JLab, Apple, Sony & More

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When searching for headphones, everyone seems to be looking for specific things.

Some want comfort or a longer battery life, while others want affordability and a very specific colorway. Our priority for this piece is ANC-focused headphones, or headphones with amazing active noise canceling, a facet that is extremely important to many. This factor is especially important for those looking to focus while at the office, to block out the chaos of a daily commute on the subway or just get a better understanding of the music they’re listening to.

If you are unsure what that means, the concept revolves around creating an immersive experience for the user, filtering out any unwanted noise such as traffic, airplane engines or office chatter. How good ANC capabilities of headphones are depends on a slew of factors, including their ability to neutralize low-frequency ambient sounds, microphones and algorithms to generate inverse sound waves in real time.

All of these factors, along with a tight seal around the ear, effectively aid in blocking out superfluous sound. You also have Hybrid ANC, which we will go into detail about below. Essentially, this means your headphones have both mics built in and on the outside, catching both low- and high-frequency sounds for a sort of catchall ANC experience.

To make your search for the right ANC headphones for you easier, we’ve compiled a few options, considering factors such as price, design, battery life and intuitive controls to offer readers options tailored to their needs. We’ve included brands such as Sony, Raycon, JLab and Apple, among others. Keep reading to shop our picks for noise-canceling headphones. You can also shop our picks for our favorite collaborative celebrity headphones here.

Sony has a slew of great audio tech that we ShopBillboard folks love. The Sony WH-1000XM4 Premium Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones are our favorite for ANC, or active noise canceling, tuning out the world and letting you enjoy the music. The quality ANC is due to the headphones’ HD Noise Canceling Processor QN3, which is 7x faster than the QN1 seen in Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones. This QN3 optimizes a whopping 12 microphones in real time, leading to better noise cancellation, higher sound quality and clearer calls. 

These headphones also have 30 hours of battery life and come in a stylish and non-complicated design with ample colors to choose from. These headphones also have touch controls that come in handy if you don’t want to get out your phone to change the volume, take calls, or pause a song. Right now, the style is currently 13% off.

Active noise canceling is in the name of these headphones, so you know their capabilities to drown out unwanted noise are unmatched. The JBL product has a heavy focus on what they call Hybrid Active Noise Canceling. What that means is, unlike regular ANC, Hybrid ANC combines feedforward and feedback ANC.

Feedforward means that there are microphones on the outside of your headphones picking up ambient sound before it reaches your ears. Feedback means microphones are on the inside of the headphones that pick up the sound that has already reached your ear. In short, Hybrid ANC headphones use both internal and external microphones that block out both low- and high-pitched tones, giving users improved sound filter. Beyond its Hybrid ANC, the JLab Jbuds are one of the more affordable headphones we’ve seen, at just $79.98, with such hefty noise-canceling capabilities. They also feature touch controls that make taking calls and pausing your tunes intuitive.

Raycon’s Everyday Headphones are useful for just that, everyday wear. Whether you’re at the office, taking a jog in a busy area, or just taking a stroll, these headphones feature a slew of microphones that monitor the noise around you, filtering out what you don’t need so you can zone in on your tunes or calls with ease.

To further tailor your experience, Raycon’s Everyday Headphones have what is called personalized surround sound that lets users fix their audio settings to their individual needs, down to their unique ear shape, head anatomy and hearing characteristics. This can further amplify your noise-canceling experience if you’re into playing around with your audio settings. Beyond the ANC, we love these headphones because they have some of the longest battery life on our list, up to 50 hours.

Srhythm NiceComfort 95 Hybrid Noise Cancelling Headphones have Hybrid ANC, as mentioned above with the JLab JBuds Lux. As previously stated, this means that the headphones use both interior and exterior microphones to capture and cancel out both low and high tones, giving users the best of both worlds when it comes to noise canceling.

Also similar to the JLab model, these headphones have a transparency mode that uses an external mic to pick up outside noise, allowing that noise in while you listen to music so you can stay aware of your surroundings. Where the JLab model differs from the Srhythm model is the battery life, which boasts a whopping 65 to 100 hours on a single charge. That is the longest battery life we’ve seen on a product like this on our search. The price is also not too shabby at just $79.99. The design/aesthetic is almost akin to Apple’s AirPod Max model with its sleek finish and simplistic design. The color is a nice touch, too.

Nothing’s Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Headphones have gone viral on TikTok, with thousands of videos made on the over-the-ear product thus far. The main draw is, of course, how cool they look with their futuristic design that looks raw and unfinished. Once again, these incorporate Hybrid ANC, something that many consumers are seeking out for a full-coverage sound experience. The model is also fast-charging and has an 80-hour battery life, giving you a ton of playtime on a single charge. While they might look different from your standard headphones, this Nothing model is just as comfy thanks to memory foam cushions that cradle the user’s ear without discomfort.

Marshall has a ton of amazing speaker options, but we feel their headphones are criminally slept on. This includes their Monitor III A.N.C, with active noise canceling in the name. The headphones are currently on sale for $279.99 and feature classic noise-canceling capabilities, along with transparency mode, giving the user more awareness while taking calls or listening to music. The battery life is also a plus, with 70 hours with ANC on and 100 hours without it on.

While the ANC is an obvious standout, our favorite feature is how intuitive and modern the controls on these headphones are. A single directional knob allows users to play, pause and shuffle their music. Users can also utilize this knob to adjust volume and control phone functionality, all with a few simple clicks. If all that didn’t sell you, these headphones can fold up for easy storage, tucked away in their very own carrying case.

The Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 is one of the more expensive inclusions on our list, but its ANC, as it relates to calls, is unmatched. The headphones’ advanced ANC incorporates a whopping eight microphones for uninterrupted sound performance no matter where you are. These microphones sort of act like “ears” for headphones, catching sound and enabling noise canceling. The idea is that the more microphones headphones have, the better the ANC is. This is why calls are so crystal clear, because they block out any and all noise, allowing you to focus in on the person speaking. Beyond its ANC, the Bowers & Wilkins model has multiple color options, exceptional wireless performance and a carrying case.

Soundcore’s Space One Active Noise Cancelling Headphones are a standard model that we’d highly recommend for ANC beginners. The model offers users clear calls and stronger voice reduction thanks to the tech’s smart ANC capabilities. These are also pretty affordable at $99.99 and boast a comfortable cushioned fit. We also adore all the colorful options, meaning there’s something for everyone to love. If you’re new to the world of noise-canceling headphones, this model is your best bet.

Stylish and on sale? Sign us up. These Skullcandy Aviator 900 ANC headphones are currently 33% off, now just $199.99, and feature a unique turtleshell design. Like the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3, these headphones have a slew of microphones, six to be exact, that capture and filter out any unwanted noise.

This model also features spatial audio, which offers users an immersive, 3D sound experience that simulates a surround-sound environment to make your audio feel like it’s coming at you from all directions. All of this, and more, can be manipulated easily through Skullcandy’s app, making it easy to change up your experience with the push of a few buttons. If all that wasn’t enough, these headphones come in a cool crossbody case and have up to 60 hours of battery life.

They’re beloved for a reason. It’s Apple’s AirPods Max, available for $449, 18% off now on Amazon. You’ve likely seen these over-the-ear models in a slew of colors all over the internet, as well as on musicians such as Dua Lipa, Addison Rae, Ariana Grande, Lorde and more. We can understand why these headphones are so popular — they encompass a ton of features that their competitors usually don’t have all in one place.

Their ANC capabilities are some of the best on the market, effectively blocking out low-frequency sounds like ambient chatter to let you focus on your tunes. The model also includes transparency mode and personalized spatial audio, combining a lot of the desirable facets of models we’ve mentioned above all in one. These headphones are crafted with a knit-mesh canopy and memory foam ear cushions that not only offer a great over-ear fit, but these touches also perfectly seal in sound. The downside? They have one of the shortest battery life at 20 hours.