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The Best Noise Cancelling Headphones

Last updated on October 18, 2022

We looked at the top 11 Noise Cancelling Headphones and dug through the reviews from 24 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Noise Cancelling Headphones.

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Ever since headphones were invented, people have wanted more out of them — more volume, more reliability, more fidelity, and finally more portability — as wireless sound has become more common. Lately, though, it’s all about what headphones can give you less of.

We’re talking about noise, of course. Thanks to noise-cancelling technology, it’s no longer enough for headphones to put out great sound. Headphones are now desirable because they can also detect and stop ambient sound from the world outside their speakers.

The feature has become so common that headphone makers boast about the different kinds of noise-cancelling technology they use. Some of them are proprietary and not all are created equal. To help you buy the best noise-cancelling products, it’s helpful to know how noise-canceling earbuds and headphones work.

The first method is called passive noise cancellation, and it’s used by any headphone set that covers your ear. Passive noise cancellation is simple: a physical barrier blocks out noise. This is of course a low-tech method, but it can be pretty effective depending on the materials used. Well-designed headphones can create a nice “cocoon” of silence just with the tight seal that the ear cushions make.

But that doesn’t always work in noisy settings, and that’s where active noise cancellation (ANC) comes in. Sound, of course, travels in waves, and the frequency of the waves determines the kind of sound you hear — high or low. Headphones with active noise-cancelling properties use an extra microphone to pick up the sound that’s heading for your ears from outside. Then they employ additional, dedicated speakers to produce a sound wave of their own. This wave is like an inverted mirror image of the original wave, countering its frequency with “peaks” with “valleys” of the same depth. This effectively cancels out the incoming noise so that what reaches your headphones is basically silence.

This “fight sound with sound” approach seems counterintuitive, but it can work extremely well. Of course, it all depends on how well the headphones can match that incoming sound. The frequency waves have to match up perfectly — otherwise, you’re just getting more noise.

The technology does tend to work best on consistent, low-frequency background noise — the kind of chatter you might hear in a busy office, for example, or the traffic outside a bus. High-end ANC headphones use complex algorithms that help the microphones decode those sound waves faster, allowing them to catch a wider frequency of noise. For obvious reasons, ANC works better on over-the-ear headphones than it does on earbuds, but the technology gets better every year.

Our Picks For The Top Noise Cancelling Headphones

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Product Overview
Our Take
Pros
Cons
 Top Pick

INFURTURE Swivelling Adjustable Noise Cancelling Headphones

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INFURTURE

Swivelling Adjustable Noise Cancelling Headphones

Available in black or rose gold, these noise cancelling headphones are quite stunning. They are Bluetooth compatible and have memory foam ear cups that allow for extended wear. Users will notice the powerful deep base, as well as the clarity of the built-in microphone.

Overall Take

Budget-Friendly PickYou'll love the affordable price tag on these noise cancelling headphones.

 Runner Up

JBL Bluetooth 5.0 Adaptive Noise Cancelling Headphones

JBL

Bluetooth 5.0 Adaptive Noise Cancelling Headphones

Whether you're working or gaming, these noise cancelling headphones are a must-have tool. They run for 50 hours on one charge and feature the services of a voice assistant, so that you can use the headphones hands-free. Storing the headphones is also a breeze, as the ear cups fold down and inside the headband.

Overall Take

Choice of FinishesYou'll find these noise cancelling headphones come in a choice of a white, black or blue finish.

 Strong Contender

Anker Soundcore Extra Strong Base Noise Cancelling Headphones

Soundcore

Anker Extra Strong Base Noise Cancelling Headphones

If you're looking to keep the outside world from disrupting your groove, these snug-fitting headphones feature some of the best noise-cancelling tech around. The ANC algorithms effectively detect and counter most mid-frequency sounds and long battery life ensures you can enjoy up to 60 hours of playing time with these noise cancelling headphones.

Overall Take

Seamless Noise CancellingThe secure fit and active noise-cancelling feature keeps your music front and center.

Pros
" These headphones have a pretty good sound quality and lightweight. The soft foam earcups are comfortable. They also have a 30 hour battery life,"
Cons
"Wired audio sounds hollow and voices can cut through the noise cancellation mode."
 Also Great

Sony WH-1000XM4 Speak-To-Chat Technology Noise Cancelling Headphones

Sony

Speak-To-Chat Technology Noise Cancelling Headphones

These wireless noise cancelling headphones boast solid sound both incoming and outgoing. The speakers deliver well across all frequencies and the microphone reproduces calls with crisp accuracy. It's all the more impressive considering how light and comfortable these are. They have a 30-hour battery life.

Overall Take

Superior Sound QualityThe speakers in these headphones deliver pleasing audio in a light, compact package.

Pros
" Eliminates background noises and deadens loud sounds. Users say the sound is warm"
Cons
"The pairing tuning isn't ideal and it isn't water resistant."
Don't just take for granted what one reviewer says. Along with our own experts, DWYM analyzes the top expert reviews of the leading products and generates a score you can actually trust.
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Products Considered

We identified the majority of the noise cancelling headphones available to purchase.
11

Products Analyzed

We then selected the leading and most popular products for our team to review.

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Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Tech Up Your Life, TechHive, Gadgets 4 Future, Soundguys, Tom's Guide.

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User Opinions Analyzed

We also incorporate user reviews from the leading retailers including

Our experts reviewed the top 11 Noise Cancelling Headphones and also dug through the reviews from 24 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Noise Cancelling Headphones.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

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What to Look For

When audiophiles get their first set of noise-cancelling headphones, it can be hard to imagine listening to music without them. Just keep in mind that it might not always be the best idea to have the feature on. It’s not hard to imagine situations where you might actually want to hear some of the things going on around you. Office workers might need to keep their ear out for a phone call, and it can be dangerous for joggers or bikers to get too “tuned out” from the surrounding traffic on busy roads.

That’s why the most important feature of noise-cancelling headphones might be the ability to turn it off. The latest ANC audio gear even gives you the ability to calibrate it, allowing in some louder sounds or those with a certain frequency. These can be worth the extra price if you’re going to be using them on busy streets.

Noise Cancelling Headphone Rankings

More to Explore

Active noise cancelling may be the hottest feature in today’s headphones, but the technology is far older than you might think. Way back in 1933, a patent was submitted by Dr. Paul Lueg of Germany. It laid out the principle that sound waves could cancel each other out if their frequencies were mirrored.

While Lueg’s theories were influential, they were ahead of their time and couldn’t be put into practice until Dr. Lawrence Fogel patented a set of noise-cancelling headphones in the 1950s. These were initially used to help helicopter pilots filter out cockpit noise. ANC finally found its way into commercial headphones when Dr. Amar Bose started refining the tech in the 1970s and had a working model by 1986. The research his engineers did has been estimated to cost $15 million.

More to explore