My SUBJECTIVE ranking of the best Noise Cancelling performances (Sony, Apple, Bose, Sennheiser and Sonos)
Best ANC Over-ear headphones in 2025?
What are the best noise-cancelling headphones out there now?
The current best Noise Cancelling Headphones you'd recommend for noisy workplace?
Should You Get Noise-Cancelling Headphones or Earphones?
Over-ear (circumaural) headphones typically offer the most effective ANC. Their earcups can create a tight seal, and the earpads act as an additional barrier. That said, the less-common on-ear ANC models can still eliminate plenty of surrounding noise, are often far more comfortable, and stow away more easily.
ANC-capable earphones have also seen significant improvements in recent years. The most significant advantage of these models is their passive isolation; their eartips seal off your ear canal, effectively eliminating high frequencies even before you enable the ANC.
The advantages one style may present over another are less about ANC performance at this point and more about your preference and comfort. You can find class-leading active noise cancellation in each category.
Is It Worth Buying Noise-Cancelling Headphones?
Noise cancellation circuitry isn't cheap. If a model has been around for more than a year or two, you might find some deals, but a quality pair of headphones rarely sells for less than $200. If they do, the ANC on offer is probably acceptable for the price but not on the same level as the top-tier options. If you're looking for the best, prepare to pay between $350 and $400. Earphones are the exception, and you can get good performance for less than $200.
Whether it's worth spending that much depends on your typical listening environment. If you struggle to focus in the presence of noisy people, pets, or machines, then noise-cancelling headphones are absolutely worth the sense of quiet they can provide.
However, if noise cancellation isn't a major concern for you, focus on other key characteristics by exploring our lists of the best wireless headphones, the best earphones, and the best headphones overall. If you're on a tight budget, consider the best headphones available for under $50.
Do noise canceling headphones actually cancel noise?
They sure do! It’s all about that Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) magic. Put simply, these headphones listen to the outside world, and then they create their own sound waves to cancel out the noise. But, just to set the record straight, they won’t turn your surroundings into a zen-like silence. It’s quieter, not mute.
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I want to buy the best ANC headphones and, as always, I spent dozens of hours analyzing the best options through reddit posts and youtube in-depth reviews.
Anc, sound, comfort, build quality: that's the order of priorities for me. I want the best of the best, price is not a restriction, though I don't want to spend a lot on something that lacks in one category... like the Bathys, which apparently have the best sound but terrible ANC.
After A LOT of digging, i didn't seem to find ONE good pair of headphones without ANY major issue.
Bose Quietcomfort Ultra: These seemed like the ones. Best ANC (slightly behind the XM6), great sound quality, excellent comfort. BUT, there are a LOT of complaints about a hissing sound and a cabin-like pressure with the ANC, which, funny enough, the app wont let you turn off. M4s wouldn't let you turn ANC off either, but they updated the app and now you can, so maybe just hope they do the same (already 2 years in the market and they didn't, so I don't think so). Also, there are situations where I want ANC on without playing any music, so even if we were able to turn it off to mute the hissing sound and cabin pressure, it wouldn't fit its purpose in this scenario. Another BIG issue I found is that I read a lot of complaints on their quality control, lots of users had to change them 2 or 3 times to get a good unbroken pair.. and since I'm not from the US and im gonna buy them there on a trip that's not an option, cant risk getting a bad pair.
Sony XM6: These were my picks before I found out about their poor build quality. Best ANC, great sound, nice app with a lot of EQ flexibility, and also the cinema mode for watching movies is highly appreciated because I will not be using them exclusively for music. Besides the not-so-great comfort (ears touching inside pad and headband too thin), the main downside that makes me go no-no is the poor build quality. Very few mentioned this: behind the soft earpads, they left the driver and wires DIRECTLY EXPOSED to your fk ears, that's just nuts... how come they didn't add a plastic cover with a bunch of holes like literally any other headphone on the planet? For me, that im pretty clumsy, one bad grab with my thumb directly in the earpad and they are done... i'll break the driver or cut a cable just like that, wont last me more than a week.
Momentum 4: Apparently, they have the best sound out of all the headphones on this list. Acceptable build and comfort, great price, and outstanding battery life. The only issue I see here is the same as the bathys... Apparently, most people agree that the ANC is shit compared to the others.
Sonos Ace: These seem like they have the best build quality and comfort, love how they look. I also really like the buttons, no shitty touch sensors like all of the others. True cinema and Dolby Atmos for watching movies are really appreciated. Loseless USB-C and 3.5 mm cables included are also great. Apparently, the ANC is really great, some even pair it to the XM6 in certain sound ranges... from what I've seen, it's due to the passive seal. Unlike the others, they have a little bump (extra cushioning) on the lower backside of the earpads, which makes a perfect seal even when moving your head to the sides. Most yt channels use fixed mannequins for their ANC tests and don't have this in mind. This headphones seem like the perfect candidate... only if the reviews of its sound weren't so mixed. A lot of people hate its sound and some people love it, don't know who is right lol... Also, the poor eq flexibility doesn't help its case if the sound is as bad as some suggest.
APM: They are pricier and worse than all of the ones on this list, so no point digging on them.
UPDATE: Another contender is ganing momentum, the PX7 S3. These seem to be the best overall, great comfort, great build quality, excelent sound and decent ANC. Only downside is that it obviously does not have the xm6's raw power on ANC, but im willing to sacrifice a bit of ANC in retunrn of better sound and build quality. Im mostly using them at home so it dosent make sense to prioritize a functionallity that im not really gonna use daily.
If you own any of these headphones, I would love to read your input. Or if you have any better alternatives that im not aware of, its also welcome.
This is going to be a SUBJECTIVE noise cancelling comparison between all the headphones I have tried, with subjective I mean Im going to tell you my experience and comparisons between those headphones, Im not going to take in count objective measurments, technology, mics quantity etc or db cancelled, just to let you all know!
But if you want an objective comparison I made some time ago, HEREyou have it!
So... I currently have tried this headphones :
Owned or deeply compared : Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra / Sony WH-1000XM5 / Sony WH-1000XM4 / Sennheiser Momentum 4 / Apple Airpods Pro 2
Compared shortly or tried them on a store for a short time : Bose Quiet Comfort / Apple Airpods Max / Sonos Ace
Please take in mind this, since the ones I used shortly in a store I didnt have the time and comparisons available to do to make a deep comaprison and testings, so here is my ranking :
8.-Sennheiser Momentum 4 ⭐⭐⭐ : I honestly love this headphone, its sound is iMO the best of all on the list mentioned, their 60h battery is nuts and is one of my favorites headphones overall. BUT, its ANC performance falls down 1-2 steps behind Sony, Bose and Apple, while its not absolute garbage, its more than enough for many, you can notice they cancell less overall noise than the rest, tho I have tried them on a road trip twice and they cancelled very well all of the low frecuencies and music on my, tho not perfectly like the tops of this list.
7.-Bose Quiet Comfort ⭐⭐⭐⭐ : This one I was only able to try them for a very short time on the store, I think that they are really close to the WH-1000XM4, but since I tried them very shortly I will put them behind them, this ANC is better than the one on the Momentum 4 for sure, and it will be very good for many out there! They do have a very very small white noise on the background when using ANC, but honestly its not bothering at all and sometimes I dont even notice it.
6.-Sony WH-1000XM4 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ : This ones were for a moment the best on the amrket back on 2020, side by side with the Airpods Max, this ones make some small white noise, like the Bose, but I think its slightly more noticeable, comparing them A/B to the XM5 and QC Ultra they dont cancell quite as well, while its not a night and day difference, you will notice that with a pair of XM5 or QC Ultra, the world gets quieter.
5.-Sonos Ace ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ : Im putting them behind the Airpods Max mainly because I have tried them much less time than the Airpods Max, I actually was surprised how this performed against the QC Ultra which were there to try with the Sonos Ace in the store, they did a very good job overall, tho I noticed that they cancelled less of the music on the store than the QC Ultra, but the Sonos Ace are already outstanding, If you havent tried some of the top 4, you could easily think this are ANC kings and hardly to improve.
4.-Airpods Max ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ : I have tried this on the Apple store, and compared A/B several times to my WH-1000XM5 and Bose QC Ultra, specially did this with my XM5 yesterday, and I think they are really up there, the Airpods max cancell a little better those low frecuencies, so in the store that rumbles, vibrations, etc are cancelled very well. But the XM5 and QC Ultra cancell better the mids and highs sounds, so while you will get a little more of that rumbles and low frecuency noises, all the crowd, noises, suddenly high pitched noises will be cancelled better than the Airpods Max, and you will feel all slightly more muffled, Imo i prefer this, over the slightly better cancelling low frecuencies of the APM.
3.-Sony WH-1000XM5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ : Back in 2022, Sony tested and legally claimed these cans as the ones with the best ANC on the over the ear headphones market in the planet, this was before QC Ultra and Airpods Pro 2 launch. This dont make a slight white noise like the QC Ultra, and everything gets REALLY, REALLY quiet, like I said on the APM graph, this cancell more of those voices and high frecuency noises, which I prefer PERSONALLY, while walking on the street, vehicles passing by were slightly more noticeable than the Airpods Max, but all those sudden noises and background voices were cancelled better, an absolute ANC monster they are.
2.-Airpods Pro 2 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ : Surprise surprise, before anyone tells me "Over the ear headphones are better, but but graphs dont say the same, etc, etc, etc" remember this is a SUBJECTIVE comaprison, Im only telling my PERSONAL EXPERIENCE here. So, I was really surprised about this, I ran today some A/B testing mainly with my QC Ultra and XM5, and I was REALLY surprised with the results. The Airpods Pro 2 leave all the midrange noises almost DEAD QUIET, like, simulating officce ambience sounds, coffee chops or mall simulations, 95% of the chatter is gone, and only the more close / pronounced voices pass the ANC, this was really surprising. They also cancell low and high frecuencies very well, Im seriously thinking to buy some Airpods Pro 2, since the ones used for testing were borrowed by my dad.
1.-Bose Quiet Comfort Ultra ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ : I think no one is surprised here, Bose has been king of ANC for a very long time (competing with Sony, and losing the lead several times) but hell they did quite some job with the QC Ultra. to begin with, I want to say that i would tell this is a TIE with the Airpods Pro 2, but some frecuencies are cancelled better / worse in each of them, so this is matter of preference here, maybe for your preferecnes you would put the Airpods Pro 2 as winners instead of the Bose, please take in mind this are the OVER THE EAR ones, not the in ear. Ok, the QC Ultra cancell a little less of the midrange, those 500Hz-1000Hz noises, which are mainly the voices and chatters, are cancelled slightly better on the Airpods Pro 2, so with the Bose you will hear a little bit more of this background chatters. But, the QC Ultra cancell better those high frecuency noises here, so coffee shop noises or office noises which are mainly sudden noises or high pitched noises are more silent on the Bose. The sub-bass (those low rumbles like engines) is slightly better cancelled on the QC Ultra, while the Airpods Pro 2 is also monstrously good, i feel the Bose is slightly better here, being the only one to cancell 100% of the plane engine noise in my simulation tests, the Airpods pro 2 were a close second plase. So, this comes to preference, do you prefer to let a little bit more of those rumbles, sudden and high pitched noises in, BUT cancell better the background chatter to be almost DEAD SILENT. Or do you prefer cancell better those rumbles and sudden high pitched noises, BUT hear slightly more of the background multitude chatter? IMO I prefer the QC Ultra, so I wont get as distracted due this sudden noises or rumbles passing by, and letting in a little bit more of those constant background chatters.
So thats it, thats my SUBJECTIVE noise cancelling performance ranking, let me know whats your experience with any of these headphones and how good they have been with you!