I hold a bachelor’s degree in both music performance and audio production from Ithaca College, and I’ve reviewed nearly 2,000 pairs of headphones for Wirecutter alone. I also spent several years in terrestrial radio before becoming a professional voice actor in Los Angeles, so I’ve been in and out of recording studios for over a decade.

For this guide:

• I’ve tested over 300 pairs of noise-cancelling headphones to date.
• I engaged a listening panel of audio reviewers, musicians, and composers—including senior staff writer Brent Butterworth, who has decades of experience as an AV reviewer and provides measurement assistance.
• Per Wirecutter’s standards, I don’t own stock or have any other financial interest in a company or industry that I cover or am likely to cover.
• Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.

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

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 reduction—that is, physical barriers and dampers built into the headphones that help block or absorb noise. 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.”

Additionally, more active noise cancelling doesn’t necessarily lead to a better experience. We say this because of a phenomenon we refer to as “eardrum suck,” which seems to produce the same uncomfortable reduction of pressure on the eardrums as you’re likely to experience when riding a high-speed elevator in a very tall building. And this sensation can lead to headaches or queasiness, especially in people who have sensory processing differences that involve the vestibular system. Typically, the headphones that create the most intense eardrum suck have a combination of very effective noise-cancelling circuitry and ineffective passive sound isolation. You can read more about this phenomenon in this blog post.

If you travel on airplanes a lot, or if 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 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.

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

To evaluate sound quality, we listen to the headphones with a variety of musical tracks, with noise cancelling on and off—because some headphones sound great in one mode and not so great in the other. You can read more about how we evaluate and test for sound quality in these articles:

We also test the microphone call quality in quiet, noisy, and windy environments. We check battery life, control sensitivity, and Bluetooth signal reliability/compatibility. We go through the manufacturer’s app (if there is one) and check the effectiveness of any bonus features and settings.

Testing the noise cancelling is more complicated. We do this both by ear and by using test equipment. To test the noise cancelling by ear, I play airplane noise at a loud level (between 75 and 85 dBA) through my 7.1-channel surround speaker system and try each set of headphones, moving my head and adjusting settings to see which mode cancels noise most effectively. I stand in front of a fan to check the effect of wind noise on the microphones and take the top performers on walks outside near busy streets.

Brent does his subjective tests in his audio lab, using a mix of cabin noise recorded in four different airliners, fed through eight 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 then places 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, plays pink noise through the same speaker system described above, and uses TrueRTA audio-spectrum analyzer software to see how much sound leaks through the headphones.

To test noise-cancelling earbuds, Brent places 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 connects this fixture through an M-Audio USB interface to a Windows laptop, plays pink noise through the same speaker system, and uses the TrueRTA audio-spectrum analyzer software to see how much sound leaks through the earbud.

To provide a simple way of looking at these measurements, Brent calculates the average amount of noise (in decibels) that the headphones cancel in the 100 Hz to 1,200 Hz frequency band, which is where more airplane-cabin noise occurs, based on his analysis of the four recordings he made in the cabins of different airliners. The higher the number, the greater the average noise reduction. Here is a rundown of our top performers, compared with a couple of pairs of headphones that lack active noise cancellation:

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is our favorite pair of over-ear ANC headphones because it provides the best combination of effective, adjustable noise cancellation, comfort, audio performance, build quality, and price.

The adjustable noise cancellation provides more control. Many noise-cancelling headphones are limited to two or three levels of cancellation, but the Bose 700 allows you to dial in the ideal reduction setting from 0 to 10. At the maximum setting, this pair measured among the highest levels of reduction for over-ear headphones while costing significantly less than the newer Bose QuietComfort Ultra or the Apple AirPods Max.

This adjustability is especially helpful for people who experience “eardrum suck.” You can simply adjust the intensity down in small steps until you no longer feel discomfort. Through the Bose Music app, you can assign three favorite levels, after which you can toggle between them using the button on the left earcup.

The sound is consistently pleasant. If you’re a fan of Bose’s signature sound, you won’t be disappointed with this set. We heard 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 bass lines were a bit more prominent in the mix than snare-rim clicks and consonants in words.

Critics might say that the Bose 700 lacks crispness and detail—if that’s you, consider the Sony WH-1000XM5, which has more high-end clarity. The Bose Music app includes three EQ faders that adjust the bass, mids, and treble regions. The changes apply broadly, but allow for some personalization of the overall balance.

The sound quality remains nearly the same no matter how you listen: via Bluetooth or cable, with noise cancelling on or off, low or high. This is impressive, as most headphones have noticeable sound-quality differences across their listening methods.

The 20 hours of battery life is sufficient. Of course, this number will vary based on how you use the headphones. 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 2 hours 30 minutes 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 a touchpad to provide all the control options you need. This pair 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 Amazon or Google account. For quick conversations, you can hold the ANC toggle button on the left earcup to pause your music and turn on the awareness mode.

The design is especially comfortable to wear for long periods of time. This pair is lightweight, with super-soft memory-foam padding on the earcups and headband. The fit was secure without being too tight.

The replaceable earpads are made of protein leather (higher-quality fake leather), and are spacious enough to accommodate larger ear sizes. The earpad foam is pliable enough to work with most glasses, though wider arms may cause some gaps that result in sound leakage.

Calls and video chats are clear, but the side tone picks up some room noise. The side-tone microphone is on the sensitive side and can amplify noises from your surroundings. If you prefer to reduce the amount of your own voice that you hear, or if you want to completely turn off this effect, you can do so in the Bose Music app.

How the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 has held up

We’ve been really happy with how the Bose 700 headphones have held up over time. The only comments we have heard are occasional connection issues—many of which can be solved by cleaning up Bluetooth connections—and earpad degradation. Fortunately, the pads are replaceable.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The app can be frustrating to set up. The Bose Music app is required to do a whole lot of things, and it can be downright annoying to get the app to recognize your headphones. 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 try the setup again.

A Bose account is required to use the app. Privacy advocates may find this 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 audio gear.

The cable lacks a mic and is not a common size. The Bose 700 set 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. If you want a mic, you’ll need to buy a third-party cable.

Superlative noise cancellation, impressive microphone clarity, excellent sound quality, and a bevy of bonus features make the Sony WF-1000XM5 true wireless earbuds a standout in a very large crowd of competitors. But if you have ears that are very small or sensitive to pressure, you may want to consider alternatives.

These are the best earbuds for blocking noise. This pair takes the most-effective ANC of any earbuds we’ve measured—28.7 dB in the airplane range—and pairs it with specially designed ear tips that passively block the higher-frequency sounds that ANC can’t reduce. The result is an enjoyably quiet experience that reduces low-frequency engine noise and muffles people talking.

Although this pair technically doesn’t have the ability to adjust the amount of active noise cancellation, the added passive isolation may help to reduce the sensation of eardrum suck.

The XM5 lets in outside sounds on your terms. This pair offers adjustable ambient hear-through, which can function as a less-intense noise-cancellation mode. The lowest hear-through settings are essentially the ANC mode dialed down. Higher modes start piping in outside sounds.

If you only want to hear your surroundings for a brief moment, you can simply hold a finger to the left earbud to engage the hear-through mode until you let go, or you can enable the “speak-to-chat” feature that switches it on when the earbuds sense you speaking. This is very handy if you are someone who can’t reach up every time you need to have a quick conversation.

Though the hear-through mode is perfectly fine for conversation, it isn’t as natural sounding as what we heard from the Soundcore Space A40 earbuds.

Simply put, the XM5 sounds great. These earbuds are capable of delicate, clear high notes and deliver an appropriate amount of refined bass. We were satisfied with the sound right out of the box, but we found our sweet spot by adjusting the EQ in the Sony app.

To reduce background and wind noise, Sony employs a combination of multiple microphones, AI software, and bone-conduction sensors to recognize when you’re speaking. Traffic sounds are diminished, and wind noise is nearly gone. While in these noisy scenarios, your voice may sound more compressed to your caller, but your conversation partner will be spared the assault of whooshes and other annoying interruptions.

This pair has the full complement of touch controls, with Alexa and Google compatibility. The touch controls are large and relatively resistant to misfiring, and the gentle beep that confirms your touch makes it easier to navigate the series of taps and holds needed for different tasks.

Amazon and Google users can access their digital assistant by speaking. Apple users can still call-up Siri by tap-holding on the right earbud. If you frequently switch between a phone and laptop, the XM5 offers dual-device connectivity, so you don’t need to fiddle with the Bluetooth menu to take a call.

The earbuds are small but packed with bonus features. Both the buds and the charging case are tinier than we expected for true wireless earbuds that have so much processing power. The earbuds hold anywhere from six to eight hours of battery life when fully charged (depending on whether you have ANC on or take calls), the case provides two additional full charges, and it can be charged wirelessly or via USB-C. IPX4 water resistance will protect the buds from a bit of rain.

We love that the left earbud has a raised braille mark to make left and right easier to distinguish without looking, and that the app supports a phone-screen reader. In addition to these basics, the Sony app is filled with a cornucopia of bonus features and beta applications that range from pretty helpful to mostly superfluous.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The fit may not be right for people with small ears, sensitive ears, or very active lifestyles. The diminutive earbuds don’t have stabilizing wings or hooks, which is often needed to hold true wireless earbuds in smaller ears for high-impact activities. Instead, the XM5 relies on the grippy quality of the tips to keep the earbuds in place, and the unique flexible foam and silicone material ensures the entire tip molds to your ear canal shape.

The design is great for noise isolation, but folks who don’t like a feeling of “fullness” in the ear will probably dislike the outward pressure. Seated properly, the XM5 buds felt secure in our ears, but we wouldn’t wear these for intense workouts—both for fear of losing one and because the IPX4 water resistance isn’t rated for profuse sweating.

Additionally, people with very large ear canals may find the largest tips to be inadequate. However, swapping in a pair of Comply tips resolved that issue for us. If you lose an eartip, Sony sells replacements through Authorized Parts Distributors.

If you only have around $100 to spend on headphones, check out the Soundcore Space One earbuds. The noise cancellation is price-defying, the sound quality enjoyable, and the fit comfortable. Plus, the extra features make this set feel far more expensive than it is.

The ANC is competitive with that of our pricier picks. In our tests, the noise cancellation came pretty darn close to the Bose 700’s. And like the Bose pair, the Space One has adjustable levels, or you can switch on the adaptive noise cancellation that will adjust based on your surroundings. If you like to plug into in-flight entertainment, the Space One’s ANC stays on when you use the supplied cable.

To have a quick conversation, you can hold a finger on the left earcup to enable “easy chat” mode—a hear-through mode with an emphasis on the human vocal range. We thought it sounded surprisingly natural. If your hands are frequently occupied, the optional speak-to-enable hear-through can prove useful.

We also love that this set has optional volume limiting so that your listening levels stay in safer ranges.

These headphones have a lightweight design and long battery life. The large, roomy earcups and plush memory foam ensure that you can wear this pair all day. The memory foam is pliable enough that it conforms to thin glasses arms to help keep a seal around your ears.

Though the body is largely plastic, the design feels sturdy and looks posh. We had to pull our recommendation of previous Soundcore budget headphones due to build-quality complaints, but it looks as though the company has addressed that with this new pair. If something does go wrong, Soundcore backs the Space One with an 18-month warranty.

Fully charged, the Space One will play for 40 hours with ANC on (and longer with it off.) If you run out of power, five minutes of charging will provide about four hours of listening time.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

The adjustable sound is enjoyable to listen to—but a little coarse. Out of the box, this pair has some blurriness in the male vocal range and harshness in the high frequencies. However, the Soundcore app offers various methods of EQ, so you should be able to find a sound you fancy.

Though we found a balance we preferred, astute ears will notice that there is still some coarseness to these drivers that you won’t hear in pricier pairs, and no matter how much we fussed, the bass still had a slightly bloated quality. Minor quibbles for a pair this affordable.

Using the controls may take practice. Though the layout of the physical control buttons makes sense, their size is small, and it takes some practice to get the muscle memory of where they’re located. Folks with large fingers or who struggle with dexterity might find this frustrating.

Three microphones remove a good bit of traffic noise or cafe clatter, but it also gives your voice a reedy and distant quality. In windy conditions, your caller won’t be blasted by air noise, but your voice is often ducked in stronger gusts.

The Soundcore Space A40 earbuds are a great affordable alternative to the Sony WF-1000XM5. This true wireless pair is the top pick in our guide to wireless earbuds because it packs great sound, 10 hours of battery life, good microphone quality, dual-device connectivity, and excellent noise cancellation into tiny earbuds—all for around $100 or less.

The ANC ranked among the best we measured for earbuds. This Soundcore pair was not as effective in the airplane band as the Sony WF-1000XM5, but it still reduced an average of 20.8 dB. That means it can reduce lower-pitched noises like the rumble of air conditioners or plane engines well, and the included ear tips do a decent job of dampening higher-pitched sounds, such as babies crying or dogs barking.

Using the Soundcore app, you can adjust the intensity of the noise reduction or choose an adaptive mode that automatically shifts the ANC to match the kind of sounds around you. For people who are bothered by eardrum suck, the ability to choose a comfortable ANC level is a nice benefit.

The smooth, ergonomic design allows them to sit comfortably in a variety of ears. Not only are the earbuds small, but they’re also lightweight—so the design isn’t fighting gravity and tugging at your ear canal. We were able to wear the Space A40 pair painlessly through an entire workday. However, people with very active lifestyles or smaller ears may appreciate a pair with stabilizing wings.

To get the full rundown of the Soundcore Space A40 set’s performance, check out our guide to the best wireless earbuds.

If you work in an open office or from home: The Sony WH-1000XM5 over-ear headphones have great passive noise isolation to block out voices around you, and they have the same adjustable speak-to-chat feature as the WF-1000XM5. The ANC isn’t as potent in the airplane range as that of the Bose 700, and it’s not adjustable. But the XM5’s isolation makes this pair better than the Bose at muffling higher-pitched sounds like voices. Read more in our Bluetooth wireless headphones guide.

If your computer or audio player doesn’t have Bluetooth: The JLab Epic Edition earbuds come with a USB-C Bluetooth transmitter that can be stored neatly inside the charging case. This pair’s adjustable ANC is effective, and the microphone sounds super clear on calls, even in wind. The sound is fantastic, especially the “Knowles signature” EQ setting. The earbuds have nine hours of battery life, IP55 water/dust resistance, and a two-year warranty. The Epic Edition would be a pick if the earbuds were more friendly to small ears (they’re a touch chunky with no additional stabilization).

If you’re willing to pay more for the absolute best active noise cancellation and a more-luxurious design: The Apple AirPods Max over-ear headphones sound great and reduce the most noise in the airplane band of any set we’ve tested. However, the intense ANC isn’t adjustable, so it can cause eardrum suck. Plus, the headphone design is hefty with a snug clamping force. If you wear headphones all day, the added weight and pinch are a literal pain.

The AirPods Max supports Dolby Atmos and Apple’s spatial audio, but not Apple Music’s lossless audio or any high-resolution service. Call quality is excellent, but when you’re near a busy street, the hear-through mode becomes a cacophonous mess, and it isn’t adjustable.

The baffling case design doesn’t protect the headband or keep debris out of the earcups, but you need the case to put the headphones into standby mode (third-party cases are available). This restriction is problematic because if the battery dies, you can’t listen to these headphones at all—they must have some charge to function, even corded. We love the sustainability of the replaceable battery; the service fee of $79 could be worth it financially to keep these working for many years.

In September 2024, Apple introduced a new version of the AirPods Max, but the headphone design has not changed—only the connection port (now USB-C) and color options.

If you want to spend a little less for a great all-purpose set of headphones: The JBL Tour One M2 is our top overall pick for Bluetooth wireless headphones, with an intuitive design, a comfortable fit, and great battery life. The sound is good right out of the box, and it can be further improved with the use of the EQ settings in JBL’s app. The ANC is useful, but not as good as what we got from the best noise-cancelling headphones.

If you want a durable pair for the gym: The JBL Reflect Aero TWS set is the top pick in our guide to workout headphones because the winged earbuds stay securely in place, have simple controls, and are waterproof and sweatproof, with an IP68 rating. But this pair goes beyond workouts, as it offers the option to choose either Alexa or Google Assistant wake-word functionality, and the ANC is quite effective (you can compare its performance with that of our picks here in the chart above). The sound is good out of the box, and you can fine-tune it to your preferences using the EQ in JBL’s mobile app. This pair’s eight hours of battery life is solid for true wireless earbuds.

If you are an Apple fan looking for true wireless earbuds: A pair of Beats Fit Pro takes all the features you might find attractive in a pair of AirPods Pro—easy Apple pairing and device swapping, touchless “Hey Siri” control, and so forth—and puts them in a smaller, more secure pair of earbuds with physical button controls.

We couldn’t override this set’s wear sensors, so we were unable to use our usual ANC measurement equipment. Instead, we set up a perception-based test, comparing the Fit Pro with the Soundcore Space A40. We determined that the ANC is useful for airplane noise, but for higher pitches such as voices, the Fit Pro set is only about as good as any pair of passive earbuds. People prone to eardrum suck may discover that the ANC triggers that feeling, and the level of reduction is not adjustable. Even though the Beats Fit Pro is one of our favorites for Apple fans, it’s not worth the extra money if ANC is your most valued feature.

If you are looking for earbuds that provide hearing protection: Although active noise cancellation reduces lower-frequency sounds, it isn’t effective enough to provide adequate protection during very loud activities like mowing the lawn or operating a jackhammer. For that, consider the Elgin Rebel true wireless earbuds, which are NRR-rated and OSHA-compliant, and will keep your ears safe when worn properly. These are the first protective earbuds we’ve tested that are comfortable, sound good, and easy enough to use that most people should be able to find an effective (and safe) fit.

Twelve hours of battery life per charge should get you through a full workday, and the IP65 dust- and water-resistant rating means you can work up a sweat without worry. The microphone works well for taking calls (though you’ll need to do so in a quieter environment), and the charging case doubles as a flashlight. Elgin includes several pairs of tips; however, the standard black pair is not protective and only for day-to-day activities—be sure to use the yellow triple-flange or foam tips when on the job.

The only flaw is that the Rebel lacks a hear-through function, which would be really helpful for job-site conversations. But considering there literally isn’t anything else available that comes close to the Rebel’s performance, we will just have to hope it’s included in the next version.

Apple introduced two new versions of the AirPods, one of which adds noise cancelling. We’ve already done some preliminary testing on them, so you can check out our first impressions.

Bose has also released the new QuietComfort Earbuds. This $180 pair has a wireless charging case, quick-charge capabilities, customizable touch controls, and six microphones (three per ear) to support noise cancellation and phone-call clarity. The earbuds provide 8.5 hours of battery life with an additional 2.5 charges in the case. The tap controls are customizable, and Bose says that the earbuds will allow you to use voice commands to answer calls or take selfies. We have a pair on the way and will test them as soon as possible.

Dyson has announced its second pair of headphones, the OnTrac. This $500 pair features active noise cancellation, a claimed 55 hours of battery life, and a stated frequency range of 6 Hz to 21 kHz (human hearing ranges between 20 Hz and 20 kHz). The OnTrac offers swappable ear pads and earcup covers in a range of colors and materials to customize your look. We plan to test this set soon.

We’ve tested more than 300 pairs of headphones for this guide. That’s a lot to cover, so we focus below on the newest and most high-profile competitors. However, if you’re curious about a specific model, we’ve archived many of our previous testing notes in a spreadsheet.

Over- or on-ear headphones

1More SonoFlow: This pair is our former budget headphones pick. The noise cancellation is effective, but it was bested by that of the Soundcore Space One headphones. The sound quality is pleasant and adjustable, and the design is lightweight and comfortable, though not as sturdy-feeling as the Space One. The 50-hour battery life with ANC on (70 hours with it off) is impressive for a model in any price range. However, the ANC does not work in wired mode, so if you’re on a plane that requires a wired connection to the in-flight entertainment system, you’ll have to either go without ANC or pick up a Bluetooth transmitter.

1More SonoFlow SE: A bare-bones edition of the SonoFlow, this set has similar battery life/quick-charge capabilities, app-adjustable tuning, and a lightweight design. But the SE lacks the water resistance, software-driven noise-cancelling microphone, and ability to listen wired. The noise cancellation doesn’t sound as effective as the original, and we noticed that facing the source of a noise resulted in less reduction than when we turned to the side. The hear-through mode sounds muffled, but the microphone does a good job of reducing background noise for phone calls. If you want to spend the least amount possible for decent ANC headphones, this pair is light and comfy, sounds good, and reduces some noise, but we think spending a bit more for our budget pick is worth it for the extra functionality.

Beats Studio Pro: For every positive, this pair has an equally disappointing downside. The noise cancellation and hear-through modes sound great, but neither is adjustable. It’s easy to use the larger physical buttons, but the power/ANC toggle button is inexplicably small. The foam earpads are soft but not replaceable. Android users get a dual-device connection feature; Apple users do not. There are three EQ settings, but they’re only accessible when listening via USB-C. But most importantly, the sound quality is dramatically impacted by use of the spatial audio: When it’s turned on, the lower bass is emphasized, and higher-pitched sounds have an artificial sharpness. With spatial audio off, the bass is notably diminished.

Bose QuietComfort Headphones: These are good headphones, but they aren’t remarkable enough to justify the $350 price—especially while the Bose 700 still exists. The ANC is not as effective as what the rest of the current Bose line can deliver. In fact, at the highest intensity, these headphones reduced less noise in the airplane band than our budget pick. Despite this, the amount of reduction is still effective and useful, and the ANC intensity is adjustable. The build is very comfortable, with a lightweight feel and squishy earpads that should accommodate many glasses arms. These headphones utilize physical buttons rather than the touch controls, and the buttons are easy to learn and find. The hear-through mode sounds natural, and music sounds good, albeit slightly bass-forward out of the box. The Bose app provides an EQ feature that can adjust the tuning, but it consists of only three faders, which is too simplistic. The microphones sound very clear in a quiet room, but background noises in the human vocal range, like a sink running nearby, will be pronounced. We love that Bose includes a cable with a three-button remote and mic––a rare old school nicety.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones: Bose’s newest premium over-ear pair, the Ultra headphones use a test tone to calibrate the noise reduction to your ear shape. It works well, reducing a lot of noise in the airplane band (second only to the Apple AirPods Max). However, people who are susceptible to eardrum suck should know that this pair induced that feeling more strongly in us than any other headphones we’ve tested. This is especially noteworthy if you’ve had challenges concerning your vestibular system. Of course, you can always use the app to dial down the ANC intensity, but really the powerful noise cancellation is the only compelling reason to buy these headphones. While the Ultra sounds good and is constructed in the lightweight, comfortable style Bose is known for, we’d like to see more bonus features to justify the steep $430 price tag. Many headphones that cost under $250 are similarly comfortable and offer better sound customization, longer battery life, always-listening wake words, voice-activated awareness modes, a higher IP rating, and better microphone noise reduction. So, as long as the lower-priced Bose 700 is still available, we suggest that most people save the money and go with that model.

Cambridge Melomania P100: This pair provides above-average noise cancellation—an average of 19 dB of reduction. We like the powerful bass, the superb clarity for phone calls, and the option to use comedian Matt Berry’s voice for system alerts. Out of the box, the low notes were too intense for our taste, and the high frequencies had a slight whistle-like quality to them, but after we made some adjustments to the app’s EQ settings, the P100 sounded really great. What we didn’t like was that the P100’s build is on the heavier side, and its case is sizable—making it tougher to fit in a bag. With phone calls, the side tone sounds as though your voice is coming through a paper-towel tube, and we wish that there was a way to disable the auto-play feature. These are minor flaws, but they were enough to keep this pair from being a top pick.

EarFun Free Wave Pro: This affordable pair sounds good for the price, and given the inclusion of multiple EQ presets and a hearing-test-based tuning process, most people should be able to find a sonic balance they like. However, the ANC isn’t as powerful as that of the Soundcore Space One, the hear-through mode doesn’t sound as natural, and the headband transfers some noise when you bump it.

JLab JBuds Lux ANC: This pair is affordable, and we like that it has the full suite of physical controls and a clear hear-through mode. However, the build quality feels insubstantial, the ANC is middling, the bass is boomy, and the highs sound sibilant and sizzling.

QCY H3: This pair is inexpensive and comfortable, but the app is confusing, the sound quality is below average, and the microphone clips off bits of your words when you take calls.

Raycon Everyday Headphones Pro: This pair is unoffensive, but also unremarkable. The ANC is middle-of-the-road, and the three EQ settings are all exaggerated, with a harsh twang to piano sounds and a compressed soundstage (though the Bass mode could be fun if you like a bumping hip-hop feel). The microphone sounds clear in a quiet room, but it picks up every little high-pitched background noise and gives your voice a sibilant quality.

Sennheiser Accentum Plus: This pair has smaller earcups that feel refreshingly streamlined, but they might be a touch too small for folks with larger ears. Out of the box the sound is quite nice, with an extra bass bump that is most noticeable with hip-hop and rap tunes. There’s also extra intensity in the highs that could be perceived as either added detail or sibilance, depending on your ears. If you want to EQ the sound, you’ll need to create an account in the app and take an unusual sound-preference test that asks how loud you like drums or strings. There’s no option to use faders to fine-tune the sound yourself. The active noise cancellation isn’t as effective as what our picks deliver, and the microphone quality makes you sound compressed, like you’re on an old-school landline.

Sennheiser Accentum Wireless: The headband on this pair is tight, so those with large or sensitive heads won’t enjoy the fit. The noise cancellation is only average, and the sound contains unrestrained low notes and high-frequency sibilance around 8 kHz—neither of which can be addressed through the app’s EQ tool.

Sonos Ace: This pair is lightweight and comfortable, with a look that’s minimalist and elegant. However, the sound leans toward being bottom-heavy with less intensity in the highs—a response frequently described as “warm” or “dark.” The Sonos app does provide EQ capabilities, but there are only two clumsy faders that fail to resolve any issues. The ANC didn’t measure as well as we’d hoped—an average of 9.8 dB—and the surround sound effect is akin to reverb in a large auditorium. It muddies quiet dialog. The Ace can connect to the Sonos Arc soundbar, and you can swap TV sound between the two; but the setup process can be buggy. We wish that the Ace could perform the same trick with other Sonos devices, but for now you’ll need to connect to other devices via the traditional Bluetooth pairing process, since this pair lacks Wi-Fi capabilities.

Sony ULT Headphones: This set has a lot of the design niceties of the Sony WH-1000XM5: palm-to-earcup hear-through activation, Alexa compatibility, and excellent noise cancellation. The build isn’t quite as lux as the XM5’s, but the overall design is similar. However, bass notes sound boomy out of the box, and downright unhinged when you press the ULT button. Maybe because we’ve never been the sort to purchase seat-rattling subwoofers for our cars, we couldn’t get past the sound.

Soundpeats Space: This set has a boomy, reverby sound that muddies male vocals no matter what EQ setting you use, as well as a confusing and poorly developed app, a coarse-sounding microphone, and average ANC.

Earbuds

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd generation): This set offers a few neat features for Apple fans, such as the ability to charge the case with your Apple Watch charging cable. But most of the major specs—including six hours of battery life, always-listening Siri voice control, head-tracking spatial audio, and an IPX4 water-resistance rating—are similar to those of the Beats Fit Pro pair, which has a smaller design, a more secure fit, easier-to-use controls, and a lower price. The AirPods Pro controls are frustrating to use compared with the more-straightforward button design on the Beats Fit Pro set. And the active cancellation isn’t nearly as effective in the airplane band as our picks (you can read more about this pair’s ANC in this piece). We recommend these earbuds only for people who use Apple devices exclusively and who prioritize the niceties of staying in the Apple ecosystem above all else. Otherwise, you have better options for the money.

Beats Studio Buds +: The upgraded version of the Studio Buds, this pair offers better battery life (nine hours), Android customization, and noise cancellation compared with the original—and a stylishly transparent shell. But the core earbud design remains the same. This is a solid pair of earbuds overall and shares a lot of iOS-friendly features with the Beats Fit Pro set—but we like the Fit Pro earbuds better because they’re more secure in the ears, they still offer better noise cancellation, and their button design is more ergonomic.

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds: This pair replaces the QuietComfort Earbuds II and is excellent at reducing noise. These earbuds measured second only to the Sony WF-1000XM5 at reduction in the airplane band. But the way the reduction functions can cause a lot of eardrum suck, so if you’re susceptible, you may need to dip the ANC intensity for comfort. The fit is secure, and the sound is consistent with the quality and tuning Bose is known for. In other performance areas, Bose said that the Ultra pair remedied some issues that marred its predecessor, but that wasn’t our experience. Phone calls are still problematic. Though the microphones perform well in quiet settings, the sound falls apart with any level of background noise. On one test call, ordinary street sounds rendered our caller unable to understand us. Plus, the Ultra Earbuds still lack dual-device connectivity. The hear-through mode is designed to automatically duck the volume when you’re in a noisier area, but the effect is way too heavy-handed. We also weren’t impressed with the Immersive Audio mode, which made music sound like a speaker playing from a specific point in a metal hallway. Six hours of battery life per charge (four with Immersive Audio active) is low for earbuds that lack an always-listening assistant. For a pair that’s originally priced at $300, we expect better and more.

Cambridge Audio Melomania M100: Although this pair sounds quite good (with some EQ tinkering in the app) and offers comedian Matt Berry as an optional menu voice, the ANC is mild, the hear-through has a stuffy-headed quality, and the case is bigger than average. We enjoyed listening to them, but if ANC is a priority, these aren’t for you.

Denon PerL: This pair of earbuds has a distinctive look—they’re the size of quarters and look like ear gauges. The fit is comfortable, but the ANC is mild and focused on very low-pitched sounds. The hear-through mode is quiet, sounds muffled, and doesn’t work while playing music, which limits situational-awareness options. The app has a personalized EQ function that varied in success for us. We got one result that made male vocals sound buried and another in which high frequencies were piercing. And there is no way to adjust the sound yourself.

Denon PerL Pro: This pair has many of the same flaws as the lower-priced PerL, but at least it offers manual EQ adjustments, which we used to find a sound profile we enjoyed. Overall, though, the original $350 price is too steep to recommend this pair.

Edifier TWS1 Pro 2: If you’re on a tight budget, this is the only under-$50 pair of noise-cancelling earbuds we’ve tested that won’t immediately inspire buyers remorse. While this pair doesn’t have the level of performance of the Soundcore Space A40, it nonetheless reduces noise in a useful way, and the sound quality is excellent for the price. We like the IP54 water/dust resistance, and the adjustable awareness mode, too. But the battery life of four hours with ANC on is too short, and the suite of touch controls is limited.

Google Pixel Buds Pro: These colorful, true wireless earbuds feature ANC, spatial audio, dual-device connectivity, a hear-through mode, and always-listening “Hey Google” capabilities (on Google devices). The earbuds themselves have IPX4 water resistance, and the case is IPX2-rated. The battery life of 11 hours of listening time (up to seven hours with ANC turned on) is impressive for true wireless earbuds. However, the earbud design, while smooth and comfortable in larger ears, is likely to be tricky for people with medium to small ear canals to keep in securely—and the touch-control sensor is easy to activate accidentally when you’re pushing the earbuds back into place. In our tests, the sound was decent, but we found the peak in the cymbal and consonant range to be fatiguing, especially when the volume was turned up a bit. Overall, if you have bigger ears and want to stay in the Google ecosystem, these earbuds are fine but not excellent.

Jabra Elite 4: Though the earbud design is comfortable and the full suite of controls is intuitive, active users might feel as though these earbuds aren’t secure enough in their ears. The noise cancellation is minimally effective, and the sound is just okay—the highs have a sizzling aspect that the five-band EQ can’t fix. Five and a half hours of battery life is decent, but is only half the playtime of the Soundcore Space A40 earbuds.

LG Tone Free T90: This set has some interesting features, including a UV light that LG says disinfects the earbuds and a case that doubles as a Bluetooth transmitter. However, these earbuds and the included tips are very small, so folks with medium to XL ears may find them tricky to keep in place. The noise cancellation is decent, but the sound quality isn’t worth the higher price tag. While the idea of a transmitter case is somewhat neat, we’d say to get a better, less expensive pair and a separate inexpensive transmitter for travel.

Master & Dynamic MW09: The sound on this pair didn’t impress, even after tinkering with the manual EQ, and the noise cancellation is middle-of-the-road. We do like the physical volume controls and the luxurious feel, but these might benefit from a wing-style securing method, as the design is on the hefty size. Overall these are good earbuds, but for the original $300 price, we want something great.

Nothing Ear (2): Although not on a par with our top picks, this pair’s average of 14.5 dB of ANC reduction is quite good. Nothing’s app is very well designed, with some beneficial personalization of ANC and EQ that make the listening experience quite pleasant. The fit is comfortable, the microphone quality is clear, and the futuristic design could be appealing to some. However, the squeeze-style controls are limited and very frustrating to use. Not only are they prone to misreading your squeeze, but the act of squeezing can dislodge the earbuds and is likely to be difficult for people with dexterity issues.

Phiaton BonoBuds Plus: The earbuds fit comfortably, and the ANC is decent—but not superlative. The EQ adjustment isn’t nimble enough to compensate for the bass range’s bloated, booming sound. Even after installing firmware updates, we found that using this pair was buggy. For example, auto-play would occur even after we disabled that feature in the app.

Poly Voyager Free 60 + UC: If you work in an office environment, especially one where you work regularly on desktop computers that lack Bluetooth, this pair could be worth the expense. The case has a touchscreen that mimics features generally found in a mobile app, which is helpful for desktop users, since app features like EQ and control customization aren’t accessible to people connected to a desktop. The charging case also stores a USB Bluetooth transmitter that enables these true wireless earbuds to connect to computers that otherwise lack wireless capabilities. The microphones are designed for voice clarity and background noise reduction, which reduces the frequency ranges it picks up, so don’t be surprised if colleagues think you sound like you’re calling from an old-school landline. Importantly, the noise cancellation is only average.

Raycon The Everyday Earbuds Pro: This pair is comfortable, and the ANC is helpful at reducing low-pitched hums. However, the bass is blobby and incredibly loud. Even acoustic guitars sound formless and boomy, and there is no way to EQ this pair.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro: The fit is comfortable, the case is adorably small, and the sound is flawed yet still pleasant. But the noise cancellation is significantly less successful than we’d like, and the Buds 2 Pro pair doesn’t offer dual-device connectivity. The touch controls are easy to inadvertently activate when you’re adjusting the earbuds in your ears. And the voice-activated hear-through mode isn’t as seamless as that of the Sony WF-1000XM5.

Sennheiser Momentum TW4: This is a good but expensive set of earbuds. The ANC and isolation work well to reduce distractions around you, and the transparency mode sounds relatively natural. The touch controls are easy to use. Out of the box, the sound is somewhat bass heavy, but you can adjust the intensity using the manual EQ in the app. Although the earbud design is comfortable for medium and large ears, people with smaller ears may struggle with the fit. Also, high frequencies become sibilant if you boost them more than 2 dB or so in the EQ, and the case is on the chunkier side—like a twinkie cut in half. If the TW4 earbuds weren’t $300, we would give these minimal flaws a pass.

Sony LinkBuds S x Olivia Rodrigo: If you like Olivia Rodrigo or find the lavender earbuds and case to be charming, this is a perfectly good pair of earbuds. We’ve tested the LinkBuds S before, and you can read our thoughts and why they aren’t a pick in our competition spreadsheet. This pair offers two special EQ settings, both of which sound very good.

Soundcore Liberty 4 NC: This pair has noise cancellation that sounds to be on a par with that of the Soundcore Space A40 earbuds, but there’s slightly less passive isolation, which can create the sensation of eardrum suck. The Liberty earbuds also has an overabundance of bass that can’t be tamed even by dropping the lowest EQ fader to the very bottom, so it’s challenging to hear male vocals, especially on hip-hop tracks.

Soundcore P40i: Overall, this is a nice pair of earbuds with some notable flaws. First, the orientation of the stem on the earbud is such that larger ears may have trouble getting the earbuds deep enough to get a seal. The touch controls are customizable but limited. We liked the bass-forward sound once we adjusted it using the EQ feature in the app. However, the sound loses clarity and balance when played at lower volumes. The ANC is adjustable and performs well, but the “smart” adaptive feature was divisive. Some testers found it to be helpful, and others found it disorienting.

Status Audio Between 3ANC: This pair has above-average noise cancellation and can sound quite good if you are willing to spend the time meticulously adjusting the EQ. The controls are a combination of touchpads and physical buttons, which we generally don’t mind. However, the tiny buttons are placed too close to the microphones, so every time you press them, you also get a loud brushing sound if the hear-through mode is enabled. Additionally, the volume adjustments jump in dramatic chunks, which can quickly become too loud or quiet.

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.