The 6 Best Noise Cancelling Earbuds And In-Ear Headphones - Fall 2020
Reviews

The best noise cancelling wireless earbuds with a truly wireless design that we've tested are the Apple AirPods Pro. They're quite comfortable as they don't enter the ear canal too deeply, and they're so lightweight that you barely even notice they're there. They look and feel premium and well-built and have easy-to-use touch-sensitive controls on each stem. Their case is very small and supports wireless charging, and the headphones pair seamlessly to all your Apple devices.

Their ANC is excellent, and they do a great job of blocking out the low rumble of bus and plane engines, as well as office sounds like background chatter and fan noise. They have a well-balanced and fairly neutral sound profile out-of-the-box, making them versatile enough for most genres and content. Unfortunately, they don't have any EQ options, and their lack of low-bass may be disappointing to fans of EDM and dubstep.

Like with a lot of Bluetooth headphones, their microphone isn't very good, and your voice sounds very thin and muffled. They also only last just under 5.5 hours off a single charge, which isn't nearly as long as most premium truly wireless options. On the bright side, Apple claims that a 20-minute charge will give you around three to four hours of playback, and their case holds around five additional charges, which is excellent. Overall, these are a good pair of in-ears that pack an impressive ANC feature and are among the best truly wireless headphones that we've tested.

The best noise cancelling earbuds with a neckband that we've tested are the Bose QuietControl 30. These earbuds are comfortable enough to wear for long periods of time and have an easy-to-use control scheme that places quite a bit of functionality at your fingertips. At a little over 11 hours of continuous playback, battery life should be more than enough to get you through the day.

Their noise cancelling feature is quite effective and does a good job of filtering out noise in the bass range, so you shouldn't hear too much of the rumble of bus engines or construction equipment if you take them on the go. Even without ANC turned on, the buds are impressively effective when it comes to passively blocking out the chatter of fellow commuters and higher-pitched sounds, like the hum of an AC unit. They also offer a very well-balanced sound profile that should suit most kinds of audio content, from EDM tracks to podcasts. They also support multi-device pairing, which is handy if you listen to content on your phone and computer.

Unfortunately, their companion app is a little limited in terms of overall functionality, with no EQ and no audio presets to customize your listening experience. Their integrated microphone also delivers middling recording quality and struggles to isolate speech from loud background noise. Still, if you're looking for a feature-packed pair of noise-canceling earbuds, these are a good option.

The best wired noise cancelling earbuds that we've tested are the Bose QuietComfort 20/QC20. These earbuds are solidly-built and very easy to carry around, despite the presence of their control module that houses a battery and associated electronics for their ANC system. They have a comfortable fit and come with stability fins that should allow the buds to stay in your ears, even during moderately intense workouts.

Their ANC system helps these earbuds do an outstanding job of filtering out background noise all across the spectrum, so everything from the low rumble of bus engines to the high-pitched hum of an AC unit is effectively blocked out. They also leak very little audio, meaning that you can listen to your music at high volumes without worrying about disrupting people nearby, even in a quiet environment. Their sound profile is quite well-balanced and should suit a wide variety of audio content.

While their integrated microphone makes your voice sound fairly clear and natural, it struggles somewhat to isolate speech from background noise, especially in loud or crowded environments like subway stations and sports stadiums. With that said, these are still well-rounded earbuds with remarkable noise isolation capability.

If you're looking for the best noise cancelling earbuds in the budget range, but don't care if they have ANC as long as they block out a good amount of background noise, get the AUKEY Latitude. These Bluetooth in-ears block an impressive amount of sound passively, provided you get a proper fit and seal with the three sizes of included tips. Their stability fins help them stay in place quite well, making them a good choice for wearing to the gym.

Their noise isolation performance is excellent, and, provided you achieve a proper fit, they do a better job of blocking out the low rumble of bus or plane engines than many budget ANC options we've tested. They also block more treble and mid-range frequencies than any other headphones we've tested, which is great for blocking out background chatter and AC or fan sounds in an office. Their sound profile is decently well-balanced, with a bit of extra bass that lends itself well to hip-hop or EDM, without being overpowering in genres like rock or country.

Unfortunately, their build quality is only decent, and the cable connecting the two earbuds is fairly thin. They also only last seven hours off a single charge, which is quite disappointing and is a lot less than similarly performing headphones, like the Anker SoundBuds Curve Upgraded 2019, though those headphones don't block nearly as much sound. Overall, the AUKEY are a great choice if you want to get some peace without spending a ton of money.