Sometimes, you just need to quiet the world around you with the best wireless noise-canceling headphones. ANC headphones come in many styles and prices, but some of our favorites include the Bose QuietComfort Ultra, Sony WH-1000XM5, Soundcore Space One and more. We've reviewed dozens of noise cancellation headphones to come up with a definitive list of the best choices for this wireless headphones buying guide!
Category
🤖
TechTranscript
00:00If you're looking for the best noise-canceling headphones, you've come to the right video.
00:09My team and I have spent hundreds of hours testing dozens of consumer headphones, just
00:14like these here, to come up with a definitive list of which ones are most worth buying,
00:18all of which are linked down below.
00:20Let's get right into it, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are the best noise-canceling
00:25headphones overall.
00:26If you're familiar with Bose products, these were actually a replacement to the Bose 700
00:30that had a bit of a cult following, but the audio company seriously raised the bar with
00:35these right here when it comes to active noise-canceling headphones.
00:38There are multiple levels of noise cancellation to balance the level of quiet with a wear
00:42mode or transparency to suit your surroundings, but that's not all.
00:46This new model throws in immersive audio tech and plenty of extras, including Bluetooth
00:505.3 with multipoint connectivity, aptX adaptive support, and touch volume controls.
00:56This all comes in a modern and lightweight package that's really comfortable enough to
01:00be worn for hours.
01:01I mean, I personally have used these for many long flights.
01:05Battery life lasts up to 24 hours, while designs made to controls make it more usable and practical
01:10and just overall seamless.
01:12All of that at $349, and they're also not even the most expensive noise-canceling headphones
01:17among the premium tier.
01:19That's why the Bose QC Ultra headphones are the best you're going to get in the noise-canceling
01:23headphones category.
01:25But if you want to talk about value, I really, really like the Soundcore Space 1.
01:29For under $100, you get a whole slew of premium features that are usually reserved for headphones
01:34that cost three or four times the price.
01:36Bluetooth 5.3 with LDAC codec support, customizable sound, multipoint technology, and some of
01:41the strongest quick charging out there, just to name a few.
01:44Oh, and the 40 hours of battery life with ANC enabled is a major plus.
01:49Speaking of ANC, that's why we're here after all.
01:52The Space 1 Adaptive ANC can be personalized and used in different ways.
01:56You'd use this feature to adjust performance to your surrounding noise levels or customize
02:00noise cancellation to set ambient noise neutralization to one of five levels.
02:05The best way to take advantage of the ANC is listening to music, of course, and these
02:08have deep bass, but also balanced mids and highs that, again, you might not expect from
02:13a pair of headphones at such a low price.
02:16Not gonna lie, there are some setbacks in call quality and controls, however, the overall
02:20performance is really impressive and a great example of not needing to spend tons for a
02:25great listening experience.
02:26Now we can't talk about the best noise canceling headphones or any headphones really without
02:30talking about the Sony WH-1000XM5.
02:34These over-ear headphones deliver excellent sound quality in every respect, plus great
02:38noise cancellation, and I happen to think they look quite nice.
02:42Branding is modern and minimal, and they're available in blue, black, or a color called
02:46accrue.
02:47They're also rather lightweight and are supplied with a usefully compact and collapsible carry
02:52case.
02:53Get the XM5s if you want the best sound, meaning balanced and smooth sound from the bottom
02:58of the frequency range to the very top, with good rhythmic expression that gives the music
03:02so much room to soar.
03:04Similarly want to get these if you want effective ANC.
03:07There's virtually no trace of external sound when you have your music going.
03:10Finally, get the XM5s if you're big on battery life.
03:13These are good for 30 hours between charges with ANC switched on, and that will rise to
03:18as much as 40 hours if you turn it off.
03:20The only true reasons to avoid these would be if you care that they don't bolt in on
03:24themselves and also if the MSRP of $399 is out of your budget.
03:29On the other hand, to have a bigger budget?
03:31Price has been a point of contention for these next headphones, the AirPods Max, ever since
03:35they launched.
03:36To this day, they remain Apple's first and only over-ear noise-canceling AirPods headphones.
03:41Though there are rumors about a new pair coming soon, for now, this is what we got.
03:46The biggest selling point about them is that they're designed with as much convenience
03:49as possible for iPhone, iPad, and Mac users.
03:52But besides easy setup and handoff between all your Apple ecosystem devices, we found
03:57that there's something to appreciate about the AirPods Max's soundstage across all kinds
04:01of musical genres, but our favorite aspect comes from spatial audio.
04:05Although there's only one level of active noise cancellation on the ultra-premium AirPods
04:09Max, it works like a charm.
04:11These cans do a great job at blocking out ambient sounds, especially at the lower end
04:15of the frequency spectrum.
04:17Dare I say it's almost as good as Bose's ANC, which is an impressive feat.
04:21Looks-wise, the AirPods Max come in a very fun color selection, and this mesh headband
04:25is good for distributing the weight because these are heavier than a lot of other headphones.
04:30So what about the bad?
04:31The no-on-off button and the included and completely non-protective smart case right
04:35here are some of the little quirks with the AirPods Max worth noting.
04:39The 20-hour battery life is also just alright when you consider some of the other top noise-canceling
04:43headphones we recommend.
04:45If battery life is your biggest concern, first and foremost, then the best noise-canceling
04:49headphones for you are the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless.
04:53The 60-hour battery life is nothing short of a crowd-pleaser, and these headphones are
04:57kind of the dark horse on this list.
04:59The Momentum 4 Wireless uses adaptive technology to automatically adjust the level of noise
05:03cancellation to your surroundings.
05:05In testing, we found it doesn't affect the overall sound quality or frequency balance,
05:10and you should be totally unaware of the technology having any impact on your listening.
05:15The auto wind noise reduction feature is similarly impressive, especially when you're, say,
05:19standing on a windy train platform on the daily work commute.
05:23Even if the design doesn't stand out too much in the crowd, these win big in the reliability
05:27department, and priced at $350, they're made to keep up with the Sonys and Boses of the
05:32industry.
05:33You can also set the level of transparency mode, so you can tune which kind of external
05:37sounds you want to be able to hear without removing the headphones.
05:40That's great for awareness.
05:42There are other noise-canceling headphones we recommend based on specific needs, and
05:46you can read about them more in the guide I've linked in the description.
05:49And you might have heard me say this before, but our procedures for testing headphones
05:52are always the same.
05:53From the design and comfort to the sound quality and overall value, my team and I evaluate
05:58several areas when picking the best headphones.
06:01Our rigorous review process compares products with similar fit, features, and pricing.
06:05Each pair of headphones is worn for many hours, and during this time, reviewers evaluate comfort
06:09and fit, ease of use, and audio.
06:12We test sound by listening to tracks across different music genres.
06:15Volume, clarity, and fullness of sound are taken into consideration in our ratings as
06:19well.
06:20Other categories, podcasts, and video games might be considered when necessary.
06:24When it comes to features, we test the active noise cancellation, Bluetooth range, and battery
06:28life for wireless headphones.
06:30Additional features are also tested for app-enabled headphones, along with ease of setup.
06:34Build quality, controls, and fit are all taken into consideration for all headphone types.
06:39Many factors come into play when shopping for the best noise-canceling headphones, but
06:43your decision should always come down to what you need.
06:46That being said, you'll want to take into account certain categories before settling
06:49on any one pair.
06:50First, design.
06:51Do you want something that looks more modern or more classic?
06:54Since these are headphones that will be used for all occasions, you want something that
06:57suits your lifestyle.
06:58Then there's sound quality.
07:00Different models offer different sound profiles, and since you're buying a pair to enjoy music,
07:05it's important to find headphones that match your sound preferences, be it heavy bass or
07:09distinctively clear to where you can hear the tiny little nuances in the recording.
07:14Battery life is a big one too.
07:15How long do you want your headphones to last?
07:17If you're always on the go, it would be smart to get a pair that can keep up.
07:21Other things to consider are the included accessories, and of course, how much you're
07:24prepared to spend.
07:25You don't need to break the bank to get a great pair of headphones, but you'll likely
07:29find trade-offs if you go down the price tiers.
07:31We generally like to look at headphones as an investment.
07:34With proper care, the same pair of noise-canceling headphones should last you at least a couple
07:38of years.
07:39The very best deals for all the noise-canceling headphones we've talked about today are linked
07:43below.
07:44Let me know which one you'd go for.
07:46If you have any questions about any of them, I'll also be answering your questions in the
07:49comments section.
07:50Let me know what kind of products we should round up in the next video while you're there.
07:54Thanks for watching.
07:55I'll catch you next time.