Noise canceling is great for blocking out consistent sounds, so the microphones have time to detect the sound and cancel it out. Loud, sudden noises are too quick to be properly canceled out, so you’ll still hear these unless you have really good passive isolation.

If you don't need to take many calls but still want to minimize environmental noise, look for noise-cancelling headphones. They use outward-facing microphones to listen for distracting noises and generate waves that cancel them out before they hit your ear. Active noise cancellation (ANC) circuitry adds to the cost but helps muffle the sounds of noisy pets, kids, roommates, traffic, and construction. These headphones typically don't have boom microphones, so they aren't as suitable for phone calls.

If your job requires you to take a lot of calls, consider a dedicated Bluetooth headset. These devices can be monoaural (for one ear) or stereo (for both ears) and typically feature powerful boom microphones with noise-cancelling circuitry that blocks out all but your voice. The primary appeal of these headsets lies in their microphones, although some also deliver high-quality sound.

Consider purchasing a gaming headset if you're looking for a boom mic and excellent sound at a reasonable price. They are available in a wide range of shapes and sizes. Wired models tend to be less expensive and work well for making calls on your computer, although Bluetooth offers more convenience.

Make sure you put your headphones into pairing mode, which is different for each pair of headphones. Open up settings on your computer, and find the Bluetooth settings menu. There should be a list of devices, and the headphones should show up as a device to connect to. Click on the name of the headphones in the menu, and you should connect almost instantly.