The best wireless earphones that deliver audiophile-pleasing audio and excellent ANC can easily cost over $300, but those aren't your only options. We're starting to see some worthwhile, budget-friendly alternatives that deliver commendable noise cancellation and sound quality for under $100.

Whether they are worth the money depends on the character of noise in your environment and how much it prevents you from focusing on whatever you need to do. If you can't think clearly without silence or (at least) a greater sense of quiet, noise-cancelling earphones are well worth the peace of mind.

Once you find the perfect pair, check out our stories on five easy tips to extend the life of your headphones and eight ways you're using them wrong.

Active noise cancellation (ANC) debuted in over-ear and on-ear headphones first but is now prevalent in wireless earphones. As the first word of the term suggests, active noise cancellation requires power, as opposed to passive noise reduction. Battery power feeds ANC circuitry that uses microphones to create a live, inverse signal of the surrounding noise. Just like how adding a negative number to its positive equivalent nets zero, the goal here is to offset the ambient noise with inverse sound waves.

Does it work? That depends on the manufacturer and the character of the surrounding noise. Even competent ANC is typically far more effective against low to mid frequencies, especially unchanging, drone-like sounds such as from an engine or an appliance. The best ANC does the same for higher-frequency sounds, like office chatter and keyboard clicks. But a tight in-ear seal is what helps most against these sounds.

Speaking of an in-ear seal, passive noise cancellation (or passive noise isolation) uses the physical sealing off of the ear canal to block out surrounding sound. There are no mics or batteries involved in this method, but it is, in many ways, more effective than active noise cancellation because it helps cut back frequencies across the board. Earplugs still exist for a reason—they work. 

Plenty of wireless models include a feature that allows you to monitor your surroundings without removing the earpieces. This is useful in offices and airports and for runners who need to be aware of traffic and car horns. Not all wireless earbuds with an ambient monitoring mode also include noise cancellation, but most of the ones we’ve tested do.

Many offer on-ear controls that allow you to cycle through ANC and ambient/transparency modes. We note whether earphones include this feature and how well it works in each of our reviews.