Noise cancelling earbuds offer a different listening experience when compared with regular headphones. For one thing, the skull-aching headband is gone, no longer pushing down and clamping tight earcups to sore ears. However, and we hate to add this qualifier, the best noise cancelling earbuds aren’t as easy to point out as you’d imagine.
Besides audio quality and hands-free convenience, it all comes down to human anatomy. Earbuds, by their very nature, slide into ear canals. If the fit is bad, expect discomfort and poor ambient sound isolation, and that’s just for starters. Passive noise cancelling, the seal against background noise, is followed up by sound stage attenuation and a weak bass.
Even spatial effects suffer, putting a cramp on the acoustic immersion you expect from premium noise cancelling earbuds.
The trade-offs are real, but we know just how to sidestep such technology headaches. We’ve got you, dude. To that end, a list of best-in-class ANC earbuds is incoming—including prepackaged ear-comfort tips— and every one of them will rock your world. First, let’s check out the technological slang that often accompanies these types of reviews; we don’t want you calling up Google every time weird audiophile jargon is used.
Cracking the Active Noise Cancelling Earbud Code
There now follows a brief interlude. Our review panel sat down with a notepad and pencil, intent on simplifying the sometimes technical language used when discussing earbuds.
Earbuds are those contoured audio devices with tiny but powerful sound drivers that slide snugly inside an ear. Older models of these pocketable devices use slender cables and terminate in physical audio minijacks, but newer devices now use wireless Bluetooth.
Another interesting little ‘factoid’ needs covering. All of the best noise cancelling earbuds have some form of background sound silencing ability. This is due to their snug fit, which creates a physical seal. This type of noise cancelling is known as passive, but it’s not nearly as effective as the powered alternative.
Active noise cancelling is where all the cool kids hang out. This is an electronic solution, one that generates anti-phase audio. Built-in microphones pick up the ambient sound and cancel these waves out before they reach the ear. High-end earbuds use ANC, plus a measure of passive noise cancelling, too.
Other words to look out for include ‘transparency mode’ and ‘latency.’ Basically, a voice command or device touch allows outside noise in, perhaps to hear a teacher issue a homework assignment. ‘My noise cancelling headphones were on’ isn’t going to work any better than ‘the dog ate my notebook,’ unfortunately. So listen to that teacher, use transparency mode. As for latency, that’s the delay between playback transmission and earbud pickup.
Factors like the Bluetooth codec and the physical form factor of your new earbuds will be weighed as this review progresses. Having said all that, it’s time to dive into the first contender for best noise cancelling earbuds.
Our Noise Cancelling Earbud Recommendations
Apple AirPods Pro 2 Earbuds
Why not open with a pair of the best devices currently available anywhere? Currently in their second generation, Apple AirPods Pro 2 earbuds set the bar high. That instantly recognizable minimalist style and plain white tone is a signature touch, then there’s the H2 processor under the hood, delivering crisp, industry-leading clarity and detail. The bass response is equally impressive, with the redesigned drivers and amplifier creating a balanced partnership. Of course, Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity is standard.
Built for iPhones but compatible with Android devices, with a few caveats, the next-gen Apple earbuds use a special acoustic venting system to ease ear canal pressure buildup. The venting also improves bass responses, reducing the boom and muddiness that plague lesser devices. Just as a quick by the way, our tester did try out the provided earbuds on his Android, and they worked, but he lost certain features, such as head tracking and hands-free Siri, of course.
Get the audiophile lowdown – We fell instantly in love with the noise cancelling, adaptive audio and head-tracked spatial acoustics, as augmented by the H2 chip, amplifier, and custom-designed drivers. Our audio panel also couldn’t get enough of their advanced voice isolating talents, with calls coming in clear and unmuted. This is where the included silicone tips, four pairs, helped out. One member of our panel had tiny ears, so she took the XS tips. Our burly leader was more of an L man, taking those tips for himself.
Other than balanced sound profiles capable of satisfying cross-genre music enthusiasts and podcast aficionados, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 earbuds felt like they were smoothly automated in every possible way. The transparency mode worked well, music faded when calls came in then came back in as soon as a conversation was over, and machine learning algorithms didn’t fight the responsive touch controls. Better yet, the second generation devices now really reach down into low frequencies, delivering ample crunch.
Magsafe charging case included. Listening time on a single charge hovered around 6 hours.
Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds
Not about to be left in the dust by Apple, Sony stepped up to the plate. Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds arrived late one afternoon and were immediately placed in the eager hands of our junior reviewer. He selected Medium sized memory foam tips from the packaging and started listening to ‘Pimp A Butterfly,’ a favorite Kendrick Lamar album. These compact earbuds, based on legacy Sony audio technology, pumped out every track with faithful pounding bass and rich mids.
We pushed the Sony’s hard, having selected the black set. They’re also available in smoky pink and silver, incidentally. Consider this if you’re buying them for the lady in your life. At any rate, no matter their color, the wireless Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are equipped with excellent noise cancelling capabilities. They’re also adaptive, meaning the QN2e and V2 processors packed deep inside are adjusting their noise neutralizing algorithms dependent on the environment.
Get the audiophile lowdown – The frequency response of this highly advanced ANC earbud set bottoms out at 20Hz and tops 20,000Hz when connecting to a regular Bluetooth 5.3 device. Switching to high-resolution LDAC transmitting, that frequency range extends all the way up to 40,000Hz. Kendrick felt as if he were giving us a private concert when these buds switched to LDAC to take advantage of their dynamic driver X transducers. They may be tiny at 8.4mm apiece, but state-of-the-art Sony engineering squeezes a mighty wide sound stage out of the teeny drivers
Packed with features, expect bone conduction sensors, for call quality clarity, and head tracking sensors for the inbuilt 360° spatial surround sound. Further expect crystal-clear call quality and tap to control track management functions, such as tap to pause, double tap to skip, and so on. Multipoint connectivity is also taken care of, although we suggest downloading the Sound Connect app (Play Store) if you’re going to configure this or voice assistant control, courtesy of Ok Google or Alexa. All-in-all, Kendrick never sounded so good.
Compact Qi compatible case included for easy charging. They last typically 8 hours on a single charge, and they’re sweat and water resistant, therefore good for a wet jog.
Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds
Since Bose is the company that got the ball rolling when it comes to all things noise cancelling related, don’t be surprised to see the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds on this list. They’re modern and up-to-date devices, relying heavily on wireless Bluetooth 5.3. A little chunky because of all the tech stuffed into their slightly curved forms, the ever so slightly larger shape proved convenient when fat fingers were engaging the play control tap functions. Check out page 24 of the manual for more info on the different taps.
The QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are water resistant, so we sent one of our interns out in the rain to play. Don’t worry, she wore her raincoat. Outside, the IPX4 rating carried over to the tiny recharging case, which meant she could listen to her Taylor Swift collection as immersive spatial audio while she waited to be called back inside. Bose-engineered passive and active noise cancellation reduced outside wind while she hosted our conversation on a sophisticated microphone system built right into the earbuds.
Get the audiophile lowdown – Bose’s own custom processor takes charge of noise cancellation and the listener’s personalized acoustic experience. This CustomTune mode sends sound out of the earbuds, which then reflects back with sonar-like accuracy, complete with anatomical data about the ear canal it has been inserted into. The in-ear buds then tailor a balanced, rich sound stage, creating detailed and authentic audio effects. We personally found the sound to be full-bodied and biased towards high mids, although percussive music and classic rock drums did produce a pleasing crack and rumble.
Similar to adaptive sound filtering, Bose uses a feature called ActiveSense to automatically adjust noise cancellation and neutralize transient ambient sound. The spatial sound feature also has a Bose name, which is labeled Immersive Audio, for those interested in such weird little company-specific jargon changes. We found it easier to control such things by installing the Bose App (Also on the Play Store).
The Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds work their ambient sound muting magic, earning their position as one of the best duo of noise cancelling earbuds, for approximately 6 hours. Includes an attractive pill shaped charging case. A combo of nine tips and stability bands are all included as passive noise correction aids.
Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 Earbuds
LE audio—it’s not Le Audio. It’s a wireless codec, not a French new wave group—comes standard on the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds. Why take this path? Well, Bluetooth can sometimes act as a bottleneck, so steps have been taken to implement codec improvements. LE audio is the answer, an improved form of Bluetooth. Following on from this wireless tech, Sennheiser’s TrueResponse transducer system keeps high-fidelity audio zippy across the air waves, reproducing clear highs, rich mids, and a punchy low-end sound that’s never muddy or overbearing.
One seasoned reviewer took this description to heart, laying down his smartphone in favor of an Astell&Kern SR25 portable music player. This was where things got serious, with a series of uncompressed 32-bit FLAC tracks pushing the earbuds to the limit. The high-resolution audio kicked into play and reproduced a full frequency spread of sound. For this test, we used the World’s Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recordings Vol.2. Incidentally, track six, ‘Baker Street,’ is one of our go-to recordings for testing hi-fidelity sound.
The active noise cancelling worked perfectly, never cutting any of the full-bodied frequencies out of our cherished hi-res music collection.
Get the audiophile lowdown – Refined mids and sonorous bass response aside, Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4 earbuds are engineered to take full advantage of their 7mm TrueResponse drivers. Our faithful tester, still immersed in HD audio heaven, commented on the 24bit/96kHz sound, saying it felt authentic to what the artist envisaged. On top of this, the earbuds seemed to handle every genre of music we threw at them.
Everything felt open to personalization, right down to sound profiles. Onboard algorithms took what we were listening to and used the data to tune the earbuds, creating perfectly tailored, tonally nuanced shades that suited each listener’s musical tastes. Fun over, when the time did come to take a call, six microphones picked up our reviewer’s voice while simultaneously dampening ambient background noise. The Sennheiser Smart Control App managed such settings, not to mention transparency mode and EQ settings. We really can’t fault them.
Offers an 8 hour battery life, which goes up to 30 when the included case is kept nearby. Also, like any of the other best noise cancelling earbuds on this list, expect multiple pairs of silicone ear tips, for that perfect passive noise cancelling comfort-fit.
Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro Earbuds
Try picturing Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro earbuds as the Android equivalent to the premium listening gear on offer from Apple. They’re Bluetooth 5.4 compatible, moisture and sweat resistant, and equipped with powerhouse ANC performance, yet they’re just that little bit cheaper to purchase. And that lower price doesn’t mean a similar drop in audio fidelity or a lack of wireless connectivity features. On the contrary, they’re loaded with adaptive noise cancelling power and hardware improvements, too.
Keeping up with the Jonses is tough, especially when developing tech that’ll be a match for Apple and Bose products. Our testers, using lossless HD tracks again, felt that Samsung has done a fine job of finding a happy balance between sound fidelity and user convenience. That’s hardly surprising, considering their place as Android flagship devices. Our sound panel agreed, backed by independent tweeters and woofers, further augmented by dual amplifiers and 360° spatial audio, these earbuds possess industry-leading sound clarity, plus the kind of layered, dynamic sound quality that can match any other set of earbuds currently on the market.
Get the audiophile lowdown – Adaptive noise cancelling gets a big seal of approval, as does acoustic stage presence. The two-way enhanced speaker design creates a massively wide frequency response, which is the result of a separate bass woofer and tweeter for mids. With that out of the way, our tester turned to the brand new Galaxy AI intelligence residing inside the hardware. Everything from smart noise filtering, letting through important sounds like sirens and emergency services, to on-the-fly personalized ear canal audio is now under the control of artificial intelligence.
For once, we were torn away from our music. The best noise cancelling earbuds should be all-rounders, after all. The Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro earbuds certainly live up to this claim, delivering real-time translation services and intuitive voice command compatibility. Their physical controls are something special to behold, providing pinch and swipe playback control. Use these finger commands just below the thin blade lights to take control of music and call settings. Alternatively, use Auracast functionality to broadcast a wireless stream to a second device.
A full 6 hours of ANC bliss greets listeners when they insert their in-ear Bud3 earbuds. That figure jumps up to 26 hours with the case. Available in silver or white, they’re IP57 approved as well, meaning they’ll work in the rain or when you’re sweating it out to your fitness playlist.
Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 Wireless Earbuds
For those who love gentle curves and streamlined bodies, Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 Wireless earbuds excel due to their good looks. If a listener is into fashion and doesn’t have the cash to buy Apple merchandise, these might just be the gear to own. But how do they sound? Backed by dynamic 10mm drivers and a responsive frequency range that covers 20Hz to 20Khz, we’re going to say that they sound pretty darned amazing.
Additional bells and whistles are installed in the form of accurate spatial audio and class-leading noise cancelling. The spatial audio uses head tracking technology and supports Dolby Atmos, while the head tracking feature followed Beyoncé’s voice while her instruments stayed seemingly fixed in place on the left and right of our tester’s head as he slowly moved around a noise silenced room. Just so you know, he got up close and personal with an aging office air conditioner, and its low frequency hum could only just be heard above the strains of ‘Single Ladies,’ a Beyoncé classic.
Get the audiophile lowdown – Good looks and good vibes in one earbud-shaped package, that’s the Jabra Elite 10 Gen 2 Wireless earbuds put through their paces. Curiously, Bluetooth 5.3 is the accepted wireless codec, but the charging case can receive LE Audio, making it a hub of sorts for connecting to a wired audio source, say an in-flight entertainment system, so that low latency stream sharing can be accessed while watching a movie or playing a game.
Six microphones are built into the Jabra earbuds. The outdoor calls we tested were clear and detailed, with a wind switch performing hiss minimizing duties. Still hooked into our final ANC tests, sounds were muted, but that AC unit test bothered us. We felt Bose or Apple earbuds would have fully muted this low-pitched sound. All the same, the Jabra’s feature good ANC, and they’re equipped with Dolby Atmos. One other thing, their semi-open build helped reduce pressure buildup, which can become a real issue when listening to booming bass.
A 6 hour battery life just about lasted the full length of the review, and the earbuds chosen were cocoa tinted. Titanium black was a second option. Differently sized geltips are in the box, as is a USB cable. IP57 rated, which is almost—but not quite—waterproof.
Choosing a Big Sound in a Tiny ANC Package
We learned several things while looking for the best noise cancelling earbuds. For one thing, comfort was more important than ever. There’s something intimate about inserting in-ear devices, pressing their silicone or gel tips into your ear canal and letting them sit there for hours on end. Although it’s likely the ANC earbuds you eventually pick will have them, do check to see that they’re packed with plenty of differently sized ear inserts.
Silicone is a staunch material for maintaining a physical seal, preserving the passive noise cancelling part of the hybrid sound muting relationship. It’s also soft, so you can’t scratch the delicate skin lining your ear canal—don’t be a clumsy or impatient listener— when impatiently inserting them, and silicone tips resist skin oils and sweat.
Fit is important, audio quality and balanced sounds are important, and so is a full-bodied bass that’s tight and punchy, low enough to vibrate bone. Cross-genre sound profiles are also a game-changer, especially if the listener has eclectic musical interests or wants to put aside music altogether at the end of the day, say for an interesting new crime podcast. Fortunately, some of the earbuds on this list have special tuning capabilities, sending tones to the ear to model a signature sound profile or using machine learning to discover listener habits.
Other features we’d suggest investing a little money in, and research time, include spatial audio and head tracking technology. Sensors are inserted in the devices to detect motion and alter the perceived direction of the sound, creating a 3D soundstage. Call quality, by installing a high-performance microphone array, is also something busy audio enthusiasts might want to consider. For example, Galaxy AI can prioritize voices when you’re talking to someone, then automatically raise the volume when the conversation concludes.
Look for that feature on the Samsung Galaxy Buds3 earbuds. Alternatively, choose Apple AirPods Pro 2; their adaptive noise cancelling powers are lightning fast, courtesy of the H2 chip. As a final side note, don’t underestimate a good semi-smart transparency mode; it’ll keep you safe from dangers and late appointments, like messages announced on subway platforms. Of course, transparency OFF and ANC ON, if you’re just looking to avoid an awkward hello from your neighbor, all of these earbuds have you covered.