volume of airplane noise, but the physical sound isolation is less effective at blocking mid- and high-frequency sounds like voices or traffic. The effect is exacerbated if you have a smaller head, as the larger earcups can gap and allow in more outside noise. For phone calls in our tests, the eight-microphone array did an excellent job of preventing background noise like traffic or air conditioners from interrupting the conversation, but it caused our voices to sound more compressed. Lastly, the control buttons are small and tricky to use by feel, especially for people with larger fingers.

We tested these over-ear headphones for previous updates:

Ausounds AU-XT ANC: This pair was a great disappointment. The build quality, sound, and middling ANC seem more appropriate for headphones that cost well under $100, rather than the original $200 asking price. The ANC has a slight hiss to it, the hinges on the headband creak and crack like cheap plastic, and the sound has recessed mids and harsh, sizzling highs that bury male vocals and shoot snare hits and consonants at you like daggers.

Avantree Aria Me: The Aria Me has a lot of features that could be useful for the office or gaming. This pair comes with a charging stand to store the headphones on your desk or by the TV, and it has a removable boom mic. The hearing-test-based sound-adjustment feature isn’t the most accurate we’ve tried, but it could be helpful, provided you aren’t listening at unsafe volume levels. The noise cancellation is very mild, so it’s not really meeting the key criteria of this guide. Additionally, the build quality, while not overtly fragile, feels a tad creaky, and the app requires you to register before using it—so folks concerned with privacy issues may want to use a throwaway name and email address.

Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay HX: Like all B&O headphones, these look fantastic—and it’s the looks you’re paying for with these $500 headphones. Although the sound profile is well-reviewed and adjustable, you can get equal performance from the less-expensive Sony WH-1000XM4. The same also applies to the noise cancellation, which performs well but is not superlative. If cost is no object and you like the looks of the HX, you’ll likely be happy with this pair.

Beats Studio3: Although these headphones remain popular, to our ears (and those of many other reviewers), they sound too bassy and boomy, and their noise cancelling is only average.

Bose QuietComfort 35 Series II: This pair’s noise cancelling ranks among the best available. On top of that, it sounded good in our tests, it’s exceptionally comfortable, and it packs up into a super-slim travel case. A dedicated button accesses Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa, letting you ask questions or send and listen to messages. The downsides: The aggressive noise cancelling produces eardrum suck, a sensation that many people find uncomfortable, and this pair lacks the 11-step ANC adjustment of the Bose 700.

Bose QuietComfort 45: This pair is the update to Bose’s popular QuietComfort 35 Series II. The QC45 offers an awareness mode, background-noise-reducing microphones, 24 hours of battery life, and quick-charge abilities. If you happen to have a Bose soundbar, the QC45 is compatible with SimpleSync, which allows you to pair it to your Bose soundbar and use the QC45 as a set of wireless TV headphones. In our tests the noise cancellation measured nearly identically to that of the more feature-rich Bose 700, as well as that of the QC35 Series II—which is to say, it’s excellent. Even so, you should spend a little more to get the adjustable ANC on the Bose 700.

Bowers & Wilkins PX5: Nice to look at, unpleasant to wear. Our panel found that the headband was too tight. The bass was unfocused, and the highs had a sizzling quality on consonants and cymbal hits.

Bowers & Wilkins PX7: We just didn’t enjoy using this expensive pair. The headband had an uncomfortable, pinching fit even on smaller skulls. The boomy bass veiled details in the bass guitar through the male vocal range.

Cleer Enduro ANC: This pair’s noise cancelling is most effective at very low-frequency sounds, so airplane engine rumble is reduced, but you’ll still hear the upper grinding sounds of the engine whir. The sound quality is a little uneven (the default sound profile is hyped in the lows and highs), but listening to the Enduro ANC is nonetheless quite enjoyable. The app offers EQ adjustment, but the frequency ranges represented on the faders aren’t dexterous enough and are a touch baffling. (Most people can’t hear 20 kHz after infancy, so why is that one of the EQ options?) But the fit is comfortable, the microphone is clear for phone calls, and the $150 price is a solid value. Plus, the 60-hour battery life is great for folks who forget to charge their headphones regularly.

Cleer Flow II: We have nothing overly negative to say about the Flow II. The noise cancellation is middle of the road but effective enough to reduce air-conditioner hum or airplane noise. We found that this pair didn’t produce enough bass, and the earcups could be a bit large for those with smaller heads. If you like a brighter sound profile and prefer less intense ANC, this set is recommendable.

House of Marley Exodus ANC: This pair seemed to have a decent amount of noise cancellation, but with the ANC activated, the bass notes were very boomy. When we turned the ANC off, the low notes had less reverb, but high-pitched sounds such as consonants and strings gained an icy, metallic edge. It’s a pity, as we love the more sustainable materials Marley employs in its designs.

House of Marley Positive Vibration XL ANC: This is a really lovely pair of Bluetooth headphones, but a mediocre pair of noise-cancelling headphones. The fit is comfortable, with a soft, padded headband and ear cups. Unlike most new Bluetoooth headphones, this pair includes a cable with a single-button remote and microphone; so, if the battery dies, the XL ANC is still functional and can take calls. Should eco-friendly practices be of importance to you, House of Marley has a more environmentally minded business plan than many other electronics companies. However, the noise cancellation, though effective on very low frequencies, isn’t supported by good sound isolation, so folks who are affected by eardrum suck may find using the ANC uncomfortable. With ANC off, the sound is fantastic—balanced and clear. However, the ANC negatively impacts the sound response, and bass notes sound louder yet duller at the same time, as though someone turned up a subwoofer and tossed a blanket over it.

JBL Club One: The noise cancelling on the Club One is better than average at reducing lower frequencies, and the “silent now” feature that disables the auto shutoff and allows you to use the ANC without music is a nice touch. The microphones are clear over calls, even in mildly windy conditions. We also like that this pair comes with two cables—one coiled and one with a single-button remote—which is handy for folks looking for a pair of headphones that can go from a sound booth to a commute. However, professionals won’t want to use this pair for mixing. The Club One has a hearing-test-based tuning feature in the JBL app, but we found that the sound profile we received was too bass-forward, a touch blurry in the upper lows and mids, and lacking clarity in the highs. With manual EQ, we were able to find something we liked well enough, but your personal sound profile is only accessible via Bluetooth. Additionally, the headband could use some additional padding because the somewhat weighter build of the Club One pressed on our panelists’ heads in a way that would be fatiguing and possibly headache-inducing over the course of a long mix session or work day.

JBL Tour One: The adaptive noise cancelling feels a little like a work in progress here. There clearly are ANC adjustments occurring as the sounds around you change, but the effect can be off-putting. For example, if there is an air conditioner on your left, the left earcup suddenly blocks more noise than the right one, which feels similar to having a cold and one of your ears is clogged. Fortunately, this feature can be turned off, and the standard ANC performs consistently and usefully. The sound is pleasantly balanced and adjustable in the JBL app. Google and Alexa users will be happy that there is a dedicated button to call up their respective assistants, though this button doesn’t serve Apple users; Siri devotees need to use the multifunction button instead. The combination of touch and physical buttons works well enough, though the volume buttons are very close together and may take some practice to learn to find by touch alone. Overall the Tour One is flawed enough to keep it from being a pick, but it’s still a good pair of headphones.

JBL Live 650BTNC: This pair dropped out of the running for a spot in our picks lineup for several reasons—its active noise cancellation wasn’t as effective as that of the Bose NC700, it didn’t sound as good as the Jabra Elite 85h, and it’s not as inexpensive as the Anker Soundcore Life Q20. But if you want something that fits in between the Life Q20 and the Elite 85h in performance and price, this set fits the bill. In our tests, the sound was pleasant (balanced but lacking the clarity and low-end definition of pricier models), the ANC was passable, and the fit was comfortable. The included cable has a remote and mic, which is rare. Plus you can customize the look on the JBL website, which is fun. These headphones are highly recommendable, especially for the price.

JLab Studio ANC: While the noise cancellation on this pair isn’t superlative, it does reduce enough noise to be mildly useful in a plane. The controls are easy to use, and the battery life is decent at 28 hours with ANC on. In our tests, the sound quality was fine: It was a little on the bass-heavy side but not objectionable. What we don’t love is that the earcups don’t swivel, so the pads can sit a little awkwardly on the ears, and the set has no hear-through option for conversations. That said, if you need an on-ear design to be comfortable and want a budget option, these headphones might be a good fit for you.

Marshall Monitor II A.N.C.: The noise cancellation on this headphone pair was similar to what we got from the Jabra Elite 85h, averaging around 14.1 dB, which is a useful amount but not the best we’ve seen in our tests. Although the collapsible design is nice, the clamping force was a little much for us—even on Lauren’s smaller noggin, the Monitor II A.N.C. became uncomfortable to wear after about 15 minutes. The signature Marshall sound was on the warmer side; Brent enjoyed it, but our other panelists wanted a smidgen more detail in the high end. The hear-through mode muffled the sound, so using it for conversations was difficult.

Master & Dynamic MW65: If you don’t mind paying a higher price, the MW65 is a decent choice. The problem is that the design is the only way in which these headphones are superlative. The ANC was middling, we found them a little heavy to wear, they didn’t seal out external sounds too well, and the sound, while quite nice, was a bit unnaturally boosted in the lows and highs. If these headphones weren’t $500, we could overlook all of those concerns, but at that price, we want something closer to perfection.

Panasonic RB-M700B: This pair offers haptic bass response that causes you to feel the bass physically through little vibrations. It’s fun, but the noise cancelling isn’t extremely effective. Plus the headband is made of metal that resonates, so every time you bump it or pause your music, you’ll hear it ringing like a tuning fork.

Phiaton 900 Legacy: Though the looks are sleek, the fit comfortable, and the active noise cancelling decently effective, there is a baffling jagged quality to the sonic tuning in the high-frequency ranges of this pair. The spikes add emphasis to any air-hiss noise in recordings and give cymbals and strings a tinny, sizzling quality that’s harsh and off putting. The volume controls cause large jumps in loudness; it takes about six swipes to go from silent to top volume, so any in-between adjustment must be done on your device. The microphone is clear for calls and seems to handle a light breeze well, but overall, we were very disappointed in this pair’s audio performance.

Philips Fidelio L3: These headphones run on the larger side, so folks with smaller heads may have a tough time getting the earcups to sit on their head without gapping. In our tests the sound quality was quite good for music, but the ANC was middle-of-the-road, the hear-through mode was overly sibilant and not ideal for longer conversations, and the touch controls were prone to misfires.

Philips H9505: This pair sounded dull out of the box. The EQ presets in the app could help to add clarity to the vocal range, but no matter what we did, the bass notes lacked definition, much like a paint thinned by too much water. The noise cancellation was quite effective when we were facing the cause of the sound (for example, an air conditioner) but less so when the noise was coming from the sides. The hear-through mode was helpful for short-term use but sounded as if we were listening to the world through a paper-towel tube.

Puro PuroPro: We love that the PuroPro offers volume limiting similar to what you get with the company’s kids headphones, which will ensure that you don’t push your loudness into ranges that are unsafe for your hearing health. The noise cancelling is mild but useful, and the sound quality is fine, but not the best. There is a lack of crispness to the high frequencies that makes cymbals sound unnatural, and a boost in the upper mids that makes female voices sound like they have a bit of a cold. None of these are terrible flaws, but it was enough to keep this pair from being a pick.

Raycon Everyday Headphones: These perform acceptably for the price but are unremarkable. The “balanced” sound profile is pleasant to listen to. (The other sound profiles are too bass- or treble-heavy to be useful for most listeners.) The active noise cancellation is middle-of-the-road, but the passive noise isolation is minimal, so you’ll still hear a lot of higher-pitched noises (like voices) from your surroundings. The microphone has a digital distortion quality that isn’t up to par with that of the competition.

Sennheiser Momentum Wireless: Also known casually as the Momentum 3, this pair is the next iteration of the Sennheiser Momentum/HD1 line. This latest version is an improvement, but unfortunately not enough of a shift to maintain competitiveness with the increasing number of new options. The overall design remains the same, with improved padding on the headband. The sound quality also hasn’t changed: In our tests, it produced rolled-off high frequencies and bloated, heightened bass, and everything sounded two-dimensional and somewhat dull in comparison with the sound from other headphones in the $400 price range. The app has an EQ function, but the interface is so amorphous it’s nearly useless. Although the ANC is decently effective, it’s not as powerful or adjustable as on the Bose 700. The auto play/pause and on/off features are nice, and the microphones were clear in our phone calls, but overall these headphones don’t live up to their $400 price tag.

Sennheiser HD 450BT: Sadly, we weren’t impressed by the amount of airplane noise this headphone pair was able to reduce, and our panel found the sound quality to be dull and muddy in the lows and tizzy in the highs. Basslines blurred together, and cymbals and strings sounded unnatural. We tried to use Sennheiser’s app to adjust the sound using EQ, but the app’s adjustments were too broad to be useful for anyone who is looking to tweak the sound in specific places.

Shure Aonic 50: While the look of these headphones is luxurious, we were disappointed to find that the sound quality didn’t live up to the build quality. The audio had a dampened, veiled quality that lacked the sparkle and detail in the highs and the crispness in the attack and decay of the bass that we’d want in $400 headphones. The Shure app allows for EQ tweaks, but you have to play music through the app to get the benefit (which isn’t helpful if you stream your tracks). And the carrying case is absolutely massive, so it’s not ideal when your cargo space is at a premium.

Skullcandy Crusher ANC: Although the active noise cancelling here is effective, Skullcandy tried to jam too many features into this pair, and the sum of their parts is a lackluster experience—coarse highs, overly boomy bass (even with the hearing-based tuning or haptics turned down), and an audible hiss when the set is powered on.

Skullcandy Venue: These headphones had okay noise cancelling, but their sound was thin and piercing.

Sony WH-XB910N: The XB stands for “extra bass,” and wow, does this pair have that. Imagine if you lived in a small, studio apartment and had a subwoofer next to your couch, and then you turned it up loudly enough that your neighbors could hear the thumping. The Sony app can help you adjust the balance, but it’s not nimble enough, which leaves you with the choice of too much or too little low-note emphasis. In our tests, the noise cancellation was above average, and the hear-through mode was quite good. But seriously, consider these headphones only if you like a ton of bass.

Soundcore Life Q20+: These headphones are the same as our budget pick, the Q20 set, with the added convenience of app-based adjustable EQ and hear-through capabilities for a bit more cash. If those add-ons appeal to you, this pair is just as good as the original.

Soundcore Life Q30: If the Soundcore Life Q20 weren’t available, this set might be our budget pick. This pair cancels noise just as well as—and sounds just as good as—the Q20. The biggest differentiator is the Q30’s included app, which offers EQ adjustment, toggling between the three levels of ANC via a widget (for iPhone users), pairing via NFC (for Android users), and adjustable relaxing/focus soundscapes. However, this pair has smaller controls that are harder to use, especially for folks with larger fingers, and the Q30 costs more than the Q20, so unless you really want the bonus features, you can stick with our budget pick.

Soundcore Life Q35: If the Soundcore Life Q30 is a small step up from our budget pick, then the Life Q35 is a small step up from the Life Q30. Each version adds a few more features and somewhat better sound, but also increases the price. The Q35 lacks much in the way of physical sound isolation, so this pair struggles to combat sounds in the human vocal range. The active noise cancelling is able to reduce airplane and traffic noise rather well, however. The microphones reduce background noise impressively for the price: Although the compression means your voice might sound a little less full-bodied, your callers won’t hear as much keyboard clicking or wind whooshes. Out of the box and via the included cable, the Life Q35 sounds bass heavy and muddy. With the app’s EQ we were able to get more clarity in the highs and reduce the boominess in the upper lows. For the original $130 asking price the Q35 provides a few more digital bells and whistles than the $80 Q30, but if you are looking for affordable ANC, we’d stick to our budget pick or one of the options in Other good noise-cancelling headphones.

Tribit Quiet Plus 72: This pair is affordable, and the noise cancellation is rather effective. The sound quality isn’t objectionable, but it isn’t balanced, with somewhat bloated lows and shushing highs. This might be forgivable for the price, but the build quality is also lacking. The headband is too long and positioned the ear cups too low on most of the panel’s faces, and the hinges snap loudly and disconcertingly when you fold and unfold the headphones. Additionally, the microphone picks up a lot of background noise on calls.

Urbanista Los Angeles: This is the first pair of solar-powered headphones that we’ve tested. We were excited about the idea of potentially infinite battery life, and we hoped that we would love the experience of using this set. Unfortunately, this pair had such tight headband clamping force, in combination with shallow earcups, that wearing it was deeply uncomfortable after only a short time, even for folks with small heads. We were disappointed, but we are encouraged by the technology. We hope to see more (comfortable) solar-powered pairs moving forward.

Urbanista Miami: We appreciate this pair’s trendy look and fun colors, and the ANC was sufficiently effective on airplane noise to be useful. But the ear cups are shallow and folded in on our outer ears a bit, which could prove uncomfortable for folks with ears that stick out. The headband’s tight clamping force also pinched the noggins of our testers with larger hat sizes. Performance-wise, the bass is so blobby and loud in the mix, you’ll feel like you’re sitting next to a subwoofer in a way that made male vocals hard to distinguish.

V-Moda M-200 ANC: As with all things V-Moda, the M-200 ANC headphones are made of metal parts and feel solidly built, and they feature optional ornamental shield customization. But that style comes at a hefty price, as these start at $500. The noise cancellation is quite good, and the intensity is adjustable via the V-Moda app—but the fit will affect your experience here. The headband was a touch long for Lauren’s face, so the earcups were slightly lower than optimal, which made the ANC less effective. This should only be a problem for those with small heads. We heard a jagged boost in the sound that caused vocals to be too forward in the mix, which both John and Lauren thought made singers sound strained or shouty. Though this may be fixable through the V-Moda app’s EQ settings, at the time of our review the app was buggy and on our iPhone 12 frequently crashed or got hung up on a spinning loading wheel. Parents will also want to use caution as the M-200 headphones get incredibly loud at max volume.

Wyze Noise Cancelling Headphones: Folks who value their privacy will be put off by the fact that you must create an email-verified account to use the app. And the app is required to access many bonus features, like choosing between low and high ANC levels as well as EQ adjustment. Out of the box the bass is dull; you can increase low-end loudness via the app’s EQ, but the controls are broad and heavy-handed—so adding more bass also muddies male vocals and bass guitar. The noise cancellation is noticeable but largely unimpressive. For 50 bucks, you could do worse, but we far prefer our picks.

Yamaha YH-L700A: This pair was a disappointment. The noise cancellation noticeably reduced very low frequencies but was less than superlative overall. The L700A’s sound quality consisted of dull, thudding lows with an overemphasized spike in the highs that made stringed instruments sound as if they were recorded improperly. The 3D audio setting only made matters worse by making everything sound as if it had been recorded in a reverb-heavy metal box. And due to the large headband and earcups, folks with small hat sizes won’t even be able to get the earcups to center over their ears.

Earbuds

Here are the pairs from our most recent rounds of testing, in summer 2022:

1More ComfoBuds Mini: We liked this pair’s diminutive size and natural-sounding transparency mode, but we weren’t happy with the sound, even when we used 1More’s SoundID system to adjust the sound to our preferences. We wished we could split the difference between the bass-bloated standard audio mode and the SoundID mode, which produced recessed male vocals. We also weren’t thrilled with the limited controls and muffled sound of the microphone during calls.

1More EVO: The ANC was middling, and this pair had limited physical sound isolation. Out of the box, the bass had a mushy quality that was exacerbated when the ANC was on. The EVO uses the SoundID system to adjust the sound to your preferences; despite our best attempts, we never were able to get the tuning we wanted. This pair also lacks the ability to control volume or tracks.

Adidas Z.N.E. 01 ANC: Though this pair sounded quite good, the ANC wasn’t very effective and the tap controls were prone to miscommunication. In addition, the lengths of the stems and sound tubes don’t allow for each earbud to seat deeply in the ear canal, so many folks may find it impossible to get a secure fit.

Cleer Roam NC: Sadly, we weren’t fans of this affordable pair. The shape was difficult to keep in place; small ears especially struggled. Mild ANC and sizzly sound that wasn’t adjustable through the app’s EQ kept this set from being a recommendation.

Denon AH-C830NCW: The ANC wasn’t the strongest attribute of this pair, as we found the effects to be mild. We enjoyed the mid- and low-frequency musical reproduction, but the highs had several distinct peaks that created a sizzly quality to recordings. Our voices sounded clear but somewhat distant on calls, so we couldn’t use these earbuds to take a call in a place where it was necessary to speak in hushed tones (like a waiting room or a quiet office.)

Dirac Sudio E2: This pair was a total miss. The sound out of the box was bizarre, with a narrow range of bass boosted in a way that meant descending basslines seemed to diminish in volume as they dropped in pitch. When we turned on the Dirac spatial processing, we found the result to be heavy-handed and vaguely incongruous, like riding a 3D amusement-park ride whose effects are slightly out of alignment—for instance, finger snaps that were mixed to be directly in the center kept ping-ponging from one side to another. We admire folks trying something new, but this wasn’t what we hoped it would be.

Earfun Air Pro SV: This pair’s ANC was quite effective, but the physical sound isolation was lacking. Out of the box the sound was especially bass heavy, and this pair benefited from some liberal adjustments in the app-based EQ. Though we wouldn’t describe the balance we achieved as ideal, it was pleasant enough. What definitely impressed us was the noise-reduction microphone processing, which did a wonderful job of identifying when we were speaking and shutting the mic off when we stopped talking, a feature that can be helpful for reducing street noise. However, your caller can still hear background sounds when you are speaking, so the effect is somewhat like listening to segments of cut-up audio. Though the cut-hole case design looks nifty, we question how well it can protect these earbuds from lint or crumbs in a bag or pocket.

Grell TWS 1: Out of the box, this pair had a flatter, more traditional “audiophile” sound, in which bass frequencies were less emphasized. What we didn’t prefer was the harshness on the high end, which occasionally sounded distorted. We attempted to use SoundID to see the effects, which had mixed success. Brent Butterworth measured the TWS 1 for Soundstage Experience, if you’re curious to see what we heard in more visual terms. People with very large ear canals may have a tough time getting a seal with this pair. Additionally, we had stuttering connectivity, which also affected our ability to update the firmware on our test pair.

Jabra Elite 7 Pro and Elite 7 Active: Both pairs were particularly comfortable on a broad range of ear shapes, the sound quality was great with a little EQ adjustment, and the microphones were clear for phone calls, especially for those with a deeper-pitched voice. (We noticed that high-pitched voices could sound harsh, which may have been due to the microphone sensitivity or the background-noise-reduction software.) When we initially reviewed these headphones, we had some concerns about their spotty connectivity and ANC effectiveness. After a recent firmware update, we retested them to see if the changes resulted in better performance, and the update seemed to address the stutters and dropped calls that had given us pause during our first round of testing. As with many Bluetooth headphones, dual-device connectivity can still cause some hiccups, especially when you’re using these earbuds for app-based video meetings such as in Zoom, Google Meet, or Microsoft Teams. You can resolve many of the issues if you adjust the settings in those apps, but it’s nonetheless frustrating and worth mentioning. The noise cancellation, though mildly improved after the firmware update, was still less than we’d hoped. The 1More true wireless pair still performs a few decibels better and generally costs less. If active noise cancellation is your primary concern, these headphones are not for you.

Lypertek PurePlay Z5: Although the Z5 isn’t quite as superb as our top picks, it’s still a solid pair of earbuds. The ANC was effective, on a par with that of the Beats Fit Pro. We appreciated the wide array of ear-tip shapes and sizes that were included in the box. Although the bass was a bit more forward and the highs were a touch coarse compared with what we heard from our top options, we recognize that many people may not find such results objectionable. Our biggest concern was the very sensitive touch controls, which could easily miss a tap especially if the wearer had long hair in the way.

Mobvoi Earbuds ANC: This pair has a unusual voice-activation system that essentially serves as an always-listening trigger for your device’s own voice assistant. The “Hey Tico” functionality works seamlessly. Seeing as devices that respond to “Hey Google,” “Hey Siri,” or “Hi Bixby” can cost twice as much as these Mobvoi headphones, this feature could be very helpful for folks who want hands-free digital-assistant activation on a budget. However, there are a few caveats. The noise cancellation is minimal, the touch controls offer limited functionality, the ear tips aren’t as secure as we’d like, and the sound tubes (the pipe-like section that the ear tips secure to) don’t extend far out enough from the widest part of the chassis for larger or deeper ear canals to get a complete seal.

Monster DNA Fit: The eyeglass-sized case is large and unwieldy. When we tried to download the app, the Monster site said it was unavailable. The noise cancellation was barely effective. When music played, the bass was so formless and blurry, we had difficulty telling when individual notes actually hit. But we did appreciate the inclusion of 22 pairs of ear tips.

Motorola Buds S ANC: This pair offered middle-of-the-road performance in all aspects. The noise cancellation took the edge off but wasn’t astounding. Music playback lacked low-frequency support, which could make hip-hop, pop, and electronic music sound like it’s lacking some oomph. The tap controls didn’t always register double-taps, and as a result we frequently made music play when we meant to toggle the ANC.

Oddict Twig Pro: The appearance of the Twig Pro is its primary appeal. The sound out of the box wasn’t ideal, but with some fiddling of the app-based EQ, we were able to get a mix that we liked. The squeeze-control buttons are a little tricky to find at first, but may get easier to use with practice. The microphones sounded clear for calls. However, we wish that this pair had volume controls, and that the hear-through weren’t quite so hissy-sounding. To us, the performance wasn’t stellar enough to warrant this pair’s $150 asking price, but for fashion-focused folks, its striking looks may be worth the expense.

OnePlus Buds Pro: If you have a OnePlus phone, you may like this pair for the “Hey Melody” functionality. We found the fit to be comfortable. The ANC was quite good, though like many earbuds that lack strong physical sound isolation, this pair still allowed higher-pitched sounds such as clicks and voices to come through. If you need to focus, the app provides multiple white noise sounds that you can preload, such as before a flight. We listened to both the standard sound profile and the one suggested based on the One Plus Audio ID hearing test; both had extra bass, and we wished there were a manual EQ option to split the difference between the two high-frequency profiles. That said, both were pleasant, if not 100% authentic-sounding. The squeeze controls can be a little finicky when you need to triple- or double-squeeze them. Overall, this pair isn’t a favorite of ours, but we can recommend it for OnePlus fans.

OnePlus Buds Z2: A decent pair of earbuds. The noise cancellation was reasonably effective, but the controls were limited and the bass frequencies in music were overemphasized in a way that made male vocals sound recessed. These aren’t massive flaws, but in a competitive field, they’re enough to keep these headphones from being a top pick.

Phiaton BonoBuds: Although the ANC was quite good in our tests, this pair has other flaws. The earbuds, though lightweight, are a bulbous bean shape that would benefit from some extra stabilization to hold them securely in small ears. The entire outer surface of the earbud hosts touch controls, so adjusting the fit or taking the earbuds in and out can trigger music playback and/or ANC. In our tests the musical tuning had quite a lot of low-frequency boost, in a way that sounded as though the bass notes were being played through a massive car subwoofer just outside. It doesn’t lose clarity in the other frequencies, but it has a boomy, distant quality that may not appeal to everyone.

Philips Fidelio T1: The charging case is heavy and unnecessarily large, though it has luxurious details such as a piece of Scottish leather on the lid. It will not fit in a pocket comfortably, unless you wear cargo pants. The earbuds themselves are also quite big, and medium and small ears won’t find them to feel stable. The ANC was unimpressive in our tests, and the microphones picked up the sound of long hair every time the wearer moved their head.

Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3: This true wireless pair doesn’t do anything particularly poorly, but it doesn’t do anything particularly well, either. We appreciated the full suite of touch-based controls, the ANC was effective, and the hear-through mode sounded natural enough to leave on for awareness. The microphones sounded compressed but clear over our test phone calls, but because the Momentum 3 lacks side-tone, you may find yourself fighting the urge to talk too loudly. If you know you’re a fan of Sennheiser’s Momentum tuning, you’ll like the sound. The bass is broadly boosted, giving low notes a quality that fans call immersive but detractors find blurry. While the highs have a few notable spikes that make vocals easier to understand, this pair also adds a whistle-like quality to “s” sounds and a sizzling aspect to snare hits. Though the app has manual EQ, EQ presets, and a sound adjustment test, the adjustments consist of three clunky faders that lack the nuance to make changes in a way that audio fans would find meaningful. The earbuds don’t fit securely enough to handle high-impact movements, and the cube shape is likely to pose a fit issue for small ears. Those with large ears may also want to buy XL third-party tips, as the included tips may not seal large canals. Sennheiser fans may like this pair, but for most other folks, it isn’t compelling enough to merit its original $250 price.

Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro: This pair will fit only diminutive ears; people with medium to large ears will find that the tiny earbuds don’t get enough purchase to stay put. This loose fit is exacerbated by the squeeze controls, which cause you to dislodge the earbuds every time you try to play or pause your music. If this pair does fit you, it can produce pretty good sound, with a balanced profile that isn’t exciting but also isn’t boomy or overly sibilant. The noise cancellation seemed to reduce some low-frequency noises in our tests, but it didn’t wow us, and it isn’t effective if you can’t get a proper ear-tip seal.

We tested these earbuds for previous updates:

1More ColorBuds 2: These true wireless earbuds add noise cancellation to the original ColorBuds. They are small and should fit most ears, and we like the tiny charging case. However, the only controls are play/pause and call answer/end. The sound profile was just okay in our tests, as the high frequencies had a sibilant edge and could have used some lower-end oomph to balance them out.

1More ComfoBuds Pro: These earbuds cancel noise very well and sound great, but they don’t have any track controls other than play/pause, and they don’t power down without the case. Folks who prioritize ANC and sound quality might be willing to forgo some of the features and niceties of 1More’s True Wireless ANC earbuds and get these instead. But we think that, for everyday use, you may want to spend more to get more.

Amazon Echo Buds (2nd Gen): The biggest benefit of the second-generation Echo Buds is the ability to access Alexa hands-free. If you are a diehard Amazon fan, there are no other earbuds offering this feature, so the Echo Buds (2nd Gen) is your only (and a totally acceptable) choice. However, the Echo-specific benefits like Echo device drop-ins, voice product ordering, Amazon Prime Music, and so forth are accessible via the Alexa app in your phone, regardless of what earbuds you choose. When evaluated sans Alexa, the Echo Buds (2nd Gen) is an above average pair of earbuds with only average noise cancellation. Despite the stabilizing wings and four pairs of tips, the buds themselves might be a little large for smaller ears. The controls are limited, and the five-hour battery life is middling.

Apple AirPods Pro (1st generation): These earbuds represent a major step up over the basic AirPods in both sound quality and versatility. Although the AirPods Pro earbuds are good for Apple fans, they may not be worth the price for everyone else. We found that the active noise cancellation was decent, with an average of 8 dB in reduction, but that result isn’t as good as the less-expensive 1More True Wireless ANC’s average reduction of 18.2 dB, and the AirPods Pro may cause “eardrum suck” for some people. With a battery life of four and a half hours, they won’t last through a cross-country flight or a full workday without a charging break. Additionally, they don’t work with a cable, so you can’t use them with in-flight entertainment that requires a cord. While we like that Apple did away with the tap-based controls, the squeeze controls are fiddly (we often played or paused when we wanted to skip tracks) and still lack volume controls. In the end, we don’t dislike the AirPods Pro; we just like using other earbuds a little better.

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC300TW: This true wireless pair does a decent job of reducing noise. However, despite the inclusion of four sizes of silicone tips and one pair of Comply tips, the larger earbud chassis shape and a lack of stabilizing wings may make it more challenging for people with petite ears to get a good fit. The buttons are easy to use for track and volume control, though we couldn’t suss out how to activate a digital assistant and saw no mention of it in the manual. As for sound quality, the forward bass and spiked treble made drums sound unnatural, as though the impact and resonant aspects were disconnected. On top of that, for sensitive listeners, consonants could become fatiguing over longer listening sessions.

Ausounds AU-Flex ANC: If you like a brighter sound profile, the AU-Flex earbuds are a great introductory effort from a newer company. They’re best suited to high-end audio fans looking for a more convenient commuter design. But the ANC was only mild in our tests, and we’d like a little more bass foundation. Brent, in his review for SoundStage Solo, came to the same conclusion.

Ausounds AU-Frequency ANC: The ANC is less than effective, and the sound quality makes bass notes sound odd—like you’re listening to a band in front of a parking garage, and only the subwoofer is in the garage itself, so the bass notes are blobby and echoed and everything else is clear.

Ausounds AU-Stream Hybrid: We loved the petite charging case, which would fit in a jeans key pocket. For our panel, the earbuds were comfortable but on the larger side, so people with smaller ears will likely want to look elsewhere. The tap-based controls can get annoying if you have to use them frequently. The sound quality was by no means objectionable, but the highs had a shushing quality, and snares, strings, and cymbal hits sounded a bit unnatural. Interestingly, the hear-through mode seemed to have a volume limiter, so sudden sounds caused the loudness to dip. This seems like a good idea—unless you need to have a conversation with someone and a car passes by every few seconds. Overall these earbuds are still decent, but they don’t quite reach the level of our picks.

Beats Studio Buds: These earbuds have a diminutive size that will fit most ears well, though this pair lacks fit-stabilizing wings or hooks, so folks with very small ear canals may find that these feel less stable than a pair with added support. While the IPX4 water-resistance rating means the Studio Buds can travel with you to the gym, they might not stay put for very dynamic workouts. The sonic profile of the Studio Buds is the characteristic hyped Beats sound (with extra emphasis in the highs and lows that can make consonants and basslines pop a touch more forcefully in the mix), which many people will find exciting, especially for hip-hop and electronic pop. The Studio Buds offer better-than-average active noise cancellation that is useful for reducing air conditioner or airplane sound, but doesn’t rival that of the 1More True Wireless or the over-ear AirPods Max. The control buttons are well designed—they are generally easy to find by feel and press without painfully mashing the earbuds into your ear canal. But they lack volume control. Unlike other Beats headphones, the Studio Buds are compatible with Android one-touch pairing, in addition to pairing to Apple mobile devices with ease, and can support the assistants for both mobile operating systems—but this also means there is no “always listening” Siri. The microphone quality is perfectly acceptable, but lacks some detail and wind resistance. Though the Studio Buds support Apple Music’s Dolby Spatial Audio, they do not offer head-tracking features. If you’re looking for the Beats true wireless experience for under $200, the Studio Buds are sure to make you happy.

Bose QuietComfort 20: Available in either an Apple-friendly or Android-friendly version, this wired pair offers the some of the best noise cancelling we’ve measured from any in-ear headphones (without producing the eardrum suck that you might experience with the over-ear QuietComfort 35 Series II). These headphones are great for frequent flyers who primarily use in-flight entertainment and devices with headphone jacks. However, the QC20 doesn’t sound quite as good as our other earbud picks, nor does it have wireless capabilities, so you’d need an adapter for mobile devices lacking a headphone jack.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds: Despite their significantly larger-than-normal earbud size, the QC Earbuds fit very comfortably. The sound quality is very good, too; if you’re familiar with the signature Bose sound, this pair won’t disappoint. However, wearing this pair is an unusual experience. The noise cancellation is exceptional between 150 and 200 Hz, but it’s only average in every other frequency range. That means one specific part of airplane noise will be almost completely cut out, like a donut hole of quiet surrounded by muffed noise. The 1More True Wireless ANC earbuds (which cost around $100 less) reduce noise as well as or better than the QC Earbuds with other frequencies. Plus, the Bose charging case is the size of a guest-bathroom bar of soap—definitely not pocket size. There are no volume controls, and the hear-through feature is activated by removing one earbud, which in our opinion defeats the point. All in all, this pair had too many flaws and odd design choices for us to overlook.

Bowers & Wilkins PI5 and PI7: These true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds are similar. Both look elegant and are made of high-quality materials. Both feature aptX, IP56 dust/water resistance, and multiple microphones for clearer phone calls—the PI5 has two in each earbud, and the PI7 has three in each. And both feature the rich, bass-forward sound that B&W is known for. The PI7 has adaptive noise cancellation and a case that doubles as a Bluetooth transmitter—but the audio quality via the case transmitter was poor. The onboard controls are touch-based, have the tendency to misfire, and lack volume capabilities. In order to use the hear-through feature, you need to access the app on your phone, which is more cumbersome than taking an earbud out. We were disappointed that such promising earbuds could be ultimately derailed by poor user-interface choices. Our panelist Brent Butterworth agrees.

Cleer Ally Plus II: These true wireless earbuds feature adaptive ANC that is very effective. However, the sound quality isn’t the most appealing: Low notes are too forward and bloated, while high pitches have a sizzling quality to them. Unfortunately, the app-based EQ doesn’t help adjust the sound in the necessary ways. We also wish the onboard controls weren’t so limited. The 11-hour battery life per charge is impressive, but the solid battery life and good noise-reduction performance aren’t enough to make the Plus II a top pick.

EarFun Air Pro 2: This pair had quite effective ANC, but the earbud shape and long stem made it difficult for our panelists with larger ears to get a seal. The touch controls were a bit fussy, and the dominance of bass in the sound meant that this pair wasn’t an overall favorite.

EarFun Free Pro 2: These true wireless earbuds are great at noise cancelling and are very comfortable, but the overpowering bass and lispy-sounding hear-through mode make this set less successful as earbuds and more successful as noise-reducing earplugs.

Edifier NeoBuds Pro: These started as an Indiegogo campaign, but they can be bought via retail as of August 2021. We liked the large amount of included color-coded tips, which make getting a proper fit a breeze. The case has a Kitt from KnightRider vibe, with a ping-ponging red light. The noise cancellation is excellent: Though this pair doesn’t reduce noise quite as well as our top ANC picks, it does a really good job on sustained, low-pitched sounds. But music playback has a bit too much bass, and the bump extends too far into the upper lows, so there is a reverb-y quality that can’t be EQed out in the app. The microphones are clear on calls, but in windy conditions the signal processing makes your voice bizarrely bass-like. You won’t hear much wind, but your caller may ask why you suddenly sound so weird. And we were sad to see that you can choose only two controls per earbud, which really limits what you can adjust.

Edifier TWS NB2 Pro: These earbuds are a decent choice if you want good active noise cancellation but don’t care about earbud-based controls. Each earbud can have only two assigned controls (so play/pause or track forward or ANC mode), and this pair doesn’t power down without the case. But we did appreciate that you can adjust the touch-control sensitivity in the Edifier app. The sound is boosted in the low frequencies in a way that can muddy male voices, but it has lovely mids and highs on less bass-heavy songs. Our voices sounded clear over phone calls, though the right earbud picked up wind noise in blustery conditions. Also, the textured coating means the stem that extends from the earbuds can transfer some noise if you have long or thick hair that brushes against them, and this can be especially pronounced in hear-through mode.

EnacFire A9: The included tips run small, so folks with larger ear canals may struggle to get a seal. The sonic tuning is bloated in the upper lows, so acoustic guitar sounds like it has reverb on it, yet songs with a deep bassline lose their oomph. The active noise cancellation is useful for airplane rumble, but the isolation is minimal, so you’ll still hear a good bit of other higher-pitched sounds like conversations, cars, etc. Though the touch controls offer track, volume, call, and digital assistant callup, it’s easy to accidentally trigger them when adjusting the earbuds in your ears.

House of Marley Redemption ANC: Although we applaud Marley’s commitment to using more sustainable materials, the Redemption ANC true wireless earbuds were lacking in other areas. The tap-based controls require an uncomfortable amount of force to activate, and they respond inconsistently. Additionally, in our tests the active noise cancellation was extremely minimal, and the overall sound quality was muffled.

Jabra Elite 85t: There is a lot to like about these earbuds. They’re very small and comfortable, with easy-to-use controls. They have adjustable noise cancellation (including variation between each ear), fantastic wind-resistant microphones for clear calls, IPX4 water resistance, a 6-hour battery life, a useful hear-through mode, a very small charging case that’s Qi compatible, and a two-year warranty. However, this pair isn’t as good at reducing noise as the less-expensive 1More True Wireless ANC earbuds, and the included tips run on the smaller side, so Brent (who has larger ear canals) couldn’t get a seal at all. If the tips were a standard shape, we might not call this a dealbreaker, but the sound tube and tips are an unusual oblong shape that may make it difficult to find larger replacement tips.

JBL Reflect Mini NC: The Reflect Mini NC is a great pair of gym headphones, but it does a better job at reducing noise through isolation than via active noise cancellation. So, while these earbuds will muffle the general sounds around you, they won’t do much for airplane noise. If you’re looking for a pair of workout headphones, check out our guide for our thoughts on how the Reflect Mini NC compares to our picks, but if noise cancellation is a priority, these aren’t the earbuds you’re looking for.

JBL Tour Pro+: These earbuds look a little on the large size, but the chassis is contoured in a way that will allow them to fit most ears comfortably. Five pairs of included tips and two stabilizing winglets also help hold the buds in place. An IPX4 rating means a little rain or sweat won’t hurt them. This pair performs excellently all around. Right out of the box the sound is fantastic, with deep bass notes that don’t overwhelm and clear, detailed highs—if it isn’t a Harman curve tuning, it’s darn close. The adaptive noise cancellation isn’t as dramatic as on our top picks, but it is absolutely effective and helpful in reducing airplane noise or air conditioner hum. Pixel users will appreciate the “Hey Google” compatibility. The tap-based controls are less prone to fussiness and less likely to be inadvertently bumped. But you can’t get full controls at once—through the app, you must choose at least one option to be left off. And though the microphones are clear on phone calls and handle wind well, we didn’t notice sidetone, which could be key to avoiding yelling when you’re talking. Those minor flaws were enough to keep these earbuds from being a pick, but if these things aren’t dealbreakers for you, the Pro+ pair is a solid alternative.

JLab Epic Air ANC: This pair fits pretty comfortably and comes with six pairs of ear tips, which should help most folks get a good seal. We were also impressed with the 12-hour battery life. The noise cancellation is successful enough to be useful in reducing air-conditioner or airplane noise, but otherwise the Epic Air ANCs offer a middle-of-the-road experience. The tap-based controls are customizable, but you need to choose three for each ear, which means at least one key control (ANC on/off, volume, track reverse) is excluded. The ambient awareness feature is louder in the left ear, which is distracting during a conversation. Though the EQ can be adjusted in the app, the adjustments are tricky—and the sound quality still has a coarse quality to high frequencies, even after making EQ adjustments.

JLab Epic Executive: We got pretty good noise cancelling from this set, but the sound was a little too soft for our taste, and the microphone sounded quiet and muffled over phone calls.

JLab Epic Air Sport ANC: The overall design felt comfortable to wear, and we like the case’s built-in USB cable. The active noise cancellation is mild, but it cuts down the sound of low hums like that of an air conditioner. The sound quality on the primary EQ setting is bass heavy, but not terribly so. You can still hear male vocals clearly enough on bass-intense songs. The app has EQ that can balance out the lows (if you take the time to adjust it). The claimed 11 to 15 hours of battery life is quite impressive. The only real issue we had was with the tap-based controls, which are rather fussy. For example, when we meant to adjust the volume, we instead paused the music. In the middle of a workout, this type of thing could be very frustrating. But if you don’t plan on using the controls frequently, this pair is otherwise a decent option.

KEF Mu3: The Mu3 is one of the best-sounding pairs of true wireless earbuds we’ve tested—but the noise cancellation is mild. Though you’re likely to notice a small reduction in volume in the airplane band, the overall effect is middle-of-the-road and feels like an afterthought rather than a key feature. You can read more about this pair in our wireless Bluetooth earbuds guide.

Klipsch T5 II ANC version: This pair offers some interesting bonus features such as gesture-based controls, but the noise cancellation wasn’t stellar, the physical buttons caused us to push the earbuds uncomfortably into our ears, and the $300 asking price makes the flaws more noticeable.

Master & Dynamic MW08: These true wireless earbuds have stellar build quality, with an earbud chassis made from ceramic and stainless steel and a small but weighty metal charging case. The noise cancellation on the “max” setting is quite effective on low-frequency sounds, so travelers looking to reduce plane noise will be satisfied with the performance. Those who are prone to eardrum suck may prefer the less-intense “all day ANC” mode. The battery life of 10 hours per charge is impressive, as is the fast-charge feature that powers both the earbuds and case from 0 to 50 percent capacity after just 15 minutes plugged in. The earbuds are IPX5 rated, so they can handle some rain or sweat. The physical buttons are easy to understand and activate, though folks with large fingers may struggle a bit with the teeny volume toggle. The sound quality is excellent, but because these are $300 earbuds, we feel the need to quibble. The over-emphasis on both bass notes and high frequencies is fun but doesn’t feel fully authentic. The soundstage is less three-dimensional than we’d prefer in a premium product. While the microphones handle calls clearly and reduce background noise and wind noise well, we prefer some side-tone to avoid the urge to speak too loudly. But if money isn’t a concern and you like the luxurious look, you’ll be happy with the MW08.

Marshall Motif ANC: These headphones have above-average noise cancellation, and the transparency mode sounds more authentic than that of most earbuds. But larger ears may have a tough time getting a seal due to the earbuds’ shape. We wish the controls included volume and voice-command options. Although in our tests the sound featured the warm mids and lows that Marshall is famous for, the highs had a harsh edge that made strings sound edgy, as if amplified by a cheap speaker.

Nothing Ear 1: These earbuds offer a futuristic look and quite good active noise cancellation, but the sound is less impressive. Despite the availability of a handful of EQ options, the bass notes in our tests had a mushy quality, lacking definition and clarity, and the highs had a jagged frequency response that caused every “s” to sound as though it were coming from between cupped hands. The microphones were quite good at reducing wind noise for callers, though we wished we had an option for sidetone. Though the Ear 1 has volume, play/pause, skip, and ANC/transparency toggle controls, we missed having track-reverse and digital-assistant call-up.

Padmate Pamu Z1: This pair had middling noise cancellation and sound—the performance wasn’t objectionable but also wasn’t the best we heard. There are no volume controls, the buttons’ tap-based activation can be fussy, and the microphones caused us to sound a little compressed to callers. The price of the Z1 seems to vary by the week, so it’s hard to compare in that regard, but we’d say not to pay more than $70.

Raycon The Work Earbuds: These are middle-of-the-road. Every EQ setting is flawed, but we found the “balanced” setting to be the most enjoyable, though still overly bloated and blurry in the bass frequencies. The touch controls can be a little fussy, and it requires four presses to call up your digital assistant, which can feel a tad excessive. The hear-through function is pretty good, and the noise cancellation performs effectively on sustained low-frequency noises, but the silicone tips don’t isolate very well so you’ll still hear voices and higher-pitched sounds rather clearly. If that bothers you, Raycon includes three pairs of foam tips, which are more effective. The microphone is not wind resistant and is not as clear as your phone handset, but it works well enough in a quiet room.

RHA True Control ANC: We love the abundance of eartips included (10 pairs!), as well as the three-year warranty. But the earbuds themselves are so thick that only those who have the largest of ears will find them to be comfortable. Two of our panelists found their ears aching after only a brief listening session. Additionally the touch controls are sensitive, so adjusting the fit will often cause you to play or pause your music. Out of the box, the sound quality is warm, and while we’d like a touch more sparkle on higher frequencies to balance out the mildly emphasized lows, it’s a minor concern. There are EQ settings available through the app, but all of them were too extreme to be pleasant. The ANC does make a dent in the airplane band, but overall the ANC isn’t a standout.

Samsung Galaxy Buds2: These earbuds fit comfortably and securely. Out of the box, the sound was pretty good but a little dull. Unfortunately the EQ was heavy-handed and wasn’t able to address the lack of detail in the highs. We wish this pair had more controls, and we’re also kinda disappointed that you have to download a separate app on Galaxy phones; usually, seamless connectivity is the entire reason to buy earbuds in the same ecosystem as your mobile device.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Live: These unsealed earbuds with active noise cancelling are designed for use with Samsung phones. They’ve gotten mixed reviews from places like Engadget and Cnet, who claim the sound is mostly good, but the noise cancellation isn’t very effective and the fit can be tricky for smaller ears. As such, we don’t recommend these for folks who need good noise reduction.

Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro: For Galaxy users who want always-listening Bixby, these are the best option available. Seamless connecting means that once you pair the Pro to a device that is signed in with your Samsung account, all other Samsung devices to which you’re signed in will automatically be paired as well. The microphone quality is impressively clear, even in wind. The sound quality is enjoyable, though a touch on the bass-heavy side. The ambient awareness mode can be triggered by speaking, but if you stop talking to listen to your conversation partner, it shuts off after 15 seconds, which is mildly annoying. The controls are limited: play/pause, tracks, and answering calls are always accessible, but you must choose between ANC on/off, Bixby, Spotify, or volume. Both the case and earbuds are very small, but the included tips run on the smaller size, so folks with large ear canals may have to buy third-party tips to get a seal. The noise cancellation is minimal, and the earbuds themselves don’t isolate very well. If you’re a Samsung devotee who wants to access all the features your Galaxy device has to offer, you’ll likely be happy with these, but users of other devices will be better suited by our picks.

Skullcandy Indy ANC: The tap controls have a serious learning curve, and the sensor is small enough that it’s easy to miss if you’re trying to tap while in motion. That might seem like no big deal, but when different actions are activated by triple and double taps, it’s really annoying to have one tap not register. The ambient awareness mode is fine for having a conversation, but sounds very compressed, so you won’t want to use these for minding traffic around you. Music will sound very bass forward, even if you do the app-based hearing test that adjusts the EQ for you. The noise cancellation is effective enough to be helpful but is outshined by the performance of our top picks.

Skullcandy Method ANC: The active noise cancellation on this pair is pretty mild, and the included tips aren’t large enough to fit the ear canals of folks who usually wear most brands’ large or extra large tips.

Sony WF-SP800N: The 9-hour battery life is impressive, but the earbud size is large and can feel a bit unstable, especially if you plan to wear them for their intended use: while working out. Although the controls are customizable, you can have only two button actions activated at one time, so you’re forced to choose among volume, track controls, digital-assistant activation, and ANC on/off. The sound out of the box is quite good and the noise cancelling is useful for reducing loud fan-like noises, but the interface and fit were enough to give us pause in making this pair a pick.

Soul Emotion Pro: These earbuds fit comfortably in part because of the seven pairs of included tips. The transparency mode sounded more natural than that of many competitors. However, the noise cancellation was only so-so, and the low frequencies were boosted too broadly. The sound had an echo-like quality even with acoustic guitar, and the app-based EQ was unable to adequately adjust it.

Soundcore Liberty 3 Pro: This pair has a lot of fantastic features, so we were extra disappointed when certain aspects fell short. First, the good: The ANC was quite effective, the wind-noise reduction was impressive, and the light-up case is honestly cool. We initially liked the stabilizing wings because the earbuds felt very secure, but after an hour of wearing, our ears began to ache. This pair fell short of our picks in sound quality, as it produced a sibilant edge to vocals that EQ couldn’t remove. And though this pair offers dual-device connectivity, we found that enabling it led to an excessive amount of connection stuttering. A good bit of these flaws could be fixed by firmware, so if Soundcore makes improvements, we’d be open to reevaluation.

Soundcore Liberty Air 2 Pro: These are fantastic if the earbuds fit you properly, which can be a challenge for folks with larger or deeper ear canals. The fit issues are not because of the sizes of tips included (which is an impressive eight pairs) but because the stem and short sound tube design make it impossible to push the earbuds deeper into your ear to get more stability or an improved seal. If you do get a good fit, the Air 2 Pro offers up a lot of bells and whistles for a competitive price: a hearing test that adjusts the EQ, an audio-based fit test, multiple noise-cancelling modes, and a background-noise-reducing microphone for calls. The sound quality is quite good and can be adjusted manually. With proper fit, the noise cancellation is quite impressive in the 800- to 100-Hz range, but it isn’t as great on very low-pitched sounds, which may make those who are sensitive to eardrum suck want to avoid the strongest ANC setting. Overall, folks looking for an alternative to the AirPods Pro will be happy with these earbuds...as long as they fit.

Soundcore Life P3: This pair is a mix of pros and cons. They sounded quite good for true wireless earbuds under $80. Out of the box, the highs in our tests were sibilant, but you can adjust that kind of thing using the equalizer tool in the Soundcore app. However, the limited controls are a bummer. Though the microphones handle wind noise relatively well, your voice will sound compressed to your conversation partner. We found the fit to be comfortable, but this pair didn’t feel as secure as it might with optional stabilizing wings.

TCL MoveAudio S600: This pair is compatible with “OK Google” on Android phones, but not with the Google app on a non-Android phone. We liked the sound, which has a little extra emphasis in the low and high notes, but not in a heavy-handed way. The S600 pair is very enjoyable to use. Even though the controls are customizable in the app, you can choose only a few to assign, so you’ll need to use your phone for some controls. The included tips don’t isolate very well, so although the noise cancellation takes the edge off of the lower-pitched hum of a plane engine, you’ll still hear the engine whine and voices. The most annoying attribute of the S600 is that there is no reset button on the case. Instead, to reset the earbuds, you leave the case open with the earbuds inside for 10 seconds. We can imagine many situations that could lead to the case inadvertently being left open and earbuds that will require re-pairing. It’s not the end of the world, but it’s a silly design flaw that could easily have been avoided.

Technics EAH-AZ60: The larger earbuds make this pair tougher to keep in place for smaller ears. The sound was good, but the bass notes had a slightly resonant quality that we couldn’t get rid of with EQ, and similarly we weren’t able to reduce the spike in the 7 to 8 kHz range that added an overemphasized sibilance to strings and vocals. The noise cancellation was very effective, as was the wind reduction for the microphone. If this pair fits you and you don’t mind slightly fussy touch controls, the AZ60 is a solid pair of earbuds.

Technics EAH-AZ70W: The flaws on this pair of true wireless earbuds are relatively minor. The larger size means they likely won’t fit smaller ears, the controls aren’t the most intuitive to learn, and there is a high-frequency peak that gives strings a metallic edge. We liked that the ANC is useful for lower frequencies and is adjustable, and that there are five sizes of silicone tips included. So if your outer ear can accommodate the chassis, you’ll likely be able to get a good seal. Aside from that slight high-frequency peak, the sound quality is rather balanced, but it lacks the sonic depth of field that we’d like to hear for the original $250 asking price. Nothing is majorly wrong with the AZ70W, but with so much steep competition, just being good isn’t good enough.

Tribit FlyBuds NC: If noise cancellation is your priority, these aren’t your earbuds. The ANC is so mild, it’s really not helpful.

Urbanista London: The noise cancellation on this true wireless set is only effective on very low frequencies, and the earbuds don’t isolate well so you get a good bit of intrusion from higher frequencies like voices and leaf blowers. The tap controls are fussy, and the sound quality is dull and muffled, as though someone threw a blanket over a speaker.

Sources

1. Brent Butterworth, How Much Noise Do Your Headphones Really Block?, SoundStage Solo, June 1, 2018

2. Brent Butterworth, Can Headphone Measurements Get Better?, SoundStage Xperience, April 1, 2017