Best Noise-Canceling Headphones in 2020

Best
Noise-Canceling Headphones
Android Central
2020

Best Overall: Sony WH-1000XM3

Without a doubt, the WH-1000XM3 are the best active noise-canceling (ANC) headphones on the market, period. If you need ANC, the WH-1000XM3 will undoubtedly come up in your conversation or Google search. Their ANC is so good that the next-best set of ANC headphones on the market are a distant second. On a flight? Commuting on a bus or train? Walking down the block? The WH-10000XM3 will have your back.

In addition to the stellar ANC, the WH-1000XM3 are great set of headphones. They last up to 30 hours on a single charge with fast charging capabilities when they are dead. Unfortunately, when charging, you won’t be able to listen to them, whether wired or wireless.

Their sound signature out of the box is very bass-heavy. The sound is so bassy that it often drowns out the rest of the frequencies and can sometimes cause headaches if you’re not used to that much bass. Fortunately, you can customize their sound with Sony’s smartphone companion app. The app lets you tweak the mids and highs pretty well, but has a generic “clear bass” slider for the bass.

Comfort-wise, the WH-1000XM3 are above-average. For most people, they’ll be excellent, even after several hours of listening, making them perfect for travel and long flights. But if you have a big head, beware that they may get uncomfortable after a few hours of usage.

It’s taken them a few years, but Bose has finally updated their flagship ANC headphones line. The Bose NCH 700 are equal to or better in almost every way compared to their predecessor, the super-popular QC35 II. First, let’s talk about sound quality. The NCH 700 take a small leap in this regard. The NCH 700 reduce the treble ever so slightly, so it’s no longer piercing and sharp while maintaining a relatively balanced sound signature.

Battery life is above-average, with up to 20 hours of usage on a single charge. Fortunately, when your battery is dead, you can simply plug them in with their included USB-C charging cable and continue to listen to your NCH 700.

In terms of comfort, the NCH 700 perform well. Some may argue the NCH 700 have the best comfort when it comes to a set of ANC headphones, and I’d have to agree. The clamping force isn’t too strong, and the ear cups and headband are super soft. While comfort is excellent, their portability got notably worse with the NCH 700 when compared to the QC35 II. The NCH 700 no longer fold, which is a big deal for a set of travel headphones. This means that when they’re not in use and stowed away, the headphones and included charging case will take up more space in your bag.

Luckily, when you take them out and use them, their ANC performance is fantastic. They’re not as good as the Sony WH-1000XM3 but easily take second place for the best ANC performance currently on the market. They block out most bass-heavy engine noise, and some mid-range sounds such as people talking. They struggle ever so slightly on higher-pitched wines that come from smaller plane engines or electric cars. However, you do get up to 11 steps of ANC, giving you one of the most versatile ANC experiences on the market.

Sennheiser has always been a brand that cared about sound quality, and the Momentum 3 Wireless are no exception. The bass is ever so slightly boosted to give you the definition you deserve for their price point. The midrange is a bit recessed but still retains detail and clarity, and the treble is very balanced and smooth. However, what’s most impressive is their relatively wide soundstage for a set of closed-back headphones. Everything from bass guitar up to tambourines and vocals can be very easily pinpointed within a track.

In terms of battery life, the Momentum 3 Wireless will net you 17 hours of juice on a single charge. The battery life isn’t the greatest, but it’s enough to get through two workdays. Unlike other headphones on this list, you can use the USB-C port for simultaneous listening and charging when connected to something like your Android phone or iPad Pro.

While the battery life isn’t the best, the Momentum 3 Wireless are extremely comfortable, even after long periods. The headband and ear cups don’t squeeze your head, making them easy to wear even for those who have larger heads (including myself).

Finally, as the saying goes — some ANC is better than no ANC. While the Momentum 3 Wireless aren’t the greatest set of ANC headphones on the market, having ANC at all is still better than having nothing. They block out a decent amount of low-end noise, but you can still hear a bit of your environment around you. However, if you play music loudly, some of it should go away,

You don’t need to spend a whole lot of money for great battery life. The Anker Soundcore Life Q20 net you 40 hours of juice on a single charge, and that’s with ANC enabled. If you disable ANC, the Life Q20 get an insane 60 hours!

The ANC on the Life Q20 is pretty decent. Unlike most other ANC headphones out there, the Q20 are fantastic at blocking out higher-pitched noises such as talking but suffer greatly with blocking out more consistent noises such as the rumble of an airplane or the wheels of a bus.

Sound quality is pretty good if you like a ton of bass. The bass is massively boosted to the point where some may find them hard to listen to. However, the boosted bass is likely there to cover up the mediocre ANC when it comes to low-end noise. The midrange is pretty balanced all around, and the treble is only slightly boosted. Overall, the sound could be considered “warm” thanks to the bass boost.

Comfort is excellent, even over long periods. The headband extends pretty well, making them suitable for those who have larger heads. The ear cups are tall and deep, making them super comfortable even for those who have really big ears.

The Bowers & Wilkins PX7 are some of the best looking over-ear headphones on the market. If you’re the type of person who puts design above all else, these headphones should be calling your name. Not only do they look good, but they come with a pretty unique feature set as well. One super welcome feature is the ability to use the headphone’s USB-C port for audio. Most of our mobile devices nowadays lack a 3.5mm jack, so being able to plug your headphones into your phone’s USB-C port is always a good thing. Not only will you get audio, but power as well. Yep, you can charge and listen over one single cable.

In terms of sound, the PX7 are bass and treble-heavy, which is common in a lot of mainstream headphones. What is impressive, however, is the amount of soundstage the PX7 pack for a set of closed-back headphones. They sound very spacious, and every single instrument and voice can be heard without issue.

Battery life is excellent, with up to 30 hours of usage. They charge over USB-C and have support for faster charging. If your headphones are completely dead, a 15-minute charge will get you a cozy six hours of listening time.

Unfortunately, all this great sound quality comes at a sacrifice. The ANC is mediocre at best on the PX7, and you basically should avoid enabling it at all costs because it hurts sound quality. However, passive isolation does well in its place. Comfort is only decent here, too: the clamping force is super strong, so you’ll sometimes feel like they are squeezing your head.

Wireless headphones can be annoying, especially when it comes to charging. They become yet another device in your life that needs to be charged. However, the Jabra Elite 85h ease that tension by having ridiculously long battery life. The Elite 85h get you up to 35 hours of battery life on a single charge. Yep, you read that right — 35 hours. On top of that, the Elite 85h are comfortable, which is a perfect combination with that massive battery. And yes, you can charge and listen to them at the same time.

The sound quality is good, too. The default sound signature is a bit dull and boring, but fortunately, you’ll be able to customize that through Jabra’s companion smartphone app. In there, you’ll also find options to customize how much ANC, which overall is solid. It’s not bad, but not terrible either. You’ll hear a sizable hum while on flights and some engine noise while taking the bus or train.

The Elite 85h do have some nifty tricks up its sleeve, though. To turn on/off the headphone, simply swivel the right ear cup. Your audio automagically plays and pauses when you either remove or put the Elite 85h on your head.

Most will argue that good ANC on headphones are expensive. However, the COWIN E7 prove them wrong. You get great battery life and solid ANC at a crazy low price.

Starting with battery life, the E7 get a whopping 30 hours on a single charge, which is better than some of the more expensive ANC headphones. They will easily last you at least a week with standard usage and will easily be enough for most flights. The ANC isn’t too bad, either. Surprisingly, they compare favorably to the highly-rated Bose NCH 700. They block out consistent noises like engine noise while struggling with more inconsistent sounds like conversations.

Sound quality is average. They have a boosted bass, which is often overpowering and gives a bit too much thump and rumble. The same can be said about the mid-range, where the overall presence is a bit boosted. The treble is super recessed and mostly not present. This means that instruments such as hi-hats from drums, bells, cymbals, and some female vocals will sound a bit muted.

Comfort is relatively good, even if the headphones are on the heavier side overall. Aside from weight, the E7 will comfortably sit on your head, and we didn’t notice any fatiguing or comfort issues when using the E7 for several hours at a time.

When it comes to earbuds, there aren’t many noise-canceling ones out there, let alone ones that include ANC and are true wireless. Yet, here we are with the Sony WF-1000XM3. If you’re looking for great ANC and ultra-portability, look no further.

The WF-1000XM3 bring the same great ANC tech that is used in their over-ear equivalent, the WH-1000XM3. The WF-1000XM3 are easily one of the best true wireless ANC earbuds on the market. The ANC will surprise you; it being able to block out a ton of noise, including engine noise and some more inconsistent sounds like walking.

Sound quality is a departure from the classic Sony sound. They sound balanced for the most part, with only minor bumps that most people won’t be able to hear. And just like their bigger brother, you’ll be able to customize the sound of them through their companion smartphone app. You’ll get the same basic “clear bass” slider and some more granular EQ options for the mids and highs.

Comfort-wise, the WF-1000XM3 are good. They’re comfortable and won’t have an issue staying in your ear, but the design itself is rather large and bulky. Some other true wireless earbuds can blend in, but people will know you’re wearing earbuds with the WF-1000XM3.

Battery life is excellent. You’ll get up to 26 hours with the included charging case and up to six hours with the earbuds alone. The charging case charges over USB-C, and, as most true wireless earbuds do, the WF-1000XM3 have a fast-charging mechanism that gives you several hours of listening within a 15-minute charge. Unfortunately, the case doesn’t support wireless charging, which is a bummer considering its high price.

First and foremost, let’s discuss ANC performance. Both the Sony WF-1000XM3 and AirPods Pro feature outstanding ANC performance, especially considering their form factor. The Sony WF-1000XM3 have a slightly better ANC performance, although the AirPods Pro’s ANC is more consistent. The AirPods Pro can block out most low and midrange noise and struggle in higher-pitched tones, but that’s typical of ANC headphones and earbuds.

The AirPods Pro are great in terms of sound quality. The sound is a vast improvement over older generations with a more balanced sound. However, unlike the WF-1000XM3, Apple doesn’t offer any sort of EQ options, which means what you hear is what you get.

Comfort-wise, the AirPods Pro are some of the best when it comes to in-ear earbuds. This is mostly thanks to their proprietary ear tips. Rather than using standard ear tips, which require the tips to attach onto a plastic bit that then shoves in your ear, the AirPods Pro use a proprietary locking mechanism that attach directly to the buds’ driver. This allows the ear tips to mold to your ear completely. The earbuds come with three ear tip sizes in the box, which should help with getting the right fit.

Battery life is where the AirPods Pro could see an improvement. They currently feature 4.5 hours of battery life on the buds’ end (with ANC on). The included charging case nets you an additional 19.5 hours, totaling up to 24 hours. The case supports Qi wireless charging for a genuinely convenient package but, unfortunately, uses Lightning for wired charging.

The biggest downside to the AirPods Pro is when it comes to pairing them to non-Apple devices. You lose automatic play and pause, the ability to use one earbud at a time, and any sort of customization, which is a bummer. However, you can still use the force sensor to play, pause, skip tracks, and toggle ANC and transparency mode.

Unsurprisingly, the best neckbuds around come from Bose. The noise-canceling capabilities mimic those of the older generation QC35 II. This means that the QC30 perform really well, only getting beat by the more recent high-end headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM3 and Bose’s own NCH 700. This means that the ANC is good but newer headphones will out-class it easily.

Similar to the WF-1000XM3, there aren’t many neckbuds that also support ANC, so the QC30 were an easy pick. Being neckbuds, the earbuds will wrap around your neck with a cable connected to each earbud. The QC30 comes with multiple ear tips in the box, so you should be able to find an ear tip that works for you. When they’re in your ear, they work like a charm with no issues with comfort or ear fatigue, even over long periods. Obviously, when you’re not using the QC30, you can simply let them dangle around your neck.

The sound quality is pretty good as expected with most Bose headphones. There’s a small boost in the bass to give it a slightly warmer sound signature, but otherwise, they are rather balanced. Fortunately, you won’t hear any reduction in sound quality when it comes to having the ANC on. When it comes to battery life, the QC30 perform well for their class. They last up to 10 hours on a single charge, which means you’ll be able to get through a full workday and then some without worrying about having to recharge them.

Our biggest gripe with the QC30 comes with the Bose companion app. It’s not the greatest. You can control the amount of ANC you want with the app, but that only applies to how much isolation you want when the built-in microphone is active. And that’s pretty much all you can control.

Despite the QC30 being one of the few neckbuds out there with ANC, the BT 100 NC from Phiaton are a reliable choice if you’re on a budget.

The ANC is pretty good for the price. They won’t blow you away, but they’re great if you’re planning to use them on your commute. You’ll still hear some environmental noise, but most of it will get blocked out. With ANC enabled, you should expect around 7-7.5 hours of audio playback on a single charge. When not in use, you’ll get around 15 hours of standby time with ANC enabled. Not the best in terms of battery life, but again, great for the price.

Sound quality is good, too. They feature boosted bass and treble, giving them a consumer-friendly sound. The bass isn’t too overpowering, and the treble isn’t elevated too much to the point where they start to sound too piercing. The BT 100 NC also feature vibrations for notifications, which is neat if you don’t own a smartwatch or don’t always have your phone on you. They lightly buzz to let you know when a phone call is coming through.

In terms of comfort, they’re pretty much as expected when it comes to a neckbud. They do, however, get uncomfortable after several hours of usage with the included ear tips. Fortunately, you can use third-party ear tips as the BT 100 NC use standard ear tip sizes.

Bottom line

If you can afford them, Sony’s WH1000XM3 are the best noise-canceling headphones on the market, with handy gesture controls, great sound, deafening noise-canceling, and long battery life. You might also love the slightly more comfortable Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700, though they are a bit more expensive.

If both of those headphones are too rich for your blood, though, you can’t go wrong with any of the alternatives such as the Phiaton BT 100 NC which are ultra-portable and convenient.

You may not need active noise cancelation in your headphones, but if you do, you can’t go wrong with any of the above picks.

How to choose the best noise-canceling headphones

Contrary to popular belief, active noise cancelation isn’t just for commuting and flying. They’re also great in office environments and even as daily purpose headphones if you simply need to block out the environment around you.

Choosing the right set of noise-canceling headphones can be hard as it’s more than just ANC you’re looking at. For example, comfort, whether or not the ANC negatively effects the sound quality, and battery life are huge factors when choosing the right noise-canceling headphone.

Sound Quality

When it comes to audio equipment, sound quality should be in your list of top three most important things. If you don’t like the way headphones sound, it won’t matter if their super comfortable or if the battery lasts forever.

The Momentum 3 Wireless from Sennheiser are some of the best sounding over-ear wireless headphones around, let alone noise-canceling ones. They offer a slightly bass-boosted sound with a super-wide soundstage and excellent dynamic range. You don’t need to know what any of that means other than that they sound like they’re actually worth their price tag.

If you’re looking for a more pocketable option, the WF-1000XM3 are good, too. They’re true wireless, and their ANC performance is exceptional. They’re a bit big, but the sound quality is fantastic with a sound signature that sticks to being relatively balanced all around. Not only that, but the companion smartphone app lets you customize the sound even further if you’d like more bass, mids, or treble.

Best active noise-canceling headphones, ranked by sound quality

1. Sennheiser Momentum 3 Wireless
2. Sony WF-1000XM3
3. Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700
4. Bowers & Wilkins PX7
5. AirPods Pro

Comfort

Comfort is also equally as important because if your headphones sound great but hurt your ears or your head after 20 minutes, what’s the point in having them?

Unsurprisingly, the Bose NCH 700 takes the top spot. Bose is notoriously known for having really great comfort in their noise-canceling headphones, and their latest addition is no exception. With the Bose NCH 700, you can easily wear them for 10 hours or more without any discomfort.

Despite being earbuds, the Sony WF-1000XM3 and AirPods Pro are equally as great. Both earbuds come with multiple tip sizes, which will help tremendously with finding a level of comfort. Combine that with the compact size of truly wireless earbuds, and both Apple and Sony have hit a home run here.

Sony had a lot to do when making the WH1000XM3, and that includes comfort. Their previous ANC headphone, the WH1000XM2, weren’t all that great when it came to comfort. Fortunately, Sony put in the R&D, and the WH1000XM3 are surprisingly comfortable. The ear cups and headband are super soft, and there’s not much-exposed plastic that touches your head. You can easily wear the WH1000XM3 for 10 hours or more at any given time.

Best noise-canceling headphones, ranked by comfort

1. Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700
2. AirPods Pro
3. Sony WF-1000XM3
4. Sony WH1000XM3
5. COWIN E7

Noise isolation

It sounds kind of silly to rank noise isolation on a post about noise-isolating headphones, so we’ll keep this short and sweet.

The top three on this list are all solid. The WH-1000XM3 remains king with their class-leading ANC, and if you want the best ANC, you go WH-1000XM3, period. Our runner up is the Bose NCH 700. While not as good as the WH-1000XM3, they’re pretty close. Whichever you decide to go with is totally up to you and depends on which sound signature you like better.

Our next two picks on our list are the Sony WF-1000XM3 and AirPods Pro. Both feature fantastic ANC performance for their relatively small and portable form factor. Neither beat over-ear headphones in any stretch of the imagination but are great if you want convenient, portable ANC.

Best noise-canceling headphones, ranked by noise isolation

1. Sony WH-1000XM3
2. Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700
3. Sony WF-1000XM3
4. AirPods Pro
5. Bowers & Wilkins PX7

Smart Features

There’s not much you can do when it comes to over-ear headphones and smart features. The most over-ear headphones typically do is bundle in a digital assistant of sorts, whether it be Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or both.

However, the three that stick out are the Bowers & Wilkins PX7, Jabra Elite 85h, and Sony WF-1000XM3. These headphones feature an auto-play/pause feature, which is rare among noise-canceling headphones, let alone over-ear ones. The Sony WF-1000XM3 are almost required to have this feature as they are a set of truly wireless earbuds.

The Bose QC30 are awesome as well. They’re neckbuds, but the ANC adapts to the environment around you. Combine that with the versatility thanks to being a neckbud, and the QC30 actually become one of the most portable ANC earbuds on the market.

Best noise-canceling headphones, ranked by smart features

1. Bowers & Wilkins PX7
2. Jabra Elite 85h
3. Sony WF-1000XM3
4. Bose QC30
5. COWIN E7

Battery Life

Battery life is something that gets wired headphone lovers heated. That’s because with a set of wired headphones you don’t have to worry about “another thing to charge.” However, if you have long battery life you forget that you even have to charge the thing in the first place.

Our top pick are the Anker Soundcore Life Q20 with their impressive 40 hours of battery life with ANC enabled. What’s even more impressive is that you get a total of 60 hours with the ANC turned off!

Our next four on our list all get the same roughly 30 hours of battery life on the single charge. If you’re looking at battery life specifically, the Jabra Elite 85h, Sony WH-1000XM3, COWIN E7, and Bowers & Wilkins PX7 all perform excellently in this regard. You’ll probably want to look at other potential features between these three headphones.

Best noise-canceling headphones, ranked by battery life

1. Anker Soundcore Life Q20
2. Jabra Elite 85h
3. Sony WH-1000XM3
4. COWIN E7
5. Bowers & Wilkins PX7

Microphone Quality

If we’re honest here, microphone quality when it comes to noise-canceling headphones kind of suck. Most companies focus on having great microphone quality for the ANC itself or an ambient sound mode, but when it comes to the actual microphone you use to make calls, ANC headphones are decent at best.

Surprisingly, the AirPods Pro take our top spot for microphone quality. The microphone on the earbuds block out a superb amount of environmental noise and can isolate your voice well, even in louder environments.

That being said, the Bose NCH 700 and the Bose QC30 are our next two picks. They’re okay when it comes to blocking out environmental noise and isolating your voice, but the person on the other end might have some issues hearing you in louder environments.

The Jabra Elite 85h make this list because they’re not half bad when it comes to isolating your voice and reducing environmental noise. They perform similarly to the Bose NCH 700 but are maybe one notch worse.

All other noise-canceling headphones on this list struggle quite a bit when it comes to microphone quality, unfortunately. You’re probably better off taking off your headphones and using your phone’s built-in microphone and speakers to take calls with everything else on this list.

Best true wireless earbuds, ranked by microphone quality

1. AirPods Pro
2. Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700
3. Bose QC30
4. Jabra Elite 85h
5. Bowers & Wilkins PX7

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Peter Cao likes to spend most of his days enjoying music and playing video games. While at work, he focuses on analyzing, testing, and reviewing all types of headphones and audio gear.