How to Choose the Best Over the Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones
Noise cancelling headphones are a great way to improve your listening experience, regardless of whether you work from home or traveling by public transport. They create an audio barrier between your ears and the outside sound. But how do you know which pair is the best for you?
There are two main kinds of noise cancelling headphones that are active and passive noise cancellation. The former is made of heavily cushioned earcups that fit snugly to block out outside sounds and the latter rely on built-in microphones that create opposing sound waves to cancel out any background noise.
Comfort
Whether you spend your days in noisy public transportation, battling for office space with chatty coworkers or attempting to catch some shut-eye on an overbooked flight, noise cancelling headphones offer an audio buffer between your ears and the world. These headphones allow you to listen to music at a level that is appropriate without straining your ears. A lot of our top picks also come with a light-weight design, making them comfortable to wear throughout the day long.
Noise cancellation is usually achieved through active sound reduction technologies that create opposite sound waves in order to block background noise. You can find headphones that have passive noise isolation which seals the earcups and buds around the ears to block out noises that are not needed. However, the best models we tested employ active sound cancellation to give a true escape.
To get the optimal results, you'll need to ensure that your headphones fit comfortably and are well-designed. It is important to ensure they don't leak, as this can be annoying to those near you. To experience a truly immersive sound you'll need headphones that can support high-resolution Bluetooth codesc LDAC. This allows them to play back high-resolution music with 24 bit resolution and 96kHz and makes them an audiophile's dream.
While some people view noise-canceling headphones as large heavy, bulky headphones that aren't suitable for travel, a lot of new models fold down to smaller dimensions. The Bose QC45 headphones we've reviewed, for example are a great choice when you're looking for an affordable travel headphone that folds flat to tuck into its case. If you're an avid traveler, the Sennheiser HD450BT is a great pair of headphones that can be folded down to fit inside your bag for carry-on.
The majority of the models we've looked at are wireless, and some even come with built-in microphones that allow hands-free calls. The app allows you to control the audio and noise cancellation settings which is perfect for those who wish to adjust their headphones while on the move. headphones noise cancelling include docking stations that allow on the move listening, and others come with a case that provides plenty of battery life when you're away from home or at work.
Sound Quality
Most music lovers are very concerned about the sound quality of headphones, particularly ones that offer high-quality audio. While any pair of headphones can assist in removing ambient sounds, a great pair of noise cancelling headphones will not only be effective in blocking out noise from the outside but will also be able to provide clear high-quality, high-quality sound.
If you're planning to spend an amount of money for a pair of headphones, it only makes sense that they'll able to play your tunes as well as possibly. Thankfully that's the case, as ANC headphone technology has evolved and improved, the sound they deliver has also improved significantly over time. This has resulted in some of the best headphones available today that can compete with the top audiophile headsets.
Of course, the quality of sound you hear will depend on the way you listen to music and what your preferences are. Some people will prefer a warm and full bass sound while others might opt for high-quality headphones that can deliver every nuance of a song or album.
The type of sound you'll enjoy most also depends on how important noise cancellation is for you. While ANC is excellent at eliminating monotonous sounds, such as the whooshing sound of an airplane, or the roaring of traffic, it is unable to remove dynamic sounds that have various frequencies and intensities such as human voice or instruments.
To this end, a great pair of headphones with outstanding passive isolation and good ANC can be an excellent choice, regardless of whether you go with earbuds that are sealed around your ears or over-ear headphones that completely cover your earlobes. You can achieve remarkable isolation with no active noise cancellation using Comply memory foam tips or similar products. They will conform to the shape of your ear.
Of course, all ANC headphones come with an array of Bluetooth codecs, allowing users to connect with the audio source that is most suitable for you. The Sony WH1000XM4s, for instance, come with LDAC support and DSEE Extreme to ensure you can listen to your favourite tracks in high resolution and stunning detail. The result is that when Sinead O'Connor sings Nothing Compares 2 U her sibilant cry as well as the forceful chorus are like she's in the room with you.
Noise Cancellation
Noise cancelling headphones are an excellent way to put a barrier between you and the outside world. They listen to ambient sounds and then use built-in microphones to "read" the environment, allowing only the sound you want to hear. They're great for commuting, working from home, or in any other situation where background noise can be distracting or annoying.
Noise cancelling headphones employ a technology called active noise cancellation to make their magic. The tiny microphones inside the earcups or earbuds are able to listen to the sounds that you're exposed to and then emit opposite frequencies, which will then be in collision and effectively block out unwanted sounds, leaving the music you're listening to. It's a little more complex than that, and it is dependent on the sensitivity of your ears, the headphone design, and the quality of its audio processing, but the gist is that they significantly reduce the noises you hear, whether that's an aircraft engine or your friend's animated conversations.
Although they're not able completely transform your surroundings into a silent void, the best over-ear ANC headphones we tested did an excellent job of blocking most background noises. For the most immersive listening experience, consider an ANC pair that has adaptive noise cancellation. This enhances ANC to a new level by constantly listening to ambient sounds, countering the background noise in real-time and keeping the sound you would like to hear (including hands-free calls) at a constant volume. The Sony WH-1000XM5s are an illustration of this cutting-edge technology in the action.
Many over-ear ANC headphones come with other features that make listening enjoyable. Look for features like touch controls as well as high-quality audio codecs and support for voice assistants like Siri or Google Assistant. Wireless Bluetooth is essential for hands-free audio playback as well as easy audio playback. A portable charging case will also help you stay connected while on the go.
A passive mode is also useful feature. It lets you switch off the noise cancellation circuitry and listen with the same isolation that regular headphones offer. This is a handy trick for when you want to hear the world around you or haven't enough battery power to charge your headphones.
Value
When listening to music or making phone calls, a good pair of headphones will make you feel as if you're in a soundproofed room. Noise cancelling headphones cost more than their non-noise-canceling counterparts, but they provide better sound quality and block out distracting ambient noise. They are well worth the extra cost for those who work long hours at the office or on the road.
The Sony WH1000XM5 headphones are packed with features that are useful. They have impressive noise cancellation capabilities and a microphone that is dedicated to producing natural clear and clear audio when you call and DSEE Extreme Audio Upscaling. The ANC system does a fantastic job of blocking out external sounds however they struggle to isolate you from the bass-range sounds like traffic or trains passing by.
They are also light and folds down into a compact D-shaped package that can be tucked away into a carry case, making them perfect for use on the road. They are compatible with multiple voice assistants, including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, and they include the ability to automatically stop your music when you remove them from your ears. They can also be connected to an audio wire to listen to your preferred podcasts or videos in noisy environments.
The Razer Opus Wireless headphones are a great value for the money. In addition to an ANC system that works well they also have a transparency mode that activates the external microphones of the headphones so that more of your surrounding noise can be heard. The headphones come with a built in USB-C charging port, which means they can still be used while being charged. They also have a low latency connection over Bluetooth, which is important to play games on mobile devices and watch videos.
Take a look at the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 Wireless Headphones for a more affordable option. They do a great job in blocking out distracting noises such as the rumble of buses and plane engines to the high-pitched hum of computer fans. They are able to last for longer than 32 hours and have an automatic off timer.