The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (2024)

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There are a lot of wireless headphones with active noise-cancellation. We’ve rounded up the best of the best.

By Tucker Bowe

Published June 25, 2024

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission.Learn more

Wireless noise-canceling headphones are super popular and effective these days. They have powerful processors and special mics that, together, generate opposing sound waves — called anti-phases — that cancel out the sounds around you. The result is that you just hear the music and not your apartment’s TV, your colleagues’ lunch conversation or the dull buzz of an airplane.

No wonder there are now a lot of noise-canceling headphones to choose from. Bose and Sony are probably the most well-known makers, but pretty much every other audio and tech company — Bowers & Wilkins to Sennheiser, Master & Dynamic to Apple — has thrown its hat in the ring (at least once).

If you’re looking for top-quality noise-canceling headphones, you can expect to spend between $300 and $400 — that’s what most of today’s flagship options are going for. Of course, you can spend a lot more or a lot less than that, too.

How We Tested

We test each pair of headphones for sound quality, call clarity, comfort, battery life and features (such as button or swipe controls as well as support for a companion app). We also test each headphone’s noise-canceling abilities in a range of different noisy and quiet environments.

To learn more about our testing methodology and how we evaluate products, head here.

The Best ANC Headphones for Most People

Sony WH-1000XM5

Specs

Battery Life	Up to 30 hours
Weight	0.55 pounds
Charging	USB-C

Pros

Excellent noise-cancellation
Superb sound quality
Lightweight and comfortable design
Customizable controls and features

Cons

Don't feel as premium as more expensive options
Swipe controls might not be your style

$398.00 at Amazon

Release date: May 2022

Released in May 2022, the Sony WH-1000XM5 are new-and-improved versions of the company’s acclaimed WH-1000XM4 noise-canceling headphones. The XM5s have a new lightweight design with larger earcups so they’re even more comfortable.

They have an extra processor that helps them deliver even stronger active noise cancellation (especially for mid-to-high-range frequencies). They have double the built-in microphones so they’ve significantly better for calls, along with many of the same features and sound that made the XM4s our previous pick for the best noise-canceling headphones. The catch? The XM5s are $50 more expensive.

Most Comfortable ANC Headphones

Sonos Ace

Specs

Battery Life	Up to 30 hours
Weight	0.71 pounds
Charging	USB-C

Pros

Maybe the most comfortable noise-canceling headphones
ANC and sound quality are both extremely impressive
Physical buttons (especially the Content Key) are nice

Cons

More expensive than alternatives from Bose and Sony
Can't stream music over Wi-Fi or be grouped with Sonos speakers
TV Audio Swap isn't quite ready yet

$449 at Sonos

Best ANC Headphones for iPhone Owners

Apple AirPods Max

Specs

Battery Life	Up to 20 hours
Weight	0.85 pounds
Charging	Lightning

Pros

Superb sound quality and support for spatial audio
Excellent noise-cancellation
The best noise-canceling headphones for iPhone users

Cons

Very expensive and heavy
Works best with Apple devices
Lacks some of the newer features of Apple's newest AirPods Pro

$479.99 at Amazon
$529.00(9% off)

Release date: December 2020

Apple’s first pair of over-ear headphones are very luxurious. The earcups are made entirely of stainless steel – no plastic — so they look great, although they are heavier than most alternatives. The sound quality and noise-canceling ability of the AirPods Max are both excellent, easily making them some of the best you can buy.

They are baked with Apple’s (now-older) H1 chip and have most of the same features as AirPods Pro (Gen 2)—such as a transparency mode, support for spatial audio and Dolby Atmos, and easy iPhone pairing. They are several years old, however, and lack some newer features such as USB-C charging and support for the newest AirPods Pro features.

That said, if you have an iPhone and can stomach the high price tag, you can’t go wrong with the AirPods Max.

Most Elite Active Noise-Cancellation

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (10)

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones

Specs

Battery Life	Up to 60 hours
Weight	0.56 pounds
Charging	USB-C

Pros

Best-in-class noise cancellation
One of the most comfortable ANC headphones you can buy
New foldable and travel-friendly design

Cons

Still quite expensive
Spatial Audio can be hit or miss

$429.00 at Bose

Release date: September 2023

Introduced in late 2023, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the company’s new flagship noise-canceling headphones … and they are quite the departure from the 2019-released Bose Headphones 700 (now discontinued). They have a new design that prioritizes comfort and portability; they fold in on themselves into a more travel-friendly size.

The QuietComfort Ultra deliver some of the most powerful active noise-cancellation you’re going to find in a pair of headphones, but Bose drastically improved the transparency mode and call clarity as well. They also have an Immersive Audio mode for listening to spatial audio; it’s not quite a game changer, but it does allow the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones to deliver a listening experience that’s in the same ballpark as Sony’s and Apple’s wireless headphones.

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (11)

An Affordable Alternative to Apple’s AirPods Max

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (12)

Beats Studio Pro

Specs

Battery Life	Up to 40 hours
Weight	0.57 pounds
Charging	USB-C

Pros

Work very similarly to AirPods Max, but cost significantly less
Work really well with Android smartphones, too
Support lossless audio when over a wired USB-C connection

Cons

Mostly the same design as Beats's previous noise-canceling headphones
Lacks support for Bluetooth multi-point for Apple's ecosystem
Don't expect the same elite levels of sound and ANC as AirPods Max

$299.99 at Amazon
$349.99(14% off)

Release date: July 2023

The Beats Studio Pros are essentially a more budget-friendly alternative to Apple’s AirPods Max. The two headphones share a lot of the same features (reminder: Apple owns Beats), such as fast iPhone pairing, hands-free “Hey Siri” and support for Apple’s Find My network. They support for Spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, just like AirPods Max.

The main tradeoff is that while good, the sound quality as well as noise-canceling and transparency modes aren’t quite elite. That said, the Studio Pros are significantly cheaper and lighter (so you’ll probably find them more comfortable), and they work better with Android devices. They also can work as wired headphones via 3.5mm or USB-C jacks (the latter of which can even play lossless audio).

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (13)

Bowers & Wilkins’s Stylish ANC Headphones

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (14)

Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S2

Specs

Battery Life	Up to 30 hours
Weight	0.68 pounds
Charging	USB-C

Pros

Excellent and expansive sound quality
Improved noise-cancellation
Unique look and feel

Cons

Still quite expensive
Not as elite as B&W's Px8

$357.00 at Amazon
$381.99(7% off)

Release date: June 2022

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 S2 is the successor to the 2019-released PX7. Despite looking fairly similar, B&W has revamped them on the inside to improve their sound quality and noise-cancellation ability. They’re also lighter, smaller, and ever-so-comfortable to wear. You can buy them in black, blue, and gray.

That said, the PX7 S2 are technically the second best noise-canceling headphones that B&W makes. Released a few months afterward, the PX8 are very similar to the PX7 S2, but have slightly improved sound and made of higher-end materials (and therefore are considerably more expensive).

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (15)

Bowers & Wilkins’s Upgraded, More Luxurious Option

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (16)

Bowers & Wilkins Px8

Specs

Battery Life	Up to 30 hours
Weight	0.71 pounds
Charging	USB-C

Pros

Exceptional sound quality
Super luxurious design
Physical buttons are nice

Cons

Super steep price tag
Many of the same features as B&W's more affordable headphones

$659.00 at Amazon
$699.00(6% off)

Release date: September 2022

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 are essentially a fancier and better version of the Px7 S2. The two headphones look similar, but the PX8 is made of higher-end materials like aluminum and real leather rather than plastic.

Additionally, the PX8 delivers an even more refined sound thanks to carbon fiber and resin drivers. But at just shy of $700, they’re among the most expensive wireless noise-canceling headphones you can buy.

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (17)

Excellent ANC Headphones with a Modern Look

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (18)

Master & Dynamic MW75

Specs

Battery Life	Up to 32 hours
Weight	0.75 pounds
Charging	USB-C

Pros

Top notch sound quality and noise-cancellation
Gorgeous design made with premium materials
Features galore

Cons

One of the most expensive options out there
Design might not be your vibe

$0.00 at Amazon

Release date: June 2022

Master & Dynamic’s flagship noise-cancellation headphones combine excellent design, superb sound, and a hefty price tag. Compared to their predecessors, the MW65s, they have a new look (and new tempered glass earcups), and M&D has drastically improved their noise-cancellation capabilities.

For those familiar with M&D’s over-ear headphones, the MW75 are also unique because they work with a companion app — M&D Connect — which allows you to tweak the EQ and various other settings (previous models didn’t support such an app).

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (19)

The High-End Hi-Fi Option

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (20)

Focal Bathys

Specs

Battery Life	Up to 30 hours
Weight	0.77 pounds
Charging	USB-C

Pros

Sound exceptional even when playing over Bluetooth
Can play lossless audio when using a wired USB-C connection
Surprisingly comfortable to wear

Cons

$699 is far from cheap
ANC won't blow your socks off
Design might not be your jam

$699.00 at Amazon
$699.00(0% off)

Release date: October 2022

The Focal Bathys — pronounced “bat-ees” — are the French high-end audio company’s first pair of wireless noise-canceling headphones. Among the most expensive headphones on the market, they bring over a lot of technologies and sound qualities from Focal’s high-end wired headphones. They also have more of a luxury build with premium materials like metal and leather, which obviously drives up the price.

The Bathys are rich with features, including a robust app for tweaking the sound quality. They also work well as wired headphones, even supporting lossless audio (up to 24-bit/192kHz) when used with the included USB-C-to-USB-C cable. The noise-canceling and transparency skills are good but not quite elite, but they score many points with the design and sound.

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (21)

Sennheiser’s Flagship ANC Headphones

The Best Noise-Canceling Headphones (22)

Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless

Specs

Battery Life	up to 60 hours
Weight	0.65 pounds
Charging	USB-C

Pros

Comfortable and lightweightdesign
Exceptionally long-lasting battery life
Sennheiser's signature sound quality

Cons

No physical buttons for playback control
Design is more mainstream than Sennheiser's previous headphones

$300.00 at Amazon
$379.95(21% off)

Release date: August 2022

The Momentum 4 Wireless are Sennheiser’s current flagship noise-canceling headphones. They are quite a departure from Momentum 3 Wireless as they have a completely new and lightweight design that has been streamlined for comfort. They have drastically improved sound quality and noise-canceling. And at up to 60 hours, they have some of the best battery life in any wireless ANC headphones.

The only real downside is that the new design has ditched the retro look that made the Momentum 3 Wireless so unique. They also ditched the physical buttons in favor of capacitive controls.

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