When you’re alone in public, listening to music is so much more than a distraction. It can have a profound effect on your state of mind, and it’s the reason we’re willing to spend iPad-level cash on the best wireless headphones. Listening to music (or podcasts, or audiobooks) can be an integral part of getting through that daily commute or a long flight.
But if the incessant sound of jet engines, the distracting chatter of a coworker, or the deafening bass of partying neighbors prevents you from reaching musical euphoria — or just getting your work done — then true noise-cancelling headphones will be one of your greatest investments.
To help you pick the right set, Mashable editors and reviewers have tested dozens of headphones and earbuds, and we’ve picked out the very best noise-cancelling headphones for 2024.
Do noise-cancelling headphones actually work?
Premium noise-cancelling earbuds and headphones don’t just work, they work so well that it feels like magic. However, not every product that promises to cancel noise actually delivers.
There’s a big difference between outside noise being blocked and music simply being loud enough to drown it out. Just like not every pair of expensive glasses will protect your eyes from blue light, a pair of pricey headphones won’t guarantee true noise cancellation.
Active noise-cancelling headphones electronically cover up the sounds coming from your surroundings. They use internal microphones that listen to what’s happening in the world around you, then invert the noise and send it to the speakers. The idea is that both the output and the input will cancel out, leaving you with near-silence — and the perfect soundscape for listening to your favorite music. Over-ear headphones can also create a tight seal around your ears that adds another layer of sound blocking.
In the past, not many earbuds featured active noise cancellation, but now there are plenty of noise-cancelling earbuds if you don’t like the bulkiness of headphones. However, earbuds can’t get the same seal that headphones can, so if you’re a noise cancellation snob, stick with headphones.
What are the best noise-cancelling headphones to buy?
Bose and Sony are both top names when it comes to any type of audio, but especially when it comes to noise cancellation. Both brands feature industry-leading ANC on top of superb sound quality. There are also some other brands and models worth checking out, so if you want to tune out ambient sound, we’ve laid everything out for you below.
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Active noise-cancelling headphones and earbuds electronically remove the sound around you. These five get our stamp of approval.
