Most ANC earbuds use Bluetooth technology to drown out external sounds while fighting to stay connected. If you’re looking for earbuds that prioritize both connectivity and noise cancellation, I’ve rounded up a list of my favorites below. I’ve put these earbuds to the test in some of the most hectic environments, and these top-notch buds are a great place to start. Also: The top noise-canceling headphones – and can they protect hearing? For more on earbuds and headphones, make sure to check out our list on the best earbuds you can buy right now, the best cheap wireless earbuds, starting at $36, and the best headphones you can buy right now. When it comes to listening to music and podcasts, quality matters. These Bose QuietComfort noise-canceling earbuds create a customized experience for each listener, optimizing their audio experience with advanced features. Bose took an already impressive QuietComfort pair of earbuds and made them even better. These noise-canceling earbuds offer three modes – quiet mode, aware mode, and no noise cancellation – that can be switched between with the touch of a button on the earpiece. The noise-canceling capabilities are assisted by CustomTune technology, which tailors noise-cancellation performance to your ear. When I tested the buds back in October, I went so far to say that the buds “married comfort and quality while establishing a new benchmark for active noise cancellation.” And even after testing newer ANC buds on the market, I’m sticking to my statement. These remain the ANC buds to beat. Review: Step aside, AirPods. There’s a new ANC champion in town Sound quality was Sony’s top priority when designing these wireless earbuds, and it knocked it out of the park. With newly designed 6mm drivers, these earbuds reproduce dynamic sound. Additionally, the Integrated Processor V1 enhances sound quality and reduces background noise with the “industry’s highest level of noise-canceling” tech. Sony didn’t stop with a new processor and advanced drivers; its LDAC technology also allows high-resolution audio to play through the speakers. ZDNET contributor Josh Slate, who contributed to this article, used the wireless earbuds mostly at work and school, which means there were plenty of times he needed to take them out to converse and stay tuned throughout the day. Naturally, he took advantage of the earbuds’ talking detection ability, which automatically turn off noise cancellation so you can interact without awkwardly pausing to take out a bud. Speaking of talking with earbuds, even ZDNET’s Matt Miller noticed that the buds enhanced call-quality and clarity when he reviewed the buds back in 2021. Callers even “said [he] sounded crystal clear, and could not tell” he was using a headset as his microphone. Review: Sony WF-1000XM4 earbuds: Superb noise cancellation, clear calls, and long battery life AirPods, now iconic, have come a long way from skeptics just thinking of them as a cordless version of Apple’s classic wired headphones. But Apple’s design of the AirPods Pro ushered in an impressive combination of excellent sound quality, comfort, and noise-canceling capabilities – especially with the 2nd generation. Thanks to Apple’s new H2 chip, these AirPods significantly upgrade performance via high-band connectivity and a low-distortion audio driver with a custom amplifier. These combined technologies ensure clearer audio across a wider range of sound frequencies. And for those that find constant noise cancellation a tad disorienting, these 2nd-generation AirPods Pro have a transparency mode that ZDNET contributor Jason Cipriani says he is “legitimately in love with,” based on high-quality audio and surrounding sound listening. These new AirPods feature two times more noise cancellation with a 33% longer battery life. Plus, a new feature allows you to personalize spatial audio settings to create your ideal sound experience (using iOS 16). To top it all off (literally), you can quickly charge the 2nd-generation AirPods Pro case wirelessly via an Apple Watch charger. For many, including myself, a solid pair of earbuds is needed for exercise. However, sweat and high intensity aren’t the best formula for keeping earbuds in place. The Beats Fit Pro combat that conundrum with a unique winged-tip design. The buds also come with different sizes of silicone eartips to better fit varying ear sizes. TikTok user, @ellyawesometech had a good first impression of the buds, only calling out the case’s abnormally large size, especially when compared to that of the AirPods Pro charging case. This is especially surprising because Beats are actually owned by Apple, and aside from aesthetic, actually integrate some of AirPods’ staple features. Not only are they automatically recognized by your phone, but they also include Apple’s Find My tracking feature, and enable easy switching from your iPhone to your Mac and other Apple devices. And with a dual-element diaphragm driver sitting in each earbud, you don’t have to sacrifice performance for comfort. These noise-canceling earbuds also have spatial audio with dynamic head tracking, which elevate make music, movies, and TV shows along with your next workout. Also: Apple AirPods Pro vs Beats Studio Buds: Which is better? In addition, these Beats have an Apple H1 chip, so iOS users can get most of the same features available on AirPods, including Siri voice assistance and audio sharing. Want noise-canceling earbuds but hesitant to spend a fortune? Ugreen’s HiTune X6 earbuds cost $40 but still have ANC, blocking up to 95% of noise. And with 10mm drivers, the buds bring extra bass and low treble. Combining those two factors, these budget-friendly earbuds can be the perfect companion to protect your peace and focus on the sound you want to hear. “Even though I live next to a major highway, the ANC is good enough to block out most traffic noise, so I can actually sit out on the patio or grill in my backyard while listening to music or podcasts,” says ZDNET’s Taylor Clemons, who tested the earbuds. Clemons praised the clear quality of incoming calls, but with the caveat that the speaker has to raise their voice to be clearly heard. At 49.89 g, these earbuds weigh noticeably more than others on this list, but that’s probably due to their unique stem, which is more like a bulb than a slender stick. While Clemons said they wouldn’t recommend sleeping in the earbuds, the X6s do have an ergonomic fit. Overall, these are a great budget-friendly choice if you want to slowly get into ANC earbuds or purchase them for a friend, kid, or family member notorious for losing their earbuds. There’s been an evolution of wireless earbuds, with noise cancellation becoming a key feature. If you’re looking for the best noise-canceling earbuds, look at this table to figure out which pair is right for your lifestyle and budget needs. Along with looking at the specs of each pair of wireless earbuds, I also considered my personal experience with the Apple AirPods Pro and the experience of other ZDNET team members when testing different earbuds. I love music, so I know how important it is to have a reliable pair of earbuds that deliver top-tier sound while drowning out intruding noises. Moreover, by diving into noise cancellation and sound quality, you can get incredible audio from the small speakers in your ears. Some noise-canceling earbuds also use passive noise-cancellation, which is achieved through earbud design, such as using noise-isolating materials. These are particularly useful in environments with high levels of ambient noise, like airplanes or busy streets. They can also provide a better listening experience in general, reducing the need to use max volume to overcome background noise. For more on how noise-canceling earbuds work, check out Christina Darby’s ZDNET explainer. “Nobody should ever think of them as, in my opinion, pure hearing protection. They’re not,” says ENT Dr. Joe Donzelli. And while noise-canceling earbuds can offer some passive protection like any sound wave boundary, Dr. Donzelli assures that they don’t deter the culprit of hearing loss: Inner ear trauma. “Everything is all about the sound you’re delivering through the headphones, so you can get the greatest noise cancellation ever, but if you just turn up the volume and expose yourself to high decibels for long periods of time, you’ll then create inner ear trauma,” Donzelli explains. However, since listening to music at high volume for long periods of time can damage hearing, a good pair of ANC headphones may have some secondary hearing protection benefits. “If someone is using ANC earbuds to get rid of ambient noise, they may not have to turn the volume up as loud to hear the in-ear sound,” Donzelli says. Essentially, here’s how ANC earbuds may help: You find your ANC earbuds effectively cancel out distracting noises. Before, you had to blast the volume just to hear accurately, but thanks to the magic of ANC, the sound is clear at half the volume. Now, you’re listening at a lower volume for longer, and therefore likely have less exposure to damaging decibel levels, which means less inner ear trauma. But Donzelli reiterates that the “tighter you put something in your ear and the louder you make it, the more damage. So if somebody runs around with their [earbuds] turned up all the way with or without noise cancellation, it doesn’t make a difference.” For reference, the hearing health foundation says that sounds at or below 70dB are considered safe for our hearing and sounds at or above 80-85 dB will damage hearing over time. If you’re worried your listening levels are higher than this, you can easily monitor your earbuds’ projected decibel levels via your smartphone settings. For earbuds especially tailored for sleeping, check out our list of the top headphones for sleeping. Here are a few that didn’t make the cut, including some true wireless earbuds, that are great alternatives if the options above don’t sound like the best fit for you.
