Noise-cancelling headphones use one of two strategies to enable you to listen to your music in loud places: passive noise reduction (or noise isolation), in which a physical barrier prevents outside sounds reaching your ear, and active noise reduction (or noise cancellation), in which ambient noise is monitored and canceled out with a competing sound wave. Headphones fall into three categories, in ear or intra-aural, on the ear or super-aural, and over the ear or circum-aural. Here are the best noise-cancelling headphones in each category.
Intra-aural headphones
Intra-aural wireless headphones are often called ear buds because they sit in the ear like a hearing aid. Due to the way they physically block the ear canal, they have excellent passive noise reduction if they are a good fit. Unfortunately, finding a good fit without resorting to custom-made models can be a bit of a nightmare, and wearing a poor fit for prolonged periods can get uncomfortable.
Noise-cancelling, in-ear headphones tend to be expensive compared to other types of a similar quality, because the batteries in them have to be both tiny and powerful. That comes with a cost. Top picks for intra-aural, noise-cancelling headphones are:
Bowers & Wilkins C5 in-ear noise-isolating headphones. At around $180, they're not cheap, the Secure Loop, designed to be infinitely adjustable to every ear, is fiddly and can be uncomfortable on the ridge of the ear. But if you can get a good fit, the sound is impressive and noise-cancelling excellent.
ShureR SE425. Coming in closer to the $300 mark, these little beauties are sleek and tough. KevlarR-coated wires mean you shouldn't break them easily, and they come with a range of gel tips to make finding a snug fit in the ear easier. Although some people find they have a lack of bass, sound clarity in the middle and top registers are faultless.
Super-aural headphones
Super-aural headphones sit on the ear without completely covering it. While this means they don't get hot and they tend to be lightweight, it also means they provide a poor physical barrier and can be uncomfortable to wear for long periods. Top picks include:
Bose Quiet ComfortR 3. The softest leather, more padding than most over-ear headphones and the high quality of Bose don't come cheap. At around $349, these are the most expensive over-ear headphones that made the top-picks list. But if you can afford them, you will appreciate the difference.
Just sneaking into the sub-$200, mid-budget range, the SonyR MDR-NC200D at $199 is a solid second choice. The leather padding isn't quite as comfortable, they don't look as good and they produce the slightest audible hiss with noise-cancelling switched on, but they represent a good compromise between price and performance.
If you're prepared to forgo the comfort factor somewhat in favor of a truly lightweight budget option, Audio-Technica QuietPointR ATH-ANC1 headphones, with a list price of $130 but available online closer to $80, could be a viable choice. They're not going to give you the same sound quality as more expensive headphones, but they do offer excellent noise-cancellation for the price.
Circum-aural headphones
These are the big boys that sit comfortably around the ear rather than on it, creating a strong physical sound barrier that can get a little over-heated after a while. Circum-aural, noise-cancelling headphones are the ones that cocoon you in your own bubble of sound and transport you to another universe.
For quality in the $200-plus price range, it's hard to choose between Bose Quiet Comfort 15s and Sennheiser PCX450s. Both offer excellent noise-cancelling, comfort and quality, so it really is a matter of personal preference. With both models available around $250 to $280, there's not even much in it price-wise.
Although the list price on Audio Technica ATH-ANC7 is $219, you should be able to pick them up at less than $150, which makes them a high quality choice with a reasonable price tag. They are comfortable, if a little bulky, and do the job almost as well as their pricier competitors.
With a list price of $99.95, Plane QuietR Platinum headphones offer a comfortable budget option, and they're the only headphones in any category less than $100 to make the grade. They are extremely comfortable and produce a balanced sound with good noise-cancelling. Although the noise cancellation switch is located inconveniently on the cord, it's a small price to pay for a large savings.
Intra-aural headphones
Intra-aural wireless headphones are often called ear buds because they sit in the ear like a hearing aid. Due to the way they physically block the ear canal, they have excellent passive noise reduction if they are a good fit. Unfortunately, finding a good fit without resorting to custom-made models can be a bit of a nightmare, and wearing a poor fit for prolonged periods can get uncomfortable.
Noise-cancelling, in-ear headphones tend to be expensive compared to other types of a similar quality, because the batteries in them have to be both tiny and powerful. That comes with a cost. Top picks for intra-aural, noise-cancelling headphones are:
Bowers & Wilkins C5 in-ear noise-isolating headphones. At around $180, they're not cheap, the Secure Loop, designed to be infinitely adjustable to every ear, is fiddly and can be uncomfortable on the ridge of the ear. But if you can get a good fit, the sound is impressive and noise-cancelling excellent.
ShureR SE425. Coming in closer to the $300 mark, these little beauties are sleek and tough. KevlarR-coated wires mean you shouldn't break them easily, and they come with a range of gel tips to make finding a snug fit in the ear easier. Although some people find they have a lack of bass, sound clarity in the middle and top registers are faultless.
Super-aural headphones
Super-aural headphones sit on the ear without completely covering it. While this means they don't get hot and they tend to be lightweight, it also means they provide a poor physical barrier and can be uncomfortable to wear for long periods. Top picks include:
Bose Quiet ComfortR 3. The softest leather, more padding than most over-ear headphones and the high quality of Bose don't come cheap. At around $349, these are the most expensive over-ear headphones that made the top-picks list. But if you can afford them, you will appreciate the difference.
Just sneaking into the sub-$200, mid-budget range, the SonyR MDR-NC200D at $199 is a solid second choice. The leather padding isn't quite as comfortable, they don't look as good and they produce the slightest audible hiss with noise-cancelling switched on, but they represent a good compromise between price and performance.
If you're prepared to forgo the comfort factor somewhat in favor of a truly lightweight budget option, Audio-Technica QuietPointR ATH-ANC1 headphones, with a list price of $130 but available online closer to $80, could be a viable choice. They're not going to give you the same sound quality as more expensive headphones, but they do offer excellent noise-cancellation for the price.
Circum-aural headphones
These are the big boys that sit comfortably around the ear rather than on it, creating a strong physical sound barrier that can get a little over-heated after a while. Circum-aural, noise-cancelling headphones are the ones that cocoon you in your own bubble of sound and transport you to another universe.
For quality in the $200-plus price range, it's hard to choose between Bose Quiet Comfort 15s and Sennheiser PCX450s. Both offer excellent noise-cancelling, comfort and quality, so it really is a matter of personal preference. With both models available around $250 to $280, there's not even much in it price-wise.
Although the list price on Audio Technica ATH-ANC7 is $219, you should be able to pick them up at less than $150, which makes them a high quality choice with a reasonable price tag. They are comfortable, if a little bulky, and do the job almost as well as their pricier competitors.
With a list price of $99.95, Plane QuietR Platinum headphones offer a comfortable budget option, and they're the only headphones in any category less than $100 to make the grade. They are extremely comfortable and produce a balanced sound with good noise-cancelling. Although the noise cancellation switch is located inconveniently on the cord, it's a small price to pay for a large savings.
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