10 Best Noise Cancelling Headphones

The Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones offer very good overall sound quality and excellent comfort. They come with active noise canceling and are suitable for extended wear with a long battery life. Their build quality and built-in controls are considered very good. These headphones are well-suited for music listening, calls and meetings, gaming, TV and video, and also for air travel due to their noise isolation capabilities. However, they may not be the best choice for exercise due to their over-ear form factor and size. They also provide an app for equalization and audio control customization, and they support high-quality codecs like AptX Adaptive for improved wireless audio transmission.

The Sennheiser 450BT headphones, released in early 2020, are a good option if you're seeking high-quality sound with the convenience of both wired and wireless connectivity. They have closed-back, over-ear design, are foldable for portability, and are priced in the lower midrange. With a good comfort score, these headphones may be suitable for long listening sessions, and their very good build quality makes them a durable choice. Active noise cancelling is included, enhancing the experience in noisy environments such as air travel, where they're rated as best for use. The 450BT also offers aptX Low Latency, optimizing them for video content by minimizing delay, though they might not be the top choice for exercise, given their form factor. Notably, the microphone quality is very good, which is a plus for calls and meetings, and they offer a long battery life of about 27.5 hours. They come with an app that provides an equalizer and audio controls, boosting their versatility. However, if your primary use is gaming, these may not be ideal due to potential latency issues with wireless headphones in general.

Bose 700 headphones offer excellent noise cancellation, making them ideal for air travel or environments where you want to block out distractions. They are comfortable for extended periods and have good build quality, with an over-ear design providing a very good overall sound and mic quality. They provide good performance for music and calls, but may not be the best choice for gaming or watching TV due to poor scoring in those areas. Features include wireless and wired options, a battery life of around 20 hours, a detachable cable, app support with equalizer and customization, and active noise cancelling, but they are not sweatproof or dustproof and they are not optimized for low latency audio.

The Bose Quiet Comfort 45 headphones offer very good overall sound quality and are particularly well-suited for music, calls and meetings, and air travel, thanks to their excellent noise isolation and comfort. They also excel in portability since they're foldable and have a compact carrying size. These over-ear, closed-back headphones are wireless but come with a detachable cable, offering flexibility in how you use them. Although they have a premium price and are optimized for both Android and Apple devices, their performance for gaming and TV is poor, potentially due to latency issues. Suitable for prolonged use, they have an impressive battery life of over 20 hours. However, they may not be the best option for exercise due to their design and lack of sweatproof certification.

The 1More Sonoflow headphones have a closed, over-ear design with both wireless and wired capabilities. They're positioned at a lower midrange price and feature good overall sound quality and very good build quality, but only fair microphone quality. The soundstage is also fair, suggesting a decent but not exceptional spatial audio experience. They're comfortable, provide excellent noise isolation, and come with a detachable 1.2-meter cable. The headphones support LDAC for high-quality audio streaming over Bluetooth and they're optimized for both Android and Apple devices. For music listening, they score well, but they may not be the best for calls and meetings, gaming, or TV and video due to the fair mic quality and poor scores in these use cases respectively. They excel in noise isolation, making them great for air travel, and with a 40-hour battery life, they're ideal for extended listening sessions. The headphones are foldable for portability, have a large carrying case, an app equalizer, and customizable controls. They offer features like sweat resistance and active noise canceling which makes them versatile, though they're not certified as dustproof or sweatproof.

The Soundcore Space One headphones are a budget-friendly option with a closed-back, over-ear design, offering both wireless and wired connectivity. They deliver good overall sound quality, a soundstage that earns good remarks, and very good noise isolation, particularly suited for air travel. Despite being fairly comfortable, the comfort is rated good, not excellent, which may impact long listening sessions. The build quality is very good, with a foldable design for easier portability, and controls that are considered the best in class. They have a detachable cable and support the LDAC codec for high-quality audio over Bluetooth. In terms of battery life, you can expect up to 30 hours of use, which is suitable for extended periods away from a charger, although there's no wireless charging option, and they take 1.5 hours to charge. When considering use cases, music listening is good, but for calls and meetings, gaming, TV, and video, or use during exercise, the headphones are given a poor score, likely due to the mic quality, latency, or fit. They are not rated as sweatproof or dustproof, which might be a concern for exercise or outdoor use. The headphones come with an app that allows you to equalize the sound and customize controls, catering to both Android and Apple users, but they lack ear or head detection features. If you're looking for a durable, noise-canceling headphone at a lower midrange price for commuting and music, the Soundcore Space One could suit your needs, but for interactive uses like gaming and calls, or for fitness activities, they may fall short.

The Bang & Olufsen Beoplay H95 are high-end over-ear closed-back headphones that offer excellent comfort, very good overall sound quality, and best-in-class noise isolation, making them particularly suitable for air travel and noisy environments. Their build quality is also rated very good, with features like a detachable cable and foldability enhancing durability and portability. For wireless audio, they support high-quality codecs like AptX Adaptive and AAC, but their suitability for exercise is limited due to lack of sweatproof certification. The Beoplay H95 also boasts a long battery life of 35 hours, an integrated mic, but the mic quality is only fair which may affect calls. Despite the high price, these headphones are well-suited for immersive music listening, calls and meetings, gaming, TV and video, and book/podcast experiences. However, for high-movement activities or environments where microphone quality is paramount, other options might be more appropriate.

The Soundcore Life Q20 headphones are suitable if you prioritize extended battery life and active noise cancellation at a lower midrange price, especially for air travel or commuting, due to their excellent noise isolation. They are over-ear, closed-back headphones offering wireless and wired connectivity, with a comfortable fit and the ability to fold for better portability. However, they are not ideal for calls, meetings, gaming, or watching TV due to poor performance in those aspects, and they lack features like an app equalizer, custom controls, and optimization for exercise, dust, or water resistance. They are equipped with a dynamic driver, support the AAC codec for better sound with Apple devices, and have very good build quality.

The Soundcore Life Q30 headphones offer active noise cancelling, which is excellent for air travel, have very good build quality and provide a very good microphone for calls. They're comfortable for extended listening sessions and support wired and wireless connections. Their over-ear design with closed enclosure ensures good sound isolation. However, their performance for gaming and watching TV is not ideal due to their low latency. They're a good fit for exercise, with a foldable design enhancing portability. The accompanying app allows for equalizer and audio control customization, although these headphones don't have a lossless codec or sweatproof certification. They boast a long battery life of up to 44 hours for typical use and a quick charging time of about 1.7 hours.

The Apple Airpods Max are over-ear, closed-back headphones known for excellent build quality, comfort, and noise isolation, making them ideal for air travel and environments where you want to block out distractions. They're wireless with the option for a wired connection and have a good reputation for sound quality and a built-in microphone that is suitable for calls. However, for gaming and TV, they may not be the best due to lower performance scores in those areas. They are not sweat or dustproof, which makes them less ideal for exercise, but they do offer 21 hours of battery life for extended listening sessions. They're optimized for Apple devices and support features like ear/head detection and have an integrated mic. The headphones can be folded for easier portability, though they're on the heavier side at 385.5 grams. Keep in mind, they are considered a high-end product, which is reflected in their price.