In this video we’re breaking down the five best noise cancelling headphones in 2021. I’ve included options for every type of consumer. If you’re looking for an affordable pair of noise cancelling headphones under 100 or a more premium pair featuring industry leading noise cancelling technology, I’ll have the product for you.
The fifth product on our list is the Anker Soundcore Life Q30. These are our best noise canceling headphones under 100. Priced around 80 dollars you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better budget alternative to the Anker Soundcore Life Q30. These headphones help eliminate a lot of the outside world’s noise so you can focus on your audio content providing clear sounding music and solid call audio.
The most impressive aspect of these budget headphones is the exceptional battery life with a 44-hour battery life you won’t be needing to search for a charger often. That outstanding battery life is then coupled with great sounding high-res certified audio to provide you with one of the best listening experiences in its class.
If you spend a lot of time commuting via bus subway or other noisy options, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 will be a welcome addition. It eliminates distractions in the environment around you with their hybrid active noise cancellation technology that eliminates up to 95 percent of low frequency sounds.
While transport mode might be most useful for commutes these cans provide you versatility with two other modes outdoor mode and indoor mode. These different modes target common sounds in those environments and eliminate them.
Using the companion Soundcore app allows you to change these settings as well as your equalizer, so I definitely recommend using it to get the full potential out of these headphones. Regardless of where you’re using them the anker Soundcore life q30 headphones will provide a comfortable listening experience thanks to their ultra-soft protein leather earcups with memory foam padding and their lightweight build.
Thanks to these features your long listening sessions won’t result in uncomfortable ears or other unpleasantries. If you’re looking for an affordable way to listen to your music without the distractions of the world the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 are going to be tough to beat thanks to their good sound, their versatile listening modes and their long-lasting battery that’s coupled with a comfortable fit.
The fourth product on our list is the Sennheiser HD 450BT. These are great budget noise cancelling headphones. If you’re looking for a quality jump, the Sennheiser HD 450BT are going to be a welcome upgrade as they give you access to Sennheiser’s exemplary audio quality for around 200.
While the noise cancellation isn’t industry leading on these cans it’s capable of providing a solid experience at the price point by eliminating most lower frequency sounds. These cans have many of the high-end features I love about noise cancelling headphones without the same high price tag.
While Sennheiser didn’t make these the most premium feeling headphones they’re still sturdy enough and pack some class leading audio quality to make them well worth the purchase. They even include side panel controls so you can turn these headphones on and off, activate the active noise cancellation, adjust your volume or interact with your voice assistant just by using the buttons on the right ear cup.
With the Sennheiser smart control app you can control your equalizer settings to maximize the already impressive sound to suit your tastes. With a surprisingly compact folding design and 30 hours of battery life the Sennheiser HD 450BT can join you wherever life takes you.
The memory foam ear pads that Sennheiser used in the construction of these headphones is comfortable to wear for long periods of time as you enjoy the details of your music or the crispness of your calls.
With a great mic array on board, you’re able to talk at conversational volumes despite background noises or dictate notes with impressive accuracy. The bottom line is that the Sennheiser HD 450BT provides many of the bells and whistles of premium headphones at a fraction of the cost.
Effective noise cancelling superior class audio quality and advanced mics provide great audio experiences while the compact design and comfortable memory foam help prevent your experiences from being disturbed due to nuisances associated with many other headphone styles.
The third product on our list is the Bose QuietComfort 35 II. These are great noise cancelling headphones for the money. The Bose QuietComfort 35 II are priced around 300 and provide a great listening experience. They found their niche as the middle ground between budget and ultra-premium and fill that space better than their competition.
These headphones live up to their name and offer exceptional comfort with ear pads that are soft to the touch. The headband is also generously cushioned allowing these headphones to rest atop your head without ever feeling heavy. While both the anker and Sennheiser headphones before are comfortable enough they can’t approach the industry-leading quiet comforts.
The noise cancellation can be controlled with the action button on the outside of the left ear cup, but this button can also be used to interact with the google assistant in an instant. Reaching to the right ear cup you’ll find controls for volume playback, call management and track navigation so you can navigate a large assortment of tasks even if your phone or other device isn’t in your hand.
Mapping and learning these controls can be done with the Bose connect app which is also where you manage your sound profile. The out of the box sound is good for many but those that are looking for the purest listening experience we’ll want to fiddle with the settings to get them just right.
You can also adjust your noise cancellation settings, one of the biggest differentiating factors when comparing the Bose QuietComfort 35 II to their predecessors. Having the ability to switch between off and on high and low gives you listening freedom.
The high setting is the crown jewel here as having it turned on eliminates nearly all sound around you before you even begin playing music. It’s truly impressive and represents some of the best noise cancellation technology available.
If you’re looking for industry-leading noise cancellation and better than acceptable sound quality without the ultra-premium price tag the Bose QuietComfort 35 II are best in class and provide a less expensive alternative to the Bose noise canceling headphone 700s.
The second product on our list is the Sony WH-1000XM4. These are our best noise-cancelling headphones for audio files. The Sony WH-1000XM4 are Sony’s most recent flagship noise cancelling headphones priced around 350. And they deliver a premium listening experience that’s targeted at audio files.
They deliver excellent active noise cancellation that rivals close to that of Bose and the active noise cancellation here is an improvement over the xm3s thanks to a specialized processor that applies real-time cancellation.
I like how the noise cancellation can be paused through several means including starting a conversation or raising your hand to cover the right ear cup but if you don’t want to deal with potential pauses in your noise cancellation these settings can be changed in the Sony headphones connect app.
It’s extremely versatile for customization for sound settings including the equalizer and the dc extreme mode which can be tweaked. The DC extreme mode replaces missing information from compressed tracks in real time for a great experience.
Highs lows and mids shine through with a natural balance right out of the box with the xm4s. They deliver the most authentic listening experience in its class regardless of whether the active noise cancellation is in use.
On your controls can be accessed by tapping or swiping on the right ear cup managing playback and volume. Voice assistant support is also available with the xm4 making them a versatile set of cans.
Introducing multi-device connection to keep you listening even if you switch between two devices often and the inclusion of wearing detection only makes them more impressive. The headphones can detect when you remove them from your head pausing your content and even turning off after a preset length of time to avoid draining the battery.
If audio quality is the most important feature in a pair of headphones, then these are going to be your new best friend with incredible audio performance up to 30 hours of battery life and excellent active noise cancellation.
The first product on our list is the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700. These are our best overall noise cancelling headphones. Priced around the 380 mark the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are the best noise cancelling headphones around. While Sony’s XM4S lead the industry in audio quality the Bose 700s lead the way in active noise cancellation and aesthetic differentiation.
The Bose 700s go their own way and embrace a more futuristic and intriguing design which I think looks great. And they also sound great with impressive audio capabilities. 20 hours of battery life come with them which isn’t industry leading but is capable of getting you through several days with mixed usage.
The sound profile on them is similar to the QuietComfort 35 twos in that it’s very sculpted. This will be more than acceptable for most people but it’s not ideal for audiophiles looking for a premium set of headphones.
Regardless of how important natural sound is to you the Bose 700s can’t be beaten in the active noise cancellation arena. The industry-leading active noise cancellation can be adjusted via a button on the left ear cup while the right ear cup has touch controls that are similar to the xm4s though they might be slightly more intuitive.
The 700s also let you use your voice assistance through touch or via hotwords. The active noise cancellation in these cans is adjustable in the Bose music app letting you pick a value between 0 which lets you listen to ambient sounds nearby and 10 which blocks out virtually every sound.
Microphones contribute to the active noise cancellation but also to the quality of calls or other voice uses. Microphone clarity is exceptional on these headphones making them great for use in the office or on calls. If you’re looking for the best noise cancellation available and aren’t too picky about your sound signature the 700s haven’t been beat yet add in a stylish design and you’ve got the best noise cancelling headphones around.
