The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones
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Shaking off the world and sinking into a new album can feel like a train ride through the countryside … unless you're sharing that seat with two young toddlers. Or if your neighbor's dog is barking. Come to think of it, there are a lot of sounds that can ruin a good song. That's why we have headphones that isolate and cancel out noise. Below are the best noise-canceling headphones and earbuds you can buy, handpicked and tested by the Gear team here at WIRED.
Not seeing anything you like? Check out our other audio guides, like the Best Wireless Earbuds, Best Workout Earbuds, Best Cheap Headphones, and Best Wireless Headphones.
Updated January 2025: We added the Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+ and Sonos Ace to our main list, and the Soundcore Life Q30 as Honorable Mention.
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Best Overall
Bose QuietComfort UltraWhat Bose doesn’t know about active noise-canceling headphones isn’t worth knowing, frankly. With the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (9/10, WIRED Recommends), the company has managed to improve on its own giddily high standards. These headphones do a simply remarkable job on external annoyances, leaving you in splendid isolation to enjoy the balanced, poised, and articulate sound they serve up. They’re on the pricey side when compared to their most obvious competitors, but with these Bose you get exactly what you’re paying for. Frequent fliers and the like should form an orderly queue. —Simon Lucas
- Photograph: Sony
A Close Second
Sony WH-1000XM5Sony redesigned the exterior of its popular flagship headphones for the fifth generation (9/10, WIRED Recommends), making them a bit sleeker and more competitive with Apple and Bose in looks. What didn't go away is the company's excellent noise cancellation, super customizable sound, and fantastic battery life. They're pricier than previous generations, but the sound is more absorbing, with a more energetic feel than the less dynamic models that came before.
- Photograph: Brenda Stolyar
Best for iOS
Apple AirPods Max (USB-C)If you use an iPhone and you are willing to pay $550, Apple's noise-canceling over-ears (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are a fantastic choice. They are probably among the best wireless headphones you'll have ever heard, but astonishing fidelity isn't the only reason to buy the company's flagship cans. Excellent pairing and connection with Apple devices, top-notch noise reduction, and some of the finest build quality you'll find this side of $1,000 make these a great pair for most people. The only thing not to like about the AirPods Max? The included soft case does very little to protect the headphones when they're not on your head.
- Photograph: Apple
Also Great for Apple Devices
Apple AirPods Pro 2 (With USB-C)AirPods are middling, but the AirPods Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are a different story. This is the second generation of the buds to come out, and have the same great fit and noise-canceling tech as the first generation, and better audio quality. This version also has an improved codec, in case you end up using it with your new Vision Pro headset, as well as USB-C charging.
- Photograph: Sonos
Best for Home Theater Adventures
Sonos AceThe Sonos Ace (8/10, WIRED Recommends) launched with lofty expectations, yet their mix of luxe comfort, smooth sound, and top-tier noise canceling still caught us off guard. Their significant skills put them in regal company with the likes of Bose and Sony. Those points aside, their most intriguing feature, the ability to instantly swap TV audio from a Sonos soundbar, was buggy at launch (along with the rest of the Sonos app).
Since then, Sonos has put in the work, and I've been able to seamlessly “swap” sound between the Ace and the Sonos Arc and Arc Ultra soundbars with minimal latency. The natural transparency mode and head tracking effectively mimic a home theater experience, and Sonos has since added support for the Beam and Ray soundbars. It's still not the Wi-Fi experience we were hoping for, but even on their own, the Ace's considerable skills make them well worth considering. —Ryan Waniata
- Photograph: Focal
Best for Audiophiles
Focal BathysIf money is no object, this pair from French hi-fi brand Focal (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is the best. The magnesium and aluminum headphones—with custom French-made drivers and super soft ear cups and headband—offer listeners some of the best wireless audio I have ever heard. From deep lows to crisp highs, these resemble their more expensive, corded, brethren but allow you to listen in planes, trains, and automobiles without toting along an external digital-to-analog converter or special audio player.
- Photograph: Sony
Still Great
Sony WH-1000XM4This isn't the newest model, but Sony's WH-1000X lineup has produced some of the best noise-canceling headphones for nearly a decade, and the previous-generation WH-1000XM4 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) are no exception. Sleek, businesslike looks and a 30-hour battery life match its successor, and this version sports better noise cancellation and audio upscaling than its predecessors, both of which contribute to a cleaner overall sound signature. The high-quality microphones don't make you sound like you're underwater in Zoom meetings, which is an essential upgrade in the post-Covid world. It periodically goes on sale for under $300, so avoid buying it at full price.
Best Earbuds
Bose QuietComfort Ultra EarbudsIt bears repeating: Bose is the absolute master of active noise-canceling technology. The QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are just the latest demonstration of the company’s expertise. Get these earbuds positioned just so, set them up to your satisfaction using the excellent control app, and the outside world need never bother you again. It almost goes without saying that the sound you’ll enjoy is big, bold, and vivid—which is something else Bose knows all about. —Simon Lucas
- Photograph: Amazon
Best Cheap Buds
Soundpeats Capsule3 Pro+These unassuming buds from Soundpeats offer surprisingly good noise canceling and features for the money. That's a great start, but their real superpower is stellar sound quality, which helped in earning them a whopping 10/10 review score. Using a combination dynamic driver for bass and a next-gen xMEMS driver for the midrange and treble, you'll find gloriously rich, clear, and balanced fidelity across your catalog. They fill things out with solid battery life and a helpful app for a great experience at a surprisingly low price. —Ryan Waniata
- Photograph: Sony
Best Backup Buds
Sony WF-1000XM5Sony's fifth-generation flagship earbuds (7/10, WIRED Recommends) slim down while stepping up. These buds are smaller and slicker (maybe too slick when it comes to grabbing them) than the previous XM4 buds. As before, they provide great sound and noise canceling that outduels most buds not made by Bose. In true Sony style, they serve up a truckload of adaptive features and EQ controls while retaining their battery bragging rights of up to eight hours of playback time with ANC and 12 hours without it. —Ryan Waniata
- Photograph: Bowers & Wilkins
Business Class
Bowers & Wilkins Pi8Higher-end earbuds from Bowers & Wilkins (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are perfect for folks who want premium audio quality, but who don't want to have to lug around over-ear headphones everwhere. These are an excellent compromise, with a sleek, comfortable design, solid (albeit not Bose-beating) noise canceling, and great sound. They're fantastic for travel, thanks to the ability to plug a 3.5 mm or USB-C cable to the case and have the case transmit Bluetooth to the headphones—perfect for when you are on a plane without modern technology. Call quality is also excellent, which makes these perhaps the perfect business-class earbuds.
- Photograph: Bowers & Wilkins
The Most Comfortable
Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2eThere didn’t seem to be much wrong with the Px7 S2 (9/10, WIRED Recommends), but Bowers & Wilkins has gone ahead and fixed them anyway. The Px7 S2e feature upgraded digital sound processing for greater sonic insight and engagement, and the result is a pair of headphones that sound as upmarket and sophisticated as they look. What the company hasn’t done, though, is alter the way they fit, or the materials from which they’re built—which means the Px7 S2e are supremely, almost indecently, comfortable to wear over the long haul. That's just as well given that battery life is a big 30 hours (including seven hours of action from just a 15-minute charge). —Simon Lucas
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- Photograph: Dyson
Customizable Looks
Dyson OnTracYou might be skeptical about buying a pair of headphones from a brand best known for plastic vacuum cleaners, but the Dyson OnTrac are actually pretty excellent (8/10, WIRED Recommends). Apart from their 55 hours of battery life and solid noise canceling, the reason to buy these headphones is that you can customize the ear cups and ear pads to be hundreds of different color combinations. If you have a specific personal style and want to still get the same great sound that you'll get from Bose, Sony, Apple, and others at a premium price, these are a good option. I also like that the app will tell you when the headphones have exceeded 85 decibels, which is the OSHA-recommended standard for eight hours of exposure (read: you won't get tinnitus).
- Photograph: Amazon
Great Value
Sony WH-CH720NSony may rule the “premium wireless noise-cancelers” roost, but that doesn’t mean it’s ignored the less well-off among us. The WH-CH720 are sensational value for the money: properly built and finished, with accomplished active noise-canceling skills and big, burly sound quality. Yes, it would be nice if they folded up and/or came with a protective case, but you can’t expect everything when you’re paying such a competitive price. If you want more than a taste of the high end of the market without actually having to pay for it, you really can’t go wrong here. —Simon Lucas
Photograph: SonyHonorable Mentions
Other Noise Canceling Headphones We LikeNow that the majority of new headphones and earbuds offer at least a modicum of noise canceling, it'd be impossible (and unproductive) to list everything we like above. If you haven't yet found your fit, here are some more favorites worth considering.
Soundcore Life Q30 for $60-85: Anker's Soundcore line is nothing if not value conscious, and the Life Q30 provide an embarrassing list of extras for their often bargain-basement pricing. You'll get clear and warm sound, great features, tons of battery life, and noise-canceling that gets the job done even on a long flight, though it can't keep up with flagship pairs. It's hard to complain when they cost hundreds less, especially with sale pricing that sometimes drops them just above $50.
Soundcore Space A40 for $60: Another top value buy from Anker's Soundcore brand, the Space A40 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) are some of our favorite cheap earbuds, especially as their price continues to fall. You'll find a classy design, lots of features, quality sound, and great noise canceling for their class.
Apple Beats Fit Pro for $199: The Beats Fit Pro are an aging but still knock-out pair of wireless buds, with great sound, easy-access physical buttons, and solid noise canceling to boot. Add to that six hours of battery life, spatial audio compatibility with Apple Music and other services, and you've got one of the best pairs of earbuds ever “designed in California.”
Sony WF-1000XM4 for $290: Sony's WF-1000XM4 (7/10, WIRED Recommends) still have some of the best noise reduction we've heard from a pair of earbuds and offer the same super-customizable sound we love from Sony's over-ear headphones. These are becoming harder to find, and they're a bit too large for smaller ears but the extra size allows for fantastic battery life.
Amazon Echo Buds for $45: Amazon's second-gen Echo Buds (8/10, WIRED Recommends) don't provide quite the same silence as the top buds on our list, but they're still a good low-cost option. Amazon's built-in Alexa voice assistant lets you set timers, check the weather, and control your buds hands-free. The buds sound pretty good too, making them worthy of consideration several years on.
Epos/Sennheiser Adapt 660 for $152: Want excellent sound, a comfortable fit, and high-quality noise-canceling tech for less than what you'd pay for Sony or Bose headphones? Check out this collaboration between Epos and Sennheiser. The Epos/Sennheiser Adapt 660 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) sound fantastic, and are some of the lightest noise-canceling headphones I've ever worn. They also feature excellent microphones for great silence on calls and Zooms.
