How to Choose the Best Over the Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones

Noise cancelling headphones are a great way to enhance your listening experience, regardless of whether you're working from home or commuting by public transport. They create a sound barrier between your ears and the outside noise. But how do you know which pair is right for you?

There are two kinds of noise cancelling headsets: passive isolation and active noise cancellation. The former makes use of padded ears that are squeaky-clean to block out sounds from outside while the latter utilize built-in microphones to produce opposite sound waves to cancel out background noise.

Comfort

Whether you spend your days in noisy public transportation, battling for office space with chatty coworkers or trying to catch some sleep on a flight that's overbooked Noise cancelling headphones provide a sonic buffer between your ears and the rest of the world. These headphones allow you to listen to your music at a level that is appropriate without straining your ears. Many of our top picks have a light design, which makes them comfortable to wear throughout the throughout the day.

Traditionally, noise cancellation involves using active sound reduction technology that creates opposite sound waves to cancel out ambient noise. You can find headphones with passive noise isolation, which seals the earcups and buds around the ear to block out unwanted sounds. However, the best models we tested have active sound cancellation to give an unbeatable escape.

To get the best results, you'll want to ensure that your headphones fit comfortably and are well-designed. You'll also want to ensure that they aren't leaking, which can annoy people who are around you. For truly immersive audio, you'll want 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.

Many new models are foldable which makes them compact and convenient for travel. The Bose QC45 headphones we've reviewed for instance, are an excellent choice to consider if you're looking an affordable travel headphone that folds flat to fit inside its case. And if you're a frequent flyer, the Sennheiser HD 450BT are a good pair that folds to fit in your carry-on bag, making it easy to transport.

Most of the models we've reviewed are wireless, and a lot of them are truly headphones with built-in microphones that allow hands-free phone calls. You can also manage your noise cancelling and audio settings through a separate app, which is a nice alternative for those who want to adjust their headphones on the go. Some of the wireless models come with a charging dock for on-the-go listening, while others use a portable case that gives you a long battery life when you're away from work or home.

Sound Quality

Most music lovers are very concerned about the quality of their headphones, especially those that have a high-quality audio. While any pair of headphones will assist in removing ambient sounds, a great pair of noise cancelling headphones will not just be capable of effectively blocking out the outside world but will also be able to deliver clear, high-quality audio.

If you're spending lots of dollars on headphones, you want them to be able play your music as well as they can. Fortunately as ANC headphone technology has evolved, the sound that they provide has also improved significantly over ear headphones noise cancelling wireless time. The result is some of the best audiophile headphones on the market today.

The quality of the sound you hear will depend on your preferences and listening habits. Some prefer a full warm, warm sound with plenty of bass, whereas others might prefer high-quality headphones that can be able to hear every detail of a song or an album.

Noise cancellation is a personal preference. While ANC does an excellent job at eliminating monotonous noises like the whirring of an airplane or the roar of traffic, it can't eliminate dynamic sounds that vary in frequency and intensity such as human voices or instruments.

To this end, a great pair of headphones that provide excellent passive isolation and great ANC will still 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. These will mold to fit the shape of your ears.

Most ANC headphones come with various Bluetooth codecs that allow you to connect with the music source you like. For example the Sony WH-1000XM4s have both LDAC and DSEE Extreme support to ensure that you'll be able listen to your favourite tracks in high-resolution and incredible detail. As a result, when Sinead O'Connor sings Nothing Compares 2 U her sibilant cry and forceful chorus are as if she was in the room with you.

Noise Cancellation

Noise cancelling headphones can create an audio buffer between your ears and the world around you. They listen to ambient sound and then use built-in microphones to "read" the environment, allowing only the audio that you would like to hear. These are ideal for those who commute, work from home, or in any situation where background noises could be distracting or annoying.

To achieve their magical effects Noise cancelling headphones use an engineered technology known as active noise cancellation (ANC). The tiny microphones inside the earcups or the earbuds listen to the sounds that you're exposed to and then emit opposite frequencies, which will then be in collision and effectively block out unwanted sounds, leaving the music that you're listening to. It's a little more complicated than that, and is contingent on the hearing sensitivity of your ears, the headphone design, and the quality of the audio processing, but the basic idea is that they drastically reduce the sounds you hear, be it an aircraft engine or your coworker's animated conversations.

The top over-ear ANC headsets we tested aren't able to completely block out background noises however, they are effective in blocking them. For the most immersive listening experience, ear noise cancelling headphones look into a pair with adaptive noise cancellation. It will take ANC to the next level by continuously listening to ambient sounds, countering the background noise in real-time and keeping the sound you would like to hear (including hands-free calls) in a steady volume. This technology is demonstrated by the Sony WH1000XM5s.

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

Another useful feature is the passive mode which allows the noise cancellation circuitry to be shut off and allows you to listen to music with the same level of isolation as regular headphones. This is a handy trick for when you need to hear outside sounds or haven't enough battery life to charge your headphones.

Value

A quality pair of headphones will make you feel as if you're in a soundproof space when listening to music or making phone calls. Noise cancelling headphones are more expensive than non-noise-canceling models but they deliver better sound quality and block out distracting ambient noise. For this reason, they can be well worth the extra investment for those who spend much time on their own in the office or while traveling.

The Sony WH1000XM5 headphone is packed with features that are useful. They boast impressive noise cancellation capabilities and come with an in-built microphone that can produce natural, clear audio during calls and DSEE Extreme Audio Upscaling. The ANC system does a great job of blocking out sounds from outside, though they struggle to separate you from low-frequency sounds like the sound of passing trains or traffic.

They are also lightweight and folds down into a compact D-shaped box that tucks into a carrying case, making them ideal for use on the road. They work with a variety of voice assistants including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and come with a feature that automatically will stop music when removed from your ears. You can also use them with a wired connection to listen to your favorite music or podcasts in noisy environments.

The Razer Opus X Wireless headphones provide outstanding value for the money. They feature a decent ANC system, but they also have a transparency setting that turns on the external microphones of the headphones to allow more sounds from your surroundings to pass through. The headphones have a built in USB-C charging plug, which means they can still be used even while charging. They also have an extremely low-latency Bluetooth connection, which is essential for gaming on the go and watching videos.

If you're looking for a budget-friendly alternative, consider the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless headphones. They're great at cancelling out distracting noises, such as the rumble of plane engines and buses or the high-pitched hum of computer fans. They can last for more than 32 hours and come with an automatic timer to shut off.