How to Choose the Best Over the Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones

When you commute using public transport or working from your home, noise-cancelling headphones can enhance your listening experience by forming an acoustic buffer between your ears and the outside world. How do you pick the best pair for your needs?

There are two kinds of noise cancelling headsets: passive noise isolation and active noise cancellation. The first uses earcups with thick padding that are tightly fitted to block out outside sounds, while the second makes use of built-in microphones to create opposing sound waves that cancel background noise.

Comfort

If you're on noisy public transit or battling for office space with chatty colleagues or attempting to catch some shut-eye on a flight that's overbooked, noise cancelling headphones offer an acoustic buffer between your ears and the rest of the world. These headphones let you listen to music at an appropriate volume without straining your ears. A lot of our top picks also have a light design, making them comfortable to wear throughout the day.

Noise cancellation is typically accomplished by using active sound-reduction techniques that generate opposing sound waves in order to block out background noise. While you can find cheaper headphones that use passive noise isolation, which covers the earcups or earbuds around your ears to block out noises that aren't needed, the top models we've tested utilize active sound cancellation to provide a true escape from the everyday grind.

To get the best results, you'll want to ensure your headphones fit comfortably and are well-designed. It is also important to make sure they don't leak, which can annoy people who are around you. To experience a truly immersive sound you'll need headphones that support high-resolution Bluetooth codesc LDAC. This lets them play back hi-res music at 24 bit resolution and 96kHz, making them an audiophiles dream.

A lot of new models can fold, allowing them to be compact and convenient for travel. If you're looking for a travel headphone with a foldable design and a compact size, the Bose QC45 we reviewed is an excellent choice. If you're a frequent traveler the Sennheiser HD450BT is an excellent pair of headphones that can be folded down to fit into your bag for Noise Cancelling Headphones carry-on.

The majority of the models we have looked at are wireless, and some have built-in mics for hands-free calls. The app lets you control the audio and noise cancellation settings which is ideal for those who wish to adjust their headphones on the move. Some wireless models include a docking station for on-the going listening, while others have a portable case that provides plenty of battery life even when you're not at home or at work.

Sound Quality

The quality of sound is a major issue for many music lovers, especially when it concerns headphones. While any pair of headphones will assist in removing ambient sounds, a good pair of noise cancelling headphones will not just be effective in blocking out noise from the outside but will also be able to deliver clear high-quality, high-quality sound.

If you're spending lots of money on headphones, then you need them to play your music as effectively as they can. Fortunately as ANC headphone technology has evolved in sound quality, the sound they produce has also improved considerably over time. This has resulted in some of the most powerful headphones available today that can compete with the top audiophile headsets.

The sound quality you experience will depend on your listening habits and preferences. Some people will prefer an open and warm bass sound while others may prefer high-fidelity headphones that deliver every nuance of a track or album.

Noise cancellation is a personal decision. While ANC is excellent at eliminating monotonous sounds, such as the whooshing noise of an airplane, or the roaring of traffic, it cannot eliminate dynamic sounds with different frequencies and intensities, like human voices or instruments.

This is why a great pair of headphones with exceptional passive isolation as well as good ANC will still be an excellent choice, regardless of regardless of whether you opt for earbuds that seal around your ears or over-ear headphones that completely cover your earlobes. You can get impressive isolation even without active noise cancellation with Comply memory foam tips or similar products that will conform perfectly to the shape of your ears.

Most ANC headphones come with several Bluetooth codecs that allow you to connect with the music source you like. The Sony WH1000XM4s, for example, feature both LDAC support as well as DSEE Extreme to ensure you can enjoy your favorite tracks in high resolution and with stunning clarity. Sinead's sibilant cry and her ferocious chorus are evident when she sings Nothing Compares 2 U.

Noise Cancellation

Noise cancelling headphones are an excellent option to create an extra buffer between you and the outside world. They listen to ambient sounds and then use built-in microphones to "read" the environment, allowing only the sound you wish to hear. They're an excellent choice for commuting, working from home, or any situation where background noise can be distracting or irritating.

To achieve their magical effects, noise cancelling headphones have an active technology that is powered by noise cancellation (ANC). Miniature microphones in the earcups or earbuds listen to the sounds that you're exposed to and then emit opposite frequencies that will be in collision and effectively cancel out those unwanted noises, leaving only the music you're listening. It's a bit more complex than that, and it depends on the quality of your ears, the design of the headphones and the quality of its audio processing, but the idea is that they will significantly reduce the noises you hear, be it an airplane engine or your colleague's animated conversations.

The top over-ear ANC headsets we tested aren't able to completely block out background noises however they do a good job at blocking them. Look into a pair of headphones with adaptive noise cancelation. This will take ANC to a whole new level by monitoring ambient sounds and reversing them in real time while keeping the audio you'd like to listen to (including hands-free calls) at a constant volume. The Sony WH-1000XM5s are an illustration of this cutting-edge technology in motion.

Many pairs of over-ear ANC headphones have additional features that make listening enjoyable. Look for features like touch controls, high-quality audio codecs, and support for voice assistants such as Siri or Google Assistant. A wireless Bluetooth connection is a must to allow hands-free and comfortable audio playback, and a portable charging case that allows you to remain connected on the go.

Another useful feature is a passive mode, which allows the noise-canceling circuitry to be shut off and lets you listen with the same isolation as regular headphones. This is a great feature to use when you need to hear the world around you or haven't got enough battery life to recharge your headphones.

Value

When listening to music or making calls, a quality pair of headphones can make you feel as if you're in a soundproofed room. Noise cancelling headphones cost more than non-noise cancelling headphones however they offer better sound quality and block out distracting background noise. They are worth the additional cost for those who work long hours at the office or on the go.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones boast impressive noise cancellation capabilities and come with many useful features that include a microphone that can produce clear and natural sound during phone calls and DSEE Extreme audio upscaling. The ANC system is great at blocking out external noises, but they're not as effective in isolating you from low-frequency sounds like trains or traffic.

They're also light and fold down into a compact D-shaped box that can be tucked away into a carry case, making them ideal for traveling. They work with a variety of voice assistants, including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and come with a feature that automatically pauses music when they are removed from your ears. They can also be used with a wired connection for listening to your favorite videos or podcasts in noisy environments.

The Razer Opus X Wireless headphones provide exceptional value for their price. They come with a great ANC system however, they also have a transparency option that turns on the external microphones to allow more sounds from the surrounding environment to pass through. The headphones come with an integrated USB-C charging port, which means they can be used while charging. They have an extremely low-latency Bluetooth connection which is crucial for gaming on the go and watching videos.

If you're looking for a less expensive option look into the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless headphones. They're great at cancelling out distracting noises like the rumble from plane engines and buses or the high-pitched sound of computer fans. They can last up to 32 hours on a single charge. They have an auto-off timer to save power.