List of Top Rated Noise Cancelling Headphones from thousands of customer reviews & feedback.
Updated On Aug 2025
2,162 Reviews Studied
Everyone faces this problem where they just can't focus on the things at first hand. It can be your kid crying or dog screaming, they all interrupt your work or any other important stuff. Sometimes these headphones are not even used for music or work. Some people use it to cancel all background sound to concentrate in a better way. It is ideal to use noise-canceling headphones for listening to music and enjoy the intense gaming experience. Even calling over headphones is useful for communicating with friends and family. The other speakers and headsets are just doing it all wrong when it comes to audio quality. To help people get the complete audio experience from their TV or computer, they have to upgrade to noise-canceling headphones. One can enjoy their favorite music at any place without any unwanted ambient sound. Coming to the crux of the situation, which one is the best noise-canceling headphone? That's a tricky question but can be simplified considering a few factors and types of headphones available in the market. So, mainly two types of headphones come with a variety of features. Continue reading to know more.
Types Of Noise Cancelling Headphones
These headphones are mostly used to eliminate constant and heavy disturbing sounds in the surroundings. For example, when working in a factory, there will be a lot of continual exposure to such noises. To simplify things regarding the technology of these headphones, consider the sound to be eliminated by the soundwave generated from the active-control incorporated into the settings of headphones. These headphones will increase the quality and reduce stress on your mind for people who are more into music and gaming.
This type of headphone uses the most common method to isolate noise that is using a physical barrier. Many earphones in this category also work great in canceling out noise. Some headphones have foam inside the headphone pad, making it better to control the volume levels. Passive headphones are budget-friendly and also do not need much power to run. When buying headphones in this category, make sure that the ear cup is completely covering the ear part. Coming to styles, over-ear headphones tend to offer more protection and high-sound quality.
Adaptive headphones are the new faces in the noise-canceling space of music. It is a mix of both active and passive features. It uses the same harmful noise to cancel in any noisy environment. The difference lies in its new algorithms and techniques. It takes many factors into account, like the shape of your ear, head movement, and leakage caused by surroundings. Every time it produces only optimum sound quality and, at the time, adjusts to the surrounding areas.
Sound Quality - With excellent noise-canceling, the headphone must come with high-quality sound. It is undoubtedly the paramount matter when buying headphones. Some headphones are coming with aptX technology that slightly increases the quality of the music. But the thing to remember when using the aptX tech is that the device should also support the same technique.
Comfort & Size - Headphones are mostly used for engaging in long sessions that may last for hours. So, headphones should come with proper foam material and size. Wireless headphones are more popular and versatile in current marketplaces. The three main designs are in-ear, over-ear, and on-ear. Some feel in-ear is painful, but others like the sound quality. It just depends on which one gives you more comfort and fits perfectly.
Wired VS Wireless Headphones - This is pretty straightforward to choose, and it again depends on the kind of job they are working on. There is not much difference between wired and wireless headphones. The sound quality is on the same level. The only thing that changes is the versatile nature. Wireless is more compatible to any place and situation, whereas the wired headphones can be a mess with the wires and cables. On the other hand, when using wireless headphones, one has to always look at the battery percentage, and after a few months of usage, they tend to lose their battery potential.
Controls & Connectivity - Noise-canceling headphones are always in the premium price range, and because of that, they provide many exciting control features. There is only manual volume up and down buttons on the side of the wire for wired headphones. With wireless headphones comes more fun, they have controls on the earpieces and can be connected via Bluetooth. Some expensive ones have this feature where the headphone can be combined or paired with external apps' help. Bluetooth headphones are the best possible choice for people using it outdoors like gyms and parks.
Battery Life - This again doesn't apply to wired headphones. The battery life is limited when it comes to wireless headphones. Try getting at least five hours of playtime with the headphones. With batteries comes charging. So, don't forget to check the time it takes to charge the headphones fully. The portability is excellent with wireless, but without great battery life, it is pointless.
Price - Many try to get the most affordable noise-canceling headphones. However, it is best to add a few more bucks to get the perfect headphone for your work. It's going to cost a lot to get privileges like high design and fantastic sound quality. But no worries, there are a few products that are low in price but deliver useful features. Some brands like Sennheiser, Sony, and Bose have fabulous headphones priced anywhere between CDN100$ to CDN400$. If not advanced features, try to grab the headphones with the highest sound quality and descent control setup.
Warranty - Headphones may get damaged by some of the other reasons that cannot be predicted. So, to avoid such incidents, it is better to have a long and substantial warranty period. Try to get at least one year of the limited warranty period. This includes any service repairs and replacements.
Conclusion
Getting the best noise-canceling headphones in the current market can be challenging, but when one follows all the steps mentioned above, it becomes easier to narrow down options. Keep comfort, size, and connectivity as main priorities to get an all-in-one noise-canceling headphone. To look at such all-in-one headphones, follow our list of top ten noise-canceling headphones.