Noise canceling headphones might not seem like a necessity for a lot of you out there, but if you find yourself using your headphones outdoors or at your workplace you’ll definitely understand the appeal of a good pair of noise canceling headphones once you try them. These headphones are capable of drowning out background noise, hence the name, allowing you to enjoy your music (or just silence) without any interference.

  • Sony WH-1000XM4

  • Bose Noise Cancelling Headphone 700

  • Microsoft Surface Headphones 2

  • Sennheiser Momentum 3

  • Anker Soundcore Life Q20

  • AKG N700NC

  • Bose Quiet Comfort 25

  • Audio-Technica ATH-ANC900BT QuietPoint

  • JBL TUNE 750BTNC

  • Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2

  • What is Noise Cancellation?

Noise Cancellation is a new technique in sound technology that reduces the ambient sound around your surrounding. It blocks out all kinds of noise including high-pitch and low-pitch sound using microphones. Basically, the microphone picks up the unwanted noise and then the headset generates an inverted sound wave to cancel out the unwanted noise. This way, noise around you will be actively neutralized before it reaches your ear.

What is Noise Cancellation?

How to Choose the Best Noise Cancelling Headphones?

Before choosing a noise canceling headphone, you must check if the brand has done substantial work in sound technology as it directly affects your ANC experience. For example, Sony and Bose are the industry leaders so their techniques to cancel out ambient noise is far better than other companies.

Top ANC Headphones in 2020

1. Sony WH-1000XM4

At the top of our list is the new Sony WH-1000XM4, which is the best noise canceling headphone overall as it offers good noise cancellation capabilities, quality audio output, amazing battery life, a sleek design, along with some rather functional add-ons.

I especially like the gesture that allows you to pause the music briefly by covering an earcup and the touch-sensitive volume/playback controls on the earcups. All-in-all, the Sony-WH1000XM4 is the best noise canceling headphone you can buy right now, but they’re a bit on the expensive side.

Cons

Price: $348

2. Bose Noise Cancelling Headphone 700

The Bose 700 takes the second spot on this list as it falls slightly behind the Sony WH-1000XM4 in the audio quality department which, I believe, should be the primary criteria in judging any headphones, even noise cancellation headphones.

Pros

Price: $339

Microsoft’s new Surface Headphones 2 are also a great option for buyers looking for a solid pair of noise canceling headphones, as they offer a premium design, great wireless performance, and excellent noise canceling capabilities.

On the downside, however, the headphones are rated for just up to 20 hours of continuous playback and they aren’t as comfortable as some of the headphones on the list.

  • Very comfortable
  • Hands-free assistance
  • Skip tracks, answer calls
  • 13 levels of ANC
  • 20-hour battery life
  • Supports AptX codec

Price: $249.99

If comfort and long-time usability are some things that you prioritize over other factors, then you should consider getting the Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless – a great pair from the German manufacturer that is by far the most comfortable noise canceling headphones out there.

Cons

  • Battery life could have been better

Price: $295.45

Users on a tight budget can consider the Anker Soundcore Life Q20, a decent pair of wireless noise canceling headphones that have a lightweight and sturdy design, decent audio quality for the price, good battery life, and a rather premium travel case. The headphones are rated for up to 40 hours of wireless playback at a stretch, which is amazing for the price.

Price: $59.99

After exceptional audio quality? Then the AKG N700NC are the headphones for you. When compared to other studio quality headphones, the AKG N700NC might not seem that great, but for a noise canceling wireless headphone, the audio quality doesn’t get any better than this.

However, rated for up to 20 hours of continuous playback, the AKG N700NC doesn’t offer the best battery life at the price and the headphones aren’t as comfortable as some of the others on the list.

  • Ambient aware mode
  • 20-hour battery life
  • Comfort fit ergonomics
  • Foldable design
  • Sturdy build quality
  • Full control with AKG app

Price: $229.99

In case you’re one of the many people who still prefer wired headphones over wireless ones, then you should go for the Bose Quiet Comfort 25. Even though the headphones are a bit old, they pack great noise canceling capabilities and sound quite good over a wired connection. The lightweight design coupled with the comfortable earcups make them really comfortable to wear over a long period of time.

The Bose QC 25 is powered by a single AAA battery which is capable of powering the active noise cancellation (ANC) for up to 35 hours of use, which is great in itself, but you can easily carry a spare battery and extend the battery life considerably, making the headphones even better.

Price: $209

Buy Bose QuietComfort 25: $209

If great design is what you prefer over everything else, then you should probably go with Audio-Technica ATH-ANC900BT QuietPoint. The headphones look stylish, have a very premium build quality and offer excellent sound. On top of that, the easily replaceable magnetic memory foam ear cups are a nice added touch.

  • Premium design
  • Comfortable wear
  • 40mm driver
  • 35-hour battery life
  • Customize the sound with Audio-Technica app

Price: $299

Rounding off the list is the JBL TUNE 750BTNC, the company’s new top-of-the-line wireless noise canceling headphones that pack a mean punch. As with most JBL audio products, the Tune 750BTNC delivers punchy bass-heavy audio, with a companion app that allows you to further customize the sound profile as per your liking.

The headphones are rated for 15 hours of continuous playback, which isn’t exceptional, and their noise canceling capabilities aren’t as great as some of the other headphones on this list either. Even though I dig the design with the large comfortable earcups, I would only recommend the JBL TUNE 750BTNC to those who’re either JBL fans or like bass-y headphones more than flat sounding ones.

Price: $99.95

In case you have some wiggle room in your headphone budget, but don’t want to go with a super expensive pair, then you can consider getting the Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 – a decent mid-range noise canceling headphone. The headphones sound good for a Bluetooth headphone, they’re quite comfortable to wear and have a great battery life.

Price: $199

Buy Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2: $199

Q. Is It Worth Buying Noise Cancelling Headphones?

Absolutely. If you generally live or travel in a noisy environment then noise canceling headphones can completely change how you perceive sound. You won’t experience any kind of noise unless it’s significantly high-pitch sound.

I would blindly recommend the Sony WH-1000XM4, but if you want other options, you can check out Bose 700 and Anker Q20 if you are on a budget.

No. If there is considerably high-pitch sound then even the best noise canceling headphones can’t sufficiently block the sound.

No. In fact, it can protect your ears if you generally live in a noisy environment. That said, keep in mind, some users notice a hissing sound while ANC is turned on. It can get irritating for some users.

Q. Is It Bad to Sleep with Noise Cancelling Headphones?

No. But then ANC headphones are not designed in a way that you can wear them while sleeping.

A good pair of noise canceling headphones can really be a great purchase for several reasons and since they’re mostly high-end headphones, you’ll also notice an overall improvement in sound quality if you’re currently using just any other regular pair of headphones.