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The top noise-canceling headphones of 2024 excel in immersive sound quality and superior noise reduction, offering unparalleled audio experiences. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, they deliver crystal-clear sound while effectively blocking out ambient noise, ensuring an optimal listening environment for users in any setting.
There are a lot of great noise-canceling headphones available in the market right now, which makes it tough for us to pick the best model. Plus, different people have different needs and likes when it comes to their headphones. That said, some do stand out from the pack, including the new Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones and QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, as well as the Sony WH-1000XM5 and Apple's AirPods Pro 2. Sony's WF-1000XM5 earbuds are also top-notch, which is why they're near the top of this list.
Some are full-size headphones, and some are true-wireless earbuds. Regardless, they all have a few things in common: Not only do they offer excellent ambient noise-muffling capabilities, but they also boast a comfortable fit, good sound and strong voice-calling performance. Those are the key factors I evaluate when determining what products end up on this list. Pricing also comes into play, especially for value picks.
I've fully reviewed or had hands-on listening time with all the products on this best noise-canceling headphones list. If you're just looking for a list with only budget noise-canceling headphone picks, check out our best noise-canceling headphones under $100 list. And we also have a list of best noise-canceling true wireless earbuds for those just looking for top noise-canceling earbuds.
While Bose's new flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones may not be a huge upgrade over the company's Noise Cancelling 700 headphones, they feature a more premium design along with Bose's new Immersive Audio feature, which delivers some sound-quality enhancements. Along with excellent sound and great noise canceling, the QC Ultra Headphones are also superb for making calls, with top-notch background noise reduction. All that adds up to the best new noise-canceling headphones of 2024 and a worthy adversary to Sony's highly rated WH-1000XM5 and Apple's AirPods Max.
Pros
Cons
When you have a product that a lot of people love, change can be risky. Such is the case for Sony's WH-1000XM5, the fifth generation of the 1000X series headphones, which were first released in 2016 as the MDR-1000X Wireless and have become increasingly popular as they've improved with each generation. Over the years, Sony has made some tweaks to the design, but nothing as dramatic as what it's done with the WH-1000XM5. Other than the higher price tag, most of those changes are good, and Sony's made some dramatic improvements with voice-calling performance as well as even better noise canceling and more refined sound.
$398 at Amazon, $400 at Best Buy, $330 at Target
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 32 Hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointYes
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo IP rating
Full ReviewRead full review
When Sony's WF-1000XM4 earbuds came out in 2021, we awarded them a CNET Editors' Choice. And while they're excellent, we had some quibbles -- they're on the large side and aren't a good match for certain ears. Clearly, Sony took those gripes to heart when it set out to design its next-generation WF-1000XM5 flagship noise-canceling earbuds. Not only are the XM5s smaller, but they also offer improved performance pretty much across the board, with better noise canceling, sound and voice calling. Are the XM5s perfect? Not quite. And at $300 -- $20 more than their predecessor -- they're costly too. But overall they're really impressive -- easily among the very top earbuds on the market.
$300 at Best Buy, $298 at Amazon, $265 at Walmart
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 8 hours
Noise CancelingYes
MultipointYes
Headphone TypeWireless earbuds
Water-ResistantYes (IPX4 - splash proof)
Full ReviewRead full review
While the QC Ultra Earbuds aren't a major upgrade over Bose's excellent QC Earbuds 2 that were released in 2022, they're definitely a little better. They should fit most ears very well, and they feature superb noise canceling, arguably the best out there. And a natural-sounding transparency mode with a new ActiveSense feature kicks in some ANC should the sound get too loud around you (it's sort of similar to the AirPods Pro's Adaptive Audio feature). They also sound slightly better overall, with a touch more clarity, and their new Immersive Audio feature opens up the sound a bit.
$254 at Bose, $299 at Best Buy, $299 at Amazon
Pros
Cons
Full ReviewRead full review
The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) are powered by Apple's new H2 chip, which delivers more processing power while being more energy efficient, according to Apple. The new chip, combined with new low-distortion drivers, allows for improved sound that offers better clarity and depth. The noise canceling is also improved -- Apple says the new AirPods have "double" the noise canceling of the original AirPods Pro. Additionally, the new AirPods add an extra hour of battery life, up from five to six hours with noise canceling on. Plus, a speaker in the case that emits a sound that helps locate your buds via Find My should they decide to hide from you.
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 6 hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointNo
Headphone TypeWireless earbuds
Water-ResistantYes (IXP4 - splash proof)
Full ReviewRead full review
Sony's improved entry-level noise canceling headphones, the CH-720Ns, have a bit of a plasticky budget vibe, but they're lightweight and very comfortable. Part of me was expecting them to sound pretty mediocre, but I was pleasantly surprised. No, they don't sound as good as the WH-1000XM5s. But they sound more premium than they look (and feel), and their overall performance is a step up from their predecessor, the CH-710Ns. Are they worth $150? Maybe -- or maybe not. But the good news is that, like the CH-710N and WH-XB910 before them, these should see significant discounts in the not-so-distant future, which is what you may want to wait for.
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 35 hours
Noise CancelingYes
MultipointYes
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo IP rating
Full ReviewRead full review
The well-designed and comfortable JBL Live 770NC offers some modest improvements over its predecessor, including better battery life (up to 65 hours with ANC off and 50 hours with ANC on) and Bluetooth 5.3 with LE Audio (via a future firmware upgrade). Equipped with 40mm drivers, you get bold, nicely defined sound with powerful bass that's relatively tight. JBL's Ambient Aware and TalkThru features are on board along with multipoint Bluetooth pairing (the one feature that's missing is ear-detection sensors that pause your music when you take the headphones off). I thought the headphones' noise muffling capabilities were good and callers said they could hear me well even in noisier environments except when the wind picked up around me. The headphones fold up and a simple carrying pouch (no hard case) is included along with a cable for wired listening.
$200 at Amazon, $200 at Best Buy, $200 at B&H Photo-Video
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 65 hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointYes
HeadphoneOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-resistantNo
Love 'em or hate 'em, Beats Studio headphones are among the most popular headphones of all time, launching as a wired headphone back in 2008. This is the fourth generation of them, and they carry the same list price as their predecessor and look very similar on the outside but have some big changes on the inside that make them significantly better headphones. I'm tempted to describe them as more affordable plastic versions of the AirPods Max. However, that's not quite accurate due to a choice in chipsets and one notable missing feature. But read our full review to find out what makes this a very good headphone with some caveats.
$200 at Amazon, $200 at Best Buy, $200 at Walmart
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 4 hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointNo
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo IP rating
Full ReviewRead full review
Available in three color options, the Soundcore Space One are Anker's latest noise-canceling headphones and a good value for around $100, offering a strong feature set along with good sound quality and performance. They can't quite compete sound-wise with many of the premium noise-canceling models, but you don't feel like you're giving up that much on the sound front to save a good deal of money. They lack a bit of that natural, refined quality you look for in a great set of cans, but the Space Ones sound respectable, with decent clarity and bass definition and measure up well to the more expensive Soundcore Space 45.
Noise-canceling and voice-calling performance are also good for headphones in this price range, though the transparency mode is only OK. Anker has developed a version of Sony's Speak-to-Chat feature -- Anker calls it Easy Chat -- that automatically pauses your music and enters a transparency mode when you walk up to someone and start a conversation. The headphones are equipped with wear-detection sensors, a feature not usually found at this price, and include a carrying pouch. LDAC audio codec support is available for Android users.
I found them comfortable to wear, but they do look a bit bulky compared to more premium models.
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 55 hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointNo
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo IP rating
A lot of us liked Shure's original Aonic 50 headphones, but they had pretty middling noise cancellation. Well, the 2nd-gen version addresses that issue -- the noise canceling is much improved -- and Shure has more than doubled the the battery life to around 45 hours (they now have a quick-charge feature) and also shrunk the headphone's carry case a bit, though it's still not that compact. Those upgrades make the Aonic 50 Gen 2 one of the best new noise-canceling headphones of 2024.
While the Aonic 50 Gen 2s are pretty heavy at 334 grams, they're built sturdily and are also comfortable to wear, with nicely padded ear cups. They feature excellent sound quality with very good clarity and well-defined bass. Shure call them a "studio headphone," so the sound profile is fairly neutral, but you can add more bass in the EQ settings in Shure's companion app for iOS and Android (engaging the Spatializer setting in the app expands the soundstage slightly but doesn't make a big difference).
Equipped with three microphones in each ear cup, I found the call quality to be good with decent noise reduction, and there's an adjustable sidetone feature that allows you to hear your voice. However, I wouldn't say they're exceptionally good for calls in noisier environments.
The headphones do have some extra features worth noting. They offer both LDAC and AptX support for Android and other devices that support those audio codecs as well as USB-C audio. You can connect the headphones to a computer or smartphone with a USB-C cable for hi-res audio transmission or use the included analog cable if your device has a 3.5mm headphone port. That said, I found the headphones played a little louder using a wireless Bluetooth connection (with LDAC) than when I connected them to a Samsung Galaxy Flip 5 via USB-C.
$349 at B&H Photo-Video, $349 at Crutchfield
Pros
Cons
Battery Life45 hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointYes
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo IP Rating
Edifier makes some good-sounding PC speakers and true-wireless earbuds and it's done a nice job with its W820NB noise-canceling headphones, now on their second-gen version, the Edifier W820NB Plus. The first thing you'll notice about them when you put them on is that they're comfortable -- Edifier has upgraded the ear pads with higher-grade memory foam -- and the headphones fit snugly on your head. They also sound good for their price, offering slightly improved audio quality from the originals, thanks to what appear to be upgraded drivers (also, they now support the LDAC audio codec for Android devices). You get a bit more clarity and slightly better bass definition. Their sound didn't necessarily blow me away -- they lack a bit of openness -- but it's very good for what the headphones cost. Like their predecessor, they're pleasant-sounding headphones -- and even a bit more so now.
Other features include an ambient mode that lets outside sound in and a low-latency gaming mode. The noise canceling has been upgraded slightly and they're decent for voice calling. Battery life is pretty impressive with up to 49 hours of battery life on a single charge at moderate volume levels (and noise canceling off).
A couple of things are still missing. There's no carrying case or headphone jack, though you can connect them to your computer with the included USB-C to USB-A cable. But the 820NB Plus headphones are still a good value.
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 33 hours
Noise CancelingYes (Hybrid ANC)
MultipoibtNo
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo IP rating
Yes, they're expensive, but the AirPods Max deliver richer, more detailed sound than lower-priced competitors from Bose and Sony. They also feature arguably the best noise canceling on the market along with premium build quality and Apple's virtual surround spatial audio feature for video watching. While they're heavy, they manage to be surprisingly comfortable, though I did have to adjust the mesh canopy headband to sit a little more forward on my head to get a comfortable secure fit when I was out walking with them. They should fit most heads well, but there will be exceptions.
$549 at Apple, $479 at Amazon, $550 at Best Buy
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 20 hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointNo
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo IP rating
Full ReviewRead full review
Sennheiser's previous-generation Momentum Wireless headphones have always had a pretty distinct look that was part retro, part modern, and stood out for the exposed metal on their headband. For better or worse, that's all gone now, and the new Momentum 4 Wireless, Sennheiser's flagship noise-canceling headphones, look a bit more subdued and also a bit more like some of their competitors.
The Momentum 4 Wireless offers superior performance over the Momentum 3 Wireless in every regard, though the biggest gains are with noise canceling and voice-calling performance as well as battery life, which is outstanding -- up to 60 hours at moderate volume levels. There's also a transparency mode that allows ambient sound in, and they have the ability to create a custom sound profile in the Smart Control app for iOS and Android using the built-in EQ, sound modes and a new Sound Personalization feature that "assesses the user's listening preferences and adjusts the listening experience according to their taste."
Equipped with 42mm drivers, Sennheiser says the Momentum 4 Wireless offer "best-in-class" sound, which is debatable. I'd say the Momentum 4's sound quality is right there with other models in this price range -- they sound excellent, with the requisite well-defined, punchy bass, relatively wide soundstage (they sound pretty open) and smooth treble that brings out some of the finer details in well-recorded tracks. They're a pleasure to listen to
$306 at Amazon, $300 at Walmart, $299 at B&H Photo-Video
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 7 hours
Noise CancelingYes
MultipointYes
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantYes (IPX4 - splash proof)
Full ReviewRead full review
When Bose released its new flagship QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, it also replaced the QuietComfort 45s with a new, slightly updated model simply called the QuietComfort Headphones. Like the QC 45s, this model carries on the very comfortable tried-and-true legacy QuietComfort design that's been around for a few generations that a lot of people continue to love. The QC Ultra Headphones add Bose's new Immersive Audio feature and have a more refined design with some metal parts (they also have Bluetooth 5.3 instead of Bluetooth 5.1). But the QuietComfort Headphones still feature very good sound (the Ultras offer a small step up in sound quality), excellent noise canceling and strong voice-calling performance.
As for differences between these and the QC45s, Bose says it adjusted some of the electronics to improve battery life (now 24 hours vs. 22 hours) and adjusted the logos to make the products "visually distinguishable and more in line with its latest design language." It also added an inline microphone to the auxiliary cable to "help with some users who may prefer a plug-and-play solution rather than Bluetooth pairing." There's also a Wind Block feature and some additional small performance improvements due to software upgrades. Finally, the headphones come in new color options, including green and a light blue version that's only available at bose.com.
While the QuietComfort Headphones carry a $350 list price that's $50 higher than that of the QC 45s, we expect them to be regularly discounted to $250 and possibly less than that in 2024 -- so look to buy them when they're on sale. You can read our review of the QuietComfort 45 to get a good take on the QuietComfort Headphones.
$297 at Bose, $349 at Best Buy, $349 at Amazon
Pros
Cons
Bowers & Wilkins released the PX7 S2 headphones in 2022 with some significant improvements over the first-generation version. And now it's put out a slightly upgraded version, the PX7 S2e with the "e" standing for evolved. The audio quality has been slightly upgraded thanks to improved digital processing (the headphones have been retuned), which we assume involves an upgraded chip.
These headphones are more comfortable than the original PX7s -- they tip the scales at 307 grams -- and not only sound better but have better noise-canceling and voice-calling performance with improved noise reduction. I don't necessarily think they're a better option than the lighter and even more comfortable Sony WH-1000XM5 or Bose's QuietComfort Ultra Headphones. But the PX7 S2e certainly looks and feels luxurious, with its sturdy design, and delivers excellent sound. Bowers & Wilkins also sell a step-up model, the PX8, that features even better sound but costs significantly more.
$359 at Amazon, $399 at B&H Photo-Video, $399 at Crutchfield
Pros
Cons
Battery life Up to 30 hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointNo
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo
Full ReviewRead full review
The JBL Live 670NC is one of a relatively small number of on-ear headphones to offer active noise canceling. It's something of a value model -- no carrying case is included -- but it does have memory foam ear pads that get you a comfortable fit for an on-ear headphone. Deliver clear sound with punch bass, it has 32mm drivers and improves on its predecessor's battery life, offering up to a whopping 70 hours (or 44 hours with ANC on), and an extra three hours of battery with just five minutes of charge. This model includes the latest Bluetooth 5.3 (with LE Audio) and multipoint Bluetooth pairing. It also has JBL's Ambient Aware (transparency mode) and TalkThru features. It's available in black, white and blue and comes with a cord for wired listening.
$100 at Amazon, $100 at Best Buy, $100 at B&H Photo-Video
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 70 hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointYes
Headphones TypeOn-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo
The design of 1More's SonoFlow headphones reminds me a little of some earlier Sony headphones and also the newer Sennheiser Momentum Wireless 4. They're a bit generic looking but sleek enough and more importantly, comfortable to wear. They also feature very respectable sound quality. While it doesn't quite measure up to the sound quality of what'll get with more premium models like the Momentum Wireless 4, it isn't that far off. The SonoFlow headphones deliver smooth sound with good clarity and relatively well-defined bass (they're just not quite as rich or dynamic sounding as those premium models I mentioned). They also have support for the LDAC audio codec.
The noise canceling is a step down from what Sony and Bose models offer but it does a decent job of muffling ambient sound and there is a transparency mode. Voice-calling performance is similarly solid but unspectacular. Note that you can use this in wired mode with the included cable but the noise canceling only works in wireless mode, which is an issue for frequent flyers who like some noise canceling when plugging into an in-flight entertainment system.
Battery LifeUp to 70 hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointNo
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo IP rating
The MW75 are Master & Dynamic's best full-size headphones yet. Needless to say, they're pricey at $599; most people will be quite satisfied with the $400 Sony WH-1000XM5, which are lighter and more comfortable, and which deliver best-in-class voice calling and noise canceling. But the MW75's build quality is hard to beat and they offer top-notch sound for a wireless model (I thought they sounded better than Apple's AirPods Max headphones), plus strong voice-calling and noise-canceling performance. With their support for aptX Adaptive, they have additional appeal for Android users, who can get a touch better sound quality with the right setup. But I was also quite happy streaming music with my iPhone 13 Pro using the AAC codec.
Pros
Cons
Battery LifeUp to 32 hours
Noise CancelingYes (ANC)
MultipointYes
Headphone TypeOver-ear wireless headphones
Water-ResistantNo IP rating
Full ReviewRead full review
Source : cnet
