Best Noise-Cancelling Headphones 2025: The best ANC headphones tested

Our go-to choice for noise-cancelling over-ears had been the Sony WH-1000XM5 but that’s no longer the case. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones are the best noise-cancelling over-ears we’ve tested.

They suppress more noise than their Sony rivals or any other wireless over-ear we’ve had the fortune to test. Whether you’re out in a city, riding public transport, wearing these headphones on a plane or just don’t want to hear the person next to you jabbering away, the Bose QC Ultra Headphones are excellent ANC headphones for wherever you are.

The noise-cancelling works without sounding processed or making the audio sound chilly, as was the case with previous headphones like the Bose QuietComfort 45.

They fit well to the head, more comfortable to wear than the Sony, though they aren’t as stylish as the Noise-Cancelling Headphones 700. But with this mode you can collapse and store them away in the carry case.

The audio is richer than before while still maintaining the balanced approach that Bose is known for. There’s plenty of clarity and detail to the midrange, with a clarity and brightness to the top end, while the low end has been reinforced with extra padding. It’s a much more mainstream-sounding pair of headphones that we’re used to from Bose.

The wireless performance is strong, and there’s a decent array of customisation and personalisation options available such as adjusting the sound, call quality, or changing which features are associated with the shortcut. Call quality is slightly odd, leaking noise in whenever we spoke. It’s not enough to distract from what we were saying but the person on the other end did feel it was odd.

The £449 / $449 RRP will be a sticking point some. You do get an excellent noise-cancelling performance, but the Sony along with the Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless, are available for less money.

If you’re looking for a pair of wireless earbuds to block out distractions, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds are our pick.

The wireless alternative to the QuietComfort Ultra headphones, these earbuds offer a comfortable fit, excellent wireless performance, engaging audio quality and, of course, very good noise cancellation.

The QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds feature the same look as their predecessors, the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II. We also found that they fit slightly better thanks to the tweaked design of the stability bands. The touch controls look the same but also feel more precise, while an IPX4 IP rating will keep the buds protected against sweat and rain.

Key features here include Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity with Snapdragon Sound. This means you can listen with SBC, aptX Adaptive and aptX Lossless. There’s no Bluetooth multipoint support, which is unfortunate, though Android users do get the added speed of Google Fast Pair.

The noise cancellation is impressive on public transport, with very few noises slipping past them. However, we still think the QuietComfort Earbuds II are stronger in this area. Bose’s ActiveSense technology is also there to automatically adjust the noise cancellation when Aware Mode is engaged.

The battery life is six hours or 24 hours with the case included, though there’s no wireless charging support without an additional wireless charging case cover.

The sound quality is the same as that on the QuietComfort Earbuds II with clarity and detail in the midrange and more of a low-end presence than either the Sony WF-1000XM5 or the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 4. There’s also an Immersive Audio feature that does a good job of expanding the soundstage and creating a sense of depth.

Sony’s WH-series of wireless headphones have been some of the best we’ve tested, especially where noise cancelling is concerned, and the WH-1000XM5 are Sony’s best effort yet.

Improvements to the noise cancellation bring refinements over the WH-1000XM4, with Sony claiming they deal with voices and higher frequency sounds better than previous generations did. We find that large crowds were silenced and commutes were noticeably quiet, though the XM4 dismissed voices better, we did find the XM5’s noise cancellation sounds cleaner. The Sony Headphone app offers 20 different levels of noise cancellation, with the Ambient Mode much clearer and more expansive in its performance than the older models.

The biggest change is the look of the headphones, with redesigned earcups (now oval in shape to fit more ears), and tweaked earpads for comfort. They carry a more modern look and like the Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 and the AirPods Max, they can’t be collapsed and folded. It’s a change some won’t like but we did feel it reduced wind noise.

There’s a huge number of features that includes the the Quick Attention mode (which filters outside sound for a brief moment) and Speak To Chat (which pauses music when you’re speaking). Battery life (with ANC) is the same as the older models at 30 hours but with noise cancelling off the XM5 ekes out a couple of hours of playback. Over the course of testing we got a week’s use before we felt the need to charge.

The steady rate of small but useful improvements continue in the audio department, with the WH-1000XM5’s mid-range sounding richer, the soundstage more spacious and the low-end featuring more depth and texture. While the noise-cancelling is surpassed by the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, they’re still above the rest of their close rivals for sound.

The Bowers & Wilkins Px8 headphones are some of the best-sounding and best-looking headphones on the market.

Launching in Black and Tan leather versions, both colourways look classy and feel very sturdy in terms of build quality. We felt they were comfortable to wear over long periods of time, with the oval shape helping to assist in presenting a more natural soundstage.

These headphones come with adaptive ANC and we felt they were effective at suppressing noise on the underground, hushing voices and managing wind noise to acceptable levels, without needing to sacrifice audio quality. Even in noisy environments, the Px8 headphones condense the volume of a crowd into a more manageable sound, being robust enough to usher in a sense of calm wherever you are. The noise-cancellation is better than the similarly priced Focal Bathys and Master & Dynamic MW75.

With 40mm dynamic full-range carbon cone drive units, these headphones offer a large and expansive soundstage, a big improvement on their predecessor, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7. Bass frequencies have massive definition and punch, with a sharp and open midrange that complements a lot of genres. High frequencies are distinctive and bright, making the B&W Px8 a clean, precise and dynamic pair of headphones.

Call quality here is also nothing to sniff at. While they are not as clear as the Sony WH-1000XM5, they were among the best on the market at the moment, with voices coming across clearly and background noises being kept to a minimum thanks to the dedicated call microphones.

With the AirPods Pro 2, Apple has made one of the best noise-cancelling true wireless available for Apple users.

The design is not too different from the original AirPods Pro, but they feature an extra ear-tip size (XS) to fit a wider range of ears. The force sensor also has the ability to tweak volume levels, though we found it’s not always the most reliable option. IPX4 resistance against moisture remains, so these earphones could be used for exercise as well as listening to music.

And in terms of sound quality, they’re an improvement over their predecessor. Bass has a richness and warmth, but there’s still good clarity to vocals within the soundstage and instruments are defined with more detail.

The star of the show is the AirPod Pro 2’s noise-cancelling prowess. Used on the underground and compared to the WF-1000XM4, they edged the Sony buds with how much high-frequency noises and rumble of the train they removed.

The noise cancellation is adaptive, ramping up and down depending on how much noise is detected. The same is true of the improved transparency mode. We found it piped through a clearer, more realistic impression of the world around us. The lack of control over the noise cancelling/transparency remains a bugbear though.

Battery life is good at six hours per bud and 30 hours overall. That’s a better figure overall than the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II (6 and 24 hours) and around similar to the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 (7 and 28 hours). There are much cheaper noise-cancelling buds, such as the JBL Live Pro 2, that offer more longevity (10 and 40 hours).

If you’re an iOS user in need of a ANC true wireless then arguably no other integrates as well as the AirPod Pro. Non-iOS users will want to look elsewhere, as many of the features such as Spatial Audio are exclusive to the iOS ecosystem.

There are always caveats with budget noise-cancelling headphones. They’re not as powerful as expensive models, but as long as you are aware of it, the WH-CH720N are one of the best value noise-cancelling headphones you can buy.

We would describe the noise cancellation as solid for the price. It focuses on reducing low-frequency sounds and clearing away ambient noise, and while we wouldn’t say that these headphones clear every loud bang or big vehicles, we did find that they made daily commutes less intense and disruptive. They’re effective against large groups of people, though when faced with individuals, we did notice that they made people’s voices more noticeable.

The noise-cancelling is better than the similarly priced Soundcore Space One and Earfun Wave Pro, though the Monoprice BT-600ANC (available in the US) edges it out for ANC.

The sound has a smooth quality to it with an emphasis on bass. Bass is delivered with punch, the midrange is clear and detailed, and the upper frequencies sound bright and clear. The Final UX300 offer a more insightful performance (with its noise-cancelling off, however), but they aren’t as affordable or boast as many convenient features.

Sony claims 35 hours of battery life, our tests showed they could go as far as 40 with noise-cancelling on, which is more than the Soundcore Space One. As well as the hybrid active noise-cancellation, there’s a transparency mode, Bluetooth multipoint, customisation through the Sony Headphones app support and voice assistants in Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

The headphones’ frame and earcups are made from recycled plastic, and we found there were no noticeable creaks or groans when we bent the frame. The use of plastic also keeps the headphones lightweight at 192g, and moreover we didn’t experience periods of discomfort thanks to the padding on the headband and earcups.

There’s a growing number of affordable ANC headphones but the Sony puts in the best overall performance.

The JBL Live Pro 2 are of the best noise-cancelling earbuds around the £100 mark, better than the Beats Studio Buds.

Walking through Westminster tube station, we found background noise was reduced to little more than inconsequential rustle. The JBL is good at numbing people’s conversations, and subduing bigger crowds in busy areas. It’s a very impressive performance for its price.

These buds proved very comfortable to wear over long periods of time, our reviewer didn’t note any discomfort during use. The IPX5 water makes them more robust than most noise-cancelling earbuds, so they can be used during a workout or when it’s raining.

There are a few issues with the Live Pro 2 buds, namely their wireless performance and call quality. We experienced a choppy connection in busy areas like Victoria train station, but it also occurred in areas when there was fewer people were around. We didn’t feel they fared too well with phone calls, especially in busier areas. Despite their noise-cancelling prowess with calls they have a tendency to let noise in like the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II, making it harder for the person on the other end of the phone to hear what’s being said.

In terms of their sound quality, the JBL favour a balanced tone that’s not necessarily the most exciting, but we quite enjoyed the sound. They boast a weighty bass, a midrange that is reproduced with clarity and a clear and distinct treble performance. We thought that this made them easy to listen to across a range of genres, though the volume needs to be turned up to widen the soundstage and give the bass richness.

The Dyon Ontrac headphones are certainly among the best-looking on the market right now. The CNC copper colourway we received for review is undeniably eye-catching with an impressive level of customisation, offering interchangeable outer caps and earpads in a range of finishes – over 2000 according to Dyson. This allows for unparalleled personalisation of your headphones, even if the individual components are rather pricey.

It’s not just customisable though; while the cans are undeniably bulky with a substantial presence that might not suit everyone’s tastes, we found them surprisingly comfortable to wear. That’s largely down to the ample padding on offer, as well as well-distributed weight that means pressure doesn’t build up in any one particular area, even in extensive listening sessions.

Beyond looks, the Dyson Ontrac cans offer clear and detailed audio quality with a balanced sound profile that prioritises neutrality. While that may mean that some will find it lacking in excitement, its technically proficient performance should appeal to those seeking an accurate reproduction of their music. Battery life is also pretty solid at 55 hours, and while the noise cancellation is good enough to quieten everyday noises, it’s not quite enough to be class-leading.

If you’re constantly chatting on the phone and want a pair of over-ear cans that won’t let you down, look no further than the Philips Fidelio L4. The ANC-enabled cans truly excel in the call quality department, with noise cancellation tech effectively minimising background noise to ensure a clear voice at the other end of the phone, even in challenging outdoor environments. It’s particularly adept at filtering out wind and traffic sounds, making it ideal for those who make calls on the go.

Beyond its call prowess, the L4 offers a solid set of features including support for LDAC and LC3 Bluetooth codecs for high-quality audio streaming from compatible devices, alongside adaptive ANC and 40 hours of battery life. They also deliver a solid audio experience with warm and smooth sound with a clear focus on the midrange. It might not be the most detailed or dynamic, but it’s a pleasant and relaxing sound signature.

It’s arguably the design that lets the cans down most. While the cans sport a similar design to the Fidelio L3 with a 10% lighter build and softer synthetic leather on the earcups, we found that the L4 sat a bit more on top of our ears than the L3, leading to some discomfort over longer listening sessions. The touch panel used for controlling music wasn’t always perfectly responsive either.