How to Choose the Best Over the Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones

Noise cancelling headphones are a great way to improve your listening experience, whether you're at home working or commuting by public transport. They create an audio barrier between your ears and outside noise. What are the best way to choose the right pair for you?

There are two kinds of noise cancelling headsets: passive isolation, and active noise cancellation. The former is made of heavily cushioned earcups that fit snugly to seal out external sounds, while the latter use built-in microphones to create opposite sound waves that cancel out any background noise.

Comfort

If you're on noisy public transit or fighting for office space with chatty coworkers or trying to catch some shut-eye on a long-haul flight Noise cancelling headphones provide an acoustic buffer between your ears and the world. These headphones allow you to listen to your music at an appropriate volume without straining your ears. A majority of our top picks feature a lightweight design, which makes them comfortable to wear throughout the day.

Noise cancellation is usually achieved through active sound reduction techniques that generate opposing sound waves to block out background noise. There are headphones that come with passive noise isolation, which seals the earcups and buds around the ear to block out unwanted sounds. However, the most effective models we tested use active sound cancellation to offer an unbeatable escape.

You'll want your headphones are well-designed and fit comfortably. You should ensure that they don't leak since this could be irritating to those around you. And for a truly immersive audio experience, you'll need headphones that have the high-resolution Bluetooth codec LDAC. It allows them to play back hi-res music at 96kHz/24 bits resolution, making them the ultimate audiophile's device.

While many people think of noise-canceling headphones as big bulky, bulky headphones that aren't suitable for travel, a lot of new models fold down to an incredibly compact size. The Bose QC45 headphones we've reviewed for instance are a great choice to consider if you're looking an affordable travel headphone that folds flat to fit inside its case. If you're an avid traveler, the Sennheiser HD450BT is an excellent pair of headphones that fold down to fit inside your bag for carry-on.

Most of the models we've reviewed are wireless, and many of them are mobile headsets with built-in microphones that allow hands-free phone calls. The app allows you to adjust the volume and noise cancellation settings, which is perfect for those who want to adjust their headphones traveling. Some wireless models also come with an charging dock for mobile listening, while others utilize cases that are portable and give you hours of battery life when away from home or work.

Sound Quality

Most music lovers are very concerned about the sound quality of headphones, particularly those with high-quality audio. Noise cancelling headphones are an excellent method of blocking out any external noise.

If you're spending lots of dollars on headphones, you want them to be able play your music as well as they can. Thankfully as ANC headphones have advanced and improved, the sound they provide has also improved dramatically over ear headphones noise cancelling wireless time. The result is the best audiophile headphones on the market today.

Of course, the sound quality you hear will depend on how you listen to music and what your preferences are. Some people prefer a full, warm sound with lots of bass, while others may opt for high-fidelity headphones to be able to hear every detail of the music or album.

The type of sound you'll enjoy most also depends on how important noise cancelling is to you. While ANC is excellent at eliminating monotonous noises like the whooshing of an airplane or the roar of traffic, it isn't able to remove dynamic sounds that change in frequency and intensity, such as human voices or instruments.

This is why the best pair of headphones with outstanding passive isolation and good ANC is an excellent choice, regardless of whether you go with earbuds that seal around your ears or over-ear headphones that completely cover your earlobes. You can enjoy a remarkable isolation even without active noise cancellation by using Comply memory foam tips or similar products that precisely fit to the shape of your ear.

Of course, all ANC headphones will come with a range of Bluetooth codecs, allowing you to connect them to the audio source that works best for you. For example, the Sony WH-1000XM4s feature both LDAC and DSEE Extreme support to ensure that you'll be able to listen to your favourite tracks in high-resolution and incredible detail. Sinead O'Connor's sibilant cry, and her ferocious chorus is evident in her rendition of Nothing Compares 2 U.

Noise Cancellation

Noise cancelling headphones are a great method of creating an extra buffer between you and the outside world. They essentially listen to the sound you hear, and then make use of built-in microphones to "read" those sounds, only allowing the audio you want to hear through. These are great for those who commute, work from home, or in any situation where background noises can be distracting or annoying.

To create the magic Noise cancelling headphones employ an engineered technology known as active noise cancellation (ANC). Miniature microphones in the earcups or earbuds listen to the sounds that you're exposed to and then emit opposite frequencies that meet and effectively cancel out those unwanted noises, leaving only the music you're listening. It's a bit more complex than that, over the ear noise cancelling headphones and it is dependent on the hearing sensitivity of your ears, the design of the headphones, and the quality of its audio processing, but the idea is that they will significantly reduce the noises you hear, whether that's an aircraft engine or your coworker's animated conversations.

The top over-ear ANC headsets that we tested didn't completely block out background noises, but they do a good job at blocking them. Look into a pair of headphones that feature adaptive noise cancelation. This takes ANC to a whole new level by monitoring ambient noises and countering them in real-time while keeping the music you'd like to hear (including hands-free calls) at a constant level. This cutting-edge technology is demonstrated in the Sony WH1000XM5s.

Many over-ear ANC headphones include additional features that make listening more enjoyable. Look for features such as touch controls as well as high-quality audio codecs, and support for voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant. Wireless Bluetooth is essential for hands-free audio playback as well as convenient audio playback. A portable charging case will allow you to stay connected while on the go.

Another feature that is useful is the passive mode which allows the noise cancellation circuitry to be shut off and lets you listen to music with the same level of isolation as regular headphones. This is a great option to use if you do not want to hear any outside noises, or don't have enough battery to power your headphones.

Value

While listening to music or taking calls, a quality pair of headphones can make you feel like you're in a soundproofed room. Noise cancelling headphones can be more expensive, but they offer superior audio quality and block out background noise. They are worth the additional cost for those who work long hours at the office or on the road.

The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones have amazing noise cancellation capabilities and come packed with many useful features, including a dedicated microphone that delivers natural and clear audio during phone calls as well as DSEE Extreme audio upscaling. The ANC system is great at blocking out external noises however, they aren't as effective in separating you from low-frequency sounds like trains or Over the Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones traffic.

The headphones are light and fold into the compact D shape that can be tucked into bags for transport. They're great for traveling. They work with a variety of voice assistants including Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and a feature that automatically stops music when removed from your ears. You can also use them with a wired cable to listen to your favourite videos or podcasts in noisy environments.

The Razer Opus Wireless headphones offer great value for the money. In addition to an ANC system that is reliable they also have a transparency mode that switches on the external microphones of the headphones so that the sound of your surroundings can pass through. The headphones are equipped with an integrated USB-C charging socket, so they can be used while charging. They have an extremely low-latency Bluetooth connection, which is essential for mobile gaming and watching videos.

For a more budget-friendly option look into the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless headphones. They do an excellent job of blocking out distracting sounds including the rumble of bus and plane engines to the high-pitched hum of computer fans. They can last more than 32 hours on a single charge. They also have an auto-off timer that can reduce power consumption.