How to Choose the Best Over the Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones

When you commute using public transportation or working from home, noise cancelling headphones can improve your listening experience by forming an audio buffer between your ears and the outside world. What are the best way to choose the best pair for you?

There are two primary types of noise-cancelling headphones which are passive noise isolation and active noise cancellation. The former uses heavily padded ears that are squeaky-clean to seal out external sounds, while the latter use built-in microphones to produce opposite sound waves to cancel out any background noise.

Comfort

If you're spending your day on noisy public transit, battling for office space with chatty colleagues or trying to catch some shut-eye on an overbooked flight Noise cancelling headphones provide an acoustic buffer between your ears and the world. They also let you listen to your music at a comfortable level without putting pressure on your ears, and many of our top picks have an ultra-lightweight design that is comfortable to wear for hours.

Noise cancellation is traditionally achieved by using active sound-reduction technologies that create opposite sound waves to cancel ambient noise. There are headphones that come that have passive noise isolation which encases the earcups or buds around the ear to block out noises that are not needed. However, the best models we tested use active sound cancelation to provide an unbeatable escape.

For the best noise cancelling over ear headphones results, you'll want to ensure your headphones fit snugly and are well-designed. You'll also want to ensure that they aren't leaking which could irritate people who are around you. To truly experience a full audio experience, you'll require headphones that support the high-resolution Bluetooth codec LDAC, which allows them to playback hi-res music at 96kHz/24 bit resolution--making them the ultimate audiophile's device.

While some people think of noise-canceling headphones as large, bulky over-ear headphones that aren't ideal for travel, the majority of the latest models fold down into an incredibly compact size. The Bose QC45 headphones we've reviewed, for example are a great choice if you're looking for an affordable travel headphone that folds flat to fit inside its case. If you're a frequent flyer and want to travel light, the Sennheiser HD 450BT are a good pair that folds to fit in your carry-on bag, making it easy to transport.

The majority of the models we've examined are wireless, and some have built-in mics for hands-free calls. The app allows you to manage the audio and noise cancellation settings, which is great for those who wish to adjust their headphones while on the move. Some wireless models also have an charging dock for mobile listening, while others use a portable case that gives you hours of battery life even when you're away from work or home.

Sound Quality

Quality of sound is a major issue for many music lovers especially when it concerns headphones. Noise cancelling headphones are an excellent option to block out the sounds of outside.

If you're planning to spend a significant amount of money on headphones, it only makes sense that they'll be capable of playing your music as well as possibly. Thankfully, as ANC headphones have advanced in sound quality, the sound they provide has also improved significantly over time. The result is some of the finest audiophile headphones on the market today.

The quality of the sound you hear will depend on your preferences and listening habits. Some prefer a warm and full sound that's rich in bass while others may prefer high-fidelity headphones that convey every nuances of a song or album.

Noise cancellation is a personal decision. While ANC is excellent at eliminating monotonous sounds like the swooshing sound of an aircraft, or the roar of traffic, it is unable to eliminate dynamic sounds with various frequencies and intensities like human voice or instruments.

To this end, the best pair of headphones that provide exceptional passive isolation as well as good ANC can be an excellent choice, whether you choose earbuds that seal around your ears or over-ear headphones that completely cover your earlobes. You can achieve impressive isolation with no active noise cancellation using Comply memory foam tips, or similar products. They will form to fit the shape of your ears.

The majority of ANC headphones come with various Bluetooth codecs that allow you to connect to the audio source you prefer. For example the Sony WH-1000XM4s have both LDAC and DSEE Extreme support to ensure that you can listen to your music in high-resolution and incredible detail. As a result, when Sinead O'Connor sings Nothing Compares 2 U, her sibilant cry as well as the forceful chorus come through like she's in the room with you.

Noise Cancellation

Noise cancelling headphones provide an audio buffer between your ears and the world around you. They listen for ambient sounds and then use built in microphones to "read" the environment, allowing only the sound you want to hear. They're great for working from home, or in any other situation where background noise is distracting or annoying.

Noise cancelling headphones employ an active noise cancellation to make their magic. The tiny microphones in your earbuds and earcups are listening to the sounds that you are exposed to. They then emit the exact opposite frequency that will then collide to block out unwanted sounds. It's more complicated and depends on the sensitivity of your headphones as well as the design of the headphones, and wireless the quality of audio processing. But the bottom line is that they reduce the noise, whether it's from the engine of an airplane or animated conversations from your coworkers.

The top over-ear ANC headsets that we tested didn't completely block out background noises however, they are effective in blocking them. For the most immersive listening experience, you should consider a pair with adaptive noise cancellation, which enhances ANC to the next level by continuously listening to ambient sounds, reversing the background noise in real-time and keeping the sound you want to hear (including hands-free calls) in a steady volume. The Sony WH-1000XM5s are an illustration of this cutting-edge technology in action.

Many pairs of over-ear ANC headphones come with other features that make listening enjoyable. Look for features like touch controls, high-quality audio codecs, and support for voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant. Wireless Bluetooth is essential to allow hands-free playback of audio and easy audio playback. A portable charging case will also help you stay connected on the move.

Another feature that is useful is a passive mode which allows the noise cancellation circuitry to be shut off, allowing you to listen to music with the same level of isolation as regular headphones. This is a useful feature to use when you need to hear outside sounds or haven't enough battery life left to recharge your headphones.

Value

While listening to music or taking calls, a quality pair of headphones will make you feel like you are in a soundproofed space. Noise cancelling headphones are more expensive than non-noise-canceling models, but they provide better quality sound and block out distracting ambient sounds. They are worth the additional cost for those who spend long hours in the office or out on the road.

The Sony WH1000XM5 headphones are packed with features that are useful. They have impressive noise cancellation capabilities and a microphone that is dedicated to producing natural clear, clear audio during calls as well as DSEE Extreme Audio Upscaling. The ANC system is excellent at blocking out external noises but they are not as effective in isolating you from low-frequency sounds like trains or traffic.

The headphones are lightweight and fold up into the compact D shape which can be easily tucked away in the bag of a carry-on. They're ideal for travel. They are compatible with many 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 connected to a wired connection for listening to your favorite videos or podcasts in noisy environments.

The Razer Opus X Wireless headphones provide outstanding value for the money. They come with a great ANC system and also a transparency option that turns on the external microphones to allow more noise from the surrounding environment to be heard. They also feature an inbuilt USB-C charging port, which means that they can be charged while being utilized. They also have an extremely low-latency Bluetooth connection, which is essential for gaming on the go and watching videos.

Consider the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless Headphones for a less expensive option. They do an excellent job of cancelling out distracting sounds including the rumble of buses and plane engines to the high-pitched hum of computer fans. They can last up to 32 hours on a single charge. They come with an auto-off feature to conserve power.